Lehi Sports
Pioneer football team eager to get started
Beky Beaton / Lehi Free Press
The Lehi High School football team is ready to open their fall campaign on Friday (Aug. 14) when they will host Maple Mountain for a preseason contest at 7 p.m.
“The players have bought in to what we’re trying to do, and they’re excited to show all the hard work they’ve put into preparing for the season,” said second-year head Coach Andy Hadfield.
Hadfield has made some additions to his coaching staff as some previous members needed to bow out to meet their other commitments.
He has added three young men whose names will be familiar to Pioneer fans as they were all rostered on Lehi’s 2017 championship team: Kade Moore is coaching the wide receivers, Drake Knowles is working with the defensive ends and Dallin Holker is mentoring the tight ends.
Also back is Steve Clements, the head coach of the 2000 football championship team and a former position coach at the school. He will be Hadfield’s offensive coordinator.
“These are all Lehi guys with deep ties to the community,” Hadfield said. “They understand the culture here and the commitment to winning. The young guys bring great energy and enthusiasm and all of them have ideas about how we can improve.”
Jared Harward continues in his role as defensive coordinator, while Kory Boyd has moved to a new position as strength and conditioning coach. “He’s taken that job and run with it,” Hadfield said.
“This is such a vital part of the game of football, and this change allowed me to give something to somebody who’s really good at it. We want our boys to get bigger, faster and stronger, not only to help us on the field but to minimize injuries.
“The coaching staff at Lehi is phenomenal,” he continued. “They’re not only great coaches but great men. The odds of success go up when you surround yourself with those who are better at your job than you are. The opportunity to affect lives in a positive way for a long time is what drives all of us.”
The offense will be led this year by senior Briggs Jensen (5-foot-11, 195 lbs.) at quarterback, who did get some varsity time as an understudy last season. “He’s been in the program since he was a freshman,” Hadfield said. “He’s put in the work and the team’s behind him. He’ll be a great player for us.”
One of his primary targets is expected to be senior speedster Cam Wren (6-2, 195) at wide receiver, the lone returning skill player on offense. “During the offseason, a switch turned on for him,” the coach said. “His attitude and desires just flipped, and we expect big things out of him.”
Senior Zeke Clements (6-1, 200) played running back his whole life but has moved to tight end. Hadfield said he’ll help lead a really talented receiving corps, all players who have come up in the program and love Lehi.
They include seniors Kyson Butterfield (5-9, 160) and Vince Ruelas (5-9, 165) plus juniors Beckham Cluff (6-0, 180) and Breken Avina (5-8, 170). “They’ve sat and waited their time to shine,” the coach said. “They’ve done well competing as a 7-on-7 club team.
“Coach Moore is helping them to better understand their routes and what running space they need to occupy,” he added. “It’s night and day from where we were at this time last year. With multiple guys catching the ball it’s important for each one to understand his role in each play.”
Hadfield said it’s hard to replace Devaughn Eka at the running back spot, but he has several talented players to call on for a committee approach to fill that gap. The group is led by junior Cam Bryce (5-10, 195) and senior Sam Verbecky (5-10, 185).
“Bryce has great vision and will run over people if he needs to,” Hadfield said. “Sam isn’t afraid to put his head down and plow forward either.” A name to watch for down the line is sophomore AJ Leonard (6-0, 170), a trackster like Wren who’s behind him as the second-fastest on the team right now.
Senior Kacyn Page (6-7, 330) is the lone returning offensive lineman. “He’s big but he moves well,” the coach said. “He should anchor that offensive line with a lot of new faces. They’re inexperienced but they’ll grow a lot in the first few games.”
Hadfield is really enthusiastic about his defense. “Our front seven is as good as we’ve ever had here,” he said, which is really saying something. “They have talent, size and speed. Our senior linebackers Brody Downs (6-2, 215), Paul Unga (6-2, 210) and Colt Kelley (6-2, 215) are hungry and ready to get after it.
“The four guys in front of them are really good too,” he went on. “Senior Tautai Meredith (6-3, 250) is healthy and excited. He’s committed to Washington State.
“Senior Sterling Fillmore (6-3, 205) is developing into a Taysom Hill-esque role,” he said. “He’ll play defensive end and a little tight end. He’s a supreme leader who does everything right on the field, in the weight room and even in the classroom, where he maintains a 4.0 GPA. This all shows how special he is.
“Junior Carter Smith (6-3, 250) and senior Trey Nelson (6-3, 265) understand their assignments and are really good at it,” the coach added. “We have capable backups at all these positions as well.”
The Pioneers will be young in the secondary, with sophomores coming off an 8-1 season competing for time with some seniors. The latter group includes Porter Hobbs (5-9, 155) – a “smart guy who understands football and makes the right play” – plus Ryan Harris (5-9, 170).
Harward called sophomore Li’i Unga (5-10, 150) “one of the better corners I’ve seen” and said he’s earned his chance. Others in the rotation could include sophomore Hendrix Cluff (5-11, 170), junior Kenneth Moleni (5-9, 160) and senior Hank Poulsen (6-2, 160).
“The competition for the starting positions has been extremely high, another happy surprise of the season so far,” the coach said. “They’ve done a really, really good job.”
The coach has turned to a proven source for his kickers: the boys soccer team. Senior Finn McBride (5-7, 145) and sophomore Blaine Bass (6-1, 145) are expected to follow in the footsteps of “the amazing kickers we’ve had here,” Hadfield said.
He has other reasons for optimism as well. “This team has really good senior leadership, guys that do it right and act the way they should,” the coach said. “Championship teams are player-led, and teams win close games when kids do the right things.”
Although the Pioneers were picked to finish last in the Region 3 “SEC of high school football,” Harward likes the underdog label.
“I think this team will surprise some people,” he said. “The way we train and teach, the backups always have to be prepared for us to survive through this region and classification.”
