Senior Aiden Tyler was named Most Valuable Player for the Sweet Home football team at the Huskies’ awards night, held April 27 at the Rio Theatre.
The Huskies finished the season 1-2 in Oregon West Conference and 2-4 overall, which included losses to two of the state’s top-ranked teams, Cascade and Hidden Valley.
Head Coach Dustin Nichol said the team was built around a core of “around 23 kids” who worked almost non-stop since the middle of June 2020 in hopes that there would be an opportunity to play.
“They only took time off from Thanksgiving to Christmas,” he said. “Then they were right back at it in hopes that they would be as prepared as they could.
“When they did get a season, it was shortened, but their work paid off in that they got to participate in a season, create some memories, get some experience, create some relationships.”
The season didn’t go exactly as planned, he said. “We dropped a couple of games we should have won.”
Nichol said he also appreciated the parents “for enduring through all of this – practice schedules all over the place.”
“The mantra of this season was ‘be flexible, have grace,” Nichol said.
The Western Oregon-bound Tyler finished the six-game season as Sweet Home’s leading rusher and passer, finishing with 289 yards on 53 carries for an average of 5.45 yards per carry. In the air he completed 67 of 161 passing attempts for 888 yards, with seven touchdowns and four interceptions.
Nichol noted that the award is the result of a vote by players, not coaches.
“It was well-deserved,” he said of Tyler. “He did a lot of work in the off-season to better himself and at the same time he brought people along with him, lifting weights, training. Through his leadership and his ability he gave our kids some opportunities.”
Tyler also was named Offensive MVP.
Junior Daniel Luttrell, who transferred this year from West Albany, was named Defensive MVP after leading the Huskies in nearly every defensive category. Luttrell, who had 29 carries for 150 yards (5.17 yards per carry) on offense, was also named Most Inspirational. He was also named Best Defensive Back, along with senior Cole Baxter.
“Daniel is a great addition to our school,” Nichol said. “We don’t get many transfers coming in to school to play football. Daniel has a great attitude, a lot of energy. He’s a likable young man.
He came in and got along with the kids really well. He fit in with this group of kids.”
Baxter, Nichol noted, “hates to lose.”
“If every kid had his heart, played as hard as he did, we’d do well. He just needed to weigh about 25 pounds more. His attitude, intensity, competitiveness is way up there. He puts everything out on the field. It doesn’t matter how big a guy is, he puts his shoulder pads in there, tries to bring him down.”
Senior Cade Gaskey, who was the Huskies’ second-leading rusher, with 65 carries for 279 yards, (4.29 per carry), was named Best Offensive Back.
“Cade was a juggernaut for us on both sides of the ball,” Nichol said, noting that in the game at Cascade, one of the highest-ranked teams in the state, the Cougars coach told him that they changed their blocking scheme on sweeps because of Gaskey’s defensive play.
“He was alone on both sides of the ball,” Nichol said. “He did a great job for us. He stepped up, big time. He was a pleasant surprise this year.”
Senior center Jake Fanning was named Best Offensive Lineman.
“In our offense, we have two quarterbacks, almost,” Nichol said. “One’s a center. Somebody’s got to make a decision on line calls and play calls. Jake was one who understood the game and our plan really well. He could direct other linemen.”
Like Tyler, Fanning would corral the linemen when there was an opportunity to practice or lift weights,
Nichol said.
“His consistency was very good. He worked really hard in the off-season. He’s going to be tough to replace. Morgan Sands, his counterpart, has got big shoes to fill.”
Junior Charlie Crawford was named Best Defensive Lineman.
“That guy just has a motor,” Nichol said. “He doesn’t come off the field for us. He plays downhill, very quick and aggressive. Every special team, offense, defense. It’s tough to get him one down off.”
Most Improved was senior wide receiver and defensive back Austin Marler, who had four catches for 102 yards and a touchdown on offense, but who finished the season with four interceptions on defense – all in one game, more than the rest of the team combined for the entire season.
Nichol said that Marler spent the summer bucking hay and it paid off.
“He was a pleasant surprise. He was more physical, aggressive than last year.”
Marler was assigned to defend each opponent’s best receiver during the Huskies’ six games, who would get help in the secondary only if he needed it, Nichol said.
“He was on an island, one-on-one. We always started each game with Austin out there. He never ceased to perform, step up.”
Practice Players of the Year were freshmen Nathan Aker and Deacon Bachand.
Nichol said coaches called Akers “Thing,” after the Dr. Seuss character.
“He stepped it up in practice, always challenging the senior guys, making them work very hard.”
Noting that Akers had two scoop-and-scores in JV games, he added, “he brought that energy and aggression to every practice.”
Akers, Ryker Hartsook and Jon Holly all played as freshmen on Friday nights, though they were limited so they could still play on the JV.
“We would have played them more if it hadn’t been for that,” Nichol said.
Bachand, he said, improved dramatically during the season.
“He’s a kid that when he came out, he caught it with his face more than his hands,” Nichol said. But the freshman “wasn’t afraid of anybody” and challenged the varsity players.
“He would come up and give Cade (Gaskey) a shot and hit him and bounce off,” Nichol said. “They would both come up and give varsity guys a good lick, both with smiles on their faces.”
Third-year letter recipients were seniors Cole Baxter, Cade Gaskey and Aiden Tyler.
Second-year letters went to seniors Trevor Carr, Jake Fanning, Keegan Fox, Austin Marler, Kyle Marler, and juniors Colby Gazely, Russell Holly, Brayden Newport, Tanner Waldrop and Tucker Weld.
First-year letter winners were juniors Charlie Crawford, Wyatt Hall, Jacob Ingram, Daniel Luttrell, Dakota Melkvik, Bret Ough, Morgan Sands and Ryan Tyndall, sophomores Riley Korn, Heath Nichol, Brady Nichols, Trenton Smith, Kaden Zajic and Jeremy Zook, and freshmen Nathan Aker, Deacon Bachand, Cody Baker, Owen Crown, Kelso Ellis, Xander Gosnell, Ryker Hartsook, Jon Holly, Chance Linn, Jayce Miller, Mason Montigue, and Colin Nicholson.
Nichol said that the reason so many freshmen received letters was because they comprised the scout team for the varsity, which was about half the size it has been in normal years.
“We had 37 guys, basically. Normally, I’d have 67. Normally, I’d start in the high 60s or low to mid 70s and finish with 65 or 64.
“We had junior and senior linemen bowling over those guys.”
He said he actually doubted, on occasion, whether a freshman would be back after some of those practices.
“They kept coming back. They’re better because of it. I want to reward that behavior. I gave letters to the ones who started and finished the entire season.”