Jackson Baer
For The New Era
Coming off a 9-4 season that concluded with an appearance in the state 4A quarterfinals, the Huskies are looking at a new landscape this year as they start in a new league, the Sky-Em, and with a new head coach, Dustin Nichol. They’re also looking at a lot players who are not long on experience.
Nichol took over the program after the retirement of longtime Coach Rob Younger, who stepped down after 30 years at the school to become assistant director of the Oregon Coaches Association.
Nichol, a member of the last Husky football team to win a state championship, in 1987, and a longtime assistant football coach, was selected in late May to take the reins for the Huskies.
Nichol said the Huskies have a substantial number of seniors returning but not many with extensive playing experience.
“We only have six returning starters, and some of them were on offense and some on defense last year,” Nichol said. “All six weren’t two-way starters.”
There have also been some position switches this year as players have been moved to fill gaps left by last year’s departees.
If the Huskies hope to repeat last year’s winning ways they will need to play to their strengths.
According to Nichol this team’s greatest strength is the players’ “character, team bonding and quality of kids.”
Last year’s squad graduated a lot of talented players and their backups are now stepping into their shoes.
“Many number twos and threes from last year will get their chance to play this year,” Nichol said.
One of the key returnees is senior quarterback Keenon Martin (6-0, 170), an all-league honorable mention pick at the position, who split starting duties last year with Tyler Holly, who has graduated. Martin’s leadership will play a big role with not only the offense but also the morale of the entire team.
“The entire offense doesn’t revolve around him but he’s an integral part,” Nichol said. “He leads by example, not just vocally.”
This Husky football team will attempt to build on an offense that shifted gears last season, going from being run-dominant to more of a pass-oriented attack.
Offensively, Nichol said, the Huskies will have a little different look than they did with the fly sweep-style offense Younger used in his final year at Sweet Home.
Nichol said he plans to use more of a set offense, at least until his team gains some experience, then add more motion as the season progresses. He said he also wants to use some option plays so Martin can use his tailbacks and fullbacks to counter defenses.
“The more we go, we’re going to get into more motion and all that,” he said. “As people start out, they’ll learn set positions. Then we’ll go to the motion game with some jump motion and fly motion.
On the offensive side of the ball some players to watch for are senior wide receivers Alex Santana (5-9, 160), Alex Coakley (5-11, 160) and Zach Miller (5-11, 180). Santana, who switched from soccer to football last season, brings speed and athleticism to both the offensive and defensive side of the ball as well as the kicking game. Coakley will handle the punting duties.
At running back seniors Patrick Long (5-9, 179), who was an all-league offensive guard last year, and Kyle Sorenson (5-10, 165) will carry the ball.
“They don’t necessarily have that second gear speed but they are both hard workers and grinding, pounding runners,” Nichol said.
Nichol said Coakley and Santana are the two fastest players on the field.
“With the type of offense we are going to try to run, we want the speed on the outside,” he said. “Patrick was a guard last year and we’ve moved him to fullback and tailback.”
The offensive line has “decent size,” he said, led by juniors Jesse Comstock (5-10, 205) and Jerohn Coleman (6-1, 250) who Nichol expects to “step up and improve” their game.
Last year’s offensive line was a big factor in the Huskies’ success in the running and passing game. If that is going to happen this season they will need tough, physical play from their line.
The “quick and athletic” senior Cody Daniels (5-11, 175), an honorable-mention all-league pick at center last year, will be back at the position and will help provide a senior presence up the middle.
Nichol said seniors Grason Reynolds (5-11, 160) and John Markert (6-0, 200) “worked really hard in the off-season and have matured physically €“ they’ve done everything they need to do.”
One of the biggest challenges is lack of experience, Nichol said, noting that several of his linemen didn’t get a lot of playing time last year and some are new to high school football.
The line includes three players, junior Alex Armstrong (6-0, 180), senior Dallas Loewen (6-3, 240) and senior Nick Nivison (5-11, 175), who haven’t played since eighth grade, but who could provide some bulk up front.
“It will take some time if they’re going to produce for us, to get their wheels under them,” Nichol said.
The leader of the defense is senior Zach Jackson (6-1, 185), or “the hammer,” as Nichol called him.
“He likes to hit and plays harder when he gets hit,” said Nichol. On special teams, sophomore Wade Paulus (6-2, 190) figures to be a main option returning kick offs and punts.
Nichols said the Huskies will use tight end sets on occasion, with senior Zach Miller (5-11, 180) and Coakley playing that role when necessary.
“We’ve evaluated the personnel we have on team, we’ve taken the quickness, the size of the kids, and put them in places where they can best help the team,” he said. “Right now, those are the best places where they need to be. It’ll take some time to get new positions learned. ”
The defensive backfield will be led by Miller and Long, who has been moved from defensive end to safety. Long was a second-team all-league pick last year as both a defensive lineman as well as on offense.
Middle linebackers will be senior Zach Jackson (6-1, 185), a second-team all-league pick last year at the position, and Daniels , along with junior Jesse Comstock.and sophomore Nate Melcher.
Playing outside linebacker are returning starter Miller; junior Kris Newport (5-2, 150), who had to sit out all last year with a shoulder injury; and returning starter and senior Kyle Sorenson (5-10, 165).
Seniors Matt Long (6-1, 170) and Nick Lloyd (5-8, 170) will back them up, as well as playing on the corners.
The Huskies are “really thick” with defensive linemen, Nichol said.
They are seniors Cody Felkins (6-3, 300), DJ Burns (5-10, 310); juniors Coleman, Grason Reynolds (5-11, 160) and Tyler Paulino (5-9, 180); and newcomer Alex Larson, a 6-0, 245-pound senior who is returning to the game after playing as an eighth- grader.
Coleman was an all-league honorable mention pick as a sophomore defensive tackle.
At defensive end are returning senior Steven Baugus (5-11, 180) and sophomore Zane Jackson (5-11, 180), along with seniors Nick Nivison, a (5-11, 175) and Dallas Loewen (6-3, 240), who are both late arrivals to the high school game.
Last year the Huskies went 7-0 at home and only 2-4 on the road. If they can improve their play on the road they just might make a deep playoff run once again. The team stumbled at Stayton Friday (see page 12 in the front section), but gets another opportunity this Friday, Sept. 10, at Cascade.
After that second road game, the Huskies return home to play four straight games, the last two being league games. Three of the five league games are at home this year.
If history repeats itself, Sweet Home will have a good chance at putting together a solid season once it comes home on Sept. 17 to face Central. Last season this was a highly anticipated game that ended in a disappointing 58-13 road loss.
“I just want to compete in every game,” Nichol said. “As long as you prepare, as a coaching staff, and the kids prepare the best that they can to play on game night, fully prepared as an individual and a team, whether they are victorious or don’t meet the goal they are still winners because they’ve done everything they could.
“They’re not defeated, they just got beat by a better team. We won’t be satisfied with losing because we want to win but we will learn from those games to improve as a team.”
Though the Huskies are new to the Sky-Em league as members, that doesn’t mean they’ll be seeing new schools. They’ve played almost all their Sky-Em opponents, Elmira, Junction City, Cottage Grove and Sisters, in recent years.
“Sisters, Cottage Grove and Junction City are all tough teams almost every year,” he said. “I expect them to be good.”
Nichol said Sweet Home has only played LaPine once in recent years, so he’s not as familiar with the Hawks.
“But when we play these teams from Central Oregon in the playoffs, I don’t what they feed their kids, but they grow them big,” he said. “Our plyaoff record against those teams is not real good.”
He said the team will take it “one week and one game at a time.
“We’ll handle the different challenges of coaching and playing football. This is not a building year; we are setting the tone for the program I want to implement. We’ve got a great group of boys, and they’ve responded really well.
“We’ve got new coaching, new league and a clean slate to start our own traditions and rivalries in the league.”
Members of the varsity foootball team are, in front, from left, Manager Kendell Anderson, Scottie Stockman, Colton Holly, Mitch Keenon, Keenon Martin, Ty Collins, Alex Coakley and Manager Emily Delong. In second row, from left, are Kris Newport, Trever Olson, Patrick Long, Hunter Bidwell, Alex Santana, Ty Harvey, Kyle Sorenson, Taylor Conn, Wade Paulus, Bryce Seiber, Nick Lloyd, Zach Jackson, Nate Melcher and Jesse Comstock. In third row, from left, are Jerohn Coleman, Grason Reynolds, Cody Daniels, Coach Jay Horner, Coach Casey Baarson, Coach Tomas Rosa, Coach Don Knight, Head Coach Dustin Nichol, Coach Kenny Kittson, Coach Randy Whitfield, Coach Darren Perry, Steven Baugus, Ty Paulino and Alex Armstrong. In back, from left, are John Markert, Dallas Loewen, Cody Felkins, Alex Larsen, DJ Burns, Nick Nivison, Jesse Baugus, Zach Gill, Zach Miller, Matt Long and Jacob Smith.
Junior varsity football team members are, in front, managers Emily Delong and Kendell Anderson. In second row, from left, are Austin Rice, Cole Horner, Colton Schilling, Spencer Knight, Dillon Elder, Jacob Richardson, Brian Malloy, Christian Voldbaek, Bryce Keenon, Montana Baxter and JT Weld. In third row, from left, are Josh Wooley, Ian Wingo, Angel Negron, Coach Casey Baarson, Coach Tomas Rosa, Coach Dustin Nichol, Coach Jay Horner, Kyle Carpenter, Austin Horner and Ben Terry. In back row, from left, are Kyle Wodtli, Victor Stupin, Ian Search, David Skeen, Adam Rose, Ashton Stutzman, Rickey Tressell, Cory West and Quinn Wise.