There’s no way around it.
Millard hit the skids in 2016.
The proud program, which has collected 14 state championships and taken second eight times, didn’t win a game last year.
Coach Ethan Stephenson said the results were a testament to what injuries can do a small-school team with many two-way starters.
“Injuries really is what affected us,” said Stephenson, who was a sophomore on the Eagles’ last title team in 2001. “We were pretty much playing our JV team.”
Five players who lined up offensively and defensively were hurt during the first three weeks of the regular season.
The Millard coach thinks his squad will have more depth and can compete this season.
“The tradition is there,” Stephenson said. “It’s just a matter of getting them going, getting them fired up.”
MILLARD EAGLES <br>Coach • Ethan Stephenson, second year <br>Last season • 0-10, 0-5 in 2A North <br>State championships • 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1958, 1960, 1976, 1978, 1981, 1982, 1988, 1993, 1995, 2001 <br>Other title game appearances • 1956, 1957, 1968, 1979, 1987, 2006, 2007, 2011 <br>2017 SCHEDULE <br>Aug. 18 • at Enterprise, 7 p.m. <br>Aug. 25 • at Parowan, 7 p.m. <br>Sept. 1 • at North Sevier, 7 p.m. <br>Sept. 8 • Grand County, 7 p.m. <br>Sept. 15 • Delta, 7 p.m. <br>Sept. 22 • American Leadership, 7 p.m. <br>Sept. 29 • at North Summit, 7 p.m. <br>Oct. 6 • South Summit, 7 p.m. <br>Oct. 13 • at Gunnison Valley, 7 p.m.
Behind center • The first guys to see the ball on offense were among those who first went to the sidelines with injuries last year. That included senior Jaxon Wardle (6 foot 3, 190 pounds), who will return to running back as well as playing in the slot. Sophomore newcomer Brooks Myers (5-11, 140) will get a shot at quarterback. Senior running back Turner Koyle (6-0, 170) battled injuries all year but, when healthy, is fast. He proved it by winning the 400 meters at the state track championships in the spring.
Ball hawks • Stephenson is hoping for an injury-free year from senior Jalen Robison (6-2, 150) after his wideout and free safety hurt his collarbone last season. The Eagles also will look for regular production from senior Slade Sheriff (6-2, 155), a wide receiver and cornerback. After those two, the positions closest to the sidelines still are up for grabs. “Right now, there’s just a conglomerate on the outside and at corner,” Stephenson said.
In the trenches • “Our offensive line is actually pretty solid,” said Stephenson, who has a pair of returning starters and a third who is moving back from the backfield. Dillon Lund (6-3, 230) is a junior who was the starting center last year and will slide over a couple notches to play tackle. Senior Kaleb Rowell (6-3, 200) and Hunter Gamble (6-2, 180) will start at offensive guard. Gamble who is a senior who initially went from guard to running back, but he is back again out of necessity. “It was a hard move for him to go back,” Stephenson said. “He’s a good kid, a hard worker.” Lund and Rowell will be mainstays on the defensive line. Both sides of the line will benefit from the return of Calun Whitaker, a junior who played as a freshman but missed last season with an injured knee.
Hit men • Gamble plays defense, too. While Lund was Millard’s leading tackler with 41 last year, Gamble also had 27 stops and will be back as a middle linebacker. Wardle and Robison didn’t see extensive action in 2016, but both recorded about 10 tackles as juniors and are ready to flank Gamble as outside linebackers.
Key returners • Jaxon Wardle, Sr. (RB/LB); Turner Koyle, Sr. (RB); Kaleb Rowell, Sr. (OG/DE); Jalen Robison, Sr. (WR/LB)
Key losses • Hunter Anderson, LB; Alex Moua, DB; Daniel Whitaker, LB; Tyler Marshall, WR/CB
The next wave • Dillon Lund, Jr. (OT/DT); Brooks Myers, So. (QB); Calun Whitaker, Jr. (OL/DL)