Fall practice is officially underway for the Emery Spartans as they prepare for the upcoming football season, which begins on Aug. 19 on the road against 2A Summit Academy.

After improving their win total by three in 2015, expectations are high for this year’s team. Securing wins over Grantsville and Carbon in 3A North play last year, the Spartans qualified for the state tournament after missing out the season before.

For only the third time since 1986 Emery opened fall practice with a new head coach on Monday, but still a level of familiarity surrounds the team. After being an assistant for three seasons, John Faimalo was appointed head coach in April and the coaching staff is identical to the past few seasons. This year’s team is also filled with multiple three year starters, which has created excitement around the 2016 season.

“We’ve got a lot of kids that have some experience and kids that have started since they were sophomores,” said Faimalo in April after being appointed head coach. “That excitement in the kids coming back, the knowledge and experience that they have will make things easier for me stepping in.”

Emery will boast a large amount of experience in the trenches offensively as three year starters Koby Butler, Logan Labrum and Ty Mecham return. Chase Jewkes will also return to the offensive line after a successful junior campaign in 2015.

While the line is expected to set the tone offensively, senior standout wingback Ashton Dieli will miss the entire season after suffering a torn ACL in the summer. As a junior Dieli scored six touchdowns and was the third leading rusher on the team.

“It is a situation we’ve been in before, just last year with Tyler Olsen,” said Faimalo Tuesday on KOAL’s Drive Time Sports. “We had Ashton step up big last season, so now we have to find someone who can step up and do the same this year.”

One underclassmen that could be called upon to fill in for Dieli is junior Easton Gordon. Playing mostly on the defensive side of the ball last season, Gordon played a change of pace role at quarterback in rushing situations at various times throughout the season.

Entering his third season as the team’s starting quarterback, senior Zac Jorgensen will look to build off of his junior campaign where he threw for nearly 700 yards. Completing close to 50-percent of his passes last season, Jorgensen showed tremendous growth as a leader and as an athlete in 2015.

Kolton Butler, Jorgensen’s top target from last season, will return at receiver and has proven he has the capability to be a threat with his size and athleticism. Last season Butler hauled in nine passes for over 200 yards and three scores. Without the reliable Dieli out of the backfield, Butler may have to take on an even larger role through the air for a team that relies mostly on the run.

After giving up 34 points a game last season defensively the Spartans will make the switch from a 4-3 scheme to a 4-2-5. The principals of the new scheme allows nine players to get involved when attempting to the stop the run. The look will be similar to a 4-4, but with more flexibility.

Seven starters are pegged to return from last year’s team including Kolton Butler at defensive end, Koby Butler and Mecham at tackle, Labrum and Jewkes at linebacker and Logan Cox at defensive back. Both Kobe Faimalo and Easton Gordon should have a role in the secondary after both were productive as sophomores.

“Fundamentals is where we need to get better over the next few weeks,” said Faimalo. “These kids know the plays, they know what we are expecting of them, but fundamentals is what makes you a better player. Each player that gets better fundamentally, makes us a better team.”

Following the opener on Aug. 19 the Spartans will travel the following Friday to meet Payson. The first home contest of the season will take place Sept. 2 against Delta, and the team will open region play Sept. 16 on the road against Carbon.

You will be able to follow the Spartans throughout the 2016 campaign on KOAL AM 750 and 103.9 FM. In addition to every game airing on KOAL, live video feeds will also be available on koalitv.com.

Below is coach Jon Faimalo’s latest interview from KOAL’s Drive Time Sports and the complete 2016 football schedule.


Emery Football Schedule

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