With the summer moratorium officially lifted, the Carbon Dinos held their first full team practice of the season Monday in preparation for the upcoming season, which begins on the road August 18 against Manti.
“First day of practice wasn’t too bad because we got a lot of our stuff put in over the summer,” said head coach Josh Huntsman. “Now the kids understand formations and so we just need to polish up some aspects and get ready for game one.”
Entering his third season as head coach, Huntsman’s squad will look to end a 17-game losing streak when they take the field against Manti. With only five returning seniors, the Dinos will once again be young as they compete in the highly talented 3A classification.
This season Carbon will have somewhat of a new look offensively as they implement the Veer Option, made famous by Bill Yeoman’s Houston Cougars in the 1960’s. The Veer is an effective ball control offense, that if ran correctly can help minimize mismatches for the team.
“Our offensive line has struggled a little bit with it, so we went back to drawing board and simplified our blocking schemes,” Huntsman said. “We’re not a college team, so we are trying to keep it as simple as possible. Simplicity is what you can intelligently teach. I think from what I’ve seen in practice our kids are starting to pick it up.”
Junior quarterback Noah Jones was also a topic of conversation following the first practice on Monday. Named starting quarterback early in the summer after getting a large quantity of snaps as a sophomore, Jones continues to grow into his role as the full time starter.
“He’s grown into a leader on the field, and he’s developing into a leader off the field,” said Huntsman when asked about his junior signal caller. “He’s more comfortable with what we are doing, because he’s seen it for the last year. The ball is coming out a lot quicker and he’s seeing the field better.”
Defensively the Dinos will run a similar 3-5 look under new defensive coordinator Taylor Brower. Last season Carbon finished last in points allowed per game in the 3A classification as teams averaged just over 44 per contest. With four returning starters and new terminology, Huntsman noted Outside Linebacker Johnny Scoggins had a standout summer that’s transferred to the first few practices.
“He’s a kid that’s been in our system the whole time, and he can do some really, really great things,” Huntsman said. “He’s never been coached by anyone else at the high school level, so he knows what we are asking him to do. It’s been a real treat watching him grow as a player.”
Before the Dinos take the field against Manti they will have two full weeks of practice. Friday, August 11 they’ll take the field in front of a live crowd for the first time this season in the annual Blue and White contest.
While many will view the win/loss record as an indication of where the program is moving, Huntsman understands that the process is something that will take time. Entering year three he believes the program is heading in the right direction, and will only go up from here.
“I’m happy, but I’m not satisfied. I’m happy to see a kid develop, but we are no where near where we need to be,” said Huntsman. “We like the strides they are taking, but if we are not striving for perfection, then I’m not doing what needs to be done as a coach. We have to continue taking the next step towards perfection.”