Entering year four under head coach Josh Huntsman optimism is circulating through the Carbon High School football program as the season opener against Manti on Aug. 17 rapidly approaches.

Perhaps the excitement and confidence is built from a competitive 2017 season. Despite going 0-10 for the second straight year, Carbon lost three games by one possession and a total of five by single digits.

The team also proved to be competitive in the 3A North region with three losses by a combined 18 points.

“A coach will tell you all of the time a team has to get back to fundamentals,” said Huntsman. “We’ve got to do the little things to help ourselves out. We’ve taken a step forward to get better this summer.”

A step forward offensively would certainly benefit the Dinos, who averaged just 13.9 points per contest in 2017. The defense held opponents under 25 points on four separate occasions, the offense scored 20-plus points only once.

While schools continue to open up the passing playbook, Huntsman hopes to find success with the old-school Double Wing rushing attack. A scheme built with extremely tight splits across the line of scrimmage, two wingbacks angled towards the backfield and a bruising fullback directly behind the under center quarterback.

“You don’t see the double wing a lot anymore,” said Huntsman. “There’s a dance to this scheme. There’s timing, toughness and fundamentals. The kids have to be in sync with each other and if they’re not, things can go bad fast.”

Like any offense the success is predicated on the production of the offensive line. Together, senior’s McKade Bradley and Gunnar Jeffs will anchor the unit in the trenches. The two veterans will be joined by juniors Anthony Madrigal, Lee Moon and Tristan Stamatakis.

“We have a 240-pound fullback, which is always a bonus,” said Huntsman. “We’ve got some really fast running backs that can get down hill and so we believe in three-yards and a cloud of dust.”

That 240-pound fullback is senior Collin Lewis, who averaged 4.2 yards per carry and scored three touchdowns as a junior. With the graduation of 1,000-yard rusher Nate Olson, the opportunities for Lewis will expand.

There is an open battle for the quarterback position, but the spot is currently occupied by junior Jaylon Dennis. Also in the mix will be returning senior Noah Jones, who also has experience playing other positions on both sides of the ball.

“He’s a kid that can do a lot of different things and play multiple positions,” Huntsman said of Dennis. “You take one of your most athletic kids and put him at the quarterback position and say ‘pitch the ball and give me a lead block’. That’s what Jaylon does for us.”

Carbon showcased an improved defense in 2017 allowing 33 points per contest, a number that is slightly bloated due to Juan Diego’s 66-point effort in the finale. In 2016 Carbon allowed 44 points per game.

The Dinos will once again run a 5-3 defensive scheme, consisting of three down lineman. That logic will allow versatility and limit the amount kids forced to play both sides of the ball.

“There’s probably only going to be about six kids playing on both sides of the ball this year,” said Huntsman. “We’ve got a lot of options at defensive line, so our offensive line will be able to come off of the field and get a breather.”

With three players patrolling the secondary Carbon will rely on the bend, but don’t break logic. In 2017 only three quarterbacks managed to break the 200-yard barrier through the air against the Dinos.

“Don’t give up the big play and keep things in front of you, that’s what I tell the kids,” Huntsman said. “We’re hoping we can create a few turnovers through the air and flip field position a bit. That will allow us to use what we do offensively to keep strong offenses off of the field.”

Carbon will once again share the 3A North with Union, Emery, Grantsville, Morgan and Judge Memorial. The region opener will take place Sept. 14 in Roosevelt against Union.

All Carbon High School football games will air live in Carbon County on KRPX The Peak 95.3 FM, 102.7 FM in Green River, 100.3 FM in Moab and 95.9 FM in Castle Dale.

Listen to coach Josh Huntsman’s interview from Wednesday, Aug. 1 on KOAL’s Drive Time Sports:

2017 Recap:

Opponent	Result	Record
@ Manti	Loss- 21-14	0-1
VS Payson	Loss- 23-14	0-2
@ Duchesne	Loss- 41-19	0-3
VS Ogden	Loss- 28-19	0-4
VS Union	Loss- 33-20	0-5 (0-1)
@ Emery	Loss- 18-16	0-6 (0-2)
VS Grantsville	Loss- 41-6	0-7 (0-3)
@ Morgan	Loss- 39-7	0-8 (0-4)
@ Judge Memorial	Loss- 21-18	0-9 (0-5)
@ Juan Diego	Loss- 66-6	0-10

2018 Schedule:

Date	Opponent	Time
Friday, Aug. 17	VS Manti	7:00 p.m.
Friday, Aug. 24	@ Payson	7:00 p.m.
Friday, Aug. 31	VS Duchesne	7:00 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 7	@ Ogden	7:00 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 14	@ Union	7:00 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 21	VS Emery (Homecoming)	7:00 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 28	@ Grantsville	7:00 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 5	VS Morgan	7:00 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 12	VS Judge	7:00 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 19	Playoffs TBD	4:00 p.m.