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Box Elder running back Daxton Sumko rushes the ball during a Region 5 football game against Northridge on Friday, Sept. 9, 2022, in Layton.

BRIAN WOLFER, Special to the Standard-Examiner

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Box Elder running back Daxton Sumko (31) and Bonneville safety Mason Tanner (80) grasp each other's facemasks as Sumko runs the ball during a Region 5 football game Friday, Oct. 7, 2022, in Washington Terrace.

BRIAN WOLFER, Special to the Standard-Examiner

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BRIGHAM CITY — Box Elder High’s football team heads into the 2023 season with interesting things happening.

First, the school’s new turf field construction is delayed and, as a result, the Bees play seven straight road games before the scheduled home opener on Sept. 29.

Second, Robbie Gunter will retire from a two-decade head coaching career after the season. He was promoted to an assistant principal spot at BEHS, and rather than hire a new coach in April with short prep time before the football season, school district officials chose to let Gunter coach in 2023.

Third, the Bees have four new starters on the offensive line with Cody Kaleikini being the only returner there.

They return 1,766-yard running back Dax Sumko, who averaged 6.3 yards per rush last year as a bulldozing, every-down back and will be a three-year starter.

But in a run-first, single-wing offense like Box Elder’s, the O-line’s importance gets magnified.

“That really is the secret sauce, I think, is how those guys develop. They’ve done a good job in the weight room,” Gunter said. “We’re not the biggest team. Our linemen aren’t the guys that you see, ‘Oh man, that’s a lineman.’ Our guys are guys that have great discipline, they’re hard working, stay low, get off the ball and they’re good team players.”

Sumko’s reputation precedes him and it won’t be a surprise if other teams load the box on defense, nor would it be a surprise if Box Elder finds different ways to get Sumko the ball.

The offensive line isn’t the only position group dealing with inexperience. Box Elder was senior heavy in 2022; many of those seniors had previous starting experience and some were two-way starters.

Six of the top seven tacklers on defense graduated, as did five of the top seven receivers on offense, the two main kick returners and most of the secondary.

Cole Mortensen, last year’s Standard-Examiner All-Area Football Most Valuable Player, started at three positions — safety, kick/punt returner, placekicker/kickoff specialist — and rotated in at receiver, for what’s technically a grand total of six spots to replace.

Otherwise, the Bees have a good trio returning on offense between Sumko, quarterback Ryan Griffin and receiver/running back Mason Jeppsen. And the returners set a higher standard this offseason on the back of last year’s success.

Box Elder had No. 1 seed and unbeaten Lehi on the ropes in a road quarterfinal playoff game but lost 28-21 against the eventual 14-0 state champions to finish the year 9-4.

“I think the playoff run was awesome because we all knew that we could compete at a high level and we’ve kind of been underdogs for a long time, and no one really expected us to go deep, pretty much,” Griffin said. “But we should’ve beat Lehi, I don’t like talking about that game, but it was a good one. But I think for us, it’s kind of like a motivation thing for this year, guys that haven’t played, to like step up … so they can get to that position again.”

Jeppsen is one of three returners on defense, which is coming off its best points-allowed-per-game tally since 2013. He feels like the group is very skilled but has to get used to some finer points of the defense.

“I’d say I think alignment is definitely one of our largest things right now, all of our alignment, and then like how it changes when reacting to offense,” Jeppsen said.

The players have mixed feelings about the turf field being delayed. On one hand, they’re happy about getting a brand-new field, and on the other, some of the seniors are bummed about only having two scheduled home games.

Griffin and Jeppsen agreed on another point about the field, however. Having only two home games might motivate the team to chase a home playoff game more so than normal.

QUOTABLE

Box Elder opens with seven straight games away from home. Six are true road games and one is a neutral-site “home game” against Northridge at Weber High.

“Nowadays, the turf fields, they’re all the same. It makes it so much easier to be able to go on the road. Last year going down to Bountiful, and we play on grass, that was a rodeo arena– most rodeo arenas look better than that — so going on the road used to be quite a bit different. But it’s still fun to take your crowd. We have probably the greatest student section around,” Gunter said.

FACTS and FIGURES

2022 season: 9-4, 3-2 Region 5. It was Box Elder’s best season since 2006 in terms of wins, and three losses were by only one possession. The Bees beat Highland and Provo in the first two rounds of the playoffs, then lost to No. 1 Lehi 28-21.

2023 strength of schedule: 45-62 (.421)

Returning starters: 4 offense, 3 defense

Strength/Weakness: Running backs./Depth.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Dax Sumko, SR., RB/LB: Sumko rushed for 1,766 yards and 16 TDs on 6.3 yards per carry last year with 209 receiving yards as well. He’s a big, sturdy running back and will also play outside linebacker.

Ryan Griffin, SR., QB: Griffin started at receiver as a sophomore and at quarterback last year, when he threw for 1,711 yards, 18 TDs and six interceptions on a 63.1% completion rate.

Mason Jeppsen, SR., LB/WR: He led the team in tackles with 116 and actually was the leading receiver with 374 yards and five TDs to go with 264 rushing yards.

Brock Bissegger, SR., OL/DL: Bissegger had 47 tackles and seven sacks at defensive line, the latter of which is the leader among returners.

Cody Kaleikini, JR., OL/DL: Kaleikini is the only returning starting offensive lineman and will play a big role up front.

AJ Bushnell, SR., K/FS/WR: Bushnell averaged 34.5 yards per punt last season and also started at free safety.

DID YOU KNOW?

This year will be the 100th anniversary of the first Bear River-Box Elder Golden Spike Game, which was a 51-0 Box Elder win on Nov. 9, 1923. It’s the longest continuously running prep football rivalry in the state, as the teams have played every year since their first meeting in 1923.

Robbie Gunter is the longest-tenured head coach in Region 5, with 14 seasons at Box Elder and six at Viewmont before that. He has a career coaching record of 111-113.

Box Elder is the only team in Region 5 to return its leading passer, rusher, receiver and tackler.

Box Elder’s two-year playoff record is 3-2, and the rest of the current Region 5 teams are a combined 2-10 in that time. The Bees have also won consecutive road playoff games (2021 at Tooele, 2022 at Provo).

Box Elder will likely have the latest home opener in the entire state, Sept. 29 against Bountiful, which coincidentally is also getting a turf field this summer.

All-time record against this year’s opponents: 3-3 against Kearns, 12-21 against Mountain Crest, 73-27-2 against Bear River, 1-1 against Northridge, 23-15 against Roy, 9-3 against Clearfield, 6-3 against Viewmont, 8-9 against Bountiful, 11-8 against Woods Cross and 25-29 against Bonneville.

SCHEDULE BREAKDOWN

The first three games are tricky. The opener against Kearns is a test against a big, physical and experienced team and Mountain Crest returns a handful of key starters.

The Golden Spike Game is the most interesting non-region game because Bear River virtually brings back its whole team, and it’s a year when the scales are close to level with the Bears and Bees.

The region schedule is tough and competitive as it is every year. The toughest stretch appears to be the final three games, of which two are at home: Bountiful, at Woods Cross, Bonneville.

SCHEDULE

All games 7 p.m.

Aug. 11: at Kearns

Aug. 18: at Mountain Crest

Aug. 25: at Bear River

Sept. 1: vs. Northridge* (at Weber High)

Thurs., Sept. 7: at Roy* (KJZZ)

Sept. 15: at Clearfield*

Sept: 22: at Viewmont*

Sept: 29: Bountiful*

Oct. 6: at Woods Cross*

Oct. 11: Bonneville*

* — Denotes Region 5 game

Connect with reporter Patrick Carr via email at pcarr@standard.net, Twitter @patrickcarr_ and Instagram @standardexaminersports.