Most Weber games last year went like this: the Warriors were competitive in the first quarter, and then would implode in either the second or third quarters, and the game result wasn’t in question after that.

They got something good out of last year’s 3-9 record, and that was a first-round playoff upset over Roy, but that was one of few good things they took away from their worst season since 2017.

The 2023 offseason has represented a return to basics.

“I felt like last year, our biggest fault and our biggest issue was we stopped focusing on the fundamentals and the technique of football,” WHS head coach Jayson Anderson said.

BRIAN WOLFER, Special to the Standard-Examiner

Tackling, alignment, blocking, working in the weight room, those are the types of things Anderson said the program has focused on this offseason with a returning team that’s still young, but has some experience.

Whether Weber wins four games instead of three or flat-out wins the region, the Warriors feel like they should improve on last year’s season and ultimately are aiming for a quick return to the top part of the region, even if they have a long way to go before they can challenge upper-echelon teams like Syracuse again.

“I think we just gotta believe and go in there and say we’re here to win, we won’t take anything else but winning. That’s the expectation this year, for sure,” junior linebacker and tight end Tyler Payne said.

On paper, Weber’s somewhat of a dark horse in Region 1, but the Warriors have a handful of returning starters, some of the most talented players in the region and a couple key transfers.

Junior Tyce Abbott, who started and played in a handful of games, and Layton transfer junior Crew Cacciacarne have battled for the starting quarterback spot.

BRIAN WOLFER, Special to the Standard-Examiner

Abbott threw for 635 yards and five touchdowns, and ran for 187 yards with two TDs backing up Aidan Carter, who’s now at Eastern Washington University.

Cacciacarne threw for 100 yards and two TDs as a backup for Layton. In his only start, region-champion Syracuse sacked Cacciacarne three times, picked him off once and beat LHS 38-0.

Publicly, Anderson wasn’t sure in late July how things would turn out between Abbott and Cacciacarne.

Whoever’s the QB, he’ll have a solid skill group to work with, led by Payne, sophomore receiver Salesi Moa, senior running back Nakosi Swain, senior receiver Braylon Parker and more.

“We’re gonna be good at spacing teams out and throwing the deep ball for sure,” Payne said. “I think defensively, just our physicality up front and us linebackers, we like to come down and smack dudes.”

BRIAN WOLFER, Special to the Standard-Examiner

Zac Connors, who was the offensive coordinator in 2021, returns to the OC spot this year and the Warriors are gearing up to go fast on offense.

They’re kind of learning a new scheme but it’s similar to what they ran in 2022, which itself had similarities to the 2021 scheme. Apart from getting used to the overall high pace of play, Weber is also focusing on improving a run game that averaged 2.3 yards per carry in 2022.

“I think we’ve got kids that are going to play tough, they’re going to play hard, but I think the big thing is we have playmakers that they’re dangerous when they have the ball,” Anderson said. “Kind of the big question mark is whether or not we’re going to have the ability to move guys up front to do it.”

Anderson has similar concerns about the defensive front, too, despite two returning defensive tackles and the talented Payne coming back at linebacker. The Warriors are less experienced on defense compared to offense and they were gashed on defense last year, but they like who’s stepped into the starting spots so far this summer.

Overall team depth is another issue, with around 92 players in the program (a severe drop from last year’s triple-digit tally), a handful of Weber boundary kids playing elsewhere and a gulf between the first string and second string.

BRIAN WOLFER, Special to the Standard-Examiner

At the same time, Anderson said he wants the best 11 players on the field and involved as much as possible, even if it means more two-way starters than he’d like.

Moa, who has several Division I offers to play receiver, said he’s looking forward to playing both ways.

“Trying to get better at my stamina, like, every play I have to strain everything I got, because I know that’s what my whole team is gonna do for me too, so I want to do the same,” Moa said.

Payne will play two ways, as will Moa (cornerback), returner Bauer McAuley (tight end/defensive end), returner Braylon Parker (receiver/safety) and Layton transfer Ian Elmore (receiver/safety).

There are no two ways, however, about Weber’s goals this year: get back in the Region 1 conversation.

QUOTABLE

Salesi Moa has two older brothers, Sione and Aisea, playing football at BYU. Their dad, Ben, played at Utah.

Some of their advice to Salesi about the college football recruiting process?

“Keep your grades up,” Salesi said.

FACTS and FIGURES

2022 season: 3-9, 1-5 Region 1. Weber upset seven-win Roy in the first round of the playoffs, 31-14, before losing to Farmington 36-9 in the second round. It was Weber’s first losing season since 2016.

2023 strength of schedule: 61-54 (.530).

Returning starters: 6 offense, 4 defense.

Strength/Weakness: Skill players/Team depth.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Salesi Moa, SO., WR/DB: As a freshman, Moa led the team with 52 catches for 947 yards and eight TDs. He has scholarship offers from BYU, Arizona, Washington State, Hawai’i, Nevada and Utah. His two older brothers, Sione and Aisea, are both on the BYU football team.

Tyler Payne, JR., MLB/TE: Payne made 74 tackles on defense, and had one receiving TD. He’s moving from outside linebacker to inside. Payne has an offer from Utah Tech, and will likely pick up more.

Braylon Parker, SR., WR/S: Parker had 23 catches for 361 yards and three TDs last season, and a team-high three interceptions.

Bauer McAuley, SR., TE/DE: McAuley was a regular in the rotation, but is expected to play a bigger role in 2023 on both sides.

Dakota Wilcox, SR., OL: Wilcox is a returning starter and the leader on the offensive line.

DID YOU KNOW?

Salesi Moa is the leading returning receiver in Region 1.

When Weber and Fremont play on a Thursday or Wednesday, things get wild. Heck, even the 2020 Friday night game finished 20-17 thanks to a late WHS touchdown. A brief summary of the last five Wednesday/Thursday Weber-Fremont tussles:

• 2022: Fremont scored with a minute left to win 17-10, and beat Weber for the first time since 2016.
• 2021: Weber trailed 17-0, scored 35 unanswered points and won 35-24 to cap an unbeaten region title.
• 2019: Weber won 17-7 in a televised game where the stadium lights went partially out and the teams played on only the lighted half of the field afterward.
• 2018: Weber won 17-10, clinching back-to-back region titles in a TV game that started Thursday night in a downpour, got lightning-delayed and finished Friday afternoon in a mud bowl.
• 2017: Weber won 28-20 on the road to clinch a first region title since 1996.

The Shield Game with Roy is back on after a two-year hiatus. Roy leads the all-time series 32-25, which includes last year’s playoff game.

Weber faces Westlake (Week 1) and Wasatch (Week 4) for the first time in school history. Wasatch started playing football in 1924 (Weber in 1926), while Westlake opened in 2009.

SCHEDULE BREAKDOWN

The Warriors open with a tricky Westlake game; Westlake is experienced, but has a new coach. Westlake typically has a bad record, but that’s because it plays in the best region in the state. The Thunder has two edge rushers who both have Division I offers.

The Warriors then visit a reloaded Pleasant Grove team, host rival Roy and visit an experienced, solid Wasatch team. In Week 5, they host Granger, which landed De La Salle (California) transfer quarterback and now-BYU commit Carson Su’esu’e in the offseason, plus several more transfers.

Then, Weber faces the prospective three best Region 1 teams all on the road in consecutive weeks, gets rival Fremont at home and recent kryptonite Layton at home. There isn’t an easy game anywhere.

SCHEDULE

All games 7 p.m.

Aug. 11: Westlake

Aug. 18: at Pleasant Grove

Aug. 25: Roy

Sept. 1: at Wasatch

Sept. 8: Granger

Sept. 15: at Davis*

Sept. 22: at Syracuse*

Sept. 29: at Farmington*

Thurs., Oct. 5: Fremont*

Wed., Oct. 11: Layton*

* — Denotes Region 1 game

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