Fremont football preview: Silverwolves say they’re light-years ahead of last season
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- Fremont’s Brigg Grange (5) stretches out over a tackle from Clearfield’s Trace Hansen (13) in a Region 1 football game Friday, Sept. 2, 2022, in Plain City. (BRIAN WOLFER, Special to the Standard-Examiner)
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- Fremont quarterback Slade Parker (22) readies to throw a pass against Clearfield in a Region 1 football game Friday, Sept. 2, 2022, in Plain City. (BRIAN WOLFER, Special to the Standard-Examiner)
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- Clearfield’s Jaxon Ogden, right, hauls in a catch as Fremont’s Parks Benson (21) contests during a Region 1 football game Friday, Sept. 2, 2022, in Plain City. (BRIAN WOLFER, Special to the Standard-Examiner)
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- Roy High’s Maxx Johnson (22) runs the football as Fremont’s Brant Koford (49) closes in during a football game Friday, Aug. 19, 2022, at Roy High School. (BRIAN WOLFER, Special to the Standard-Examiner)
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- Fremont’s Luke Shulz (3) tries to evade Roy tacklers Corben Schuffenhauer (1) and Kotah Sudyka (41) during a football game Friday, Aug. 19, 2022, at Roy High School. (BRIAN WOLFER, Special to the Standard-Examiner)
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- A wide shot of a Region 1 football game between Clearfield and Fremont on Friday, Sept. 2, 2022, in Plain City. (BRIAN WOLFER, Special to the Standard-Examiner)
PLAIN CITY — The last two football seasons, four wins in each, have been uncharacteristic struggles given Fremont High’s nearly 30-year history.
The program is down about 20 kids from a year ago. Conversations, though it’s early, are starting about who will stay at Fremont next year and who will go to West Field High when it opens.
Around Region 1, the Silverwolves aren’t viewed as title favorites. They, on the other hand, think things are trending up.
“I think the last two years we’ve been really close to being that really good team and I think this year we’re actually heading in the right direction very early,” junior linebacker Brant “Bubba” Koford said. “I think we’re doing very good right now. Everybody just has to do the little things every day.”
Second-year head coach Clay Bayard, who’s in his third year calling the offense, is excited about this year’s team, which is a smaller but skilled group.
The offense has experienced skill players, namely receivers Jace Hadley and Luke Shulz, running back Brigg Grange and sophomore quarterback Slade Parker. They join an offensive line with one returning starter, Carson Richards, plus three more who got playing time in 2022.
“And this is where we needed to make the biggest improvement from last year was O-line. We’re bigger up front, and we’re going to be better,” Bayard said.
The defense switches from a 3-4 to a 4-2-5 and FHS returns starters at each level of the field, including Koford, safety Noah Austin and lineman Ridge Lindley. Krew Hassel joins Koford as a starting linebacker.
In particular, Bayard is very high on the secondary, which has playmaking safety Austin, along with Hayden Willis and junior cornerback Parks Benson, the latter of whom became a regular in the second half of last season.
“We’ve got a group that helps me in that way feel like it’s gonna be a good year, and I’m not saying we’re going to go undefeated and all that kind of stuff, but at the same time, the energy in year two, the kids have bought in and it’s a group that makes it fun,” Bayard said.
“We were playing sophomores all over the field last year, so we’re older but still a big portion of our core is only gonna be juniors,” he added.
Football education has been emphasized by Bayard this offseason. Instead of just doing conditioning in the offseason, the team has done Monday classroom work.
“That’s me teaching them who Bill Walsh is, what an over front is, what an under front is, what cover 1 is, what cover 2 is. And you think it’s simple and they should all know it, but you’d be surprised,” Bayard said. “They don’t know and I think it’s important to teach them the game. And I think we’re going to see dividends not just this year but in the future, because I’m doing it with seventh graders and eighth graders as well.”
At least two players have spent considerable time in the offseason with Bayard. One is Koford, who not only is a returning 103-tackle linebacker, but he’s taken on a new leadership role, too.
“When everybody’s freaking out and they’re tired and they can’t think, just stepping up and being that guy that just stops the bleeding and just calms everybody down and lets everyone know they can still do it no matter how tired they are,” Koford said about how to be a team leader.
Another is Parker, the returning starting QB. Parker’s met with Bayard most Saturdays in the offseason to watch film and throw routes to receivers afterward.
As a tiny freshman, Parker started 10 games and threw for 1,367 yards with six touchdowns and 21 interceptions (the offense had 37 turnovers in 12 games as a whole).
He’s still undersized, though a 4,000-calorie diet has helped him gain 20 pounds and a full offseason of preparation undoubtedly will help. Football-wise, Bayard says Parker has made a huge leap in the offseason.
“He gets what we’re trying to do and he gets what the defense is trying to do. He doesn’t need to have a rocket arm; he needs to get the ball out on time and be accurate, and he can do that,” Bayard said.
The offense is fairly simple: get the best players a certain number of touches per game, however that’s accomplished. Fremont feels pretty good about where things are, and a good year in 2023 may be more beneficial than past years.
Next year, things will be different. West Field is expected to open its doors and Fremont will lose a lot of kids, which will affect football among many other things.
Players on the fence about heading for West Field may be convinced to stay at Fremont if things go well this year and set up well in 2024.
QUOTABLE
Slade Parker said he learned a lot from offseason film study.
“Really, everything. Just understanding coverages — we went back to the old games and I missed simple reads that I should never miss,” he said.
Did he cut himself any slack because he was a freshman? No.
“Really, coach Bayard kind of pushes it, too. But I really have high standards for myself, too,” Parker said.
FACTS and FIGURES
2022 season: 4-8, 3-3 Region 1. Despite the overall record and being outscored 364-184, Fremont had a couple of good things happen. The Silverwolves beat Weber for the first time since 2016 and then beat Granger in the first round of the playoffs.
2023 strength of schedule: 65-49 (.570)
Returning starters: 5 offense, 5 defense
Strength/Weakness: Skill players./Depth.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Bubba Koford, JR., LB/FB: A sideline-to-sideline player, Koford plays a crucial role in the defense. He’s one of 18 returning players in the state who had 100-plus tackles last year.
Slade Parker, SO., QB: With a full season and offseason under his belt, look for Paker to make a jump in 2023.
Noah Austin, SR., S/WR: Austin made 41 tackles with two interceptions and six passes defensed, and has emerged as a playmaker at safety.
Jace Hadley, JR., WR: Hadley is the leading returning receiver after posting 26 catches for 286 yards with two TDs last season. Bayard called Hadley “smooth as butter” at the receiver spot.
Ridge Lindley, JR., DL: Lindley made 8.5 tackles for loss last year and anchors the defensive line, which is the team’s deepest position group.
Brigg Grange, SR., RB: Grange rushed for 309 yards with six TDs last year on 2.8 yards per carry. He’s a smaller, “scatback” type of player that Fremont will try to get the ball to in different ways.
DID YOU KNOW?
This will be Fremont’s 30th school year.
Fremont faces Bonneville for the first time since 2017. The Silverwolves have won six straight games in the series, starting in 2000. The Lakers, however, have a 7-6 edge in the series and last beat Fremont in 1999.
This is the first time since 2016 that Fremont faces Weber, Roy and Bonneville in the same season.
FHS will face Mountain Ridge (Herriman) for the first time in school history. Fremont’s Week 5 matchup against Cyprus is the first regular-season meeting between the teams. Fremont beat the Pirates 35-14 in a 2018 playoff game.
FHS’ two-year record of 8-15 is its worst since 2012-13 when the Silverwolves went 4-17.
The Silverwolves were outscored 101-27 in the first quarter last year, and didn’t score first-quarter points until their Week 7 game against Davis.
Despite averaging 1.97 yards per carry for the season, Fremont was 4-0 last year when rushing the ball 25-plus times in a game.
All-time records against this year’s opponents: 0-0 against Mountain Ridge, 12-9 against Roy, 6-7 against Bonneville, 4-4 against Sky View, 1-0 against Cyprus, 18-8 against Layton, 14-8 against Davis, 9-6 against Syracuse, 20-10 against Weber and 1-2 against Farmington.
SCHEDULE BREAKDOWN
Last year, the Silverwolves faced Skyridge, Roy, East and Lehi for non-region games.
This year, they start on the road against a good Mountain Ridge team, then have two county rivalry games against Roy and Bonneville, then tricky home games with Sky View and Cyprus before the region opener at home against Layton.
“I think they’re all 50-50 games (in non-region play),” Bayard said. “You’re gonna be able to compete in every game and there’s not going to be a hill too hard to climb when you’ve got young players out there. And you’re going to feel like you’re going to have positive moments and difficult moments.”
The toughest stretch in Region 1 is likely when Fremont hits the road for three straight weeks at Davis, Syracuse and Weber.
The Fremont-Bonneville game was moved to Bonneville. At halftime of that game, the two schools hope to recognize and honor BHS alumnus Aric Hutchinson, whose wife, Samantha Miller, was killed shortly after their wedding when an alleged drunk driver hit a golf cart carrying the two.
SCHEDULE
All games 7 p.m.
Aug. 11: at Mountain Ridge
Aug. 18: Roy
Aug. 25: at Bonneville
Sept. 1: Sky View
Sept. 8: Cyprus
Sept. 15: Layton*
Sept: 22: at Davis*
Thurs., Sept: 28: at Syracuse* (KJZZ)
Thurs., Oct. 5: at Weber*
Wed., Oct. 11: Farmington*
* — Denotes Region 1 game
Connect with reporter Patrick Carr via email at pcarr@standard.net, Twitter @patrickcarr_ and Instagram @standardexaminersports.
