Cache Valley high school football preview: Logan Grizzlies

<em><span style=”font-family: Arial;”>This is the final of four in a series of previews of Cache Valley’s UHSAA football teams. Click for the other previews: <a href=”http://www.cachevalleydaily.com/sports/local_prep/article_02aab1aa-583e-11e6-9c02-737ea66c928d.html”>Ridgeline</a>, <a href=”http://www.cachevalleydaily.com/sports/local_prep/article_72ac7fba-5906-11e6-b30b-17e9be6e2c38.html”>Sky View</a>, <a href=”http://www.cachevalleydaily.com/sports/local_prep/article_767622ba-59b8-11e6-86f6-7bd4ca354032.html”>Mountain Crest</a></span></em><em><span style=”font-family: Arial;”>.</span></em>

LOGAN – When the Logan Grizzlies beat the Dixie Flyers 26-15 in the 3AA state championship game on November 20th, head coach Mike Favero’s team returned to Cache Valley carrying the state championship trophy.

Now, many of those guys – including Favero – are gone. The remaining team is young, but the players are out to prove they’ve got what it takes.

“I don’t think we’re scared,” senior linebacker Chance Corless said. “We’ll go out, play the best we can, and win.”

Corless is one of the handful of returning seniors from last year. Another senior linebacker, Carson Manning, said the seniors are leading the way to teach the underclassmen, and he is happy with what he sees from them.

“A lot of the young kids are stepping up and filling the roles that we need,” he said.

Both Manning and lineman Jason Elam agreed that the transition from Favero to new head coach Jayson Anderson has gone well.

“He is a real cool guy,” Elam said. “He’s real nice to work with, he explains things real well. He’s a real great coach, especially to step into the shoes of (Favero).”

When Anderson got the job, he made some slight changes to the schemes. Instead of a spread, the Grizzlies will run a pro-style offense. The familiar 4-2-5 defense will be tweaked to a 4-3.

“We’re changing things up a little bit,” Anderson said. “Guys are doing well adjusting to that change.”

According to Anderson, it will be sophomore Jonny Parkinson who will be throwing the ball this season. As a freshman Parkinson participated in three games at quarterback. Against Park City he played for an entire half, against Cedar City he got one possession and in the state championship game he got one play.

That is the extent of Parkinson’s high school football game experience, but that doesn’t mean he’s worried.

“I’m just excited to prove what type of player I am, just how I play my own type of style,” Parkinson said. “There’s a little bit of pressure, but I like pressure. I’ve always handled it well.”

Senior tight end and linebacker Kaden Jones said Parkinson is young, but talented.

“He makes good reads and is smart with the ball,” he said. “He knows where to put it.”

Anderson described his quarterback as someone who works hard and shows a lot of potential.

“If you would have told me he was a sophomore I would have thought you were kidding,” he said. “He plays the game like he’s older.”

The running back position is a little more up for grabs. Robbie Ballam, Kris Hernandez and Owen Godfrey will all get touches, according to Anderson, but no one has claimed the starting position.

“No one has really taken the job yet and said that it is theirs,” Anderson said. “But as soon we put the pads on and actually go live it will be good to see who will take control.

The Grizzlies we start the season against Box Elder at Maverik Stadium Friday August 19th before facing valley rivals Sky View and Mountain Crest in back-to-back weeks. The team will compete in the 3AA North Region along with new Cache Valley school Ridgeline High.

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