NORTH LOGAN – In just two years, every Utah high school in Cache Valley has hired a new head coach. Anhder, who spent 12 years at Sky View, will now be less than five miles away at Green Canyon, and will be the only one who was coaching in the valley three years ago.
Anhder is at a new school with a new field and new uniforms, but he should feel right at home. He brought most of his coaching staff and many of his players with him, but he won’t have many seniors. Most stayed back at Sky View; just five are at Green Canyon.
“It’s funny, but even talking to a lot of our own people, they say, ‘Oh, you’re going to be young. We might have to take our lumps for a year or two,’” Anhder said. “I don’t feel that way. I feel like we can go out and compete with the very best of them. The kids are working hard and we’ve got some good athletes. We just don’t have the same depth we’ve always had.”
Leading those seniors could be Brock Mortenson, who was a tight end a season ago. The 6-foot-2, 205-pound standout will now play running back. Anhder said he will be a key piece to help with the lack of depth.
“He’s going to be our man,” Anhder said. “He’s going to do everything for us. If we stayed together he would have had a good career at Sky View, but not that we’ve split he’s got to carry the team. He’s up for it. He’s worked hard for it.”
The other running back is junior Brett Gasaway, an Idaho transfer Anhder is optimistic about.
“We’ll find different ways to utilize those guys,” he said of his tail backs. “They are really good runners.”
The starting quarterback will likely be 6-foot-1 sophomore Joe Dygert, who will be running an offense Anhder said is full of precision. It will largely be an out-of-the-gun system that can utilize either one or two running backs. Because of the offense’s complicated nature, Anhder said the defense is further ahead at this point in the preseason.
“Our offense is not a simple run right, run left offense,” he said. “There’s a lot of learning going on, but I’m pleased with how we’re progressing offensively and defensively.”
That defense will be a 4-3, very similar to what was utilized by Anhder at Sky View. Some key pieces will be senior tackle Jaxon Hill, senior safety Chad Yorgason and junior defensive lineman Bryson Taylor.
“The kids are buying in,” Anhder said. “They’re learning the system.”
<h4>Schedule</h4>
Aug. 18 vs Pine View
Aug. 25 vs Shelley, Idaho
Sept. 1 vs Viewmont
Sept. 8 vs Chugiak, AK
Sept. 15 vs Logan
Sept. 22 vs Bear River
Sept. 28 at Ridgeline
Oct. 6 at Sky View
Oct. 13 vs Mountain Crest
Oct. 18 at Ben Lomond