ST. GEORGE — The Snow Canyon Warriors have some work to do.
After losing a ton of talent and several speedy athletes to graduation last year, the Warriors football team is reloading the program before its first game this year, at Stansbury on Aug. 11.
“You can never replace exact kids,” Snow Canyon head coach Mike Esplin told St. George News after a full-pad scrimmage Wednesday night. Esplin enters his seventh season on the Snow Canyon sideline with a 41-32 record.
“We still have height. We still have great speed,” Esplin said, noting both the Warriors’ state champion track team and strong wrestling program have greatly contributed to the football team.
“But we have guys coming who are going to be great athletes, too. We have talent still coming through,” he said.
Some of that talent was on full display during the scrimmage. Senior quarterback Tank Kelly connected on touchdown passes to Cael Johnson and Zach Condie.
Esplin has high hopes for a strong season from Kelly, the standout team leader who has the perfect attitude for a QB1.
“Complete confidence,” Esplin said. “He’s got enough swagger that everybody falls in line and believes. If he believes, which he does, and he’s saying, ‘Let’s go. We got this,’ they believe that they do have it.”
“And that’s what you need in a leader — calm demeanor,” he added. “He’s not stressed out. He’s not overthinking things. He’ll improvise and see holes that are outside the box that you don’t teach during practice.”
Another team leader who stood out in the scrimmage was junior Ryder Holt, listed at 6-foot-3, 205 pounds. Holt snared two interceptions and looked to be in full command of the Warriors defense.
“He’s a kid we’re looking at. We have to limit a little bit to make sure we don’t have injuries,” Esplin said. “He’s such an athlete, tall and big and strong, all the things that make a good football player.
“Obviously on defense, he’s already got experience and he’s already done some great things,” Esplin added. “But he’s someone that we probably need to look at offensively a little bit.”
Snow Canyon finished 7-4 overall last year and shared the region title with a 5-1 record. They beat Green Canyon at home, 26-21, in the first round of the 4A playoffs but then fell on the road to Ridgeline, 41-20.
Using the scrimmage to gauge where the team is at right now is problematic, Esplin said, noting there’s only a set number of times that players get to work out in full pads and go full speed during the preseason.
“You get three full days of pads during the summer,” Esplin said. “So you’re making a lot of progression, but not in real tackle football. You’re seeing coverages, you’re seeing footwork, you’re seeing the ball tossed–but the physical part, you can’t judge.”
Snow Canyon gets thrown right into the fire in its first game of the season on Aug. 11, at Stansbury. The Stallions have traditionally had a strong program on the gridiron.
In a coaches poll conducted by the Deseret News, Stansbury was predicted to win 4A Region 8.
“We progressed quite a bit tonight, but to beat Stansbury at Stansbury, we’re going to have to improve in every area,” Esplin said.
St. George News will have ongoing preseason football coverage with daily team previews before kick off on Aug. 11.
Photo Gallery
Snow Canyon works on red zone offense in a scrimmage, St. George, Utah, Aug. 2, 2023 | Photo by E. George Goold, St. George News
Snow Canyon kicker Kaden Nani (49 in green) boots an extra point in a scrimmage, St. George, Utah, Aug. 2, 2023 | Photo by E. George Goold, St. George News
Snow Canyon backup quarterback Joseph Smith reads the coverage in a scrimmage, St. George, Utah, Aug. 2, 2023 | Photo by E. George Goold, St. George News
Snow Canyon defensive back Ryder Holt returns an interception in a scrimmage, St. George, Utah, Aug. 2, 2023 | Photo by E. George Goold, St. George News
Quarterback Talan Kelly reads the coverage in a scrimmage, St. George, Utah, Aug. 2, 2023 | Photo by E. George Goold, St. George News
File photo- Snow Canyon quarterback Talan Kelly (1) accepts the snap in a scrimmage for the No.5 RPI rated Warriors, St. George, Utah, Aug. 2, 2023 | Photo by E. George Goold, St. George News
Snow Canyon defenders converge on the ball carrier in a scrimmage, St. George, Utah, Aug. 2, 2023 | Photo by E. George Goold, St. George News
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