Broncos are a step ahead in 2A
Count me as a believer.
Before the season started, I honestly thought that San Juan would see some stiff competition in defending its 2A football title. Just within the Broncos region, South Summit was returning an experienced line and its top offensive and defensive player in Levi Thompson and Grand also looked to be dangerous with an explosive runner in Billy Keddington to lead the Red Devil offense.
I will admit I was wrong. After seeing San Juan dismantle the Wildcats on Friday, I don’t think there is a 2A team within light years of the Broncos at this point.
The first evidence of how lopsided things would turn out came in the first half. Even though the score was knotted 6-6, San Juan had already begun to put its defensive stamp on the action.
In those two quarters, South Summit had gained just 77 yards of total offense. The Wildcats did convert 4-of-6 third downs, but they crossed midfield just once on the three drives that started in Bronco territory. The other drive — which produced South Summit’s only points — was set up by an interception by Trevor Rydalch that he returned to the San Juan 20.
It only got better for San Juan after halftime. The Broncos’ first two second-half touchdowns each came off a turnover. Taj Eldredge intercepted Parker Anderson and returned it to the Wildcat 30 to set up the first score. The second came after Cameron Shumway scooped up the ball on a fumble and raced 45 yards the other way for six more points.
The defensive stats were even more impressive for the Broncos in that half. South Summit managed just 69 yards of total offense through the final two quarters and 38 of those came on the Wildcats’ final drive when the game was out of reach. The Wildcats converted just 1 of 5 third downs in that span.
San Juan currently allows just 4.0 points per game — the stingiest amount by any team in the state. And the Broncos are led by one of the leading tacklers in the entire state in Stetler Shumway.
The scary thing for the rest of 2A is that the Broncos do not feel like they have really reached their defensive peak yet because so many players are playing in different positions than a year ago.
“We’re going to get better,” San Juan coach Monty Lee. “That’s the thing about us. We’re still trying to find ourselves in some of those positions.”
If that’s the case, the town of Blanding can probably feel good about stocking up on the 2010 championship T-shirts and hats sooner rather than later.
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