By TYLER HENRY
JC Post contributor
After a dismal 0-6 campaign in 2021, the Rural-Vista Heat have restocked their cupboards and will come into the new year with an expanded roster and a loaded freshman class.
Brian Henry returns for his fourth season as head coach at Rural-Vista, excited for what a growing roster means for his program.
“This is the first year we’ve been able to play JV games in my time here,” Henry said. “We have a big freshman class and don’t have many seniors so we’re a little lean on leadership. I’m expecting our underclassmen to start taking that up and I think that will greatly improve our football culture.”
While the underclassmen do bolster the overall size of the roster, it’s also a group brimming with talent that has had success at the junior high level.
“Right now we’re just trying to settle into our identity,” he said. “I think some upperclassmen that took offense to how good some of these freshmen are. We haven’t real depth in a while and that competition in practice makes us better.”
While the future of the Heat certainly looks bright, Rural-Vista will have to contend with a loaded schedule once again as their new talent gets acclimated to the Friday night lights.
“We got smoked in every game last year and our schedule has changed but we still have several perennial state-bound teams on our schedule,” Henry said. “We want to be competitive and we know we haven’t won a ton in the last few years but we want to build on the victories that we do get.”
To start the season time at quarterback will be split between sophomore Nathan Traynor and freshman Koden Sanford, with each bringing their own strengths and will to win the job to the position.
The backfield will consist of Logan Tate and Kole Riedy, while Grant Eskledson and Landon Parker get the nod at tight end.
In the offensive trenches, Lane Barrett, Cody Brown, and Gavin Carson will line the front, with Barrett and Carson anchoring the D-Line as well.
The Heat are hopeful that they can right the ship defensively after conceding 40 or more points in eight of their nine games last year.
“We gave up a lot of one-play drives last year,” Henry said. “We have to cut down the number of big plays we give up. If we can make teams take 7-8 plays and give them a chance to shoot themselves in the foot that would be great.”
Freshmen Kole Riedy and Grant Eskledson will start the season as Rural-Vistas primary linebackers with Elijah West, Dylan Johnson, and Logan Tate filling out the secondary.
Overall Rural-Vista remains committed to its rebuild as a youthful roster looks to put the pieces together one day at a time.
“These guys aren’t going to be graded on wins, they’re going to be graded on if they improve or not,” he said. “Halfway through the season we need our freshmen to play like sophomores and our sophomores to play like juniors.”
The Heat will kick off their season on Friday, September 2nd when they welcome the Solomon Gorillas to town.
For continuing coverage of Rural-Vista football all season long stay tuned to the JC Post.