Another old article recently found online, and now archived here:
Highland football gearing up for state
Highland football gearing up for state
by Sarah Thomas
The high school football season has come and is almost gone already. After publication of this issue of the Sugar House Journal, the Highland Rams have only one game remaining in the regular season, a showdown with the Murray Spartans on Thursday, Oct. 23, and are ready to dive into state tournament play.
Head coach Brody Benson said his players are working hard and are finding their groove at the right point in the season.
“The season is going pretty well,” he said. “We are coming together; we’re focusing on minimizing penalties and crucial mistakes.” Those mistakes left a gaping wound in the Rams’ season opener against Mountain Crest, when they totaled 312 yards of offense but couldn’t manage to earn the win after giving up the ball six times.
“You can’t win like that,” Benson added, noting that his team has done a much better job at holding on to their offensive possessions since their ugly debut. “We are peaking at the right time.”
The Rams are meeting every team’s goal of playing their best right as the playoffs start and they are doing so behind a string of players. Nick Orchard, the Rams’ quarterback as well as a prevailing force on defense, has become a great leader for his team.
“[Orchard] is a great kid, he has done very well, especially with his running game,” Benson said. As of press time, Orchard had run for five touchdowns this season and averaged 79 rushing yards per game in addition to four passing touchdowns and 68 yards a game in the air. Muli Kinikini and Latu Heimulli are also making noise on both sides of the ball. Kinikini had recorded six rushing touchdowns in conjunction with 68 rushing yards per game, and has averaged almost a sack a game on defense. Hemulli has also contributed a handful of sacks and “has done a great job on both sides of the ball,” Benson said. “[Heimulli] is a great kid and also one of our highest-recruited players.”
The biggest surprise for the Highland squad is the production they are getting from Jordan Crayton. The senior is a relative newcomer since he hadn’t played since junior high before putting the pads back on this season.
“[Crayton] has done a great job. He was a lot further along at the start of the season than I expected he would be,” Benson said. “He loves to hit, which is usually the hardest thing to get kids to do.” Crayton has been playing multiple positions for the Rams, including cornerback and wide receiver. Most of his time and production come for his play on special teams, where he is used for kick and punt returns.
Benson’s team suffered a loss to the top ranked team in 4A a few weeks ago, a 32-21 loss to the Cottonwood Colts. Since then, the Rams have faced off against Cyprus and West high schools, both of which are fighting with Highland for a better seeding in the state tournament. The Rams will finish up the regular season with the Spartans, a team that has struggled this season, and then look forward to making some unexpected noise in the 4A state tournament, which starts Saturday, Nov. 1.
“We have to focus on each game and then go into state with the same outlook,” he said.
The high school football season has come and is almost gone already. After publication of this issue of the Sugar House Journal, the Highland Rams have only one game remaining in the regular season, a showdown with the Murray Spartans on Thursday, Oct. 23, and are ready to dive into state tournament play.
Head coach Brody Benson said his players are working hard and are finding their groove at the right point in the season.
“The season is going pretty well,” he said. “We are coming together; we’re focusing on minimizing penalties and crucial mistakes.” Those mistakes left a gaping wound in the Rams’ season opener against Mountain Crest, when they totaled 312 yards of offense but couldn’t manage to earn the win after giving up the ball six times.
“You can’t win like that,” Benson added, noting that his team has done a much better job at holding on to their offensive possessions since their ugly debut. “We are peaking at the right time.”
The Rams are meeting every team’s goal of playing their best right as the playoffs start and they are doing so behind a string of players. Nick Orchard, the Rams’ quarterback as well as a prevailing force on defense, has become a great leader for his team.
“[Orchard] is a great kid, he has done very well, especially with his running game,” Benson said. As of press time, Orchard had run for five touchdowns this season and averaged 79 rushing yards per game in addition to four passing touchdowns and 68 yards a game in the air. Muli Kinikini and Latu Heimulli are also making noise on both sides of the ball. Kinikini had recorded six rushing touchdowns in conjunction with 68 rushing yards per game, and has averaged almost a sack a game on defense. Hemulli has also contributed a handful of sacks and “has done a great job on both sides of the ball,” Benson said. “[Heimulli] is a great kid and also one of our highest-recruited players.”
The biggest surprise for the Highland squad is the production they are getting from Jordan Crayton. The senior is a relative newcomer since he hadn’t played since junior high before putting the pads back on this season.
“[Crayton] has done a great job. He was a lot further along at the start of the season than I expected he would be,” Benson said. “He loves to hit, which is usually the hardest thing to get kids to do.” Crayton has been playing multiple positions for the Rams, including cornerback and wide receiver. Most of his time and production come for his play on special teams, where he is used for kick and punt returns.
Benson’s team suffered a loss to the top ranked team in 4A a few weeks ago, a 32-21 loss to the Cottonwood Colts. Since then, the Rams have faced off against Cyprus and West high schools, both of which are fighting with Highland for a better seeding in the state tournament. The Rams will finish up the regular season with the Spartans, a team that has struggled this season, and then look forward to making some unexpected noise in the 4A state tournament, which starts Saturday, Nov. 1.
“We have to focus on each game and then go into state with the same outlook,” he said.
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