Deep '06

When visiting the prep football camps around Utah Valley, you'll find the coaches optimistic about their own teams and complimentary about their competition.

Even though none of the favorites to win a state title this year are located between Santaquin and Point of the Mountain, the football coaches in Region 4 and Region 7 are almost unanimous that the quality of football across the board will be better this season in Utah County.

"If you want to win a game in this region, you better show up with your 'A' game," Mountain View coach Doug Meek said of the balance in Region 4.

Some might think Utah Valley's power teams from last year were better than this season's power teams. Others, however, disagree and say the chances are better this season that a Utah County team or two will go deeper into the playoffs. It wouldn't be a shocker if one did take home a state championship.

No team from the valley made it past the quarterfinals last season, and half lost their first-round games. Despite the lack of postseason success last season, the coaches believe the Utah County teams at least discovered that they are competitive with the big and physical teams from the north.

"We have to be able to play to that level, and I think we found out last year that we can," Pleasant Grove coach Dale Sampson said.

There are two or three teams in each region that the coaches feel are a notch above the others in talent. But they also think the teams in the middle of each region, and even at the bottom, are improved from last season. Blowouts should be less common, upsets should be more common and close games should be the norm.

The most common new characteristic of the valley's teams this season is that many say they are bigger. A couple of teams are sporting offensive and defensive lines that the coaches describe as "huge." Others say their depth in lineman is better than ever. The teams that are not big say they're at least quicker. There will be many match-ups this season with size going against size, and many with size going against quickness.

Most teams say their experience in the skill positions is a little down but that the unproven skill-position players stepping in are very athletic and have great potential. Speed is an asset that many coaches are touting. Several new quarterbacks, receivers and running backs should be household names in prep football circles within a couple of weeks.

A handful of the returning stars have already verbally committed to a Division I college. Several others are getting attention from college coaches. By October, that list should be much longer than it is right now.