High school football: Dixie Flyers short on experience, big on determination

Note: Dixie finished with an 8-4 overall record in 2009 and a 5-1 record in the combined Region 9. It lost to Springville, 29-21, in the 4A semifinals.

ST. GEORGE — John Matuauto is prepared to carry the load for Dixie High.

With the Flyers losing most major contributors from last year's 4A semifinal team, Matuauto will be the star attraction for Dixie in 2010, and he's more than capable of living up to the expectations.

"We have John back, who in my opinion is the best player in St. George. He's going to have to carry a lot of the load for us," Dixie coach Blaine Monkres said.

As a junior last season, the 5-foot-10, 210-pound back had 147 carries for 983 yards and nine touchdowns. One of the only proven offensive weapons on the team, Matuauto will need to double that output for Dixie to be successful.

"There were so many threats last year and we all worked as one, but this year it's going to be limited to one or two guys that are leading the offense," Matuauto said.

Realistically, Dixie will need more than just its workhorse back to have a big season. Region 9 is going to be very, very competitive this year, and simply making the playoffs is going to be tough for the Flyers. Once in the playoffs, though, anything is possible.

Nobody expected much from Dixie in the state tournament last year, but it beat Mountain View and Bonneville to advance to the 4A semifinals before losing to Springville 29-21.

"We had a lot of kids last year that were really good players and had started for two years and had a lot of varsity experience," Monkres said. "We're kind of starting over this year."

Dixie only returns three starters on each side of the ball, a significant disadvantage compared to Snow Canyon and Pine View, who both return nearly half their starters on each side of the ball.

The biggest question mark for Dixie is at quarterback. Monkres' teams have been running the spread offense for years, and a quality quarterback is necessary for success. Mike Sharp was a good runner and an above-average passer last year, and his play was a big reason why the Flyers advanced to the semifinals.

This year, Dixie may have to rely on a sophomore quarterback.