High school football: Olympus Titans aiming to climb the league ladder

Note: Olympus finished with a 7-4 record in 2009 and went 3-3 in Region 6. The Titans lost to Timpview in the 4A playoffs.

SALT LAKE CITY — Last season, Olympus stood out as one of a handful of teams that exceeded expectations.

The Titans posted a winning record for the first time since 2003 and returned to the 4A playoffs after a two year absence. On both sides of the ball, Olympus took several strides forward.

Now confidence is soaring among the Titans, and their sights are set higher than simply claiming a playoff spot again.

"Last year we took fourth in region, and this year we're definitely shooting for the top," senior lineman Austin Hamp said. "I think we can definitely take first in region."

If Olympus makes good on that goal, it will have to successfully navigate one of the most competitively balanced regions in 4A. But the Titans are not concerned about how tough the region is on paper. They believe that they deserve to be in the region title discussion with Bountiful and Highland.

Seeing that degree of confidence in his players is refreshing to Olympus coach Mike Smith. Since taking over the program, Smith has made it his mission to restore the school's winning tradition.

Getting the players to believe represents a successful first step.

"I love our team," Smith said. "I love who we are and who we're trying to become. I love the kind of men that these guys are and where they're going. So our expectations are high."

Expectations are definitely soaring on defense, where the Titans return a host of starters and key contributors from a year ago.

The secondary is probably the strongest area. Sam Williams and Cole Benson are returning starters at cornerback and were among the top tacklers for the Titans last fall. Taylor Cox and Taylor Elton both have experience at safety and will help make that unit adopt an aggressive mentality.

Williams said Olympus wants to be a real pest defensively whenever it takes the field and thinks having an experienced secondary will make it easier to do that.

"We like to think we need to fly around, make plays and get people excited," Williams said. "We have a lot of opportunities to do that when people throw or when they run."