High school football: Hillcrest to rely on plenty of experience

Note: Hillcrest went 2-8 (0-6 in Region 4, seventh place) and advanced missed the 5A playoffs.

MIDVALE — There is no replacement for experience.

The dictionary defines experience as: the accumulation of knowledge or skill that results from direct participation in events or activities. With that in mind, the Hillcrest football team should have acquired plenty of skill and knowledge it can apply to the upcoming season.

"We have a lot of guys coming back that got a lot of playing time for us last year," said coach Kirk Merhish. "We were kind of forced to play a lot of young players last season out of necessity, and hopefully that will benefit us this year."

With 12 returning starters, the Huskies have a leg up on most of their competition when it comes to knowing what it takes to compete on the varsity level.

"There really is nothing like it," said returning starter at quarterback Tanner Kemp. "You get out there in front of all those people and under the lights and it is a different experience. You can't really prepare for it until you get out there."

As would be expected, many of the returning guys are senior this season. They have been looking toward this year for a long time.

"We have been playing together, growing up together and waiting for this since we were like eight or nine years old," said linebacker Liam Smith. "You wait your whole life for your senior year, and now that it is here, we want to go out with a bang."

Hillcrest won two of its first three games last season before heading into the brutal Region 4 schedule. This year, the team hopes to be able to not only have a successful preseason, but compete in the region games as well.

"We struggled a bit, but I truly think that we can win in region this year," said senior Andy Harris. "If we can stay healthy, we have a group that knows how to play."

One of those players that need to stay healthy is linebacker Nick Merhish. A three-year starter, he has missed parts of each of the last two years.

"I have been working extra hard conditioning and training so hopefully I can avoid it this year," he said.

The whole team has had to go through that same type of physical assertion.