High school football: Herriman Mustangs 2011 preview

Note: Herriman had an overall record of 4-7 in 2010 and a record of 3-3 in Region 3. The Mustangs lost to Cottonwood in the first round of the 5A playoffs.

HERRIMAN — It was almost exactly a year ago that the Herriman football team — with its new school surrounded by a growing new community — first set foot on its new football field.

And now, as the team enters two-a-days in preparation for the 2011 season, things finally feel normal.

"Last year we were all new to each other — the kids came from different schools and backgrounds. It was literally a melting pot," Herriman coach Larry Wilson said. "We didn't have an off-season or a summer to practice because we didn't have a facility. We were vagabonds. Right now we're really completing our first full year as a team. To us, that's something special."

Even with a year under their belts, the Mustangs will role out an extremely young team. It's also a large team that makes up in depth what it lacks in experience.

"We have a pretty strong overall group who are all pretty even," Wilson said. "We're going to have to utilize that depth and develop a lot of guys.. We're going to play a lot of younger players. We don't have a large senior class on our team or in the school."

The Mustangs return only two starters on offense, but it sure helps that those starters are at key positions — quarterback Tueni Lupeamanu and running back Francis Bernard. Both are juniors coming off solid sophomore seasons.

Bernard led Herriman with 754 yards and eight touchdowns on the ground, while Lupeamanu was second with 429 yards and three rushing touchdowns. He also threw for 1,228 and six touchdowns.

Having that continuity, even if its small, is a step in the right direction for the Mustangs.

"I think more than anything else, Tueni and Francis bring a lot of experience," Wilson said. "As a team, we don't have a lot of that. So their leadership and game experience is valuable, and they'll have to share that knowledge with the other players. They'll both play on offense and defense."

Herriman will be equally inexperienced on the defensive side of the ball, though Wilson hopes David Christensen, who transfered from Riverton, will make an immediate impact. Christensen started at linebacker for the Silverwolves, who were one of 5A's top teams. He recorded 38 tackles and a sack last season.