High school football: New coach, new life for Hunter

WEST VALLEY CITY — A new day has dawned at Hunter High.

For the first time in nearly a decade, the Wolverines have a new head football coach. Wes Wilcken, who led Hunter to a state championship in 2003 and enjoyed tremendous success during his tenure, resigned last winter before winding up at Taylorsville High as an assistant.

For all the success Wilcken enjoyed, the Wolverines went just 9-12 in the last two years of his tenure, and because of that, there's been a real feeling of change ever since 1995 Hunter alum Dustin Pearce took over.

Pearce most recently spent three years as a full-time assistant coach at Southern Utah University, and one of his major objectives since taking over the job has been to attempt to instill more discipline in his players.

"Different coaches have different beliefs, and I'm more of a military-style guy," said Pearce. "I'm a black-and-white guy. There's no shade in between. It's either my way or no way. A lot of people told me I wouldn't be able to do that here, (but) that's the way it was when I was here.

"I don't care if I prove people wrong because I know I will (be able to). These kids want structure ... Not to say there wasn't order when Wes was here — Wes did some great things here — it's just me doing it my way."

Originally, Pearce came to Hunter High with the intention of serving as an assistant to Wilcken. That all changed when Wilcken opted to resign, however, and Pearce subsequently nabbed the head-coaching job for himself.

Inasmuch as Hunter went 4-8 a season ago and is 9-12 over the past two seasons, Pearce understands he's inheriting one of the top football programs in the state.

And he's loved the challenge of trying to get the best out of his guys.

"Not that there wasn't order here or discipline before, but I haven't lost a single kid," said Pearce. "And the only thing I've done is I've (raised) the demands. I demanded that they came in the summer, and I'll demand some different things in the classroom. They know it.

"It's a privilege to play football and not a right, and that's what I told them," Pearce added. "I don't owe them anything. The school doesn't owe them anything. They're here because they have to be here, and they have to go to school. You have to go to class to play football, and that's one of the things that the administrators asked me to do."

What do his players think of having Pearce as their new coach? Well, so far so good, suggested senior lineman Ryan Mulitalo, who recently committed to BYU.

"Having a new coach, we get a new start," he said. "We have something to prove with the new coach now. It's been more disciplined. Everyone's been coming out more, been coming together and we're getting faster."

Region 3 projections