High school football: Hunter Wolverines 2009 Preview

WEST VALLEY CITY — Inheriting a football program from a coach who won a state title and churned out victories and playoff appearances in large quantities can be a pressure packed situation. One season into being the man-in-charge at Hunter, Dustin Pearce seems to be keeping the ship sailing in the right direction.

The Wolverines struggled at times last season, but still managed to sneak into the 5A tournament by season's end. Now that his players have had a year to absorb Pearce's schemes on offense and defense, it finally feels like this team is truly his team.

"To me, that's the beauty of high school football," Pearce said. "These guys are my guys. They were with me last year. The sophomores were with the sophomore staff and now that they're juniors they know exactly what I want and what I expect."

Expectations at Hunter, as usual, center around winning playoff games, earning region titles and maybe even bringing home a 5A championship.

In a new-look Region 2, the Wolverines are considered a virtual lock to return to the playoffs given the fact that many of their new region rivals are newcomers to 5A. But just simply making the playoffs just scratches the surface of what Hunter hopes to accomplish this season.

"The expectations are always first to win region and then state, of course, for our team," quarterback Brett Lunceford said. "With our team coming back, we have a lot of good skill here. But not only skill. Our team knows how to listen. We're very disciplined."

If the Wolverines realize those lofty goals, Lunceford must play an important part in propelling the team forward.

The senior had his share of rough moments taking over as a starting quarterback last season. He completed just 43 percent of his passes while throwing for 567 yards and four touchdowns. Those numbers should improve this time around. Pearce noted that Lunceford has made big strides during the offseason and he seems more confident in running the offense.

Lunceford agreed that, as an incoming senior, he feel likes he understands his role better.

"I feel a lot more comfortable, I have to say," Lunceford said. "Last year, I felt good. I didn't feel out of place. But this year -- I've been playing with these guys since I was little. I feel like I have more of connection with them. I feel like I can perform at the top of my game if I have another year under my belt to help me."