High school football: Highland Rams 2009 preview

An unusual thing happened to Highland en route to reaching the 4A quarterfinals last season. For the first time in several years, the Rams did not claim a region title. It left an empty feeling to an otherwise solid year for the team.

It also left those players coming back this fall feeling hungry to not let things play out the same way twice.

"We're looking at a region title and we're getting back up to the turf," senior quarterback Mason Keller said. "We worked all winter for this. Everybody has put on pounds. Everybody has picked up speed. So the expectations are high, definitely."

The good news for Highland is it has enough of the right tools to transform those lofty goals into reality.

Things look particularly promising in the backfield where the Rams possess enough depth, athleticism and experience to make their triple option offense run as smoothly as a finely tuned engine.

Lead fullback Muli Kinikini is gone, but Highland has other experienced runners back. Chris Lloyd started last season at halfback and Alex Olsen also saw time at that position. The Rams also have seen Sione Fainu climb the depth chart to become the no. 1 fullback going into the season.

Fainu, who mostly played at linebacker as a junior, was third-string until injuries to players ahead of him gave him a shot to show what he could do. In a short time, Fainu wowed coaches with his speed and work ethic. Now he is firmly entrenched as a starter.

"It's created some depth, but what it has also done is it's shown those guys that at any point you can step up and be the guy," Highland coach Brody Benson said.

Another key player on offense will be Keller. Expectations are high for senior quarterback who served as an understudy to Nick Orchard a year ago. Orchard led the '08 team by accumulating more than 2,000 yards on the ground and through the air. Keller knows he has big cleats to fill. But he also understands the offense well enough to pick up right where Orchard left off.

"I've been here for so long it's starting to come to me pretty easy now," Keller said. "I've picked it up pretty quick. I know what I'm doing out here, so I feel pretty confident."