For the week of August 29 - September 4, 2001

New coach, new look, same goal for Carey

Panthers seek to continue 
winning grid tradition

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By JEFF CORDES
Express Staff Writer

Everything seems fresh and new for the Carey School football team in 2001—a new coach, an expanded and revamped league and a straightforward playoff system to make the State 1A eight-man playoffs.

First-year Carey coach Lane Kirkland, replacing father Heber Kirkland at the Panther helm, will also have to replace the school-record 472 points and 73 touchdowns Jonathan Rivera contributed in four years.

That probably won’t be possible.

Rivera scored TDs in 29 of 39 Carey games from 1997-2000, a glittering four-year span that featured a 32-7 Panther record and a state championship in 1998. A total 16 of Rivera’s 37 rushing touchdowns were of 20 yards or more. He was a threat.

But football is a team game. Under coach Heber Kirkland, Carey developed a reputation for disciplined ball-control offense that relied on a minimum of turnovers and penalties, and a maximum of toughness.

Lane Kirkland hopes to continue that winning tradition in the new 12-team Sawtooth Conference eight-man ranks, which includes a North Division and South Division battling for three state playoff berths.

With 12 good practices under his belt, Lane Kirkland said this week that he likes what he sees. He said, "They work together as a team. It’s a noisy group. When they hit and tackle they make a lot of grunting noises.

"Right now, we just need a game."

After a bye week, Carey will get a game Friday, Aug. 31 when the Panthers entertain the always-tough Rockland Bulldogs at Derrick Parke Memorial Field in Carey. Opening kickoff takes place at 3:30 p.m.

South Division teams Rockland and North Gem are Carey’s first two opponents. Then Carey embarks on its critical North Division league slate featuring Richfield, Dietrich, Clark County of Dubois, Shoshone and Camas County of Fairfield.

Kirkland’s Panthers have one goal: To finish 5-0 in those divisional games for an automatic state playoff berth and a slot opposite the South Division winner for the Sawtooth Conference championship and a first-round state playoff home contest.

Senior-laden Shoshone and Dietrich, featuring its talented senior quarterback Chris Maughan, are likely to be Carey’s toughest foes.

Carey, in contrast, has only two seniors on its 19-player squad.

Nine hard-working juniors with lots of experience on last year’s 7-3 Panther state playoff contender form the nucleus for Kirkland’s first Carey squad. Voted captains were juniors Shawn Hennefer and John Saili.

Kirkland said, "I asked the juniors, and they responded that they’re going to be the ones to put this whole thing together this year."

Carey’s offensive scheme will depend on a strong line and two quarterbacks offering different looks.

Kirkland said, "Out of the regular t-formation we’ll run a lot of the sets my dad used to run on offense. We’ll also have a spread formation to use the whole field—with both backs behind the ends and utilizing the speed of Shawn Hennefer."

Junior quarterback Hennefer (5-9, 140) will be quarterback in the spread formation and running back in the t-formation. Kirkland said, "Shawn can scramble, he’s smart and he’s still got a good arm if he needs to pass." Hennefer scored five TDs last fall.

The other quarterback is junior Sean Cenarrusa (5-9, 160). "Sean has a great arm," Kirkland said.

Anchors of the offensive line are likely to be senior Harrison Gamino (5-11, 200) along with juniors Kole Peck (6-0, 220) and Stephen Jurgensmeier (6-0, 215) and sophomore Bryson Ellsworth (5-11, 200).

The center is sophomore Blake Surerus (6-2, 195).

"Harrison is very aggressive," Kirkland said. "Kole has grown in size and desire and he’s a great team player who likes to hit. Stephen and Bryson will both help us a lot."

Junior Robbie Ellsworth (5-6, 135) will play running back and end. He’s one of the four junior-class baby bulls (Ellsworth, Seth Adamson, Destry Simpson and Hennefer) who don’t tip the scales at over 140 but who hit like they’re 180.

"They’re little but they’re tough," Kirkland said.

Adamson (5-6, 135) will rotate in at running back and end.

Pass receivers include junior ends Saili (6-1, 175) and Simpson (5-10, 140). Saili will handle the Panther punting and Harrison Gamino will do the placekicking.

"We’re going to try to get our ends to be bigger," Kirkland said. "John will catch a lot of passes and can hit hard. Destry has grown four inches and is really aggressive."

Returning defensive coordinator and assistant coach Lee Cook will run Carey’s usual 4-2-2 defense and switch up with a 3-3, Kirkland said.

"Lee’s philosophy has always been to get the quarterback, tackle hard and everything else will fall into place," Kirkland said.

Defensive ends include Saili and Jurgensmeier while Peck will anchor the defensive line with Bryson Ellsworth. Robbie Ellsworth and Simpson should contribute a truckload of tackles as linebackers.

Other players include senior Dustin Olsen; junior lineman Chance Molyneux; sophomores Randy Lundergreen, Chris McCann (6-2, 240) and Tony Fiscus (5-5, 120). While small, Fiscus is comparable in hitting ability to Chip Wood, Kirkland said.

Freshmen are Ian Gamino, Matt Trammel and 200-pounder Juan Alvarez.

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