Fresh faces, same Sutter

The work started in the spring: Whiteboards, film study and walkthroughs. When most the Mid-Valley was counting down to the last day of school, Sutter was installing its offense and defense.

In the 100-plus degree heat of June and July, the players arrived at the hottest part of the day to train. They spent an hour running quickness drills and flipping over truck tires for conditioning until the weight room opened up, where they stayed until 7:30 p.m.

There were the two mandatory full contact camps — one at home, another in Humboldt County — plus all the others around the west the players visited on their own dime.

"It's just an expectation," Huskies football coach Ryan Reynolds said.

In the minds of everyone wearing blue and yellow, the Northern Section Division II championship game will be played and won beneath the Buttes. Not only do the Huskies plan to get back to the title game, they want the celebration to be at Wayne Gadberry Field on Nov. 24.

"The plan is to be playing the day before Thanksgiving," fullback Trent Elwood said. "It will happen — mark my words."

That's why the push began when their rivals were still in baseball season. It's why 90 percent of the team was there daily over the summer and 98 percent of his players made sure to get out to non-required camps, Reynolds said.

At Sutter, that last week in November is always marked on the calendar.

"Oh yeah, that's our goal," Reynolds said. "That standard has been set in years past, so it's not a question of what our focus is."

Go to the team's website and it's laid out clearly on the homepage. "Decade of Dominance" fills the screen in all capital letters with the accompanying statistics to back up the boast: 103 wins, 14 loss, nine Butte View League championships, seven trips to the section finals and four titles.

It would of been five if the Huskies could of topped Lassen. They lost 17-12 while playing in the below-freezing weather of a Susanville night. That's where this team comes in.

New decade, new chance to set the benchmark.

"We do have a lot to prove," Elwood said.

They also have some holes to fill. Last season, the Huskies weathered the loss of offensive powers like quarterback Jon Garcia and running back Dane Turner with a hulking defense. Now the sheer bulk of players like Austin Morehead and Isaiah Bohmann is absent on the depth chart.

"Our biggest loss is on defense," Reynolds said before examining his current unit. "All but two or three are juniors."

Solution? Make the learning curve less steep, and rely on speed.

"We're very fast on defense," Reynolds said.

Less speedy was the implementation of the Huskies' 4-3-based scheme. This summer, Reynolds spent more time working on basics before eventually getting the team up to its usual level of preparedness, he said. It helped benefit new additions like strong safety Masen Lopez and sophomore Philip Robledo.

They will be joined by returners like defensive backs Cameron Brown and Cody Phillips and nose tackle Phillip Brod, who Reynolds calls "a spark."

On offense, it's the same system these kids have been using since 6-year-olds playing mighty mites for the Jr. Huskies. The traditional Sutter Wing-T remains the team's staple, though a 10th-grader will be in charge.

Trent Little is the Huskies new quarterback and he will be part of what Reynolds has dubbed his "four-headed monster" of a rushing attack.

With Elijah Smith, Elwood and top returning rusher Justin Gildemeister (777 yards in 2009), Little will be one of the new faces looking to lead the Huskies back to the familiar territory of the section championship game.

Blocking the way will be where the Huskies return the most players. Bryce Melani, Tyler Niesen and Kyle Wilcox all return on a line that helped the Huskies rush for 2,682 yards last season.

So far, this team's had no problems mixing the old with the new. For the seniors, it's just another reason to believe they're going out on top.

"We're a lot closer this year than we were last year," Gildemeister said. "We're more united and the seniors and juniors get along better than last year."