Preseason Coaches' Poll
1. Butte County
2. Grace
3. Challis
Written by: Will Hoenike
It happened midway through the summer and it wasn’t expected, but the Grace Grizzlies have a new head coach going into the 2021 season.
Brandon Sanchez resigned suddenly for personal reasons but the program did not have to look far for its new head man as assistant coach James Newby stepped into the role. It’s his first season as the head coach in Grace but he has nearly a quarter century of football coaching experience so Grizzlies players will be learning from a coach with experience.
Which is good, because Newby and his staff will be replacing a lot of experience off last season’s team. Trey Draper, Gage Stoddard, Bray Skinner, Will Cutler, Clayton Lunt, Max Clements, Brennon Robinson, Rhet Jordenson – all gone. And the departures aren’t from one particular area, they’re from virtually every spot on the field.
Still, Newby believes in his team.
“If we can come together as a team, be united and work for the common goal, we have potential to make doubters believe,” Newby said.
The team featured over 30 total players on its roster last fall, but twelve were seniors. There is some depth but it does lack game experience.
The goal, according to Newby, is to be balanced on offense. The team is replacing its quarterback (Draper) along with a slew of linemen, so being able to run the ball will be pivotal for the Grizzlies, who reached the 1A Division 1 quarterfinals last fall. Versatile Dallon Draper should factor into the offensive front after playing both tight end and offensive line at times. Grace also has multiple players competing for playing time in the backfield, led by senior Jaden Pitcher. Junior William Mickelson and sophomore Wyatt Cutler should also get an opportunity to add to the Grace offense in 2021. Payson Anderson is likely to see time at receiver on offense and defensive back on defense.
Grace had some promising results on defense last fall, holding opponents to an average of 27 points per game, which is a solid number in the 8-man game. The team held opponents to six points in three different games and Newby is hopeful to build on those successes this fall.
“We will be a tough football team,” the coach said. “Fundamentally sound and (we’ll) play aggressive defensive football.”
Pitcher and Draper will be asked to play big roles at the linebacker position on defense. Cutler, whose older brother Will was an all-conference linebacker at Grace last year, should also factor into the game plan with Anderson and Mickelson seeing time at defensive back.
The key to Grace’s season may be finding and developing players along the offensive and defensive lines to lead the charge. Newby knows his team is young, experience-wise, but believes it has a great opportunity in front of it to get better and make a run toward the 1A Division 1 state playoffs once again. The Grizzlies play in a three-team league with Butte County and Challis. Butte County returns a solid team and many expect Challis to push forward after a couple of years retooling the team. With only one guaranteed playoff spot, the battles will be intense, but Grace will have an opportunity to determine its own future on the field.