2024 Record: 11-3 overall, 5-1 4A Region 8 (2nd)

Playoffs: No. 4 seed, lost to No. 3 Crimson Cliffs 57-55 (3OT) in 4A Championship

Players to Watch: Sr. WR/DB Gage Christensen, Jr. LB Carter Coffey, Jr. DE/H Lawson Shepherd, Sr. OL/DL Jack Parsons, Sr. OL/DL Levi Christley, Jr. WR/DB Nixon Warren.

Outlook: The 2024 season was a magical one as the Dons were just one play from winning their first state title in school history. That kind of finish has led to both enthusiasm and high expectations going into the 2025 campaign. Yet, this has to be tempered a bit with the huge losses of talent, along with moving up to Class 5A.

“The numbers (in the program) are about the same,” Smith said. “Numbers wise, we’ll be about the smallest in every game we play. If we aren’t the least amount in 5A, we’re about second or third. We’ll have to play boys both ways and if guys get hurt it can present some huge problems.”

Yet, Smith said last year’s deep playoff run has definitely had an impact on the returning players.

“The excitement is there,” Smith said. “Playing at Rice-Eccles stadium was obviously fun and the boys want to get back there.”

There are some key contributors coming back but Smith expects to lean on the defensive line and linebackers as a lot of new faces take up starting roles on offense.

The Dons set school and even state records on offense with the likes of Smith’s son McKay at quarterback, Kaden Vest at running back and Brock Jacobson, who was the Swiss Army Knife both running and receiving the ball. On top of that, the Dons lost Aaron Dunn, considered by many as the state’s best offensive lineman. Dunn is now a freshman at USC.

Still, there is some talent on offense as Gage Christensen and Nixon Warren bring in a lot of experience at wide receiver. Smith is excited about the return of lineman Levi Chrisley, a 3-year starter who missed the second half of last year’s season with a broken leg. 

What is the best way to motivate today’s high school athletes? “I don’t do a lot of motivation,” Smith said. “What I mean is that I try to teach them how to be self-motivated people. I try to put it back in their lap, it’s your team, it’s your high school. If you want to be a mediocre person, that’s what we’ll have. If you want to be an elite person in life, you have to be a self-motivated person. We can inspire you by a rah-rah talk or maybe screaming and yelling or whatever, but little bursts of inspiration don’t last very long if you’re not a self-motivated person.”

-Brian E. Preece