High school football: 2 title-game losses enough for Millard
"You wonder if you went too hard, you wonder if you didn't push them enough," said Millard coach Marshall Sheriff. "Did we feed them right before the game? Mentally did we not get them in the right position to play?"
In the 2A title game in 2006, Millard was blanked by San Juan. A year later, the Eagles were manhandled from the opening whistle in a humbling 30-6 loss to North Summit.
Sheriff still hasn't watched film of the 2007 loss, and a year later he's aware that his team has a slightly more fragile mentality than most teams.
"It's a little of both. I think our seniors got a feel for what it's like to be in the big show, but whether or not they do what it takes to get there again is going to be based on their leadership once we get playing," said Sheriff.
That's a bizarre notion for a team with a 19-5 combined record the last two years, but a pair of gut-wrenching championship losses will have that effect on a team.
In some small way, this year's Millard team might be more suited to get the job done.
Sheriff doesn't question whether his players the last two years wanted to win, but there was an intangible missing, a sense that they were going to do whatever was necessary to win. He believes that's how North Summit played in last year's championship game, but his players didn't match it.
"This team, they're kind of bigger jerks, which can sometimes pay off," said Sheriff. "I had a really good, nice team last year, they did everything we asked. This team tends more to fight in the halls. They're just a little different, more of a high-maintenance team, which when it gets right down and dirty sometimes isn't bad."
He said he doesn't want his players turning into thugs, but it's OK if they get a little salty and mean when push comes to shove on the gridiron. That's the challenge, though.
"If we can convert that over to football, we're definitely a contender," said Sheriff. "Every senior team has a personality; these guys have a lot different personality than my team last year. As coaches, you find out what makes them strong and then build around that."
Millard enters the 2008 season ranked third in Class 2A in the coaches preseason rankings and is the favorite in the 2A South region.
The Eagles are hoping to claim their first football state title since the 2001 season.
2A SOUTH PROJECTIONS
(Preseason rankings are based on coaches' votes)
1. MILLARD: After coming up short two straight years, the Eagles are hoping to take the next step this year. Running back Clancy Mortensen was having an MVP-type season last year before Millard succumbed to North Summit in the championship game. He'll have a huge line blocking in front of him, one of the biggest in recent memory, according to coach Marshall Sheriff. Tony Ruvaigaba, Sergio Pedroza and Justin Dickins will anchor that line. Corwin Chlarson and Rendon Shields will be key contributors at running back as well. 2007 RECORD: 12-1. PLAYOFFS: Lost to North Summit in state championship game.
Recent comments
who won out of millard and grand i didnt hear
millard rocks | Oct. 28, 2008 at 8:31 p.m.
millard will get together an come out on top u watch an see!!!!!!…
millard soccer rocks!! | Sept. 25, 2008 at 10:34 a.m.
Its Funny how millard stomp us at there house 36-0...and we played…
Grand! | Aug. 27, 2008 at 8:27 a.m.
