LIVERMORE FALLS — The Spruce Mountain Phoenix played much of last season under a cloud after the mid-season resignation of head coach Walter Polky.
They went into the 2017 season hoping for a new start under Polky’s replacement, David Frey, and excited about moving from Class C to Class D. But the untimely death of senior Brandyn Whelpley, who was returning to football after one year away from the sport, as preseason began cast a more tragic pall over the Phoenix.
“This cloud has been hanging over us. It’s tough because we miss him,” Frey said.
The coaches and players have tried to make the best of a terrible situation by drawing closer together as a team.
“It’s about everybody being there for everybody, not a few people being here and everybody else over there. It’s more of a brotherhood,” senior wide receiver/linebacker Nick Lombardi said.
The players’ support network includes perhaps the largest coaching staff in the school’s brief history. Frey added veteran assistant Jamie Robinson and Craig Collins as offensive and defensive coordinators, as well as former players such as Dillon Webster, Devon Pomeroy, Anthony York and Andrew Darling.
New philosophies usually come with a new coaching staff, and the Phoenix are making dramatic changes, particularly on offense. Practitioners of the trendy spread offense in recent years, they will be running the significantly less trendy double-wing this fall.
Frey has several reasons for such a philosophical sea change. For one, QB Caulin Parker and speedy threats Webster and Austin Darling graduated. He also hopes the simplified blocking scheme that comes with the double wing can solidify the offensive line.
“Running the spread, it seemed like we worked on blocking, blocking and blocking,” Frey said. “It was hard to get it and we just didn’t block very well. We just had athletes back there that made things happen.”
Brett Frey, David Frey’s son, moves from wide receiver to quarterback to run the offense. He was the quarterback the last time these Phoenix used the double wing, which should make the transition easier.
“We ran it in eighth grade and it worked well. We went 8-0. We’ve done it before,” Brett Frey said.
Frey and junior Kayle Stewart will be big-play threats in the new offense, with seniors Austin White and Logan Smith expected to share the running load. Lombardi will be a top target when they do throw the ball. The offensive line, anchored by seniors Hunter Barker and Tom Parent, remains mostly intact and hopes to improve with the new offense and Collins’ tutelage.
Defensively, the Phoenix are making a few more subtle tweaks with their front, which should be more geared to defend the run in the ground-and-pound Class D South. The line includes massive (6-foot-2, 280 pounds) sophomore Trent Tibbetts, who drew double-teams as a freshman.
Spruce Mountain overcame last year’s adversity to reach the Class C South semifinals. A step down in class would seem to make a deeper run more likely, and the Phoenix are hoping they’ve made a strong enough bond to add some light to balance out a dark start to the season.
“We’re working together. Nothing is done individually,” Brett Frey said.
Three Spruce Mountain High School offensive starters work on a play during a preseason practice.
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