Crimson Cliffs looks to new defense, returning playmakers to lead Mustangs into new season

WASHINGTON — The Crimson Cliffs High School football team is not afraid of a challenge.

Crimson Cliffs football players at a practice, Washington, Utah, Aug. 9, 2022 | Photo by E. George Goold, St. George News

The Mustangs enter the 2022 season coming off of a successful campaign last year. Crimson Cliffs finished 8-5 overall including a third-place finish in Region 10 at 4-2.

The Mustangs fell in the 4A state semifinals to eventual state champion Ridgeline and lost a lot of players to graduation – like, their entire defense.

Head coach Wayne Alofipo takes charge of the Crimson sideline after serving as defensive coordinator last year. He said he knows the Mustangs have to have their new defense ready to go by Friday at 7 p.m., when they host Region 11 preseason favorite Green Canyon.

“Ready or not, right?” Alofipo told St. George News after practice ended Tuesday night. “I mean, we’re going to find out who we are real fast. I think they’re returning 17 players, well, we’re replacing 17. So we’re literally the opposite. We got our hands full. They (Green Canyon) are one of the two, between them and Desert Hills, pick it to win this year.”

Alofipo brings 13 years of Region 10 experience to Crimson’s players, having coached under Blaine Monkres at Dixie before joining the Mustangs. Collegiately he played at Dixie State University (officially renamed Utah Tech University in July).

Alofipo will install his new defense around nose tackle Parker Andrus. The junior excelled at guard on the offensive line for two years before switching to play in the center of the defensive line at the start of this season.

“I took probably our best O-lineman and moved him to D-lineman,” Alofipo said. “He started every game as a freshman and sophomore on the O-line, but he’s just so dang athletic I had to take him. He’s a workhorse, anchoring our defense from that standpoint.”

Several of the defensive newcomers, Alofipo said, are naturally gifted but maybe a little inexperienced.

“Although we don’t have varsity experience, we’ve got pretty good, talented players,” he said. “Friday night they’re going to be welcomed to varsity speed and varsity physicality, and just the chaos of varsity. So it’s going to be a challenge.”

On the offensive side of the ball, the Mustangs will have some good pieces to work with. Juniors Steele Barben and Darius Strickland are having a competitive battle for the starting quarterback position.

Another junior, Mason Topalian, will run the ball for the Mustangs and a fleet of athletic receivers will create matchup problems for opposing defenses.

Crimson Cliffs football players at a practice, Washington, Utah, Aug. 9, 2022 | Photo by E. George Goold, St. George News

Senior Jordan Eaton came over from the basketball team to lead the receivers group. Junior Konner Kell made some big plays from the slot last year and he’s back, along with newcomers at receiver Luke Childs, Boston Adamson and Owen Peterson, all juniors.

“Jordan Eaton is a man child, but then we’ve got some other good little players that we’re excited about,” Alofipo said. “I mean, we probably have about six receivers who can rotate and fly around for us. It’s going to be exciting to see what they can do with their athleticism.”

And the offensive line is bolstered by three solid returners in Stone Hansen, Conley Ulrich and Jacob Zarate.

Crimson might have the toughest pre-Region 10 schedule among local teams, facing Green Canyon, Spanish Fork and Timpview in its first three contests.

And then they have to play Region 10 preseason favorite Desert Hills in the Mustangs’ first road game of the year, Sept. 4.

“First goal is just trying to figure out who we are, right?” Alofipo said. “We got to find that out real quick. We feel like we’ve created an identity, but you know, now we have to put that identity to the test. We tell our kids it doesn’t matter who’s on that sideline if we don’t take care of our sideline.

“And so our job is to make sure we know who we are, then create and establish that identity,” he added. “And when we continue to take care of ourselves, I think everything can take care of itself.”

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