PAGE B12, KEIZERTIMES FOOTBALL PREVIEW, SEPTEMBER 6, 2019
SOUTH SALEM SAXONS
KEIZERTIMES/Eric A. Howald
Despite going 2-7 last season, the Saxons believe they can contend for a playoff spot in 2019 after adding some much-needed depth to their roster.
South hopes growing pains will pay off in 2019
By MATT RAWLINGS
Of the Keizertimes
Injuries plagued any chance
the 2018 South Salem football
squad had of reaching the
postseason as the Saxons
fi nished the year with a 2-7
record.
But after many players
experienced some growing
pains last season, South Salem
enters 2019 with 47 players
on their varsity roster, which
will greatly help the depth
problems that they suffered last
year.
“Last year, we just got beat
up with the injury bug. We
were struggling in just pure
numbers, especially up front on
both sides of the ball, so I think
that piece is going to help us a
lot this year,” said South Salem
head coach Scott Dufault. “We
had a great summer. Our kids
showed up, worked out and
committed themselves. Those
two things I think are going to
help us deal with the issues we
had last year.”
Dufault also believes that
the hardships of last season
have better prepared his players
for this year.
“The chemistry has been
good pretty good so far. We
got a lot of kids back who
played a lot last year and got
through the fi re,” he said.
Where the Saxons really
suffered in 2018 was on the
offensive line, especially after
Ashton Adams — who now
plays for Utah State University
— was injured late in the
season.
But this season, Dufault
expects the O-line to be one
of the strengths of the squad.
Brothers
Sangato
and
Samiu Letisi, as well as Adrian
Montiel-Gomez and Noe
Ramirez-Perez are expected to
be the anchors of the offensive
line after starting every game
for the South Salem last year.
“Those four guys give us
great experience up front,
which is a big deal for our
offense,” Dufault said. “They
took their lumps last year, but
this year I think they will be
pretty good.”
While the Saxons are the
only team in the Mountain
Valley Conference without
a returning all-league player,
they do bring back one of
their best offensive weapons in
senior Ryan Rickman.
“ We got a lot
of kids back
who played a
lot last year and
got through
the fi re.”
— Scott Dufault
South Salem head coach
Rickman got the bulk of
the workload last season at
running back, but Dufault
plans to use him in more of
a hybrid role in 2019 to fi nd
more creative ways to get him
the ball.
Junior running back Tony
South Salem roster
BECAUSE
EXPERIENCE
MATTERS
You Know What to Expect from the Average Realtor.
Now come Experience Exceptional with The McLeod Group.
Meeting your Real Estate Goal is our #1 Goal.
Serving Sellers and Buyers in the Salem -Keizer market.
We’ll Get
You Home
AMY M C LEOD
Principal Broker, CRS, GRI
Ph: 971-208 - 5093
www.AmyMcLeod.net
#
PLAYER NAME
POS.
YR.
HT.
WT.
#
PLAYER NAME
POS.
YR.
HT.
WT.
1
Tiwfaluk Umulap
WR/DB
12
6-1
165
28
Gavin Schweer
RB/DB
12
5-8
160
2
Zach Case
QB/DB
11
5-7
140
31
Conner Robustelli
RB/LB
12
5-9
180
3
Mikah Posey
WR/DB
11
5-9
160
32
Jace Bolante
RB/DB
11
5-8
150
4
Reign Bryant
RB/DB
12
5-9
170
33
Will Cordero
TE/DL
12
6-1
180
5
Zach Webster
WR/DB
12
5-11
170
34
Ryan Rickman
TE/LB
12
6-1
220
6
Peyton Kreitzer
TE/LB
12
6-2
215
38
Cody Hale
TE/DL
11
6-1
200
7
Griffin Gardner
QB/DB
10
6-0
160
50
Sangato Letisi
OL/DL
12
5-11
230
8
Khafonee Rosokow
WR/DB
11
5-10
160
51
Parker Johnson
OL/LB
12
6-3
210
9
Spencer Elliott
WR/DB
11
6-2
180
52
Samiu Letisi
OL/DL
11
6-2
260
10
Gabe Johnson
WR/DB
11
6-2
180
53
JP Emery
OL/DL
11
6-0
180
11
Nick Vandehey
WR/DB
11
6-2
175
54
Adrian Montiel-Gomez
OL/DL
11
5-11
230
12
Jack Malloy
WR/DB
11
5-9
160
55
Ricky Cruz
OL/DL
11
6-2
200
13
Marco Garcia
WR/DB
11
6-0
160
56
Matt Deglow
OL/DL
11
6-0
230
14
Drew Gertenrich
QB/DB
11
6-3
180
57
Tyler Wall
OL/DL
11
5-10
230
16
Jayven Carter
WR/DB
12
5-9
160
58
Dustin Kunze
OL/LB
11
6-1
195
17
Jackson Scott
QB/DB
12
5-9
170
66
Jordan Johnson
OL/DL
12
5-10
180
18
Steven Gonzalez
WR/DB
12
5-7
150
68
Nick Brown
OL/DL
12
6-1
220
19
Sam Torres
WR/DB
11
6-1
165
72
Ben Richards
OL/DL
12
6-2
210
20
Garrett Cox
WR/DB
12
5-8
160
74
Ed Thompson
OL/DL
11
6-1
240
21
Corbin Farmer
RB/DB
11
5-7
150
75
Noe Ramirez-Perez
OL/DL
12
5-9
225
22
Tony Rodriguez
RB/LB
11
5-9
180
76
Joe Wozniak
OL/DL
12
6-0
230
24
Garrett Wozniak
RB/DL
11
5-9
180
78
Sam Hofer
OL/DL
11
6-1
260
26
Gabe Tadeo
WR/DB
11
5-8
145
79
Julian Ortiz
OL/DL
12
5-10
260
27
Thomas Calletano Gonzalez
RB/LB
11
5-9
180