Team Preview:
Written By: Sven Alskog

When last season began for the Notus Pirates there was optimism that a strong senior class led by Michael and Caleb Zimmerman, Mark Green and RJ Eno would be able to lead the team to another playoff appearance after a nine-win season in 2016.

A combination of factors, including some injuries, created a difficult path forward for the team, leading to a 3-6 record as a result.

With three First Team All-Conference selections having graduated, the challenge for first year head coach Joe Woodland is to implement a new offense and add in his own wrinkles to the program.

“We are excited about introducing our new program, mindset and offense. This is a completely new system that will take some time to grasp, and we feel it will be successful if we stay the course. We have ten seniors that will help tremendously with losing our All-Conference players from last year. Our offensive and defensive lines should be very solid,” said Woodland.

Two talented running backs in Garrett Stewart and Brandon Fogg will allow the Pirates to see some success on the ground behind a quality offensive front.

Notus will employ a fast-paced offensive style which will incorporate a fair amount of play-action. With that style of offense, it will all come down to how the team runs the ball to allow for senior quarterback Tyler Carpenter to experience success through the air.

“[We hope] to take the pressure off of our quarterback and rely more on our ability to run the ball out of power formations,” added Woodland.

On defense, Woodland wants to see more pressure applied, going hand-in-hand with stopping the run in early downs to create more third and long situations for the opposition.

Garrett Stewart and Wyatt Blessinger will anchor the defense from their linebacker spots.

With 2017 playoff team Horseshoe Bend dropping down to the 1AD2 ranks, a door is left open for someone else to step in and earn a spot. Notus hopes that despite some changes and plenty of new faces, that this roster will give them a shot to be competitive against the other conference foes.

Each team in the 1AD1 Western Idaho Conference will face each other twice this season, home and away. The first conference matchup for the Pirates comes on September 21 on the road at Rimrock.