The Perry football team opened last season with a pair of non-district wins at Dewey Field, generating hopes for a winning season.
Those wishes were overturned with seven losses in District 2 play, leaving the Jays 2-7 overall.
The goal for this year, co-head coach Matt Hardy said, was to repeat the start, but not the finish, of 2016.
“We built a lot of confidence with those first two wins, then lost a tough game at Ballard in the slop,” he said. “We didn’t play well the next week against Boone, and things just slid from there. Obviously we can’t let that happen again.”
Hardy, who will coach the offense, will be joined by co-head coach Ben Coy calling the defense.
“I think we have tremendous team speed,” Hardy said. “All you have to do is look at the state track meet and realize we have two of the fastest kids in 3A in Reece Dunlap and Brandon Kenyon. If we can get them the ball in space they can make people pay.”
Dunlap flashed his quick-strike potential last year with a 66-yard touchdown catch and a 90-yard kickoff return for a TD while Kenyon averaged nearly 13 yards per catch on 14 receptions.
“We are not big at all up front, and that means we have to be a big-play team,” Hardy said. “We will need to hit a few big plays each game and maybe get a score off defense or in the special teams, because we just are not going to line up and out-physical teams.”
Senior Alexis Garrido returns at quarterback after splitting time at the position last year. He was 36-of-81 for 402 yards and a TD while throwing four interceptions.
“Alexis gives us a quarterback who can move around and make plays when things break down,” Hardy said. “He needs to be a little more accurate over the middle, but that will come with experience.”
Dunlap (20-196, 1 TD) and Kenyon (14-181, 1 TD) will start at the wideout spots, with Rashon Ivory, Drew Levan and Kaleb Olejniczak other choices on the outside.
Mark Campos (45-204, 3 TDs) is the lead returning rushed, with Donald Chavez (44-147) also returning. Justin Stammer will also see his share of carries, with Dunlap (21-86, 2 TDs) and Garrido (39-72) also part of the ground attack.
Luke Holtorf and Alex Tapia are the likely starters at tackle, with Kade Killmer and Mike Echeverria at guards and Alex Morales at center. Cole Snyder and Ethan McFarland will also see time up front, with Jared Narber starting at tight end.
Holtorf and Echeverria will be at down tackle on defense, with McFarland, Morales and Michael Meyer battling for defensive end chores.
Campos and Jon Flores will start at linebacker, but it is in the secondary that Perry is most capable on defense.
“We have an experienced defensive backfield, with Reece (Dunlap) and Kaleb (Olejniczak) at corner, and Donald (Chavez) at strong safety,” Hardy said. “Justin Stammer and Conner Kenyon with play in the secondary as well — it will all depend on what kind of formation we want to put on the field.”
Campos led the defense with 57 tackles last year, with Dunlap (45), Chavez (30.5) and Olejniczak (28) making their share of stops. Chavez had two interceptions (one for a TD), and Olejnczak, Dunlap and Campos one each last year, with Campos falling on three of the 11 fumbles Perry recovered.
German Alvarenga will return to punt and serve as place kicker. He was 9-of-10 on PAT kicks last autumn and hit 2-of-5 field goals, with a long of 41.
Perry opens at North Polk Friday before visiting Nevada September 1. The road woes are unlikely to continue at the 2016 pace that saw the Jays outscored 151-6 with three shutouts.
Ballard visits Dewey Field for Perry’s home opener September 8, with a trip to Boone slated for Sept. 15 before DC-G serves as the Homecoming opponent Sept. 22. Perry will travel to Gilbert Sept. 29, host Webster City and Greene County October 6 and 13, and finish the regular season with a road trip to Iowa Falls-Alden Oct. 20.
