Jaguar Football Punches Ticket to Playoffs
Nov 06, 2015 01:10PM ● By Bryan Scott
By Greg James
West Jordan - If you listen closely, you might hear the buzz of excitement coming from West Jordan High School. The Jaguars football team is on track for an appearance in the state tournament for the first time since a 2012 play-in game loss to Brighton.
“If this team practices hard, they could do well. Dylan (Krans) is a good quarterback and we are a school with a lot of spirit. We all come to the games and have a good time,” Jaguar sophomore football fan Brayden Christenson said.
The Jaguars stand in fourth place at press time, with a 2-3 record in Region 3. They are scheduled to face rival Copper Hills in their final regular season game on Oct. 23 (after press deadline). With a win, they will qualify for the state playoffs; a loss could mean a necessary play-in game.
The Jaguars have wins over Mountain View (27-7), Skyline (42-16), Cottonwood (19-13) and Taylorsville (31-13), their most wins since 2010.
Krans, a junior, has thrown for 12 touchdowns and 1353 yards while rushing for 171 yards on 68 carries. Sophomore Michael Ponce leads the team in rushing with 427 yards, and senior Keenan Galeai has six rushing touchdowns.
“I think our team is starting to come together. Everyone is doing their job and trusting the person next to them. We are starting to believe that we can go out there and win every time, no matter who we are facing,” Krans said.
First-year head coach Mike Meifu took over the head coaching duties in May, when former head coach Danny Dupaix stepped down to pursue a career outside of coaching. Meifu is the seventh head football coach in school history. He said there will be adjustments to the new coach, but there is an excitement around the team.
“We just need to keep working and going out every day, competing at practice and watching film. Most of all, we need to earn respect,” Krans said.
A fourth-place finish will qualify the Jaguars for the state tournament, scheduled to begin on Oct. 30. The state championship game will be held Nov. 20.
“I think our team can go far. I am at every home game. It is a good vibe to be here where we all get along and cheer for our team,” freshman football fan Jeff Egbert said.
