Cottonwood football: 2012 preview

In late August, I interviewed new Cottonwood (Utah) football coach Greg Croshaw. We talked about his past and this year's Colt football team. The whole program is going through monumental change as it adjusts to four coaches in four years, plus several assistants. Here is the article that will appear in the team's football media guide (program).

Still passing into a new era

Colts hope to recover from painful off-field losses

that have plagued them the past two years

By Bruce Smith

Matchup
 
            The faces may be familiar, but there’s no doubt that we are in a new era of Cottonwood football.
            The big difference is on the sidelines, where Greg Croshaw has been asked to take over a program that has had almost all of its best seasons since 2004. In those eight years, the Colts have averaged nine wins and won or tied for five region titles.
            The outlook for this year is up in the air. The talent level includes as many as 10 possible Division I college recruits, led by senior quarterback Cooper Bateman and wide receiver Inoke Lotulelei. However, the combination of the Colts’ off-field issues and the new coach makes the season outlook questionable.
            The Cottonwood administration and the players believe Croshaw, with his Utah background and 27 years of coaching experience, is a stabilizing influence.
            “That kind of experience coming into this program, we couldn’t be more thankful for that,” said Bateman, who could break several Cottonwood offense and passing records and signed with defending NCAA champion Alabama during the offseason.
            Croshaw is aware of all of Cottonwood’s skilled players, but he has seen that – and much more - before. In his 24 years at Dixie College, he won 214 games to become the second-winning-est junior college coach in America. He mentored at least 36 All-Americans and had even more make the NFL ranks.
            After being offered the job relatively late (June), he made a promise to the players.
             “I told them, 'I’m not going to come in and make you learn my terminology. I’ll do that. I just ask you to work hard and play hard and understand that things happen in life that you may not agree or feel right about … but that’s going to happen your whole life.'”
            By reducing the on-field adjustments, that should allow Bateman to continue to attract the most attention.
            In 10 games last year, Bateman threw for 2,484 yards and 25 touchdowns. Most of his offensive weapons from a year ago are back, too. Lotulelei broke school records with 1,184 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns in 2011, while running back Gabe Hosea racked up 1,399 yards and eight TDs.
            Hosea had nearly 250 carries, and Croshaw wants a similar run-pass ratio this year.
            With Bateman at the helm and four of five starters on the offensive line returning (Dakota Jenkins-Baty, Lo Falemaka, Niva Kinikini, Elijah Tupai and tight end Siale Fakailuatonga), the offense isn’t expecting many problems. It’s the defense he’s concerned about.
            Cottonwood gave up 34 points per game last year – which was right up there with primarily the last-place 5A teams in other regions. T.J. Fehoko and Dorien Banks are two of eight returnees, though, and will be counted on heavily this year.
            The Colts will be hampered by numbers. Only 53 players turned out for the first day of practice, which Croshaw said wasn’t even enough to sport a junior varsity or sophomore team. Even though he has eight returning starters on defense, he expects to platoon more kids.
            Cottonwood also will likely face the most-difficult schedule in school history. Its season opener vs. Westlake was cancelled when the Thunder backed out of its commitment in June. While it gave the Colts an extra week of practice, it also prevented a likely victory.
            That meant the Colts to open against defending 4A champ Logan and 5A power Davis before taking on defending Washington state champ Skyline and its standout QB Max Browne.
            In Region 3, the Colts also have to take on perennial powers Jordan and Alta, as well as surprising Brighton. Based on the results of Cottonwood’s first two games, the Colts will likely be underdogs in just two games this year.
            With everything Cottonwood’s program — and particularly this senior class — has been through the past three years, Croshaw said this team will have an “us-vs.-the-world mentality.”
            “There’s not many of us, but we’re pretty good.”