Will a more experienced team this season translate to a bigger and better year for Mesa Mountain View?
It’s a good bet.
The Toros nearly started from scratch in 2007 yet were good enough to post a 9-3 record and advance to the 5A-I quarterfinals.
Mountain View’s losses in 2007 were to good teams — Phoenix Brophy, Mesa Red Mountain and Phoenix Desert Vista. That trio was three-fourths of last year’s final four.
“I thought we had a good year,” Mountain View coach Tom Joseph said. “We need to assemble an offensive line. There are a lot of candidates. They’re green. It’s a matter of finding who can play where.”
Depth at the skill positions is a strength, although quarterback Blake Decker logged the only appreciable varsity playing time last year among the skill players. That happened because of a season-ending injury in Week 7 to Alex Harris.
“He got five games and really did a nice job,” Joseph said. “We have depth at quarterback this year, too. That’s a great thing to have.”
Defensively, nine players return with substantial playing time. And as usual with Joseph, the Toros will put the best 11 players on the defensive side. Some of those might also get time on offense.
Leading the list of returnees is all-region linebacker Brandon Mathews, who was second on the team in tackles last year and second in picks.
The secondary has four players back led by mighty mite Alex Salas.
“No one we play will be smaller than we are,” Joseph said. “This is a real good group of kids with great attitudes. I’ll take that any day.”
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Roster
| No. | Name | Pos. | Ht. | Wt. | Yr. |
| 3 | Daniel Diaz | WR-DB | 5-11 | 160 | Sr. |
| 4 | Alex Salas | RB-DB | 5-8 | 165 | Sr. |
| 5 | Trent Stapley | WR-DB | 6-1 | 180 | Sr. |
| 6 | Blake Decker | QB | 6-1 | 160 | Sr. |
| 8 | Jordan Frost | WR-DB | 5-8 | 155 | Sr. |
| 9 | Brad Heap | QB | 6-2 | 210 | Jr. |
| 10 | Jacob Adams | WR-DB | 6-0 | 155 | Sr. |
| 11 | Matt Gulbrandsen | WR-DB | 6-1 | 170 | Jr. |
| 12 | Colton Winward | TE-LB | 6-2 | 180 | Jr. |
| 13 | Luke Swisher | QB-LB | 5-10 | 180 | Jr. |
| 15 | Mitch Jennings | WR-DB | 5-10 | 165 | Sr. |
| 17 | Taylor Falkenberg | QB | 5-11 | 185 | Sr. |
| 18 | Alex Martinez | RB-LB | 5-9 | 175 | Jr. |
| 19 | Benson Brooks | WR-DB | 5-6 | 130 | Jr. |
| 21 | Casey Mack | RB-DB | 5-9 | 180 | Sr. |
| 22 | Anthony Warren | WR-DB | 5-11 | 150 | Sr. |
| 23 | Ron White | RB-DB | 5-9 | 175 | Sr. |
| 24 | Jacom Brimhall | RB-DB | 5-7 | 165 | Jr. |
| 25 | Preston Richardson | WR-DB | 5-8 | 155 | Jr. |
| 26 | Cameron Clark | RB-LB | 5-8 | 180 | Sr. |
| 27 | Connor Knoles | WR-DB | 6-1 | 165 | Sr. |
| 30 | Maurice Duch | WR-DB | 5-8 | 150 | Jr. |
| 31 | Justin Orr | WR-DB | 5-11 | 165 | Sr. |
| 32 | Nick George | RB-DB | 5-9 | 160 | Sr. |
| 33 | Daniel Clemons | RB-LB | 5-9 | 180 | Sr. |
| 34 | Dallin Funk | WR-DB | 5-7 | 135 | Jr. |
| 36 | Zach Collins | TE-DL | 5-11 | 195 | Jr. |
| 37 | Kino Starks | WR-DB | 5-10 | 155 | Jr. |
| 39 | Nate Birtcher | TE-DL | 5-11 | 205 | Sr. |
| 40 | Dallas Clark | RB-LB | 5-8 | 165 | Jr. |
| 41 | Brandon Mathews | RB-LB | 6-0 | 200 | Sr. |
| 42 | Riley Farnsworth | RB-DL | 6-0 | 220 | Sr. |
| 47 | Sam Liechty | RB-LB | 5-10 | 170 | Sr. |
| 50 | Jack Hutchins | OL-DL | 6-2 | 190 | Sr. |
| 51 | Keaton Shaker | OL-LB | 5-8 | 165 | Jr. |
| 52 | Tyler Arnett | OL-DL | 5-8 | 235 | Sr. |
| 53 | Chris Downs | OL-DL | 6-5 | 200 | Jr. |
| 54 | Mike Akins | OL-DL | 6-2 | 230 | Jr. |
| 55 | Tali Pousini | OL-DL | 6-2 | 270 | Sr. |
| 56 | Chas Sorenson | OL-DL | 5-10 | 180 | Jr. |
| 57 | Kyle Skibbie | OL-DL | 5-9 | 185 | Jr. |
| 59 | Jared Aguilar | OL-DL | 5-7 | 160 | Jr. |
| 61 | Alec Kleiner | OL-DL | 6-0 | 225 | Sr. |
| 62 | Ryan Jones | OL-DL | 5-9 | 165 | Jr. |
| 63 | Chris Parkes | OL-DL | 5-8 | 210 | Jr. |
| 64 | Chase Mulleneaux | OL-LB | 5-9 | 160 | Jr. |
| 65 | Kovi Kaipilea | OL-DL | 6-3 | 235 | Jr. |
| 66 | Jake Shreeve | OL-DL | 5-8 | 165 | Sr. |
| 67 | Jackson Halm | OL-DL | 6-0 | 210 | Jr. |
| 70 | Jordan Banner | OL-DL | 6-3 | 220 | Sr. |
| 71 | C.J. Brooks | OL-DL | 5-10 | 210 | Sr. |
| 72 | Chaz Fate | OL-DL | 6-1 | 215 | Sr. |
| 73 | Jacob Westra | OL-DL | 6-0 | 215 | Sr. |
| 74 | Tyler Searle | OL-DL | 6-4 | 230 | Jr. |
| 75 | Jake Martinez | OL-DL | 5-10 | 245 | Sr. |
| 77 | Taylor Kleinman | OL-DL | 6-3 | 245 | Sr. |
| 79 | Jarrett Bunnin | OL-DL | 6-1 | 250 | Jr. |
| 80 | Nathan Gurevitz | WR-DL | 5-10 | 160 | Jr. |
| 81 | Jordan Hinton | WR-DL | 6-2 | 175 | Jr. |
| 82 | Jameson Jarvis | TE-DL | 5-10 | 140 | Jr. |
| 83 | Christian Wallace | WR-LB | 5-9 | 160 | Sr. |
| 84 | Sterling Jones | WR-DB | 5-11 | 175 | Sr. |
| 85 | Josh Robertson | WR-DB | 5-7 | 130 | Jr. |
| 86 | Pavel Plakhotny | TE-DL | 5-11 | 180 | Jr. |
| 87 | Jordan Thompson | WR-DB | 5-10 | 155 | Sr. |
| 88 | J.T. Chanda | WR-DB | 5-10 | 160 | Jr. |
| 92 | Sidney Spence | WR-DB | 5-9 | 140 | Jr. |
| 93 | Andrew Nicoll | TE-DL | 6-1 | 180 | Sr. |
