The 2022 season was a rebound year for a proud Mountain Crest football program. Between 2020 and 2021, the Mustangs had gone a combined 3-18 and hadn’t seen a winning season since 2018. Ryan Visser took over as head coach in late spring of 2022 and proceeded to coach the team to an 8-5 record and an appearance in the 4A state semifinal.
2023 Schedule
- Aug 11 vs HURRICANE
- Aug 18 vs BOX ELDER
- Aug 25 vs POCATELLO (~8:30 at Maverik Stadium)
- Sept 1 at Minico (ID)
- Oct. 11 at Maple Mountain
- Sept 8 at Green Canyon
- Sept 15 vs LOGAN
- Sept 21 (Thur) at Ridgeline
- Sept 29 at Bear River
- Oct 6 vs SKY VIEW
2022 Summary
- Record: 8-5
- Region Finish: 3rd (3-2)
- Playoffs: Lost in Semifinal (44-14 vs Desert Hills)
Returners
- Returning Starters: 11
- Returning All-Region Players: 5
- All-Region Players Lost: 10
Hear Coach Visser’s thoughts on his team
2023 Prospectus
Coach Visser has been asked on more than one occasion how the 2022 Mountain Crest team managed to turn things around seemingly on a dime. And repeatedly Visser credited the senior class for its efforts and work.
“It was just a really good, special group of seniors,” Visser said. “I don’t think once we had anyone be like ‘Man this is how we used to it’ or ‘Why are we doing it like this?’ They immediately bought in. From day one it’s just like ‘What do we need to do to get rolling?’ And they were a talented group, too.”
That senior class, talented and deserving of credit as it is, unfortunately, won’t be able to help Mountain Crest this year and replacing those players is one of Visser’s top challenges. Even though he returns 11 starters between the offense and defense, 10 of the players he lost earned at least all-region honors with five making first or second team all-state teams. Especially difficult will be replacing all but one player on both the offensive and defensive line. The Mustangs may have half their starters returning, but a lot of production and multiple key units have a lot of space to be filled.
The two players who should step up and star are quarterback Casey Crofts returns as does his top wide receiver, Will DeKorver. DeKorver earned more accolades last year as a defensive back but led the Mustangs with 36 receptions for 739 yards and six touchdowns.
“(DeKorver) was an unknown last year (but) he won’t be an unknown this year,” Visser said. “He’ll be one of those guys that have a target on his back and just know where he’s at at all times.”
Crofts struggled a bit with turnovers to start the year, throwing seven picks in five games, but then settled into form later in the season as Mountain Crest won four of its last five games of the regular season.
“Obviously the quarterback is a position that needs to always improve and needs to always continue to get better. And I feel like Casey had crazy growth throughout the season,” Visser said. “By the end of the season he was playing some dang good football. So if we have Casey just keep growing and maturing like he has been he’s going to have a really good senior year.”
On the offensive line, which Visser said is what “usually sets the tone for the team and sets the tone for the game,” only tackle Exander Miller returns so he’ll be looked at to lead a group of mostly new faces along the line.
Defense was an area that Mountain Crest dominated at times, holding five opponents to seven or fewer points throughout the season. But the Mustangs are losing their top defender, linebacker Carson Olsen. Four other all-region defenders are also gone.
Dax Benson, Porter Kennington and DeKorver are the top returners on the defensive side and each are spread out among the three levels of the defense. Kennington on the defensive line, Benson at linebacker and DeKorver in the secondary. Visser emphasized the need for each of these players to step up as leaders for others around them in addition to being productive players.
Health-wise the Mustangs are a bit more banged up than usual. Most are minor injuries and none are season-ending, but two players are expected to miss some time to start the year. Corner/wide receiver Thatcher Phelps is recovering from an MCL injury while defensive back Porter Johnson has a broken scapula.
The Mustangs’ schedule will provide multiple tough tests, most notably from Box Elder and Minico which were both great teams last year. Pocatello, which Mountain Crest will face on Merlin Olsen Field, may also provide a challenge if the Thunder get back into the solid form they’ve had the last few seasons. Mountain Crest do have to play more road games in region play than home ones, the most challenging of which will be a Thursday matchup at Ridgeline on Sept. 21.
The chances of Mountain Crest surpassing last year’s run aren’t super high given how many high-impact players graduated at the end of last year. But there are plenty of great players returning who could easily make up for the lost production. And if there’s anything to be learned about Visser, it’s that you shouldn’t underestimate him and his teams.
