Canyon Springs season preview
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Despite reports to the contrary, Canyon Springs’ reputation remains intact.
The Pioneers may have lost iconic coach Hunkie Cooper, who took a job as an assistant at San Diego State, but not their identity. Just as many have referred to them for the last several seasons, the North Las Vegas program might again put out the fastest team in the state.
A defensive backfield starring seniors Tyson Odum, Christian Minor and Marcell Selmon has gazelle-like speed. Odum and Minor will also spread out as receivers on offense, joining new starting running back Jerrod Blackwell to regularly leave potential tacklers eating dust.
“Our standards are high but we try not to think about the pressure and just play all around, be as versatile as we could and overcome the obstacles we face,” Odum said.
Those are some of the messages new coach Keith Jones has preached. A longtime assistant under Cooper, Jones knows Canyon Springs needs to maintain more than reinvent.
Consistency will be another focus. Even though Canyon Springs won its second Northeast division title in four years last season, the team’s performances varied drastically on a weekly basis.
The Pioneers snapped Liberty’s 40-game Sunrise region winning streak for quite possibly the biggest win in school history midway through the year, but then went on a two-game losing streak. They appeared to rebound by combining to beat Valley and Silverado 108-17 the last two weeks of the regular season, but got upset in the first round of the playoffs by Basic.
“I think that we just learned that we have to play every team like it’s our last,” Selmon said. “And come, prepare and go in there and get what we have to do and play like we have to play instead of playing the opponent’s competition. We have to play like us.”
That means utilizing their quickness. From the days of Juron Criner, in training camp as a receiver with the New York Giants, to Donnel Pumphrey, a standout running back at San Diego State, Canyon Springs has a history of outracing opponents to the edges.
The Pioneers lost a lot from last season including virtually every significant running back and receiver, but it’s not the first time they’ve relied on new faces to carry their tradition for speed.
“We’ve shrunk down a little bit but they’re still great athletes so we have a good all-around team,” Jones said. “Offensively, we should be fine on both sides of the ball, both phases — running and passing.”
Jones has confidence that Tre’von Dean, who saw some limited action last season, can step in without a hitch at quarterback. The concern is giving Dean and the rest of skill players time to operate.
Senior center Ernesto Trejo is the only player on the offensive line with any previous significant playing time. But Jones has been pleased with the progress in the trenches in the offseason.
There are less potential problems on defense. What little experience Canyon Springs brings back is on that side of the ball. Joining the NASCAR-like defensive backfield is the demolition derby-esque power of linebacker Emmitt Gray and defensive lineman Jaleel Rogers.
“I think, just like the past, defensively we need to be solid,” Jones said. “If we can stop guys and keep games close, I think we’ll be able to pull some of those games out.”
The one Cooper characteristic Jones is most motivated to sustain comes off of the field. Cooper achieved a long-stated goal of keeping the program’s graduation rate at 100 percent.
Any other success will come as a bonus, and likely through the same formula Canyon Springs has used in the past.
“We want to expand on some things football-wise in all three phases of the game,” Jones said, “so hopefully those things come into play and we have some positive things going on.”
Case Keefer can be reached at 702-948-2790 or [email protected]. Follow Case on Twitter at twitter.com/casekeefer.