Find out what some of the elite players in the state are saying about how football now!
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Q&A with Durango safety Cully Feeney
How did the high school football season go overall?
“It was a pretty good season. I loved the opportunity to get to play so many different positions. Nothing beats high school football, and being on the field with my teammates and best friends was incredible. Making it to the second round of the playoffs was a big accomplishment, although we obviously wish we could have gone further.”
What are your plans now with sports and workouts?
“I am currently playing baseball for the Demons, and doing football workouts 5 days a week with the team before school. We have an awesome crew of DHS football players who work out during "zero hour", and it is really fun to see my teammates getting bigger, stronger and faster.”
How do you feel your team will do next football season?
“We are moving from 3A to 4A next season. This is going to be a tremendous challenge, but I know that our team will be ready. We fully expect to make the playoffs, and then try to make a run.”
What team do you feel will be the toughest competition on your schedule?
“I never want to overlook any opponent, but moving up into 4A, there are a lot of great teams. We open up against Montrose, who has always been a traditional power house. They lost a very close game in the semifinals last year, so you know they are going to be a huge challenge. Our new league next year is filled with teams with a lot of talent, but the one that stands out the most is Palmer Ridge. They made it to the state championship game last year, so you know they have the talent and hunger to get back to championship this next season.”
Who is the toughest individual player your team will face off against?
“We are going to see tons of great players next year in 4A. We didn’t play any of these teams last year so it’s hard to pick out individual names. Just looking at MaxPreps it’s hard to know which sophomores and juniors from last year are going to step up and be impact players. We are going to have to take one week at a time, and not overlook anyone. We're the new kids on the 4A block, and we need to respect all of our competitors.”
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Q&A with Mountain View safety/running back KC Mendoza
What have you been doing as of late with off-season workouts?
“I am currently running in track and field to become faster for football and also going to the gym 6 days a week on top of all of football off season lifting.”
What do you feel you have improved on most since last football season?
“My speed has increased since last football season, as seen in track, I have gained half a second in the 100.”
How do you feel your team will do next football season?
“I think the team should show major improvement from last season and add some wins to our record.”
What team do you feel will be the toughest competition on your schedule?
“The toughest team on our schedule this year I believe is going to be Wellington. Because they didn’t have too many seniors this last year and had some pretty tough games throughout the entirety of last season.”
Who is the toughest individual player your team will face off against?
“Our schedule has a lot of kids that are pretty tough but nobody stands out to me too much. But if I were to have to say someone it would be Wellington's QB Tanner Gray.”
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Q&A with Northfield outside linebacker Dylan Anderson
What have you been doing as of late with off-season workouts?
“While also training with lacrosse, I participate in offseason on and off field team football workouts as well as lifting on my own time.”
What do you feel you have improved on most since last football season?
“I feel like my most improved attribute from last season was my football IQ in seeing what’s happening on the field, which resulted in me being able to play smoother and faster.”
How do you feel your team will do next football season?
“Northfield football lost a lot of senior talent on defense which will put more responsibility on my end. However, we have plenty of young talent to fill positions which will hopefully translate to a successful season at the 4a level.”
What team do you feel will be the toughest competition on your schedule?
“Some of the tough games on our schedule are definitely our early games against Mesa Ridge, South, and Heritage.”
Who is the toughest individual player your team will face off against?
“South’s upcoming sophomore receiver, Alijah Landrum-Hamilton played really well as a freshman and he could definitely cause our defense some problems next year.”
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Q&A with Erie defensive end Gio Giampietro
What have you been doing as of late with off-season workouts?
“The team and I have been working out in our zero-hour class that is before school. It brings everyone closer together and definitely helped us last year during the season.”
What do you feel you have improved on most since last football season?
“As a defensive end I’ve definitely gotten quicker off the ball, more explosive as well. And being able to change from speed to power during pass rush. #DifferentBreedPerformance.”
How do you feel your team will do next football season?
“Since we’re moving up to 5A people think we aren’t going to be as good as last year. I definitely disagree with that because we are capable of being great especially with our coaching staff. I think we’ll be a problem for teams.”
What team do you feel will be the toughest competition on your schedule?
“The teams that are going to be tough are Cherry Creek, Columbine, Grandview etc. But we have to think about week 1 and not overlook anyone.”
Who is the toughest individual player your team will face off against?
“Not sure who that will be but will definitely have a game plan for the best player on each team.”
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Q&A with Valor Christian safety Jack Brown
What have you been doing as of late with off-season workouts?
“I am in track and baseball so I have been training with those sports mainly. But when I am free I will go to a morning lift with the football team.”
What do you feel you have improved on most since last football season?
“I have improved my confidence the most. Last year was my first year playing football in high school and I was trying to figure out positions. Now I’m more comfortable.”
How do you feel your team will do next football season?
“We are going to be good.”
What team do you feel will be the toughest competition on your schedule?
“I think East from Utah will be our hardest game. I heard they have some big dudes on their team but it should be fun.”
Who is the toughest individual player your team will face off against?
“The Mountain Vista quarterback is supposed to be pretty good but we shut him down for the first half of our game last year, we just need to learn to do it for the whole game.”
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Q&A with Durango safety Cully Feeney
How did the high school football season go overall?
“It was a pretty good season. I loved the opportunity to get to play so many different positions. Nothing beats high school football, and being on the field with my teammates and best friends was incredible. Making it to the second round of the playoffs was a big accomplishment, although we obviously wish we could have gone further.”
What are your plans now with sports and workouts?
“I am currently playing baseball for the Demons, and doing football workouts 5 days a week with the team before school. We have an awesome crew of DHS football players who work out during "zero hour", and it is really fun to see my teammates getting bigger, stronger and faster.”
How do you feel your team will do next football season?
“We are moving from 3A to 4A next season. This is going to be a tremendous challenge, but I know that our team will be ready. We fully expect to make the playoffs, and then try to make a run.”
What team do you feel will be the toughest competition on your schedule?
“I never want to overlook any opponent, but moving up into 4A, there are a lot of great teams. We open up against Montrose, who has always been a traditional power house. They lost a very close game in the semifinals last year, so you know they are going to be a huge challenge. Our new league next year is filled with teams with a lot of talent, but the one that stands out the most is Palmer Ridge. They made it to the state championship game last year, so you know they have the talent and hunger to get back to championship this next season.”
Who is the toughest individual player your team will face off against?
“We are going to see tons of great players next year in 4A. We didn’t play any of these teams last year so it’s hard to pick out individual names. Just looking at MaxPreps it’s hard to know which sophomores and juniors from last year are going to step up and be impact players. We are going to have to take one week at a time, and not overlook anyone. We're the new kids on the 4A block, and we need to respect all of our competitors.”
......................................................................................................
Q&A with Mountain View safety/running back KC Mendoza
What have you been doing as of late with off-season workouts?
“I am currently running in track and field to become faster for football and also going to the gym 6 days a week on top of all of football off season lifting.”
What do you feel you have improved on most since last football season?
“My speed has increased since last football season, as seen in track, I have gained half a second in the 100.”
How do you feel your team will do next football season?
“I think the team should show major improvement from last season and add some wins to our record.”
What team do you feel will be the toughest competition on your schedule?
“The toughest team on our schedule this year I believe is going to be Wellington. Because they didn’t have too many seniors this last year and had some pretty tough games throughout the entirety of last season.”
Who is the toughest individual player your team will face off against?
“Our schedule has a lot of kids that are pretty tough but nobody stands out to me too much. But if I were to have to say someone it would be Wellington's QB Tanner Gray.”
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Q&A with Northfield outside linebacker Dylan Anderson
What have you been doing as of late with off-season workouts?
“While also training with lacrosse, I participate in offseason on and off field team football workouts as well as lifting on my own time.”
What do you feel you have improved on most since last football season?
“I feel like my most improved attribute from last season was my football IQ in seeing what’s happening on the field, which resulted in me being able to play smoother and faster.”
How do you feel your team will do next football season?
“Northfield football lost a lot of senior talent on defense which will put more responsibility on my end. However, we have plenty of young talent to fill positions which will hopefully translate to a successful season at the 4a level.”
What team do you feel will be the toughest competition on your schedule?
“Some of the tough games on our schedule are definitely our early games against Mesa Ridge, South, and Heritage.”
Who is the toughest individual player your team will face off against?
“South’s upcoming sophomore receiver, Alijah Landrum-Hamilton played really well as a freshman and he could definitely cause our defense some problems next year.”
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Q&A with Erie defensive end Gio Giampietro
What have you been doing as of late with off-season workouts?
“The team and I have been working out in our zero-hour class that is before school. It brings everyone closer together and definitely helped us last year during the season.”
What do you feel you have improved on most since last football season?
“As a defensive end I’ve definitely gotten quicker off the ball, more explosive as well. And being able to change from speed to power during pass rush. #DifferentBreedPerformance.”
How do you feel your team will do next football season?
“Since we’re moving up to 5A people think we aren’t going to be as good as last year. I definitely disagree with that because we are capable of being great especially with our coaching staff. I think we’ll be a problem for teams.”
What team do you feel will be the toughest competition on your schedule?
“The teams that are going to be tough are Cherry Creek, Columbine, Grandview etc. But we have to think about week 1 and not overlook anyone.”
Who is the toughest individual player your team will face off against?
“Not sure who that will be but will definitely have a game plan for the best player on each team.”
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Q&A with Valor Christian safety Jack Brown
What have you been doing as of late with off-season workouts?
“I am in track and baseball so I have been training with those sports mainly. But when I am free I will go to a morning lift with the football team.”
What do you feel you have improved on most since last football season?
“I have improved my confidence the most. Last year was my first year playing football in high school and I was trying to figure out positions. Now I’m more comfortable.”
How do you feel your team will do next football season?
“We are going to be good.”
What team do you feel will be the toughest competition on your schedule?
“I think East from Utah will be our hardest game. I heard they have some big dudes on their team but it should be fun.”
Who is the toughest individual player your team will face off against?
“The Mountain Vista quarterback is supposed to be pretty good but we shut him down for the first half of our game last year, we just need to learn to do it for the whole game.”
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