MOVING FORWARD

WASILLA — Last season, the Wasilla Warriors fielded a very young squad. Many of the upperclassmen were first-year varsity players, and by the end of the season a handful of underclassmen worked their way into the starting lineup.

The Warriors battled through growing pains, and after an 0-3 start, Wasilla finished 3-2 during the final five weeks of the season. Now head coach Glenn Nelson is hoping a more experienced group of Warriors can build on the success they had during the second half of the 2009 season.

“I feel like we’re a lot older, bigger and stronger,” said Nelson, who begins his second season as the Wasilla head coach.

On the offensive side, Nelson said the Warriors are making subtle improvements. But defensively, Wasilla will make significant changes.

To start, Wasilla is moving first-team All-Railbelt Conference defensive lineman David Green to the middle linebacker spot and will build its defense around the four-year varsity player.

“David has attended a lot of (summer) camps, got a little more lean and has worked very hard on his speed,” Nelson said. “He’s less of a 265-pound (defensive) tackle and more of a 225-pound mike linebacker.”

Wasilla also has a new coach, Robert Harris, directing the defense. Nelson said Harris, a former college player who currently serves in the military, has helped add discipline and elevate the conditioning of the defense. Harris is also incorporating schemes that allow the Warriors to be more flexible on defense, Nelson said.

Nelson expects Wasilla to boast a strong corps of linebackers with Green, senior Deonn Richardson and junior Devon Teeling. Richardson is a promising newcomer to the team, Nelson said, and Teeling received significant playing time as a sophomore.

Up front, senior Jake Johnson and junior Jeff Scott will anchor the Wasilla defensive line. Senior Mark Griffiths should be among the top defensive backs on the squad.

Nelson said Griffiths made big strides during the offseson.

“He skipped wrestling season and spent the year in the weight room,” Nelson said. “He’s a fast kid. He put on some weight. He’s been one of our big leaders during conditioning.”

On offense, Nelson hopes his team can improve on the success of the second half of the season.

“We’re making small tweaks to what we had at the end of the season,” Nelson said. “We simplified everything and made it easier for the younger kids to understand. We scored some points, now we’re going to add to it.”

The Warriors found the most success running out of the I and pro style formations, and throwing the ball to all-conference receiver Cody Pfeifer.

Pfeifer has graduated, but Nelson is excited about newcomers Braydon Kuiper and Tyler Anderson. Both stand at least 6-foot-3 and add athleticism to the attack, Nelson said. Kuiper, a basketball standout at Wasilla, will also battle AJ Marshall for the starting quarterback job.

Marshall has experience as a junior varsity starter and varsity reserve.

“He’s very capable, very hungry to get a seat at the table,” Nelson said.

Kuiper made the varsity team as a freshman, but missed his sophomore season of football due to a back injury.

Junior Tyler Polis, who led the Warriors with 248 yards rushing last year, is back. Richardson and junior Luke Wild will also be involved in the Wasilla running game, Nelson said.

Wasilla has Green, who led the Warriors with 17 receptions for 233 yards. Green, who caught a pair of touchdowns last year, will line up in several positions on offense, including tight end, slot receiver and fullback.

Johnson, a three-year starter, is expected to lead the Warriors on the offensive line. Scott also returns and will start for the second straight year. Senior Joe Morris and junior Braven Carter have also found roles up front.

The Warriors open the 2010 season on the road, facing small-schools power Soldotna Aug. 6 at 6:30 p.m. at Soldotna High School.

“It’ll be a tough road test,” Nelson said.

After playing Soldotna, which captured four straight state titles from 2005-08, the Warriors open the Railbelt Conference season at home against North Pole on Aug. 13.

Contact Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.