2016 Cheyenne Football Capsule
CHEYENNE
League: Class 3A Sunset
Head coach: David Cochran, seventh season (32-29)
2015 record: 7-3 (6-1 Sunset League, second)
Returning lettermen: 14
Returning starters: Nine offense, Six defense
Base offensive set: Spread
Base defensive set: 4-2-5
Top offensive players: WR Corwin Bush (Sr.), WR William Federson (Sr.), RB Deriontae Green (Sr.)
Top defensive players: LB John Tarver (Sr.), DB Cameron Myles (Sr.), LB Cajuin Jackson (Sr.)
Key losses: FB/LB George Carmona, WR/DB Ashton Lawson
Outlook: Expectations are understandably high for a Cheyenne team that finished second in 2015 to a school (Faith Lutheran) which moved to a different league. Without a defending champion in the Sunset League, the Desert Shields feel it’s their time to take the reigns, and coach David Cochran said the goal is more than that – it’s to be the No. 1 seed in the playoffs.
The biggest name to watch will be whoever ends up as the feature back, as he will need to fill the void left by graduated senior David Walker and his 1,174 yards and 11 touchdowns. Bush ran 30 times last year for nearly eight yards per rush, but watch for Green who could step up and assume the role.
Under center Matthew LaBonte is the only returning player who threw a pass last year, but the Cheyenne offense is not overly reliant on a deep-ball signal caller. Last year’s starter averaged just 131 yards per game passing. LaBonte will be asked to move the ball around and set up a the team’s spread offense.
