2016 Tonopah Football Capsule
TONOPAH
League: Class 1A Southern
Head coach: Duffy Otteson, eighth season
2015 record: 7-3 (5-2 Division IV Southern League, third)
Returning lettermen: 15
Returning starters: Five offense, five defense
Base offensive set: Single wing
Base defensive set: 4-2
Top offensive players: QB Tanner Otteson (Sr.), RB Kade Bunker (Jr.), RB Vinny Bagarose (Sr.)
Top defensive players: LB Brendan Eason (Sr.), DL Jordon Berkowitz (Sr.)
Key losses: OL/DL Kekoa Elliott, RB/DB Scotty May, WR Tristan Otteson
Outlook: The Muckers, who secured the No. 3 seed in the playoffs last season, should again finish near the top of their league.
Tonopah returns 15 lettermen, including five starters on each side of the ball, and will have 32 players in total for eight-man football.
Tanner Otteson, who threw for 1,773 yards and 24 touchdowns, is back and will be one of league’s top offensive threats. He must find replacements, however, for May and Tristan Otteson, who were his favorite targets but have since graduated.
Eason, who led the team with 107 tackles last season, will lead the defense.
“It’ll be one of the best teams in my eight years, for sure,” Otteson said. “They’ve all been playing football together since Pop Warner, so they’re smart. Our strong suit will be throwing the ball.”
