This football season was a rollercoaster! The team got off to a rocky start with three losses to Westlake (22-21 OT), Pleasant Grove (40-14), and Roy (36-14). Especially heartbreaking was the loss to Roy in the “Shield Game,” where Weber had to give up the trophy they’ve kept since 2016. On top of that, the recruiting scandal added additional pressure to the players and the athletic department in general. Rollercoaster!
However, after an away-game win over Wasatch, a high scoring affair that ended 62-41, morale began to rise. On Sept. 8, the school held its Homecoming game, ending with a great audience and a great team win, 28-21. Weber High student’s spirits were raised, causing the student section to get larger and larger with each following game. Although the team suffered an anticipated defeat by the number one ranked Davis, a competitive 45-26 loss, team spirit was still high. Two close wins then followed, first upsetting Syracuse 27-26 in a nail-biter and then holding off against Farmington 30-27 to prove that Weber was a threat to Region One.
The next game, on Oct. 5, against Fremont would solidify that. As gameday drew near, the school was full of hype in preparation to crush their rivals! Thursday finally arrived. As Hawaiian clad students flooded the stands, some arriving two and a half hours early to get front row seats, the air was thick with excitement. There was no let down, either, as the Warriors cruised to a 52-7 victory.
As gameday drew near, the school was full of hype in preparation to crush their rivals!
One play in particular encapsulated the beatdown. Late in the game, Weber ran a play from the 1-yard line, handing it off to defensive lineman Kadyn Aaron who charged into the Fremont endzone. As a lineman, you never get touches for touchdowns, so the rare personnel caused the Weber students to roar with happiness. There would be much more to cheer about. Nakosi Swain continued his reputation as a superior running back, with two touchdown runs. Crew Cacciacarne, quarterback, threw four touchdown passes to Salesi Moa, Austin Gussie, Tyler Payne and Ian Elmore. The team’s defense kept shutout for the first three quarters. The incredible game resulted in a 52-7 demolition, a record for the largest rivalry win at 45 points.
After destroying Fremont, the team beat Layton 42-14 on Oct. 11 to end the regular season. Despite low preseason rankings and limited media expectations, the Warriors finished region with a 4-1 record.
The team grabbed the 11th seed for the state playoffs, getting a rematch with the Davis Darts as their prize. Things had drastically changed for both teams since the original meeting, so this matchup was back-and-forth as a defensive duel on the evening of Oct. 27. Unfortunately, the game ended in a narrow loss, as Davis won 17-13 with the game not being over until the clock literally hit zeros.
According to MaxPreps, Elmore led the team in receiving yards per game, at 88 a game, while Moa led the team in total touchdowns with 10. Moa was also the region’s All-Purpose MVP. Swain averaged 90 rushing yards per game while Cacciacarne threw for 23 touchdowns. Defensively, Tyler Payne, senior, was a beast with 11 tackles a game, with almost three sacks and two interceptions throughout the season. In fact, Payne earned Region 1 honors of Defensive MVP for the season.