Heading into training camp, West Ranch has something every football team craves: an experienced starting quarterback.
Good thing for the Wildcats, because there’s not much experience at the rest of the skill positions.

While quarterback Connor Eichten is back, West Ranch’s leading rusher and top three receivers are gone, a group that accounted for more than 1,700 yards last season.

One of the focuses of training camp has been finding replacements.

“We don’t worry like, ‘Oh my gosh, look how many guys we lost,’” said West Ranch head coach Sean O’Brien. “But we have guys that can fill those holes.”

Two of those players, fullback Trevin Manuel and wide receiver Josh Guzman, saw plenty of snaps last season.

The rest of them combined have almost no experience at the varsity level.

“I’m trying to be a leader,” Guzman said. “We’ve got good young guys coming up. It’s my responsibility and the coaches’ responsibility to teach them how much it takes to commit to varsity.”

Two of the varsity team’s biggest weapons in 2009 were running back Zak Snell and tight end James McGough.
Since both graduated, O’Brien said that one of the top priorities is filling those spots.

The Wildcats will do so with junior running back Ben Milleman, who provides a speedy complement in the backfield to Manuel’s mashing style.

At tight end, O’Brien said West Ranch will use two players with different skill sets. Senior Max Newlin is a bigger receiving threat, while junior Nick Lau is the better blocker.

Last season, Milleman and Lau both starred for West Ranch’s talent-rich junior varsity team. There are other players from the lower levels filling key skill positions. Junior receiver Matt Christiansen and sophomore receiver Rawston Redick are two such players.

But it hasn’t been easy.

“It’s totally different from JV,” Christiansen said. “The small details become important.”

Those details are important in West Ranch’s offense, which relies on precision and countless repetitions of a small set of plays.

While the Wildcats weren’t necessarily explosive on offense last season, the coaching staff was satisfied with the production. Now that a lot of those players are gone, the new skill position players have to develop.

Eichten has been more than willing to lend a hand in their development.

“Connor’s great,” Christiansen said. “He fixes me on my routes. He gets my head in the game. It’s really nice to have him doing that.”

It’s also been nice, Guzman said, to be fully acquainted with the philosophies of O’Brien and his staff, who are now in their second year at West Ranch.

“I think it’s been a real good start so far,” Guzman said. “Last year we had a whole new start. I feel confident.”