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You are here: Home / Sports / Community / Excel Christian Preview: Warriors will go as Denson goes

Excel Christian Preview: Warriors will go as Denson goes

August 23, 2016 By Nathan Shoup Leave a Comment

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Tribune photo by John Byrne – Excel Christian senior quarterback Noah Denson lets it fly during a practice last week. Denson was a 1A Northern – West first-team selection at quarterback and defensive tackle last year.

Excel Christian senior quarterback Noah Denson has big plans for his final go round this fall.

As a junior, he accounted for 1,010 yards and 13 touchdowns as the Warriors went 3-6, 2-5 in the 1A Northern – West. He was a first-team all-league selection.

Due to limited depth on the eight-man squad, Denson had to play defense as well. And he didn’t hide in the secondary. He played tackle. He led the team in tackles (80), sacks (11) and tackles for loss (19). He was a first-team all-league selection.

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Tribune photo by John Byrne – Excel Christian sophomore running back Jeshua Drexel will take over for Jake Harring, who compiled nearly 1,500 yards last fall. Drexel was a wide receiver last year, catching 14 passes for 351 yards and five touchdowns.

His vision for 2016? Bigger.

“I want to do everything I did last year, but do it to an extreme,” Denson, son of coach Jeff Denson, said. “I want to like double everything I did last year, just go nuts. It’s my last year, so it’s my last year to kill it. So I’m excited.”

He figures to have the ball in his hands even more this year with the departure of running back Jake Haring. The Warriors’ horse last year ran for 1,045 yards (149.3 yards per game) and 15 touchdowns.

Sophomore Jeshua Fixel will move over to running back from wide out (he caught 14 passes for 351 yards and five touchdowns last year) to fill the void left by Haring.

Fixel is one of a handful of sophomores on another really young Excel Christian team. Five freshmen on the 15-player roster are playing (eight-man) football for the first time.

Due to the youth, Jeff Denson said much of fall camp has simply been working on the basics, trying to get players up to speed.

Sophomores Kaleb Kensen and Jesus Chavez will take care of the receiving responsibilities.

With the abundance of inexperience, Denson has tempered expectations.

“I’m not making any predictions,” Excel’s coach said. “We’re here to play football and have fun. What we get, is what we get.”

His senior quarterback son was less conservative.

“State.”

Excel Christian opens its season Saturday with a non-league home game against Loyalton (Calif.) at 1 p.m. It is the first of four straight home games to start the year.

2016 Schedule

Sat., Aug. 27 HOME vs Loyalton (Loyalton, Calif.) 1 p.m.

Sat., Sept. 3 HOME vs Silver Stage 1 p.m.

Sat., Sept. 17, HOME vs Smith Valley* 1 p.m.

Sat., Sept. 24 HOME vs Sierra Lutheran* 1 p.m.

Sat., Oct. 1 AWAY at Virginia City* 1 p.m.

Sat., Oct. 8 AWAY at Coleville* 1 p.m.

Sat. Oct. 15 HOME vs Pyramid Lake* 1 p.m.

Fri., Oct. 21 AWAY at Whittell* 7 p.m.

Fri., Oct. 28 AWAY at Mineral County* 7 p.m.

 *1A Northern – West game

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