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I started my junior year (the 1993 football season) as the starting fullback. Dano Didericksen (Jeanell's cousin) was the returning starting quarterback and Gary Bleazard was the starting tailback. (I should mention that Matt Barton most likely would have beat me out as the starting fullback, but unfortunately for the team, was ineligible to play that season).

The first few games were relatively uneventful from my standpoint as I struggled to figure out my game and how I could be effective. We had a big win over 3A Pineview (we were 2A at the time) in our first game, followed by a pretty easy win over Gunnison, a heart-breaking loss to North Summit (that team featured Courtney Richins, who would go on to return punts for the Utes during the 1999 season).

I finally started to make my mark against Manti. While both running backs would get carries in the veer offense that we ran, typically the tailback got most of the carries. Gary, who also returned punts, got the wind knocked out of him on a punt return and needed to sit out for a play so they moved me to tailback and called a play for me (Right, veer-at 7, a run off-tackle to the left side). I still remember Coach Riner saying to me on the sideline "Do you know how to run it?", evidently somewhat skeptical that I could adjust to a play for the other running back position. I nodded and jogged onto the field.

Dano took the snap, moved down the line, and handed me the ball. I burst through the line, evaded a couple of tackles, and broke into the open field. Eighty yards later, I reached the end zone, getting caught from behind just as I reached the goal line. As I recall, Coach Riner never asked me if I knew how to run a play again. Maybe he should have.

A win over Manti was followed by another heartbreaking loss to Morgan in our homecoming game. Dano was injured early in that game when he and Gary collided on a defensive play. My good friend John Larsen, who was the back-up quarterback, filled in admirably for the rest of the game, but we lost 19-17 (Morgan would go on to win the State Championship that year).

The next week was UEA and we traveled to Parowan for a Wednesday game. I don't remember exactly, but I want to say Parowan had lost 20+ consecutive games and after the emotional homecoming loss the week before, we had a hard time getting ourselves motivated for the game. Dano's injury was significant enough that he would miss this game as well so my buddy John started at quarterback. My very first carry I was tackled awkwardly and sprained my right ankle. I was done for the game.

After looking at my ankle and taping it up, someone helped me over to sit in Larsen's maroon and white van, which was parked somewhat near the sidelines. But I don't remember really being able to see the game. Jeanell and I were dating at this time and unbeknownst to me, she had made the trip down to the game with her parents. I was hurt by the time she got there, but she came and found me in Larsen's van and sat with me. I remember Coach Camp coming to check on me at some point and laughing when he saw Jeanell sitting next to me.

The game turned into a dogfight. I remember somehow being with the team at halftime and Coach Butler asking me if I could go, because they could sure use me. I could barely walk and certainly didn't feel I could play football. I'll be the first to admit that I'm not really tough, either as a football player, or in general. I wasn't the guy to heroically play on a bum ankle.

In the end, we did pull out the victory. John threw for close to 300 yards and Ernie Beacham made a game-saving tackle late in the game in which he knocked the opposing player out (while also preventing him from reaching the first down marker).

After the game, I just wanted to go home, or possibly go with Jeanell, who I believe was going on to St. George with her family, but my parents had rented or borrowed an RV and had some kind of family vacation planned and insisted I go with them. I don't remember many details of that trip, but I do remember that it was not very comfortable in that RV with my sprained ankle.

My ankle didn't heal like I hoped and I was unable to practice the following week as we prepared to face Millard. The ankle didn't seem to be getting better at all and I figured I would be out again. I remember waking up early on game day and icing my ankle in a bucket of ice water. Afterward, the ankle felt better than it had all week and for the first time, I thought I might be able to go.

I traveled to Millard with the team and had my ankle taped tightly. It was decided that I wouldn't play in the first half and we'd see where things stood at half time. It was one of the coldest games I ever played in and rained the entire game. At halftime, we trailed 6-0 and after confirming that I felt I could play, Coach Butler told me I'd be in to start the second half.

We continued to trail 6-0 into the fourth quarter. Millard drove deep into our territory, but on fourth down, tried a fake field goal, which our defense blew up. As we took over possession, Coach Butler called a 31 quick trap, one of the plays designed for the fullback. We ended up running it four times in a row and marched down the field. Gary scored a touchdown, and Nate Butler added the game-winning extra point and we emerged with a 7-6 victory.

The next week, we were back home to face the Juab Wasps. After my injury, it was decided to take me off of the defense, where I had played outside linebacker, and only play offense. (Defense was never my thing so this was probably a net positive for the team. I don't remember who took my place on defense though). My first carry, I broke away for a fifty yard run down to the ten yard line. A couple of plays later, I scored on a short run for my first touchdown of the game. As the game went on, I had some other good runs and had scored a couple more touchdowns. Dano (now back from injury, he had played against Millard as well) also scored a touchdown and we led 28-6. I had 116 yards or so.

We got the ball back, and Coach called for a right, veer-at 6. This was similar to the right, veer-at 7 that I ran against Manti, but this one went to the fullback to the strong side of the field. I burst through the line and cut back to the left side of the field and outran everyone for a 67-yard touchdown.

We now led 35-6. That long run had brought my total up to 193 yards on 14 carries. We got the ball back again a few minutes later. Ordinarily, I think my day would have been done, but because I was within 7 yards of 200, Coach said they'd give me one carry to try to break 200. He asked what play I wanted to run. "Right, veer-at 6," I replied, figuring I might as well go with what had just worked. The ball was spotted closer to the right side of the field this time and we were on our own twenty yard line. But I again took the handoff, and in a near replica of the previous run, burst through the line, cut back to the opposite side, and outraced everyone eighty yards to the end zone.

The look probably wasn't great. I know the Juab coaching staff wasn't happy that I was still in the game. But as Coach Camp said, what were they supposed to do, tell me to fall down once I got my seven yards. Needless to say, it hadn't ever occurred to me to do that or to run out of bounds.

These circumstances allowed me to set what was at the time the Grantsville Cowboy and Cowboy Stadium rushing record. 273 yards on 15 carries.

I need to mention the outstanding O-Line I had in front of me that game and throughout that year. Chad Brown was the center, George Tripp and Larry Evans the guards, and Travis Tate, Jared Johnson, and Kyle Matthews the tackles. Those guys opened running lanes all year long.

I should also mention that Gary was 10 times the blocker I was. I'm sure it was frustrating for him that he'd throw these terrific blocks to spring me loose and I wouldn't typically return the favor. (It's not that I didn't want to. I just wasn't very good at it).

The Grantsville Cowboy rushing record didn't last too long. It was broken a little over four years later by my younger brother Alan. He amassed 294 yards on 34 carries in a win over the San Juan Broncos in the State Semifinals en route to a State Championship (Alan scored 42 touchdowns that season, which was a state record that either still stands or at least stood for a long time afterward. He ended his career with what was also a state record 77 touchdowns).

My Cowboy Stadium record lasted a while longer, but on August 24, 2018, in a game I attended, Parker Thomas picked up 313 yards on 37 carries in a victory over Summit Academy. My record had fallen. (Parker would break my record again, but not his own, a few weeks later against Union, when he rushed for 283 yards on 24 carries).

Following the game, I was invited over to Jeanell's Aunt Lisa's house where the Soelberg side of the family was gathering for pizza. I'll just say that if you're meeting your girlfriend's extended family for the first time, having it be after a game in which you ran for five touchdowns and 273 yards isn't a bad way to do it.

The remainder of the 1993 season didn't go as well as we hoped. We won the next week against South Summit in our final regular season game and again in our first round playoff game against South Sevier. Gary had great games running the ball in both of those games, despite also being one of our defensive stars, which also pitched a shut-out in both of those games.

But we would lose another heartbreaker against Beaver in the semifinals when we were unable to punch it in to tie it up in the waning minutes of the game, after a tremendous catch and run by Nate to get us into scoring position. Our season was over.

But that season provided one of the fond memories of my football career, breaking/setting the rushing record for Grantsville High School.