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Friday | November 06, 2020 | Volume 93 | Issue 22

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PAIGE MCKINNON| The Signpost

PAIGE MCKINNON| The Signpost

02 | MyWeberMedia.com| November 06, 2020

By MARISA NELSON Section Editor

Herbal hemorrhage?

On Oct. 18 an officer was dispatched to Wildcat Village for a hemorrhage call. When the officer arrived, the student had swollen eyes and was bleeding. The student told the officer he didn’t know why this was happening, but later told medical staff that he had taken an herbal supplement the night before. No further information was provided.

Gold digging on campus A homeless individual was reported living on campus on Oct. 21. The officers made contact with the individual, who said he was working on leaving WSU property.

The individual had a friend who had been helping him dig on the holes on the hillside to find gold.

Officers asked them to fill in the holes, gave them some water and left.

Theres a hole in my window, dear Liza On Oct. 22 a female student’s

car window was broken in a parking lot. She said she had left her car in the parking lot while she went to class, and she noticed the hole in the window when she went to back out of her parking spot.

The officer asked the student if she knew someone who would be capable and she said no.

Late-night gaming and Uber waiting On Oct. 23, an officer observed a male sitting on a bench in 31-degree weather. The officer asked what he was doing and the indi-

vidual reported he was waiting for his Uber.

During this time, another male came over and sat down. The two reported they had been in the Community Center playing video games until midnight. The Uber showed up and the officer was not able to get identification. The officer said he would follow up with the staff to see if the individuals were allowed to be inside.

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Tribune News Service

President Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden are locked in a heated battle for the presidency.

As of Nov. 5, both nominees have plausible paths to win office. Biden currently leads with 254 electoral votes to Trump’s 214.

Nevada, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Georgia and Alaska have yet to be called, according to the Associated Press.

Biden has a lead in Nevada. If he holds that lead, he will win the election by a slim margin.

Trump needs to flip Nevada, and maintain his leads in Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Alaska and Georgia.

Assuming none of these states flip, Biden will win with 270 electoral votes to Trump’s 268.

Unlike the slim margin of electoral votes, Biden has broken the record for most popular votes ever received by a president with a

current 73,142,52, according to CBS. Trump has received 69,203,405 votes, which is on the verge of President Barack Obama’s record in the 2008.

Trump has already announced he will ask for a recount in Wisconsin, where Biden leads by approximately 20,000 votes.

Trump’s campaign sued Pennsylvania and Michigan to halt counting votes, according to the Associated Press. As of Nov. 5, a Michigan judge denied Trump’s campaign’s request to stop counting ballots.

On Nov. 3, with millions of votes left to be counted, Trump’s campaign declared victory. At that point, Trump was leading in Michigan and Wisconsin. Both states flipped early the next morning.

Biden made a speech in the afternoon of Nov. 4, assuring voters his campaign had not conceded. He did not declare victory but said his team had confidence.

“We believe when the count is finished, we’ll be the winner,” Biden said.

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Tribune News Service

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President Donald Trump speaks at a rally on Nov. 2, in Avoca, Pennsylvania. Donald Trump is crossing the crucial state of Pennsylvania in the last days of campaigning before Americans go to the polls on November 3rd to vote.

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Editor-in-Chief

The four Utah U.S. House Representatives races are up for a vote during the 2020 elections.

District 1: Looking to take the U.S. House seat in District 1 from Rob Bishop after he did not run for reelection were Republican Blake Moore and Democrat Darren Parry. The New York Times declared Moore the winer at 8:46 p.m.

By MARISA NELSON Section Editor

Republican candidate Spencer Cox was elected as the new Utah governor on Nov. 3 at 8 p.m., according to the Associated Press. Cox received 69.5 percent of votes. Democratic candidate Chris Peterson took 26.3 percent.

Other candidates included Daniel Cottam of the Libertarian Party and Greg Duerden of the Independent American Party. Cottam took 2.9 percent of the vote, and Duerden took 1.5 percent of the vote.

Spencer Cox was the eighth lieutenant governor of Utah and has been on many other city councils and acted as mayor in Fairview. Cox says he believes that the best days of Utah are yet to come.

The most recent vote tally put Moore at 68.2 percent of the vote and Parry had 31.8 percent of the vote.

District 2: Incumbent Republican Christ Stewart is in a race against Democrat Kael Weston. The race was not called as of 10 p.m. on Nov. 3 by the Associated Press or New York Times.

Stewart had taken 61.9 percent of the vote and Weston took 34.1 percent.

Cox is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. He graduated from USU with a Bachelor’s of Political Science and has a Juris Doctor from Washington and Lee University School of Law. Chris Peterson is a fifth generation Utah resident who currently lives in Salt Lake City. He is a father of three and dedicated most of his platform to fighting for families.

Peterson earned his bachelors and Juris Doctor from the University of Utah. In 2012 to 2018, Peterson worked in many offices in Washington, D.C.

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District 3: Republican candidate and incumbent John Curtis and Democratic candidate Devin D. Thorpe fought in the District 3 House race. Thorpe conceded early in the evening with 27.8 percent of the vote to Curtis’s 68.2 percent of the vote.

District 4: In a campaign with national attention, incumbent Democrat Ben McAd-

ams has been in a drag-out fight with Republican Burgess Owens in District 4. In a tight race, the race had not been called as of 6 p.m. Nov. 5.

Owens led McAdams at 6 p.m. by less than .1 percentage point.

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WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

By JENNIFER GREENLEE

Spencer Cox will be Utah’s next governor after a huge electoral win on Nov. 3

MyWeberMedia.com| November 06, 2020 |

By MARISA NELSON Section Editor

State Senate races took place across Utah on Nov. 3.

Districts across the state elected new representatives from their districts to bring important issues and policies to the governor.

Many races were called late Tuesday night.

District 1 pitted incumbent Luz Escamilla, who received 65 percent of votes, against Jim Whited, who received 35 percent.

District 19 has no incumbent candidate. Republican John Johnson who had received 53 percent,

By CAITLYN NICHOLS Section Editor

Nov. 3, New York Times — Jen Dailey-Provost, Democrat and incumbent member of Utah’s House of Representatives representing District 24, was reelected. Dailey-Provost was the only running candidate for this district in the 2020 elections.

Nov. 3, New York Times — Republican Incumbent Brad R. Wilson was reelected for District 15. He won against Democratic candidate Ammon Gruwell 77 percent to 23 percent.

Nov. 3, New York Times — Democratic Incumbent Sandra Hollins was reelected for District 23. She won against Republican candidate Bradley Borden 77 percent to 23 percent.

Nov. 3, New York Times — Matt Gwynn was elected for District 29.

He won 76 percent against Demo-

cratic candidate Kerry Wayne, who had 21 percent and United Utah Party candidate Tanner Greenhalgh, who held 3 percent.

Nov. 3, New York Times — Republican Incumbent Stephen Handy was reelected for District 16. He won 62 percent against Democratic candidate Cheryl Nunn, 31 percent, and Libertarian candidate Brent Zimmerman, who had 7 percent.

Nov. 3, New York Times — Republican Incumbent Melissa Garff Ballard was reelected for district 20. She won against Democratic candidate Phil Graves 66 percent to 34 percent.

Nov. 3, New York Times — Republican Incumbent Raymond Ward was reelected for District 19. He won against Constitution Party candidate Cameron Dransfield 81 percent to 19 percent.

Nov. 4, New York Times — Republi-

can Incumbent Stewart Barlow was reelected for District 17. He won 68 percent against Democratic candidate Eric Last, who had 27 percent and Constitution Party candidate Jeannette Proctor, who held 5 percent.

Nov. 4, New York Times — Republican Incumbent Paul Ray was reelected for District 13. He won against Democratic candidate Tab Uno 62 percent to 38 percent.

Nov. 4, New York Times — Republican Incumbent Kera Birkeland was reelected for District 53. She won against Democratic candidate Cheryl Butler 63 percent to 37 percent.

Nov. 4, New York Times — Republican Incumbent Karianne Lisonbee was reelected for District 14. She won against Democratic candidate Olivia Jaramillo 64 percent to 36 percent.

Nov. 4, New York Times — Repub-

ahead of Democrat Katy Owens received who had received 47 percent of votes as of Nov. 5 at 11:30 a.m.

District 20 and 23 were uncontested races. Called by the New York Times at 8 p.m., David Buxton will remain in office. He received 21,448 votes. Todd Weiler will also remain in office with 1,395 votes

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lican Incumbent Timothy Hawkes was reelected for District 18. He won against Democratic candidate Katherine Nicholson 72 percent to 28 percent.

Nov. 5, New York Times — Republican Incumbent Joel Ferry was reelected for District 1. He won 79 percent against Democratic candidate Amber Hardy, who had 14 percent.

Nov. 5, New York Times — Republican candidate Ryan Wilcox was elected for District 7. He won against Democratic candidate Grant Protzman 61 percent to 39 percent.

Nov. 5, New York Times — Republican Incumbent Mike Schultz was reelected for District 12. He won against United Utah party candidate Shawn Ferriola 75 percent to 25 percent.

Districts 8 through 11 haven’t been called as of Nov. 5 at 4 p.m.

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By DARYN STEED Managing Editor

After a close Republican primary election, Sean Reyes will hold onto his position as Utah Attorney General.

Reyes defeated Democratic challenger Greg Skordas handily. With ballots still to be counted, Skordas conceded the race late Nov. 3.

As of Nov. 4, Reyes lead with 60 percent of the vote to Skordas’ 35 percent. Libertarian Rudy Bautista held 5 percent of the vote.

In a statement, Reyes thanked Utah voters and promised to stand up for Utahns regardless of party or ideology.

“When all the ballots are counted, I look forward to serving four more years as attorney general, protecting Utah and all who live in this great state,” Reyes said.

Reyes’ reelection campaign focused on fight-

ing human trafficking, drugs, school violence and suicide.

Reyes was appointed attorney general by Gov. Gary Herbert in 2013, following General John Shallow’s resignation. Reyes then won a special election in 2014 and was reelected in 2016. He faced a tough primary election against attorney David Leavitt, where he won 54 percent of the vote.

Skordas, a prominent Utah defense attorney, was disappointed in the results “I knew it was going to be a dogfight,” Skordas told the Salt Lake Tribune. “I knew we were huge underdogs.”

Skordas ran for attorney general in 2004 and lost to Mark Shurtleff. A Democrat hasn’t held the seat in Utah since 2001.

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Tribune News Service

06 | MyWeberMedia.com| November 06, 2020

Attorney General Sean Reyes, second from right, sits with other members of the Utah State Board of Canvassers (left to right, Treasurer David Damschen, Auditor John Dougall, Lt. Governor Spencer Cox and Elections Director Justin Lee) to certify the 2018 election. Reyes won re-election to his post on Nov. 4.

By BREANNA HART

The 2020 election season has been a tense one. Elections happening statewide this year include state auditor and treasurer.

John Dougall took the auditor race with 75 percent of the vote, and it was officially declared in the afternoon of Nov. 4. Candidates for the state auditor race were John ‘Frugal’ Dougall, Jeffrey Ostler and Brian Fabbi. Dougall is the incumbent state auditor and took office in 2013. He is running for the Republican party while Ostler is running for the Constitution party and Fabbi for the United Utah party.

David Damschen took the State Treasurer race with 76 percent of the vote. The race was officially called on the afternoon of Nov. 4. Candidates for State Treasurer were David Damschen, Joseph Speciale and Richard Proctor. Damschen ran for the Republican party, Speciale ran for the Libertarian party and Proctor ran for the Constitution party.

This story will be updated online as races are called.

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PAIGE MCKINNON | The Signpost

Asst. Copy Chief

Voter dropping off their ballot at the Davis County dropbox at the library in Centerville, Utah.

MyWeberMedia.com| November 06, 2020 | 07

Voter dropping off their ballot at the Davis County dropbox at the library in Centerville, Utah.

By JENNIFER GREENLEE Editor-in-chief

Constitutional Amendment A: Constitutional Amendment A would change gendered language in the Utah Constitution to language that includes more than one gender. This includes changing “men” to “person.”

This amendment was sponsored by Deidre Henderson, a Republican senator from Spanish Fork. If approved on the ballot, the changes would officially take effect on Jan. 1, 2021.

Amendment A was officially declared on Nov. 5 with 58 percent of the vote “for” the amendment.

Constitutional Amendment B: Constitutional Amendment B would change how the Utah legislator qualifications are defined in the Utah constitution. Currently, the qualifications stipulate that a candidate must be a U.S. citizen, 25-years-old and qualified to

vote in their district.

The amendment would specify that the age qualification would need to be met by the time a candidate would be elected and not when they file.

Amendment B was officially declared on Nov. 3 with 80.1 percent of the vote “for” the amendment.

Constitutional Amendment C: Constitutional Amendment C would remove the provision that currently allows slavery as punishment for a crime. The amendment passed unanimously, and the amendment will not affect any current prison operations.

Amendment C was officially declared on Nov. 3 with 81.1 percent of the vote “for” the amendment.

Constitutional Amendment D: Constitutional Amendment D would allow municipality to to supply water to other munic-

ipalities outside of their own boundaries. This is mean to clear up constitutional language on whether or not it is allowed. Senate Bill 17 and House Bill 31 accompany the amendment.

Amendment D was officially declared on Nov. 4 with 61 percent of the vote “for the amendment.

PAIGE MCKINNON | The Signpost

CAPTION Weber State University Police Department Chief.

states that the legislative session begins on the fourth Monday of January. Amendment F would allow legislators to pick any day in January to begin the session.

Amendment F was officially declared early on Nov. 4 with 66.8 percent of the “for” vote.

Constitutional Amendment E: Constitutional Amendment E would guarantee the right to hunt and fish in Utah. The amendment also revises language to establish that public hunting and fishing would be the preferred way to manage wildlife.

Amendment E was officially declared on Nov. 3 with 74.2 percent of the vote “for” the amendment.

Constitutional Amendment G: Constitutional Amendment G would change how income tax revenue could be used. The Utah constitution currently limits the use of income tax revenue to education funding only.

Amendment G expands allowed spending to included social services for children and individuals with disabilities.

Amendment G has not been declared to have passed on the ballot.

Constitutional Amendment F: Constitutional Amendment F would revise when the legislative session would start in January. Currently, the Utah constitution

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PAIGE MCKINNON | The Signpost

MyWeberMedia.com| November 06, 2020 | 09

Voting center in Salt Lake City, UT. Vivint SmartHome Arena was a station for those to vote on Election Day.

By CATIE WEIMER Reporter

More Utah residents have officially voted in the 2020 general election than did in 2016.

Utah State Elections reported at 5 p.m. on Nov. 3, 2020, that 1,214,000 ballots had already been processed. At that time, Weber County had processed over 71,000 ballots.

In 2016, almost 1,992,000 people were eligible to vote in Utah. Almost 1,405,000 of those people were registered to vote. However, only 1,152,000 people voted in the general election that year.

In 2020, almost 1,858,000 people are registered to vote. Almost 1,682,000 of those registered are considered active.

In 2016, Governor Gary Herbert and Lt. Gov Spencer Cox received 750,850 votes, or 66.7 percent. Mike Weinholtz and Kim Bowman received almost 323,350 votes, or 28.7 percent.

In 2020, Herbert did not run, but Cox did.

Cox ran for governor with Deidre Henderson and Chris Peterson ran with Karina Brown.

This year, Cox received around 697,262

votes, or 64.7 percent. Peterson received about 327,384 votes, or 30.4 percent, as of 3 p.m. on Nov. 5. However, many counties were still counting ballots.

In 2016, the U.S. House District 1 was won

by Rob Bishop, with almost 183,000 votes, or 65.9 percent. Peter Clemens ran against him as the Democratic candidate, and he received almost 73,400 votes, or 26.4 percent.

In 2020, Bishop is not running for re-election.

House District 1 nominees include Blake Moore, on the ballot this year for Republicans, and Darren Parry, who is representing the Democrats. So far, Moore has received 176,656 votes, or 68.4 percent, and Parry has received 81,455 votes, or 31.6 percent.

This race was called by the New York Times for Blake Moore as the winner.

House District 2 was won in 2016 by Rep. Chris Stewart. Stewart received about 170,500 votes, or 61.6 percent, and his Democratic opponent, Charlene Albarran, received almost 93,800 votes, or 33.9 percent.

This year, Stewart is running again as the incumbent and has received over 176,000 votes, or 61.8 percent, so far. His Democratic opponent is Kael Weston, who has received 97,002 votes, or 34.1 percent. This race was called by the New York Times with Stewart as the winner.

House District 3 was won in 2016 by Jason Chaffetz with almost 209,600 votes, or 73.5 percent. His Democratic opponent was Stephen Tryon, who received over 75,700 votes, or 26.5 percent.

Chaffetz resigned from Congress in 2017, and John Curtis was elected during a special election.

In 2020, Curtis is running as the incumbent.

He has received 192.471 votes, or 68.8 percent. Devin Thorpe Is running as the Democratic nominee and has received 75,449 votes, or 27.5 percent. The New York Times called Curtis as the winner for District 3.

Utah’s last U.S. House District is District 4.

This is considered a key race this year.

In 2016, Mia Love won with almost 147,600

votes, or 53.8 percent. The Democratic nominee who ran against her was Doug Owens, who received over 113,400 votes, or 41.3 percent.

Love was defeated in 2018 by Ben McAdams, the current incumbent, by only 694 votes.

McAdams is running again this year and has so far received 120,877 votes, or 48.1 percent. Running against him is Burgess Owens, who has received 118,474 votes, or 47.2 percent. The projected winner of District 4 is not expected to be decided until later this week.

Many counties are still counting ballots and will be doing so throughout the week as mailed ballots continue to be delivered to elections offices.

The numbers in this story were current as of 3 p.m. on Nov. 5.

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pixabay.com

10 | MyWeberMedia.com| November 06, 2020

By NIC MURANAKA Copy Desk Chief

The Davis School District Board of Education had three seats up for general election this year, in Districts 1, 2 and 4. Districts 1 and 2 both saw their primary elections canceled, so candidates advanced straight to the general election.

Below are brief profiles of the candidates in each district.

District 1 District 1 had incumbent Liz Bertin Mumford pitted against challenger Gary Widders.

Mumford has served on the Utah State Board of Education in the past: on the math curriculum review committee and currently on the trust land advisory committee, and has worked as a K-6 enrichment teacher as well.

She was elected to her Board of Education seat in District 1 in 2016.

Widders calls himself a fiscal conservative, according to the Standard-Examiner, and wants to lower property taxes by cutting the budget back to its 2015 level.

District 2 In District 2, Amanda Olson opposed incumbent John Robison, with write-in candidate Emilie Daly. Olson’s campaign website outlines her goal, to make changes to an educational system where children have had similar issues across generations.

Robison, current board president, was elected in 2016. He has forty years experience working in the Davis school district as a teacher, counselor, coach, curriculum director and vice principal, according to the Standard-Ex-

aminer.

Write-in candidate Daly’s campaign bio decries the lack of student and parent representation on the board. Daly has been vocal in opposing Davis school district’s hybrid class schedule, arguing students need socialization, as reported in KSL TV. District 4 No one filed to oppose incumbent Brigit Gerrard’s seat, but Brittanie Dawn Flint threw her hat in the ring as a write-in candidate.

Gerrard works on the school board, the Davis Technical College Board and the Utah School Board Association. According to her campaign website, she wants to focus on proper teacher compensation and improving mental health for students and teachers.

Flint, who owns Flippers Gymnastics and

Cheer in Kaysville, doesn’t have a live campaign website. According to the Standard-Examiner, she has attended school board meetings to advocate for a fully in-person schedule in lieu of the hybrid structure.

Results as of Nov 5: District 1 Mumford leads Giddens 78.80 percent to 21.20 percent of the vote.

District 2 Robison leads Olson 53.16 percent of the vote to 46.84 percent.

District 4 Gerrard took the District 4 seat in an uncontested race.

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Students head a protest on WSU Ogden Campus on Election Day.

By KIERSTYNN KING Reporter

A group of Weber State University students majoring in social work held a protest and display — called A Moment of Silence for American Unity — on the Ogden campus on Election Day, Nov. 3.

The students held the protest and display, a project for one of their classes, on the southeast side of the clock tower.

A Moment of Silence for American Unity was created by the group members in hopes of bringing unity back to the way people treat

one another, making lasting impacts with people and within the community.

One student participant said the group planned the project to be held around Election Day because that’s when the group felt like divisions between individuals were going to be at a peak.

The group agreed that tensions and emotions within their community have been high due to both the election and COVID-19 protocols.

Melanie Walter, another participant in the project, said the group wanted to portray what hate can do to individuals. Walter has

dealt with violence and bullying growing up.

“We want people to stop and think about how they treat others and realize they could always be kinder to one another,” Walter said.

“We need to do better with how we treat people and realize that we don’t need to resort to violence.”

Though the project was carried out differently than the group had expected, they were able to have deep conversations with people walking by the table. They discussed topics such as community, politics and anxiety while waiting for election results.

The group also agreed there was power in

A MOMENT OF SILENCE FOR AMERICAN UNITY

MyWeberMedia.com| November 06, 2020 | 11

silence by just listening and taking in what people had to say, regardless of the topic, circumstance or their assumptions of people.

“We should try to be more open minded when it comes to hearing what others have to say; get the full story first,” said Tyler Mitchell, another participant in the event. “Try not to blindly believe everything one person says, and don’t go into full aggression mode when you don’t agree.”

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ALLI RICKARDS | The Signpost

By ALLY NELSON Reporter

During the 2016 presidential election between Hillary Clinton and President Donald Trump, the new U.S. Census Bureau data reported that 61.4 percent of Americans voted.

Minority Americans made up about 25 percent of the votes that election. However, non-Hispanic blacks decreased in voting in the 2016 election from the 2012 election.

Although 2016 didn’t show a decline in votes from other minority groups, it didn’t show a rise in votes either. In the 2016 election, white citizens made up over 73 percent of the votes.

It can be difficult for members of minority groups to become registered voters. Although current legislation has assured fair voting for all, it becomes complicated within state governments.

Voter ID laws have underlying racial biases, which holds minorities back from participating in the elections.

The voting process requires the citizen to present their ID in order to cast their ballot.

However, obtaining an ID can be troublesome to minorities, as it is costly and requires a birth certificate, which oftentimes can be difficult to trace in other countries.

Another example of voter ID laws discriminating against minority groups is Georgia

state’s “exact match” system. If the name on an individual’s ID or Social Security card does not exactly match the name written on their voter registration form, they will be suspended from voting.

Georgia’s 2018 election saw a high proportion of African American voters; and voters in that election expected Stacey Abrams, an African American activist, to win.

However, because of the “exact match” law, Abrams lost by 55,000 votes.

According to the new census data, just over 22 percent of Utah citizens are ethnic or racial minorities, with the most being Hispanic.

The majority of Utah citizens are white. It can seem like minority groups votes do not mat-

ter in Utah, but they do.

According to journalist Lee Davidson, “minorities will generate half of Utah’s population growth over the next 50 years.”

And according to Pew Research Center, 58 percent of U.S. citizens consider diversity as one of the traits that make America an overall better country to live in.

U.S. citizens’ backgrounds and ethnicities are diverse. As long as there is diversity in the country, everyone’s voices need to be heard.

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Asst. Section Editor

Football’s coming back in February.

The Big Sky Conference announced on Nov. 4 the 2021 spring football schedule, which kicks off on Feb. 27 against Idaho State in Pocatello.

The season features 12 teams playing six conference games over a stretch of eight weeks, from Feb. 27 to April 10. Two dates have been allotted with no games scheduled, in case COVID-19 necessitates rescheduling.

In the first three and last three weeks of the

season, each team plays at least one home game and one away game. Every team will also face at least three opponents who were on their original fall 2020 schedule.

The spring schedule was designed to keep rivalry games in place while also limiting travel.

“This schedule provides consistency by utilizing much of the original fall 2020 slate, flexibility by allowing space for games to be rescheduled, and sensibility by prioritizing regional matchups that minimize travel and expenses,” Commissioner Tom Wistrcill said in a statement on the conference’s website.

The Big Sky is not allowing teams to play non-conference games in the spring. 2020 NCAA Division I Fall championships were approved by the NCAA Board of Directors to be played in the spring.

Each school’s stadium capacity will follow the guidelines of the local or state health ordinances.

The season’s return gives the Wildcats the chance to make the FCS Playoffs for a fifth season in a row; they’ve made the playoffs the last four seasons.

Eleven automatic qualifiers and five at-large teams will make up the 16-team FCS Playoffs.

On April 18, the FCS bracket will be announced, with the champion being decided between May 14 to 16.

“I am confident that all who care about our conference share in the sentiment that we cannot wait to watch our student-athletes and coaches compete for a Big Sky title and contend for the FCS championship,” Wistrcill said in the statement.

Sacramento State was the lone school to opt out of the 2021 spring schedule.

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Weber State Sports

By MILES SHAW

14 | MyWeberMedia.com| November 06, 2020

By MILES SHAW

Asst. Section Editor

Weber State University’s football program has been riding high in recent years under head coach Jay Hill’s leadership. The Wildcats have had a winning record every year since Hill’s second season as head coach in 2015.

The last three seasons have seen the team win 10 games and the Big Sky Conference title — both school records — before moving on to the FCS Playoffs. This success established them as a perennial force not only in the Big Sky, but on the national stage.

The last game action WSU saw was in the FCS semifinals against James Madison University, where the Wildcats were eliminated, but not until they had gone further than any other Wildcat team in history. They’re final rank — third in the FCS — was another school record.

With last season being the peak of Wildcat football success, the team has put together a tremendous run as an overall unit.

However, since next season is not scheduled until spring due to the pandemic, the Wildcats are prowling the practice field, continuing what the team has dubbed “fall ball.”

“This fall ball is giving us the opportunity to kind of set our chart and decide which players are best positioned to do well, and those are things we’re evaluating through our practices,” associate head coach Brent Myers said.

Weber State’s been a defensive powerhouse the last few seasons, registering the number one ranked total defense in the conference last season.

However, the offense hasn’t taken off in the

The Signpost Archives

While Wildcat football currently can only practice and wait to return, the season begins in the spring with new offensive coordinator Matt Hammer.

same way. WSU finished the year the eighthranked scoring offense in the Big Sky. But change has come, with new faces arriving at key offensive positions.

It starts with new coordinator Matt Hammer, although Hammer is no stranger to the sideline at Stewart Stadium.

He served as the linebackers coach last season, and this will be his second stint as offensive coordinator. He coached in the same role from 2009-12 under former head coach Ron McBride.

“This is nothing new at all for him, and he’s really good and does an excellent job,” Myers said. “We really like what he’s put together from an offensive philosophy standpoint.”

Finding a quarterback is one of the team’s main goals, and the team has a few options they could turn to this season.

Quarterbacks Bronson Barron and Kaden Jenks may see the field in 2020.

Barron is a return missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saintsf; Jenks saw game action for the Wildcats last season.

Jenks was the starter when the Wildcats took on nationally-ranked Northern Iowa. Jenks tossed two touchdowns and threw for 219 yards in the 29–17 victory.

A new quarterback on the Wildcat roster this season is Randall Johnson. He transferred from Middle Tennessee State where he played little in 2019 as a redshirt.

Before he arrived in Murfreesboro, he played at Reedley College in southern California.

While at Reedley in 2018, he was named the Golden Coast Conference Offensive Player of the Year after tossing 28 touchdowns.

He also led the Blue Raiders in rushing with 797 yards and 14 touchdowns.

“We’ve put quite a bit of offense in, while exploring what we believe our strengths are and we’ve got some established players we already know are really good,” Myers said.

All-conference players have populated the roster on the offensive side of the ball. In 2019, running back Josh Davis, fullback Clay Moss and offensive lineman Ty Whitworth were all named to the All-Big Sky first team offense.

The running game was the strength of the team’s offense last season. WSU amassed 2,650 yards on the ground last fall, Davis running for 1,176 yards of that total.

“I feel like we’re very physical, and we were able to run the ball and take over games, and when you run the ball, you’re a tough team to beat,” All-Big Sky senior wide receiver Rashid Shaheed said.

The physicality and ability to run the football rolls through the offensive line and Davis, who kept his electrifying play alive at running back last fall.

Davis had a record-breaking game in Ogden against Northern Arizona, where he set the Wildcat record for rushing yards with 328, while also scoring a touchdown each quarter, leading the Wildcats to a 51—28 victory.

The passing game is still the team’s focus of improvement during practices this fall. The Wildcats passing offense sputtered behind the running game in 2019.

Shaheed said he believes the improved passing game will pay off as they have multiple playmakers at the wide receiver position—Devon Cooley, Ty Macpherson and David

Ames.

Devon Cooley was Weber State’s leading receiver in 2019. He hauled in 59 receptions for 733 yards and five touchdowns.

“The way our offense is looking right now, it’s looking a lot more explosive, a lot of big plays are happening, we’re all super excited about it, and I think our offense will take a huge step,” Shaheed said.

The Wildcats have been able to scrimmage twice through their fall ball practices.

“Practice has been super fun. We come out everyday with a lot of energy. We’re learning and when it’s time to scrimmage, the intensity’s turned up,” said Shaheed.

However, despite the improvement throughout practice, it’s not been lost on the players that this season is different from years past.

“With the long break, it was hard. It took some time to get back into the flow of things, but I think we’ve done a great job of controlling that and learning the offense,” Shaheed said.

The incoming freshmen players are experiencing a different transition than usual due to the pandemic, which resulted in a bit of a learning curve.

‘It’s been a little difficult for the younger guys; they haven’t had as much time as us to learn, but they’ve done a good job handling it,” Shaheed said.

WSU’s season is set to begin in the spring.

The team hopes to continue improving, while reaching monumental stepping stones in the quest toward their ultimate goal of a national championship.

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