New recruits should help Badgers build on success
By John Hales
2-20-08

EPHRAIM—With a developing reputation of football excellence, the Snow College Badgers are having little difficulty finding good caliber players to replace those who leave.
The Snow football program has recruited 22 signees—20 of those from Utah—while 11 of last year’s players prepare to head to four-year programs.
Badger coaches say the new recruits will help Snow build on its recent successes, such as 11-1 records and top-five national rankings to end both of the last two seasons, and will help Snow continue to be a perennial national-championship contender.
“We wanted to add talent at every position,” said head coach Steve Coburn. “We were able to accomplish that. Utah players recognize this program is committed to them academically and athletically, and because of this we have continued to add tremendous young men to our program.”
Locally, the Badgers tapped Manti High School defensive lineman Saula Taufa, who had 37 tackles and five sacks as a Templar last year. He was named First Team All-State for both the Deseret News and Salt Lake Tribune.
Local high school football fans may see some other familiar names, though not local ones. Among them, two other 2A All-State first-teamers, South Summit’s powerful linebacker Brayden Stembridge, and Drew Robinson, the tight end from North Summit.
Snow will also continue what is coming to be a quasi-partnership with Hunter High School to provide Badger running backs. Muka Atiga, Hunter’s all-time leading rusher (1,841 yards in his senior year alone, with 13 touchdowns), will be a Wolverine-turned-Badger, like Soni Sotele and Matt Asiata before him.
Looking ahead at the day when John Eastman and Houston Herbstoesser will no longer lead the Badgers at QB, Snow signed consecutive 4A champion Quinn Meacham. Meacham threw for 2,735 yards and 25 touchdowns last year at Timpview.
Several of last year’s Badgers will don the uniforms of four-year schools next year. Six will stay in Utah, but five will move out of state.
Offensive lineman Aarron Po’uha will be at Southern Utah next year.
Defensive linemen Tevita Hola and Coleby Clawson will take up at BYU with defensive back Andrew Rich. Casey Davis and Lee Millard, also defensive linesmen, will go to Utah State and Dixie, respectively.
Yet two more defensive linesmen were recruited, but for non-Utah colleges—Chris Romero for New Mexico State, and Stephen Paea for Oregon State.
Star offensive lineman Andrew Mitchell will play for Oklahoma State, and tight end Joseph Sawyer will be not too far away at Southwest Oklahoma State.
Finally, wide receiver Adam Frandsen will play at Chadron State University in Nebraska.