by James Tate

Overall Region 5 outlook

Region 5 enters the 2026 season with momentum, returning star power, and a clear sense of unfinished business. Fremont set the standard last fall, remarkably, in its first year in the league, rolling to a 6–0 region record and claiming the title with a blend of discipline, depth, and week‑to‑week consistency. Their debut season didn’t just crown a champion; it reshaped the competitive landscape. Every program spent the offseason recalibrating, retooling, and preparing to chase down the Silverwolves.

They’ll face a region loaded with proven playmakers. West Field returns one of the most explosive athletes in Utah high school football: wide receiver Gavin Ortegon, a 2025 Deseret News First Team All‑State selection whose acceleration and ball‑tracking ability make him a threat to tilt a game instantly. His connection with quarterback Easton Eilertson, a 2025 All‑State Honorable Mention recipient, gives the Longhorns one of the premier passing tandems in 5A and a foundation capable of challenging Fremont’s crown.

Box Elder brings back the region’s top returning running back in senior Judd Howells, a 2025 Second Team All‑State selection who runs with patience, toughness, and a knack for finishing plays. His path is cleared by Ricki Jones, a 2025 All‑State Honorable Mention lineman whose physical presence anchors the Bees’ identity up front. With that pairing, Box Elder enters 2026 with a reliable offensive core and the potential to control games on the ground.

Beyond the headliners, the region remains as deep and unpredictable as ever. Roy continues to develop athletic, multi‑positional talent. Clearfield leans on defensive grit and physicality. Northridge has quietly assembled one of its most intriguing skill groups in years. Bonneville brings steady growth and a roster capable of surprising teams if overlooked. The margins between these programs remain razor‑thin, and the weekly battles will once again define the playoff picture.

Star power, rising underclassmen, coaching continuity, and a defending champion that proved it belongs. Region 5 has all the ingredients for another season of tight Friday nights and a title race that won’t be settled early. This league is built for drama, and 2026 promises plenty of it. Region 5 Football Preview – Bonneville Lakers leadoff.

Head Coach: Connor McGuire

2025 Record: Overall (0-10) Region (0-7)

The Bonneville Lakers are starting over, not in desperation, but with purpose. After a 0–10 season in 2025, the program turned to a familiar face with a fresh vision. Head Coach Connor McGuire, a former Bonneville assistant and longtime Roy High offensive coordinator, steps into his first year as head coach, determined to rebuild the Lakers from the ground up.

And for McGuire, the rebuild starts long before X’s and O’s.

A staff built with intention

“The #1 thing I focused on was assembling an All‑Star coaching staff,” Coach McGuire said. “We have an incredible group of coaches who understand what it takes to develop the skill sets and relationships with the kids required to be successful.”

That emphasis on relationships is paired with a daily commitment to core values, habits and behaviors McGuire believes shape both athletes and people.

“These are things that are important to be great human beings,” Coach McGuire said. “We firmly believe these traits cross over into how successful teams operate.”

Reclaiming Bonneville’s identity

Bonneville has always prided itself on toughness. Coach McGuire wants that identity back at the center of everything the Lakers do.

“I want our identity to be tough, resilient, and disciplined,” Coach McGuire said. “Bonneville has a strong history of being a tough team. We want to keep building on that and become great at battling through hard times.”

A system shaped by a wide‑ranging football journey

Coach McGuire’s football background is unusually diverse for a first‑year head coach, and he believes that variety will directly influence Bonneville’s style of play.

He played at Roy High, then Snow College, then spent time at the University of Montana before finishing his career at Utah State. His coaching path began in Logan as a strength and conditioning GA, a role he says still impacts how he trains teams today.

“This has helped tremendously with our weight room training for all teams I’ve been able to coach up to this point,” Coach McGuire said.

From there, he coached at Bonneville for three seasons before coordinating Roy High’s offense for four years. Now, he brings that blend of Bonneville familiarity and Roy‑style creativity back to the Lakers.

“As a staff, we feel like drawing on the successes of our past experiences will help guide us to success,” Coach McGuire said.

Carson Wilkens

Returning production on defense

While Bonneville is rebuilding its identity under a new staff, the Lakers aren’t starting from scratch on the field. The defense returns several of its most productive players from last season, led by senior linebacker Cache Jensen, who anchored the unit with 78 tackles in 2025. His presence gives the Lakers a proven leader in the middle of the field, and a tone‑setter for the toughness Coach McGuire wants the program to embody.

Cache’s brother, Cai Jensen, was another key contributor, finishing with 44 total stops as a sophomore. Junior Grayson Borchert added 39 tackles, giving Bonneville a trio of returning defenders who have already shown they can handle varsity workloads.

That returning production gives Coach McGuire and his staff a foundation to build on as they overhaul the system and expectations.

Size and versatility up front

Bonneville’s offensive line will feature one of the most intriguing players in Region 5: D’artagnan Walls, a 6‑foot 7 senior who Coach McGuire believes is ready to become a force in the trenches. His size, length, and senior experience make him a natural anchor for a unit that will be central to the Lakers’ offensive identity.

Junior Carson Wilkens will be counted on heavily as well, playing on both sides of the ball. His versatility and motor fit the staff’s emphasis on resilience and discipline, and he’s expected to be one of the Lakers’ most important two‑way contributors this fall.

Early buy‑in and emerging leaders

Despite the program’s recent struggles, Coach McGuire has been encouraged by what he’s seen since taking over.

“I’ve seen a lot of positivity, quite a bit of buy‑in, and tons of support gathering more resources for this school that these kids deserve,” Coach McGuire said.

Leadership is emerging across the roster, with Coach McGuire highlighting a long list of players who have stepped forward: Cache and Cai Jensen, Borchert, Wilkens, Parley Brand, Walls, Jeremiah Thomas, Polo Afuvai, Colt Waters, Carlos Perez, Cohen Howell, Boston Chipman, and Kayne Linkus, among others.

It’s a group that reflects the staff’s emphasis on accountability, not just on the field, but in the classroom and community.

Colt Waters

“We need to learn how to work hard, how to work through adversity, and that everything we do is either making us better or worse,” Coach McGuire said. “We really want to emphasize little things, and not just football‑specific things — grades, citizenship, respecting teachers.”

If there’s a theme that runs through every part of Coach McGuire’s vision, it’s consistency, and he believes it starts with relationships.

“We really want to emphasize building strong relationships with our players, being committed to the process, and being consistent in everything we do,” Coach McGuire said. “We become consistent people; we will play consistent football.”

A community ready to rally

Perhaps the biggest spark in Coach McGuire’s first months on the job has come from outside the locker room.

“The community support is a massive factor for this program,” Coach McGuire said. “We’re running multiple youth football camps, youth coaches clinics, and open communication.”

That support is already producing visible upgrades. A major weight‑room renovation is underway, and Coach McGuire teased a “new look” for Friday nights that fans will have to wait a little longer to see.

“There’s a lot of excitement right now centered around the direction of the football program,” Coach McGuire said. “We appreciate their efforts more than words can explain.”

Key Games

1. August 28, 2026, home opener against the Wasatch Wasps. It will be the Lakers’ third game of the season and the first game at home for Coach McGuire and the team, setting the stage for a fresh start.
2. September 18, 2026, at home, homecoming against the Roy Royals. This game will feature Coach McGuire and many of his staff facing their former team, Roy, adding an extra layer of intensity and emotion.
3. October 8, 2026, final regular season and senior night against the Northridge Knights. A night to honor the seniors and their contributions, this game will be crucial for playoff positioning and closing the regular season on a high note.

Bonneville isn’t pretending the turnaround will be instant. But the Lakers have alignment, a staff with a shared vision, a roster buying into the work, and a community eager to help push the program forward.

Coach McGuire isn’t promising quick fixes. He’s promising a standard.

And for a team trying to rediscover its identity, that’s exactly where the rebuild begins.

photos courtesy of James Tate