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SALT LAKE CITY — If you ask quarterback Wyatt Evertsen about the success the Farmington Phoenix (5-1, 2-0) is having, he’ll quickly tell you about his teammates and what they do to help make his job easier.
The senior leader is all about his team. When asked about his play on Friday night, he immediately started talking about his offensive line and the blocking they provided or his receiving corps and the catches they had.
After finishing their inaugural season 2-9 and getting trounced in the first round of the 5A state playoffs, Wyatt took it upon himself to be better.
“He took a good internal look at himself and thought: 'What can I do to improve,' " head coach Daniel Coats said of his senior leader. “What can I do to fix this?”
Evertsen started watching more film, he brought in his teammates for extra workouts, coaxing them to come in and throw, and he got the younger guys on the team involved. He even started calling other coaches and getting their input or advice. He sought out knowledge wherever he could find it.
“He goes to quarterback camps all over the place.” Coats said. “He picks my brain on not just what is the play, but why the play and the whole overall idea. Little things of thinking about depth chart, and not thinking of who makes me look better, but who truly helps the team.”
On Friday night, when the Phoenix were down 14-7 to the Woods Cross Wildcats at the end of the first quarter nobody panicked. That calmness over the team is something they get from the leadership of Evertsen.
"I can trust my guys,“ Evertsen said after throwing three touchdowns in Farmington's 41-21 victory over the Wildcats. “I don’t have to be the hero anymore. I can go out there and just trust my guys to do their job, and if I do my job then we’ll be successful.”
His calmness is one trait that sets him apart, and something the whole team feeds off of this season. For Coats, it’s watching his unbelievable composer in chaos and the confidence he has in not only himself but also those around him. He’s not worried about his stats or looking like the hero he thought he once needed to be.
“As a coach, it makes calling plays outrageously easy,” Coats said. “I know if I do call the wrong thing he’s all over it and it’s not a panic like 'Oh crap, coach called the wrong thing.' It’s, 'Oh, I can do this or I can do that' and he sees it as an opportunity to do something.”
The quarterback has started to receive offers from colleges. And while he does want to play collegiate football, his focus is on making a deep run in the playoffs this season.
“He 100% believes that if he makes this team better, college offers will come,” Coats said. “He’s not stressing about it, he’s worried about what he can do to help his team out." Carra McManamon is a native of Washington State and is attending the University of Utah. Contact her at cmcmanamon@deseretdigital.com or follow her on Twitter: @curramac22
