Two weeks from opening kickoff San Juan is ranked first, Monticello second in annual preseason poll

by Rhett Sifford
Sports Editor
The start of the 2024 Utah high school football season is only two weeks away and for the San Juan Broncos it’s business as usual.
For the second-straight year the team is ranked #1 in the 2A classification in the annual Deseret News preseason coaches’ poll. They’re also the unanimous choice to win the 2A South based on coaches’ votes.
The challenge the Broncos will face this season is what Head Coach Barkley Christensen calls a “reload.” Indeed, more than 20 seniors graduated from the 2023 team that captured a third-straight 2A state championship for their school.
San Juan is only returning three offensive starters this season – Jake Ivins and Javin Montella at wide receiver and Cooper Palmer on the line.
Still, the 2024 team will sport more than 20 seniors who are eager for their shot at greatness. Though they lack varsity experience, they’re very talented according to Christensen.
Defensively San Juan’s in better shape to start the season with five returning starters – J.D. Palmer, Jaiten Knight (who will also be taking over at quarterback), Jake Ivins, Branten Bethea, and Brody Bilbao.
The team brings a 37-game winning streak into 2024 and that will immediately be put to the test in the season opener in Grantsville on August 16.
The Cowboys are predicted to finish third in the 3A classification and second in the 3A North. They’re returning six offensive starters and seven on defense.
The last time these two teams squared off, on September 11, 2020, it resulted in a 39-14 loss for San Juan. The 340-mile trip to Grantsville is the longest the Broncos will face during the regular season.
One of the big stories for San Juan in 2023 was the amount of mileage the team had to travel with six road games scheduled during the regular season.
Ultimately the Broncos racked up 3,572 miles round trip in the regular season, then added 1,308 in the postseason for a whopping grand total of 4,880 miles.
This year San Juan is back to a more traditional schedule with five home games and five on the road,  so they’re slated for 2,440 round-trip miles during the regular season.
In the eight-player classification Monticello will begin the year ranked second. The Buckaroos have made appearances in both of the classification’s championship games but suffered a tough loss to Gunnison Valley in 2022 and Rich last year.
Monticello opens the year on August 23 with a 320-mile road trip to Riverdale to take on Utah Military Academy - Hill Field in the Thunderbirds’ first-ever varsity football game.
The Bucks are set for five road games this year and four at home. Unless something changes, they’ll travel 2,092 miles round trip in the regular season.
Whitehorse begins the season just outside the top five in the eight-player preseason rankings. They open at home against St. Joseph on August 23.
The Raiders are currently scheduled to play just three games at home and five on the road this season, and are expected to collect 1,926 round-trip miles along the way.
They’ll travel to Lehi to take on Utah Military Academy - Camp Williams in their second game on September 6. The Marauders are also beginning their first season of a brand new football program.
The Monument Valley football schedule hasn’t yet been finalized. They are supposed to begin the season on August 23 according to MaxPreps, but their opponent is still to be determined.
In addition, there are two open dates in September for the Cougars. With the two road games and four home games listed on the schedule the team would travel 1,424 miles round trip for games.
An annual highlight for the Monument Valley and Whitehorse teams is the Battle of the Drum when the two teams meet to continue their longstanding rivalry.
For the past two seasons the rivals have squared off twice, but this year they’ll come together only one time – in the last game of the regular season October 18.
All four teams are excited to get the season underway. San Juan is looking for their fourth straight 2A state championship while Monticello is looking for their first football title since 2004.
Whitehorse and Monument Valley will try to make some noise and further establish themselves in the eight-player ranks.
The San Juan Record will feature in-depth season previews and interviews with the coaches of our local teams as the opening games of the season approach in the coming weeks.