“I think we’re about done with hitting ourselves, we’re excited to go and hit somebody else,” said Miners head football coach Josh Montzingo after a summer spent preparing for the 2024 season.
Montzingo’s squad ran on Dozier Field, lifted weights in their weightroom, put on their pads in the late-summer heat, and now they’re about to see their hard work pay off.
On the receiving end of Park City’s preparation will be their rival Wasatch, who they’ll play Friday at 7 p.m. at Wasatch High. The Miners haven’t dropped a game to Wasatch since 2021, something they’re not looking to start now. The team also needs to get the losing taste from the end of their 2023 season out of their mouths, with big goals on their horizon.
Montzingo believes this year’s team has the personnel to get a win Friday and hopefully win a program-first state championship come October. They’ll be led by many of last year’s surprise contributors, who rose to the occasion when injuries to starters occurred. Bash Bodily will be the signal caller this fall and Eli Warner the starting runningback.
Bodily tossed for over 800 yards and 10 touchdowns last fall, adding another 400 and 5 on the ground. Warner ran for a team-high 916 yards and 9 touchdowns, adding another 356 and 3 through the air.
Bodily and Warner will be part of a trademark balanced offensive attack. The Miners will also be aiming for another strong defense and standout special teams unit. Junior Tanner Pidwell will be anchoring that special teams unit as the kicker, replacing star David Dellenbach, off to UCLA.
Montzingo will come with a few in-game wrinkles to throw at each team this year, including Wasatch. Each team has access to Park City’s film, making improvements and subtle changes paramount.
Jody Morgan’s staff is taking over from retiring Steve Coburn’s this year at Wasatch, with Morgan previously coaching at Riverton High and Utah Tech University, where he also played. The Miners have little-to-no idea what Morgan and Wasatch will be running when they hit the field Friday. Park City knows they have to get it done nonetheless, with a years’ bragging rights on the line.
“Anytime you play your rival, you’re looking to beat them,” said Montzingo. “When you’ve got them that close to you, and you have the rest of the year to talk about it, we’re hoping we can go out and put our best foot forward and get the win.”
Montzingo is also placing an importance on winning while displaying trademark effort and toughness. The team will have to be mentally tough as well in the hostile Wasatch environment, just one of six road games on the Miners 2024 schedule. Park City played six regular season home games in 2023, and two more in the playoffs.
Montzingo needs his team to get off to a hot start to salvage any chances at additional, postseason home games, something the 2023 team used to their advantage to make their way to Rice-Eccles Stadium for the semifinals. After Wasatch comes Timpanogos at home Aug. 23 then Dixie in St. George Aug. 30.
“It’s always important to get off to a good start, just from an emotional standpoint, so you’re not questioning things or trying to fix too many things,” said Montzingo. “As long as we’re improving week-to-week and feel like we’re getting better, that’s what we want, to play our best football at the end of the season.”
Montzingo is confident their hard yards over the summer will pay dividends while the sun is still out and the temperatures up for kickoffs. They’ll be ready for an extra boost from their diehard Park City fans when they return to Dozier Field.
“Dozier Field is a special place on a Friday night, there’s just nothing like it,” said Montzingo. “The energy, the amount of fans we pack in there and our community support is just second to none.”