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Football: Basalt’s Frerichs WSL coach of year

Dale Strode
The Aspen Times
Basalt High School head football coach Carl Frerichs is the Western Slope League coach of the year for 2015.
Jeremy Wallace / The Aspen Times |

Basalt High School head football coach Carl Frerichs, in voting by his peers, was selected the Western Slope League coach of the year for 2015.

Frerichs led the Longhorns to the cusp of the Class 2A state playoffs with a solid second-place finish in the Western Slope League. But Basalt just missed the playoff field by a fraction of a point.

The Longhorns posted a 4-1 conference mark.



In addition, four Longhorns were recognized as all-league in voting by the WSL coaches.

Junior linebacker and running back Ian Lumsden was named all-conference along with fellow junior Cullen White, on the offensive and defensive lines.




Junior quarterback Miles Levy of the Longhorns also was voted to the all-conference team. He also was honored as a defensive end.

Basalt senior Cameron Firmin, the leading receiver in the conference, also was a first-team all-conference pick. He played defensive back, as well, for the Longhorns.

Four more Basalt players were named to the all-league honorable mention team in the voting by the coaches in the Western Slope League.

All four are underclassmen and will return for the Longhorns next season.

Sophomores Alex Alberto, Raul Torres and Oswaldo Morales are honorable mention selections along with junior Kyle Roberts, a receiver and defensive back.

Alberto plays linebacker and running back.

Torres is a tight end and multiple position player on defense.

Morales plays center and defensive line for the Longhorns.

“All of those guys except one will return,” Frerichs said of the all-league Longhorns.

He said their honors were the result of hard work and dedication.

“This was a really fun team to coach,” Frerichs said. “The team chemistry and the work ethic were awesome.”

The veteran coach deflected his individual recognition to his coaching staff at Basalt High School.

“I give a lot of credit to our assistant coaches,” Frerichs said of a crew that includes assistants who have been with him all 13 years at Basalt. “They put a lot into this.”

He said the Longhorns are excited about next season with returning players and a renewed drive to advance to the Class 2A state football playoffs.

“A lot of these players … started as freshmen and sophomores,” Frerichs said.

Despite the 4-1 league record and only one conference loss to Moffat County, the Longhorns just missed in the state playoffs by a fraction of a point.

Next season, the playoff formula will change with only 2A conference champions protected into the playoffs. The rest of the 16-team field will be decided by power ratings.

Previously most second-place league finishers, with the exception of the Western Slope League, also were playoff qualifiers.

“We are excited about next year,” said Frerichs as the Horns lose only seven seniors from this year’s team.

The bulk of the Basalt starters will return on offense and defense.

In other voting by the Western Slope League coaches, the lineman of the year is 6-2, 220-pound senior Stelios Peroulis of Moffat County.

The skill position player of the year is senior Tyler Spence of Roaring Fork.

dstrode@aspentimes.com

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