This is Boyer Valley’s first look at Eight-Man football, and so far the Bulldogs are enjoying the view.

Boyer Valley has put up 134 points in its first two games and takes a 2-0 mark into Friday’s 7:30 p.m. District 8 opener at 2-0 East Greene.

Spearheading the move for Boyer Valley to Eight-Man is 5-foot-9, 171-pound senior Adam Hadden. In last week’s 52-32 win over Kingsley-Pierson, Hadden carried 30 times for 146 yards and completed 13 of 17 passes for 121 yards and five touchdowns.

Hadden also made four tackles on defense and intercepted two passes. On special teams, he averaged 39 yards on two punts and 29 yards on two kickoff returns.

“He’s very strong for his size and a very competitive kid,’’ Boyer Valley coach Jay Petersen said. “That’s the best thing he probably has going for him.’’

Despite his passing exploits, the Bulldogs don’t call Hadden a quarterback. He takes direct snaps from the center in Boyer Valley’s Eight-Man version of the Wildcat offense and is considered a running back by the coaching staff.

“He’s a much better athlete than he is a quarterback, so that’s what we’re doing this year, using him as an athlete,’’ Petersen said. “He’d done a really good job adjusting to it.’’

Hadden completed 26 of 77 passes (33.8 percent) last year for 391 yards with two TDs and eight interceptions. In two games this year, he’s at 80 percent (16 of 20).

Hadden says there’s more “wide-open space’’ in the Eight-Man game.

“It kind of seems like there’s more room for errors for the defense while passing,” he said. “I think we’re doing a pretty good job with adjusting.’’

Boyer Valley was suiting only 25 or 26 players for 11-man last year at times, and several of them weren’t ready for varsity football.

“It was getting harder and harder for us,’’ Petersen said. “This is a good fit for us so far.’’

Hadden, also a standout in basketball and baseball, likes Boyer Valley’s chances to fare well in the Eight-Man game.

“I think it should be a pretty good season if we keep progressing like we have been and making the adjustments during the game,’’ he said.

Contact the writer:

444-1055, kevin.white@owh.com

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