Uintah Basin Oilers - August 2011

By: M. Michelle Spencer

It is that time of year when the hearts of many blue blooded Americans turns to...FOOTBALL! That's right baby! It is football time again in the Uintah Basin. Youth leagues are being formed and families are gathering around their TVs on the weekends to cheer for their favorite college and pro teams. But did you know that the Uintah Basin has more than just High School and Youth football?

    In 2008, the Uintah Basin Oilers was founded by Jeremy Conetah in an effort to bring the thrill of the game to those guys who used to play but due to jobs, families and life in general were unable to make it to the professional level. As stated on their website, "The Uintah Basin Oilers are a semi-pro incorporated full pad 11 on 11 football team based in Eastern Utah. Our goal is to bring fun, clean, and hard hitting football to the communities in the Uintah Basin including but not limited to; charity events and youth football camps. We are a spring league giving ex-high school, college, and armchair quarterbacks a chance to play on a competitive level unmatched in the country."

    While their goal was to allow former players the chance to relive their glory days, Conetah soon discovered the difficulties of being a coach/player and so began his search for a new full time coach. It was in 2009 that Lee Slaugh was asked to lead the coaching staff of the Oilers in order help improve their season records. Urged by fellow youth football league coach and Oiler player, Jon Hanks, Slaugh decided to go and take a look at this newly formed team to see if he could help. Slaugh has been a long standing participant of the Vernal Youth Football League as the coach of the league champion Vikings for the past few years and has been involved in other football coaching capacities for the last 12 years. Needless to say he has been able to learn a few things about coaching such as how to take individuals and mold them into a team.

2011 Uintah Basin Oilers Team

    "I am privileged enough to have Todd Shiner as my defensive coordinator and Shane Jackson as my line coach and together we have figured out a few things about how to be successful and win," stated Slaugh, "We were excited at the chance to help others share in the chance to come back and enjoy the game again."

    With only four games left in the 2009 season, Slaugh and his coaching staff went 2-2. In both the 2010 and 2011 seasons the team underwent tryouts in order to strengthen and diversify their choice of players. It paid off by allowing this once 0-8 team to finish off their 2011 season 3-5 and knocking another team out of the playoffs.

    "We are excited to see what this year brings. Our guys are working better and better together and we are always on the lookout for talent that we can add to our ranks in order to bring a better game to the residents of the Uinta Basin."

    Slaugh is currently in the process of talking to sponsors for the 2012 season as his coaching staff prepares for the August tryouts and the youth football league training camp. Slaugh and his staff understand that the only way for the team to find true success is with the help of their home community. One of the biggest supports for these players is for the public to simply come and support the team at their games. The Oilers spilt their home games between the Union High School field and the Uintah High School field during their regular season allowing residents from all over the Basin to come and enjoy the area's only Semi-Pro team.