American Fork at East, 4 p.m. Friday
These two teams are opposites on offense. The Cavemen rely heavily on the pass, while the Leopards prefer the ground game. East, which averages 404.7 yards rushing per game, boasts a pair of 1,000-yard rushers. Sione Molisi leads the way with 1,695 yards and 18 TDs, while Charlie Vincent has added 1,095 yards and 12 TDs. East only has completed 21 passes this season, but just because a team knows the run is coming doesn’t mean it can be stopped. East is averaging 8.9 yards per carry this season. American Fork attacks through the air. Senior QB Bronson Barron has thrown for 2,979 yards and 40 TDs this season, and the team averages 301.3 yards passing per game. Chase Roberts leads the Cavemen with 1,180 yards and 15 TDs receiving. Farrell Dean has added 779 yards and 12 TDs receiving. Which offensive philosophy will prevail and earn a spot in the Class 6A state semifinals?
TribPreps coverage • Aaron Falk
Jordan at Skyridge, 5 p.m. Friday
The Falcons proved they aren’t messing around by running over Skyline in the first round of the Class 5A playoffs, the school’s first football playoff win. The Skyridge offense put up 472 yards of total offense in their 55-0 win. Falcons QB Jayden Clemons threw for 146 yards and three TDs on just six completions. The shutout came after the defense only allowed seven points in a win over Wasatch to wrap up the regular season. The Skyridge defense will get a test from Jordan QB Crew Wakley, who led the Beetdiggers past Viewmont in the playoff opener. He finished with 182 yards passing and 110 on the ground, which is a bit of an off night for the senior. Wakley threw for 2,645 yards and ran for 1,183 during the regular season. Can the Falcons’ stingy defense deliver again?
TribPreps coverage • Talon Chappell
Highland at Corner Canyon, 3 p.m. Friday
It took a 36-yard field goal by Conner Ebeling in the fourth quarter for the Chargers to survive the opening round. That three-point win over Bountiful was by far the smallest margin of victory this season for undefeated Corner Canyon. The next closest was a 13-point win over Orem in Week 4. Bountiful took away the running game for the Chargers, who only managed a 4.4-yard average per carry. QB Zach Wilson only completed 15 of his 30 attempts for 258 yards and a score in the win. It will be interesting to see if Highland tries to take away the running game in this state quarterfinal. The Rams only allowed 36 yards rushing in their win over Wasatch to open the playoffs. It’s important to keep in mind that the Wasps trailed 40-17 at halftime, so they needed to try to rally by gaining yards in chunks. But Highland limited Wasatch to 1.4 yards per carry. On offense, the Rams stuck to the ground for the most part. Five players scored a rushing TD, and eight players carried at least three times in the win. Corner Canyon is trying to reach the state semifinal round for the second time in the school’s five-year history, while Highland is aiming for its second trip to the state semifinals in three years.
TribPreps coverage • Jon Clifford
Summit Academy vs. Juan Diego, 5 p.m. Saturday at Weber State
The first one was so good, what do you say we do it again? Juan Diego senior Alex Saunders, who won two games with kicks in the final seconds, missed a 47-yard try as time expired to preserve the Summit Academy win. The Soaring Eagle will need to slow down Bears QB Hayden Reynolds, who accounted for seven TDs in their last meeting. Reynolds threw six touchdown passes and ran for another in the win. Both teams are coming off close calls in the quarterfinals. The Bears were tied with Manti after three quarters before scoring two touchdowns in the fourth quarter to earn the win. Juan Diego saw its season come down to one play when Grantsville decided to go for the 2-point conversion trailing by one after a touchdown with 25 seconds left. The conversion failed, and Juan Diego lived to see another day. An interesting tidbit is that these two are facing off in the semifinals because they tied with Juab for first place in the Class 3A South. Seeding was determined by a coin flip, which Juab won. The Wasps chose to be the No. 2 seed, which meant they only would have to face one of these teams if they kept winning. Juab faces Morgan in the other state semifinal.
TribPreps coverage • Talon Chappell
South Summit vs. Grand County, noon Saturday at Weber State
Close games haven’t exactly been South Summit’s thing this year. The Wildcats’ average margin of victory in their 10 wins has been 35.7 points, and the closest game was a 32-13 win over Park City in Week 3. Junior QB Kael Atkinson threw for 2,565 yards and 34 TDs during the regular season. Atkinson and Jared Danise also combined for more than 1,000 yards rushing. The Red Devils come in with their own impressive offensive numbers. But they’re going to have to get the job done without leading rusher Dakota Johnson. The senior is out for the season after breaking two bones in his leg arm, Greg Knight of The Times-Independent in Moab reports. Bryant Troutt (110 yards on 13 carries) and Trent Elmore (113 yards on 13 carries) helped pick up the slack in Grand County’s quarterfinal win over Millard. The Red Devils will need big contributions from those two again to take down the Wildcats. Grand County is trying to return to the state title game for the first time since 2013, when it lost to South Summit. The Wildcats lost the last two state title games to Beaver.
TribPreps coverage • Maddie Lee
Desert Hills at Orem, 4 p.m. Friday
The Eagles are riding a seven-game winning streak, one where they’ve outscored opponents 302-65. Orem QB Cooper Legas has averaged 325.1 yards passing during the streak, and he’s topped 300 yards in five of those games, including a 416-yard performance vs. Salem Hills. The Thunder have their own quarterback putting up impressive numbers. Desert Hills sophomore Noah Sewell ran for five TDs in the Thunder’s win over Bonneville in the opening round. This is the first time the schools have met in the postseason. Orem is trying to reach the state semifinals for the first time since 1996, while the Thunder are the defending Class 3AA state champions.
TribPreps coverage • Eric Butler