Prep football: 4A, 2A playoff preview capsules
In an effort to get fans ready for this weekend's high school football playoffs, here's a closer look at the Class 4A and Class 2A matchups, with thanks to maxpreps.com for the statistics. Previews on Class 1A and Class 5A will appear Friday. You can find the Class 3A and Class 3AA preview capsules here and TribPreps Radio, our weekly podcast, offers more analysis.
Class 4A quarterfinals
Olympus (9-1) at Logan (11-0), 3 p.m. Friday • The big news in this one is Logan QB Chase Nelson, the Grizzlies' dynamo. He will be suspended for the game after being ejected from his team's opening-round win over Bountiful. That's not good news for Logan's high-octane offense, which averaged 42.3 points per game during the regular season. Nelson set a state record for yards gained in a game when he combined for 691 yards in a win over Roy on Sept. 20. Taylor Compton is the Grizzlies' leading receiver with 81 catches for 1,112 yards and 15 TDs. Olympus enters on the heels of a double lateral in the game's final seconds to oust Springville in the opening round. Coleman Meier, who rushed for 203 yards and five TDs against Springville, leads the Titans' attack. He's gained 1,204 yards and scored 16 times on the ground this season. The teams played one common opponent — Northridge. The Titans beat the Knights 21-17 on Aug. 30, while the Grizzlies survived 41-38 on Aug. 23.
Corner Canyon (6-5) at East (11-0), 3:30 p.m. Friday • The Chargers' defense doesn't give up many points — an average of 20.1 per game. But Corner Canyon is facing a whole new animal. The Leopards are one of five remaining undefeated teams in the state, and staying close to East for a half is considered something to celebrate. The Leopards are averaging 50.8 points per game, tops in the state. Highland was the lone team to keep the Leopards to less than 30 points. East QB Isaac Valles has a ton of weapons, including running back Ula Tolutau, who rushed for 322 yards against Jordan, and Preston Curtis, who does a little running and a little pass catching for the Leopards.
Sky View (9-2) at Timpview (10-1), 3:30 p.m. Friday • The Thunderbirds tamed the Bobcats 34-28 to open the season by scoring a touchdown in the fourth quarter to earn the home win. Timpview, the reigning Class 4A state champs, are leaning on Britain Covery under center, and he's responded. The Thunderbirds fell to Pleasant Grove in Week 2 before posting nine consecutive wins by an average of 34.9 points. Sky View's only blemish after the loss to Timpview was a 52-21 setback at Logan. Braxton Godderidge leads the Bobcats' offense. The senior QB has thrown for 2,756 yards and 31 TDs and run for 414 yards and eight scores.
Salem Hills (8-3) at Woods Cross (10-1), 4 p.m. Friday • The Wildcats keep beating back the opposition, with the lone exception a 42-6 loss at East on Sept. 13. The Leopards were the lone team to score more than 21 points on Woods Cross, which has won seven consecutive games since that loss. Xequille Harry serves as a spark plug for the Wildcats. The senior wideout/defensive back caught seven passes fro 144 yards and two TDs, threw a 71-yard TD pass and intercepted two passes and returned one for a score against Box Elder in the first round of the playoffs. Junior Chad Peterson has come through for Salem Hills at QB. He threw for 378 yards and four scores — let's not mention the four interceptions as well — against Orem in the opening round. The teams' lone common opponent — Maple Mountain — beat the Skyhawks 26-7 on Oct. 18 and fell to Woods Cross 33-21 on Aug. 23.
Class 2A semifinals
Grand County (9-1) vs. North Summit (8-2), 11 a.m. Saturday at SUU • Koi Cook stepped in at quarterback when Jacob Francis went down with an injury. Cook has thrown for 565 yards and four TDs while adding a team-high 890 yards and 13 TDs on the ground. The opposition is averaging only 11.4 points against the Red Devils over the last five games. North Summit rolls into the game on a five-game winning streak. Junior QB Ryan McMichael leads the offense. The teams have played two common opponents — South Sevier and Summit Academy. Grand defeated South Seiver twice (23-6 on Sept. 13 and 27-20 on Nov. 1), while North Summit downed the Rams 21-7 on Sept. 27. The Red Devils beat Summit Academy 7-6 on Oct. 4, while the Braves beat the Bears 24-14 on Sept. 13.
South Summit (9-1) vs. Beaver (9-1), 1:30 p.m. Saturday at SUU • The Beavers lean on Jesse McMullin to provide the offense. The senior has rushed for 1,180 yards and 14 TDs this season, but his worst game came Sept. 13, when he was held to 35 yards on 12 carries. The defense that slowed him? South Summit. The Beavers fell to the Wildcats 37-6 in that game, thanks in part to Colby Averett's 100 yards and three TDs rushing. And scoring against South Summit's defense isn't easy. Only three teams have scored more than six points against the Wildcats, and one was North Summit, which handed South Summit its lone defeat (26-24). —
Playoff schedule
Class 5A
Friday's quarterfinals
3 p.m. • Alta at Lone Peak
4 p.m. • Pleasant Grove at Jordan
5 p.m. • Brighton at Herriman
5 p.m. • Riverton at Bingham
Class 4A
Friday's quarterfinals
3 p.m. • Olympus at Logan
3:30 p.m. • Corner Canyon at East
3:30 p.m. • Sky View at Timpview
4 p.m. • Salem Hills at Woods Cross
Class 3AA
Friday's quarterfinals
4 p.m. • Snow Canyon at Juan Diego
5 p.m. • Cedar City at Dixie
5 p.m. • Desert Hills at Stansbury
5 p.m. • Hurricane at Pine View
Class 3A
Friday's semifinal
at Southern Utah University
4 p.m. • Juab vs. Judge
Saturday's semifinal
at Southern Utah University
4 p.m. • Morgan vs. Manti
Class 2A
Saturday's semifinals
at Southern Utah University
11 a.m. • Grand County vs. North Summit
1:30 p.m. • South Summit vs. Beaver
Class 1A Friday's semifinals
at Southern Utah University
11 a.m. • Diamond Ranch vs. Duchesne
1:30 p.m. • Rich vs. Kanab