There is good news and there is bad news in regards to Region 9 limping out of the gate during the opening week of high school football.
Four of Region 9’s seven teams began the season in the loss column on Friday night. Cedar, Desert Hills, Pine View, and Snow Canyon all fell to their opponents on opening night.
Cedar Redmen:
The Bad News: Cedar may have got the worst of it. After shutting out American Fork a year ago, the Cavemen returned the favor to the Redmen this time around. Despite a modest 7-0 lead after the first quarter, American Fork increased the pressure through the rest of the game with a final score of 33-0.
The Good News: The Redmen were taking on a 5A powerhouse in American Fork. The Cedar Redmen will look to rebound this week as they face 4A Highland.
Desert Hills Thunder:
The Bad News: Desert Hills, like Cedar, faced a 5A opponent in Syracuse High. The Thunder put up a strong battle, and outscored the Titans in the second half, but still fell short, losing 14-12.
The Good News: Ty Rutledge led the Thunder with 7 receptions for 99 yards, while Porter Harris put both of Desert Hills touchdowns on the board. The Thunder are still highly regarded in Region 9, and despite their opening loss, they look to rebound Friday against the Pirates of Moapa Valley, Nevada.
Snow Canyon Warriors:
The Bad News: The Warrior defense struggled to contain the receiving core of Olympus Titans. Titan Quarterback Scott Porter was connecting his passes all night, going 17-of-33 for more than 278 yards and four touchdowns. The Warriors’ next four games are all on the road. This Friday they head to Las Vegas.
The Good News: The Warriors have a fairly young squad, with 29 sophomores on the roster.
Pine View Panthers:
The Bad News: The Panthers had trouble containing the running ability of East Quarterback Jason Cook. Cook scored three times, and Liti Molisi scored the other two touchdowns for the Leopards. All of East’s touchdowns came on the ground.
The Good News: The Panthers, despite giving up 13 points in the first quarter, had a very strong second quarter. They scored 21 points before halftime, including a touchdown with two seconds remaining on the clock before halftime. Quarterback Braxton Peterson led the Panther offense in a very promising fashion, throwing 6-of-22 for three touchdowns, and carrying the ball 21 times for 101 yards. The Panthers head to Nevada this weekend to take on Desert Pines.
Three Region 9 teams, the Canyon View Falcons, Dixie Flyers, and Hurricane Tigers all finished opening night in the win column.
Dixie Flyers:
The Good: The Flyers flew to a high scoring victory over Springville 41-35 in extra time. The Flyer offense looked very strong in their road win. Quarterback Blake Barney was 21-of-34 through the air for 344 yards and four touchdowns. Barney also ran the ball for 207 yards and a touchdown. Dixie receiver Tadd Challis had 177 yards receiving and one touchdown. The Flyers host River Valley, Arizona, this week.
Hurricane Tigers:
The Good: The Tigers had no problem with 4A Skyline on Friday night. The state runner-ups beat the Eagles 33-14, scoring 26 of their points in the second period of play. Tiger quarterback Taylor Parker went 11-of-13 on his passes for 110 yards and three scores. Parker also ran the ball five times for 82 yards. Running back Adam Thompson scored two times for the Tigers. The Tigers host West Jordan Friday night.
Canyon View Falcons:
The Good: The Falcons of Canyon View took a lead into halftime, and never looked back during their Friday night bout with the Wasps of Juab. Dakota Marshall scored twice for the Falcons once through the air and once on the ground. Canyon View put 14 points on the board during the second and fourth quarters. The Falcons head to Richfield this weekend.
