High school football: Friday’s 3A/2A/1A first round recap

Hunter Burgess sparked Cedar City (6-5) to victory over North Sanpete (6-5) in a 44-20 win in the 3A playoffs. Burgess opened scoring with a 93-yard touchdown pass from Colt Kelling at 9:18 in the first quarter and later sealed the deal with an 80-yard punt return at 10:09 in the fourth quarter. Cedar City's defense was dominant, allowing just 14 points in the first half. North Sanpete's Seth Burningham returned a kickoff 97 yards with 4:48 left in the fourth, but the game was already decided. Cedar City advances with this commanding performance.

Emmett Rector's four-touchdown performance helped Ogden (7-4) dominate Union (3-6) in a 42-3 victory during the 3A Playoffs. Ogden established control early, with Rector connecting with Jack Thompson for a 35-yard touchdown pass with 7:56 left in the first quarter. The Tigers led 21-3 at halftime, and their defense shut out the Cougars in the second half. Anderson Curry contributed significantly with two rushing touchdowns, while Blake Weston caught two of Rector's touchdown passes, including a 51-yarder late in the third quarter. Union's only points came from a 28-yard field goal by Kaden Womack just before the half.

In the 3A playoffs, Richfield demonstrated their dominance over Carbon with a decisive 35-9 victory. The Wildcats built an insurmountable lead by halftime, sparked by Austin Morgan's 6-yard interception return with 2:59 remaining in the first quarter. Trey Yardley added to the highlight reel with a 44-yard punt return and a 1-yard touchdown reception from Cordon White. Colton White's explosive 55-yard run at 8:05 in the third quarter solidified Richfield's lead. Carbon managed a field goal and a late touchdown run, but it wasn't enough to overcome the deficit as Richfield cruised to victory.

Ben Taulapapa's two rushing touchdowns in the second half lifted Manti to a 35-17 victory over Canyon View in the 3A playoffs. Manti overcame a 17-7 third-quarter deficit starting with Taulapapa's 3-yard run with 1:45 left in the third quarter to cut Canyon View's lead to 17-14. Taulapapa added another 3-yard score with 8:07 remaining in the fourth quarter, giving Manti a lead they would not relinquish. Kingston Wright sealed the comeback with a 1-yard run with 1:25 left. Canyon View's Preston Higgins had a strong first half, scoring both their touchdowns on passes from Owen Williams.

Grantsville stormed past Ben Lomond 55-6 in a 3A Playoffs matchup that ended with 5:56 left in the fourth quarter due to the mercy rule. The Cowboys established dominance early with Cruze Anderson's 10-yard touchdown run at 4:40 in the first quarter, followed by Dawson Dunlevy's 55-yard touchdown reception from Crew Allred, leaving them ahead 14-6 after one quarter. Allred threw four touchdown passes, including two to Colt Thomas. Ben Lomond's lone highlight was DaShawn Gordan's 60-yard touchdown run at 2:38 in the first quarter. Grantsville's relentless offense pulled away with 42 points by halftime.

Ajay Thomas led Emery (3-8) to a 28-21 victory over Judge Memorial (1-8) in the 2A Playoffs, scoring three touchdowns including a decisive 15-yard pass to Kai Whitsel with 8:01 left in the fourth quarter. Thomas also opened the scoring with a 12-yard run at 3:47 in the first quarter. Judge Memorial tied the game at 21 with 8:25 to play on a 28-yard run by William Shum-Kuen, but Emery regained the lead quickly with Thomas's third scoring play. This game-winning sequence prevented any further lead changes.

Parowan dominated North Sevier with a 47-6 victory in the first round of the 1A playoffs. The Rams' offense exploded, while their defense prevented the Wolves from scoring until late in the game. Despite no specifics on individual performances, Parowan's convincing win sets the stage for their next postseason matchup.

Quinn Vasquez's 33-yard interception return with 12.7 seconds left in the first quarter highlighted a commanding performance by St. Joseph in their 84-30 victory over Altamont in the 1A playoffs. St. Joseph's offense exploded, with Ryan Castaneda rushing for three touchdowns, including a 65-yarder with 2:16 remaining in the first quarter, and Izaiah Hebert catching three touchdowns from Keenan Campbell, two in the opening quarter. Although Altamont's Parker Phillips managed a 34-yard touchdown run with 1:18 left in the second quarter, St. Joseph's early dominance set the pace, with the Jayhawks leading 68-30 by halftime.

Utah Military Camp Williams dominated Monument Valley in the 1A Playoffs, cruising to a 45-16 victory. The Marauders surged ahead with a 21-point first quarter and never looked back, extending their lead to 45-8 by halftime.

In a 1A Playoffs matchup, Panguitch pulled away from Utah Military Hillfield with a final score of 43-24. The Bobcats established an early lead and maintained control throughout the game, leaving the Thunderbirds unable to catch up. Both teams remained scoreless for a quarter, but Panguitch's sustained offensive effort eventually paid off. Despite Utah Military Hillfield's attempts to close the gap, the final margin illustrated the Bobcats' dominance on the field. Complete player stats were not provided.