High school football: 6A quarterfinal previews

No. 5 Davis (8-3) at No. 4 Herriman (9-2)

All-time series: Herriman leads 2-1 (since 2019)

Last meeting: Herriman won 35-21 at Davis (Oct. 22, 2021, 6A first round)

Davis has been in this round before. A year ago the Darts were the No. 3 seed and lost 41-38 to Lone Peak in the quarterfinals. This time they're the lower seed and on the road, but they're playing better than they were early in the season.

Davis started 3-3. Two of those losses came against the top two seeds in 6A: 51-14 to Corner Canyon and 42-7 at Mountain Ridge. The third was 29-21 to American Fork. The Darts have won five straight since then by a combined 201-75. That run includes an outright Region 1 title and last week's 37-18 first-round win over Farmington. They also beat two 5A quarterfinalists, 56-28 at Fremont and 27-6 at Alta.

The two teams' common opponents can't separate them. Both lost badly to Mountain Ridge, Davis by 35 and Herriman by 38. Both also routed Weber, Davis 52-6 and Herriman 55-6.

Bode Sparrow is the player most likely to swing this game. He scored four touchdowns against Farmington, including a 99-yard kickoff return. He has 62 catches for 882 yards and 18 touchdown catches. He also has four rushing touchdowns and two return touchdowns, and he has 64 tackles on defense. Paden Toula has completed 69.9% of his passes for 1,919 yards and 22 touchdowns. Jaxton Itaaheau has 11 total touchdowns, and Sam Coleman has 50 catches. Coleman also leads the defense with four interceptions and has a defensive touchdown and a return touchdown.

To win, Davis has to slow down Filisi Filipe, and that has to start with Ben Dorius (10 sacks) and the front seven. Dexter Frasure leads the team with 83 tackles. Davis's own running game averages 4.5 yards per carry, so Toula and Sparrow will have to carry the offense. Herriman's defense has 15 interceptions, so Toula can't afford mistakes. Davis has won three region titles in four seasons under Scott Peery. The program's last state title came in 2004.

Herriman's plan is to give the ball to Filipe. He has run for 1,542 yards and 27 touchdowns at 9.2 yards per carry, and with three touchdown catches he has 30 total touchdowns. He ran for 134 yards and four touchdowns against Weber last week. Max Stevens adds 557 yards at 7.3 yards per carry. As a team, the Mustangs average 7.6 yards per carry and have 36 rushing touchdowns.

Herriman can beat teams in more than one way. Bryson Sweeney has thrown for 1,860 yards and 19 touchdowns with five interceptions, and Hayes Priest leads the team with 46 catches. The Mustangs average 38.3 points per game, third in 6A. They allow 16.3, also third. Their wins include 25-14 over Bountiful, the 5A No. 4 seed and a 5A quarterfinalist, 40-36 at Stansbury, the 4A No. 3 seed, 48-7 at Westlake and 44-0 over Bingham. Their only losses were 22-20 at home to Lehi and 45-7 at unbeaten Mountain Ridge.

The defense creates turnovers and big plays. Kemper Castro has 11 sacks, and Ashton Hebert and Aden Jensen have six each, for 28 as a team. Hebert also returned a fumble 39 yards for a touchdown against Weber. Logan Gregory and Aden Perea have four interceptions each. Perea has two defensive touchdowns and Gregory has a return touchdown. Brody Crayk has made four field goals.

The concern is close games. Herriman lost to Lehi by two and beat Copper Hills only 23-20, and Davis has the kind of playmakers who can turn a game in a few plays. Herriman also needs to keep Sparrow from breaking a big kick return. The Mustangs lost 22-14 to Mountain Ridge in last year's quarterfinals, and Matt Rickards' team is trying to get past this round. The winner plays the Skyridge–American Fork winner. American Fork beat Davis 29-21 in September.

Passing leader: Paden Toula (158-226, 69.9%, 1,919 yards, 22 TDs, 7 INTs)

Rushing leaders: Kysen Gallegos (90 carries, 391 yards, 4 TDs), Briggs Taylor (60 carries, 307 yards, 2 TDs), Jaxton Itaaheau (22 carries, 115 yards, 5 TDs)

Receiving leaders: Bode Sparrow (62 rec., 882 yards, 18 TDs), Jaxton Itaaheau (47 rec., 654 yards, 6 TDs), Sam Coleman (50 rec., 521 yards, 2 TDs)

Tackles leaders: Dexter Frasure (83 tackles), Ben Dorius (78 tackles), Austin Yeates (72 tackles)

Sack leaders: Ben Dorius (10 sacks), Austin Yeates (2 sacks)

Interception leaders: Sam Coleman (4 INTs), Cooper Rigby (2 INTs), Porter Hunt (2 INTs)

Passing leader: Bryson Sweeney (138-243, 56.8%, 1,860 yards, 19 TDs, 5 INTs)

Rushing leaders: Filisi Filipe (168 carries, 1,542 yards, 27 TDs), Max Stevens (76 carries, 557 yards, 5 TDs)

Receiving leaders: Hayes Priest (46 rec., 551 yards, 4 TDs), Britton Wall (26 rec., 324 yards, 3 TDs)

Tackles leaders: Kemper Castro (68 tackles), Gavyn Fox (64 tackles), Ashton Hebert (59 tackles)

Sack leaders: Kemper Castro (11 sacks), Ashton Hebert (6 sacks), Aden Jensen (6 sacks)

Interception leaders: Logan Gregory (4 INTs), Aden Perea (4 INTs)

No. 8 American Fork (7-4) at No. 1 Skyridge (9-1)

All-time series: Skyridge leads 9-1 (since 2019)

Last meeting: Skyridge won 21-15 at Skyridge (Oct. 14, 2026, Region 3)

Nate Childs had six days to get ready. Starter Jake Matsen broke his collarbone early in the Oct. 8 loss to Corner Canyon, and American Fork's season went to a senior who had started much of last year and had waited behind Matsen this fall. Childs' first start came on the road at Skyridge, against the No. 1 seed and the team that ended the Cavemen's season a year ago.

The game started badly. Beckham Bennett scored on two short runs in the first quarter, and Skyridge led 14-0. Then American Fork settled in. The Cavemen outscored the Falcons 15-7 the rest of the way. With 8:21 left, Childs threw a 4-yard touchdown pass to Zack Cowie and ran in the two-point conversion himself to make it 21-15. That was as close as they got.

Last week Childs looked more comfortable. He threw two touchdown passes in a 32-21 first-round win over Copper Hills, and DC Fonua returned an interception 34 yards for a touchdown and later ran for another. Childs now gets a second chance at Skyridge, with three more weeks of first-team snaps than he had in the first meeting. If American Fork avoids another slow start, this rematch could look different.

American Fork has beaten good teams this season. It won 29-21 at Davis, the 6A No. 5 seed, and 28-24 at Lone Peak, the No. 7 seed. It also won road games at 5A quarterfinalist Pleasant Grove (36-16) and at Timpview (28-26). The Cavemen's October slide began with a 20-19 home loss to Lehi on Oct. 2. Matsen got hurt the next week, and the losses to Corner Canyon and Skyridge followed.

The defense is American Fork's best chance. Noah Behm has six interceptions and two defensive touchdowns, and he's also the second-leading receiver, with four touchdown catches. Dalin Afu has four sacks and two defensive touchdowns, and Sam Thompson has four sacks. Skyridge quarterback Jagger Fountaine has thrown 11 interceptions, so turnovers are American Fork's clearest path to an upset. Cash Taiese (57 catches, 743 yards, 7 TDs) is Childs' top target, and Jace Worthington has made nine field goals.

There's a lot of history on the line. Skyridge has won five straight in this rivalry, including a 56-29 win in last year's quarterfinals. Aaron Behm, in his 17th season, has taken American Fork to three state title games. This year he'll need to win at Skyridge to get to the semifinals.

Skyridge has won close games all season. Six of its eight regular-season wins came by eight points or fewer, including a 27-24 win at Lone Peak, a 28-20 win at Lehi and the 21-15 win over American Fork. The Falcons have won nine straight since losing 41-26 at Mountain Ridge in the opener. They won Region 3 outright at 4-0, and their 37-27 win over defending champion Corner Canyon is one of the best wins in 6A this season. Last week they beat Riverton 45-0, their first shutout of the year.

The common opponents favor Skyridge. It beat Lehi, a team that beat American Fork. It beat Corner Canyon by 10, and American Fork lost to the Chargers by 24. Both teams won at Lone Peak by three or four points.

Fountaine leads an offense that spreads the ball around. He has thrown for 2,559 yards and 22 touchdowns and run for four more. Four receivers have at least 314 yards. Omarian Sanders leads them with 45 catches, 662 yards and seven touchdowns, and he caught two touchdown passes against Riverton. Bennett has 13 total touchdowns: 10 rushing and three receiving. He also has 41 catches, and he scored both of Skyridge's first-quarter touchdowns in the first meeting. Evan Kopp has made five field goals.

The defense makes big plays. Ethan Schriever has five interceptions and a defensive touchdown. Sa Tanuvasa has 78 tackles and three interceptions, and Rex Caswell has 77 tackles. Sua Ripley leads the team with seven sacks, and Jackson Horsley has also scored on defense.

Skyridge's main concern is the second half. American Fork outscored the Falcons over the final three quarters last time, and Fountaine's 11 interceptions give the Cavemen chances. Skyridge has also seen Childs only once as a starter, and he has played better since. Justin Hemm took Skyridge to the 6A title game in his first season and to the semifinals last year, where it lost 13-7 to Lone Peak. The winner plays the Herriman–Davis winner. American Fork beat Davis 29-21 in September.

Passing leaders: Nate Childs (53-94, 56.4%, 526 yards, 5 TDs, 6 INTs), Jake Matsen (162-254, 63.8%, 1,858 yards, 17 TDs, 9 INTs; out with a broken collarbone)

Rushing leaders: DC Fonua (57 carries, 284 yards, 3 TDs), Ben Iongi (63 carries, 209 yards, 3 TDs), Tani Vaki (33 carries, 93 yards, 2 TDs)

Receiving leaders: Cash Taiese (57 rec., 743 yards, 7 TDs), Noah Behm (25 rec., 379 yards, 4 TDs), Mason Brooks (22 rec., 359 yards, 1 TD)

Tackles leaders: Lincoln Miller (55 tackles), Sam Thompson (51 tackles)

Sack leaders: Sam Thompson (4 sacks), Dalin Afu (4 sacks)

Interception leaders: Noah Behm (6 INTs)

Passing leader: Jagger Fountaine (217-362, 59.9%, 2,559 yards, 22 TDs, 11 INTs)

Rushing leaders: Beckham Bennett (142 carries, 740 yards, 10 TDs), Ului Faletau (48 carries, 189 yards, 1 TD), Jagger Fountaine (46 carries, 105 yards, 4 TDs)

Receiving leaders: Omarian Sanders (45 rec., 662 yards, 7 TDs), Dax Rehrer (40 rec., 456 yards, 2 TDs), Koa Wallwork (30 rec., 450 yards, 2 TDs)

Tackles leaders: Sa Tanuvasa (78 tackles), Rex Caswell (77 tackles)

Sack leaders: Sua Ripley (7 sacks), Carter Seu (3 sacks)

Interception leaders: Ethan Schriever (5 INTs), Sa Tanuvasa (3 INTs)

No. 7 Lone Peak (6-5) at No. 2 Mountain Ridge (11-0)

Parry's Power Guide: Mountain Ridge by 1

All-time series: Lone Peak leads 2-1 (since 2023)

Last meeting: Lone Peak won 38-13 at Mountain Ridge (Sept. 6, 2024, nonregion)

Lone Peak has made this kind of run before. A year ago the Knights were the No. 6 seed. They won 41-38 at No. 3 seed Davis in the quarterfinals and beat No. 2 seed Skyridge 13-7 in the semifinals, then lost the championship game to Corner Canyon. To get back to the semifinals, they'll need another upset, this time on the road against the only unbeaten team in 6A.

Lone Peak's record doesn't show how good its defense is. Two of its five losses came against national powers: 59-3 to IMG Academy (Fla.) and 38-14 to Bishop Gorman (Nev.). In its other nine games, Lone Peak allowed 16.1 points per game. Its losses to American Fork (28-24) and Skyridge (27-24) were decided by a combined seven points. The Knights have won three straight and haven't allowed more than 14 points in any of them.

Lone Peak won its first-round game the way it wins most games, with defense and special teams. Zachary Zolman made field goals of 48 and 38 yards. Silivenusi Schaumkel put away the 20-8 win over Lehi with an 89-yard interception return. Zolman has made 14 field goals, the most of any kicker in these previews. Krew Robinson has three punt-return touchdowns. Kingston Stroshine leads the defense with 128 tackles and four sacks, and Justin Thayer has 91 tackles and a defensive touchdown.

To pull the upset, Lone Peak has to keep the score low, and Westlake showed it can be done. The Thunder held Mountain Ridge to 21 points in October, the only time all season the Sentinels scored fewer than 41. Lone Peak needs long drives with Ayden Laws (545 yards) and Pili Mounga (362 yards), and it needs to settle for field goals rather than come away empty. Ball security is the risk. Lone Peak's quarterbacks have thrown 14 interceptions, and its offense can't afford to give Mountain Ridge short fields.

Mountain Ridge's job is to protect the ball and keep Lone Peak's special teams from changing the game. The Sentinels lead 6A in scoring offense (45.9 ppg) and scoring defense (11.0 ppg). They beat every 6A team on their schedule, including No. 1 seed Skyridge (41-26), No. 4 seed Herriman (45-7), No. 5 seed Davis (42-7) and No. 6 seed Westlake (21-13). They also won 54-41 at Chaparral (Calif.).

The common opponents favor Mountain Ridge. It beat Lehi 42-0, while Lone Peak beat the Pioneers by seven and 12 points. Mountain Ridge beat Skyridge by 15, and Lone Peak lost to the Falcons by three. Mountain Ridge beat Bingham 52-7, and Lone Peak won 32-14.

Jaxon Hunt has had one of the best passing seasons in Utah. He has completed 68% of his passes for 3,556 yards and 47 touchdowns, with only six interceptions. Twice this season he has thrown seven touchdown passes in a game. He has five receivers with at least 435 yards. Xander Thayer averages 25.7 yards per catch. Marshall West has 12 touchdown catches, and Tytan DeJong has 62 catches and 10 touchdowns. Tyson Dunn averages 10.2 yards per carry. Will O'Neil has made six field goals and leads the team with 78 points.

The defense also creates big plays. Cole Uluave has four interceptions and a defensive touchdown, and Jayce Helm has three interceptions and a defensive score. Boston Kojima leads the team with six sacks. Lone Peak's offense hasn't scored more than 24 points against a playoff team, so the Sentinels need to avoid helping it. In practice that means no interceptions returned for touchdowns and no long punt returns.

In Nick Robins' second season, Mountain Ridge has won two straight region titles. Last year it reached the semifinals and lost 59-20 to Corner Canyon. The program is still chasing its first state title. The winner plays the Corner Canyon–Syracuse winner. Corner Canyon beat Lone Peak 37-14 in September.

Passing leaders: Cruz Christensen (72-147, 49.0%, 729 yards, 9 TDs, 9 INTs), Marshall Durfey (29-55, 52.7%, 400 yards, 2 TDs, 3 INTs)

Rushing leaders: Ayden Laws (118 carries, 545 yards, 1 TD), Pili Mounga (68 carries, 362 yards, 3 TDs), Cruz Christensen (48 carries, 135 yards, 3 TDs)

Receiving leaders: Ledger Holmes (21 rec., 309 yards, 3 TDs), Jaxon Cloward (18 rec., 246 yards, 4 TDs), Dillon Sykes (23 rec., 233 yards, 2 TDs)

Tackles leaders: Kingston Stroshine (128 tackles), Justin Thayer (91 tackles), Gabe Harmon (70 tackles)

Sack leaders: Kingston Stroshine, Bridger Dunn and Managreve Reid (4 sacks each)

Interception leaders: Silivenusi Schaumkel (4 INTs), Kingston Stroshine (2 INTs)

Passing leader: Jaxon Hunt (247-363, 68.0%, 3,556 yards, 47 TDs, 6 INTs)

Rushing leaders: Tyson Dunn (72 carries, 733 yards, 7 TDs), Bradley Foster (57 carries, 338 yards, 4 TDs), Jayden Romero (30 carries, 226 yards, 3 TDs)

Receiving leaders: Xander Thayer (36 rec., 925 yards, 9 TDs), Tytan DeJong (62 rec., 735 yards, 10 TDs), Marshall West (39 rec., 588 yards, 12 TDs)

Tackles leaders: Scooby Tulau (57 tackles), Cole Uluave (53 tackles), Kyler Christiansen (49 tackles)

Sack leaders: Boston Kojima (6 sacks), Kyler Christiansen (4 sacks), Siaosi Mamao (3 sacks)

Interception leaders: Cole Uluave (4 INTs), Jayce Helm (3 INTs)

No. 11 Syracuse (6-4) at No. 3 Corner Canyon (9-2)

Parry's Power Guide: Corner Canyon by 33

All-time series: Corner Canyon leads 3-0 (since 2019)

Last meeting: Corner Canyon won 56-14 at Corner Canyon (Nov. 7, 2025, 6A quarterfinals)

Syracuse has been here before, in almost exactly the same way. A year ago the Titans beat Westlake 31-28 in the second round and then went to Corner Canyon for the quarterfinals. They trailed 21-0 after the first quarter. Ledger Wight's 40-yard touchdown pass and 8-yard run cut the lead to 28-14 before halftime, but the Chargers shut them out in the second half and won 56-14.

This fall the Titans took the same route back. Last Friday they won 35-19 at Westlake. Parker Moffat caught a 55-yard touchdown pass and returned a kickoff 98 yards for another score. Wight threw a touchdown pass and ran 28 yards for one. Now Syracuse returns to Corner Canyon, and this time Wight is a more experienced quarterback.

Wight has completed 59.9% of his passes for 1,969 yards and 22 touchdowns, with only six interceptions, and he has run for 619 yards at 7.2 yards per carry. Kao Prom has 15 total touchdowns: 11 rushing, three receiving and one on defense. Moffat (750 yards) and Bo Metcalfe (519 yards) have seven touchdown catches each. Metcalfe has also scored on defense. Jed Beutler has made five field goals. Syracuse averages 32.6 points per game, fifth in 6A.

The Titans' record undersells them. Two of their four losses came by a combined four points, 27-26 at Woods Cross and 36-33 to Bountiful, and both of those teams are still alive in the 5A quarterfinals. Syracuse also beat 5A quarterfinalist Alta 28-7 and shut out Layton 30-0. Its only loss to a 6A team was 49-35 to Davis. Corner Canyon beat Davis 51-14, which shows the gap Syracuse has to close.

To pull the upset, Syracuse needs pressure and takeaways. Jaxon Pehrson has thrown 11 interceptions, and Jace Cook (6 sacks) and Tay Burgoyne (4 sacks) need to make him uncomfortable. The Titans also have to keep a fast start from turning into another 21-0 deficit. In his third season, Mitch Tulane has a chance to do something last year's team couldn't.

Eric Kjar built Corner Canyon into a dynasty, and the last three titles of his run came in 2023, 2024 and 2025. When Kjar left for Weber State, the job went to Casey Sutera, who had been his defensive coordinator when the Chargers won three straight titles from 2018 to 2020. Now, in his first season as Corner Canyon's head coach, Sutera is trying to give the program something it has never had: a fourth straight state title.

The Chargers started that run with a 35-7 win over Bingham. They scored four first-half touchdowns, including touchdown passes from Pehrson to Beckham Coon and Kelen Gold, and Braxton Sneddon scored one touchdown rushing and another receiving.

Corner Canyon averages 40.5 points per game and allows 13.5, both second in 6A behind Mountain Ridge. Its only losses were 38-24 at Liberty (Ariz.) and 37-27 at No. 1 seed Skyridge. It went 6-1 against 6A playoff teams, beating Davis 51-14, Lone Peak 37-14, American Fork 41-17, Lehi 34-7 and Bingham twice. It has won four straight since the Skyridge loss.

Big plays drive the offense. Pehrson averages 18.5 yards per completion and has 32 total touchdowns, 26 passing and six rushing. Coon averages 29.4 yards per catch and Gold averages 24.8, and each has seven touchdown catches. Diesel Dart has 11 total touchdowns: eight receiving, two rushing and one on defense. Jackson Carruth has run for 1,043 yards and eight touchdowns. Carson Burnett has made six field goals and leads the team with 75 points.

The defense is what makes Corner Canyon hard to beat. Wyatt Warner has 14 sacks and Jack West has six, part of a 35-sack unit. Will Tenney has scored three defensive touchdowns, and Josh Harris has two interceptions and two return touchdowns. Tate Patterson leads the team with 90 tackles. The Chargers have seven defensive touchdowns this season.

The concern is Pehrson's interceptions. Wight has protected the ball well all season, and Syracuse has scored at least 23 points in all but one game. Even so, Corner Canyon has won all three meetings since 2019, and its defense hasn't allowed more than 17 points since the Skyridge game. The Chargers are two wins from the title game. The winner plays the Mountain Ridge–Lone Peak winner. Corner Canyon beat Lone Peak 37-14 in September.

Passing leader: Ledger Wight (151-252, 59.9%, 1,969 yards, 22 TDs, 6 INTs)

Rushing leaders: Kao Prom (133 carries, 709 yards, 11 TDs), Ledger Wight (86 carries, 619 yards, 3 TDs)

Receiving leaders: Parker Moffat (52 rec., 750 yards, 7 TDs), Bo Metcalfe (36 rec., 519 yards, 7 TDs), Kaleb Hall (19 rec., 279 yards, 3 TDs)

Tackles leaders: Kaleb Hall (78 tackles), Caleb Brown (66 tackles), Jack Benoit (56 tackles)

Sack leaders: Jace Cook (6 sacks), Tay Burgoyne (4 sacks)

Interception leaders: Bo Metcalfe (2 INTs), Parker Moffat (2 INTs)

Passing leader: Jaxon Pehrson (93-184, 50.5%, 1,724 yards, 26 TDs, 11 INTs)

Rushing leaders: Jackson Carruth (163 carries, 1,043 yards, 8 TDs), Jaxon Pehrson (71 carries, 524 yards, 6 TDs)

Receiving leaders: Beckham Coon (23 rec., 675 yards, 7 TDs), Kelen Gold (22 rec., 545 yards, 7 TDs), Diesel Dart (22 rec., 432 yards, 8 TDs)

Tackles leaders: Tate Patterson (90 tackles), Will Tenney (80 tackles), Ryce Palepoi (77 tackles)

Sack leaders: Wyatt Warner (14 sacks), Jack West (6 sacks), Brody Allred (4 sacks)

Interception leaders: Diesel Dart (3 INTs), Will Tenney, Josh Harris and Burnham Sudweeks (2 INTs each)