It’s fair to say that Region 9 is heating up. In fact, that may be an understatement. Week Six took us on a wild ride. From a blowout to an upset, and an extreme nail-biter, we got a little bit of everything. What we didn’t get, except for in the case of Hurricane’s beating of Snow Canyon, was assurance of who’s here to play.
Hurricane Tigers (6-0) vs. Snow Canyon Warriors (2-3):
Hurricane 42, Snow Canyon 7
The Good News: As expected, the Hurricane Tigers are the team to beat in Region 9, and for that matter, statewide in the 3A division. Friday night’s game against Snow Canyon showed just how dominant the Tigers can be, with the Tigers’ gaining 406 yards of total offense, 327 of those on the ground, and only allowing the Warriors 192 yards.
Brian Scott was the leader of the pack again for Hurricane. Scott ran the ball seven times, gained 124 yards, and scored three touchdowns. There might not be anyone in Region 9 who can effectively shut down Brian Scott and Hurricane’s running game. Scott leads the entire state with 16 touchdowns, four more than anyone else.
The Tigers put 42 points on the board before halftime, and never looked back. Hurricane faces 2-4 Pine View this weekend at Tiger Stadium before taking a week off. There are three more games for the Tigers, who are the only undefeated team in 3A.
The Bad News: Yes, It’s true. The Warriors took a beating Friday night in Hurricane. But what is also true, is that Snow Canyon sits in a two-way tie for third place in Region 9 play. The Warriors, along with Cedar, both sit at 1-1 in region play. This weekend’s matchup between the two teams will be a proving ground. Both teams are coming into the game riding different levels of momentum and confidence. The Redmen grabbed their first win of the season against Pine View last Friday. Snow Canyon will have to find confidence to match that of Cedar.
Snow Canyon must put more points on the board if they want to win. They’ve only broken the 20 point mark twice on the season, and have been held in single digits twice. Their offense struggled against the Tiger defense on Friday. Snow Canyon only picked up 11 first downs. They were 2 of 9 on third down efficiency, and turned the ball over three times.
If Snow Canyon wants to remain in the chase in Region 9 their offense needs to step up and they need to take care of the ball. Friday night’s bout with 1-4 Cedar is huge for both teams.
Desert Hills Thunder (5-1) vs. Dixie (4-2):
Desert Hills 41, Dixie 38
The Good News: The Thunder made a great second half run to come back against the Flyers Friday night. Trailing 31-14 with nine minutes remaining in the third quarter, it was like Desert Hills flipped a switch and went to work. The Thunder scored four straight touchdowns to take a 41-31 lead. Dixie added one more touchdown, but fell short of mounting their own comeback, against that of Desert Hills.
The Thunder rushed for 268 yards. 155 of those yards belonged to Porter Harris, who ran 19 times and scored twice. Porter Harris had his arm working too, completing 12-of-20 passes for 216 yards and three touchdowns.
Penalties hurt the Thunder early on in the game. They gave up 83 yards to the Flyers on seven penalties.
Desert Hills has the week off before heading to Snow Canyon to face the 2-3 Warriors.
The Bad News: Dixie has dropped two straight, both of those games, against Region 9’s Hurricane and Desert Hills. After an impressive 4-0 start, the Flyers seem to be faltering. Their remaining schedule offers the Flyers a chance to get back into contention. They play Canyon View this weekend, and finish out the regular season at Cedar, and at home against Snow Canyon.
A birght spot for the Flyer offense has been quarterback Blake Barney. Barney currently sits second in the state in total passing yards, and in touchdown passes. He’s averaging 268 yards a game through the air. He has the most total passing yards in the state with over 1,600, and has thrown 19 touchdowns on the season.
The Flyers can still build on their early success this season, as they host 2-3 Canyon View this weekend.
Cedar Redmen (1-4) vs. Pine View (2-4):
Cedar 35, Pine View 28
The Good News: Cedar has suddenly become the sleeper team in Region 9. After only scoring one touchdown total in their first two games, Cedar has played some impressive games. They took Skyline to the very limit in Week 3, losing by one. The following week they held Hurricane to their lowest point total on the season, and only lost by nine. Last Friday they got their first win of the season at home against Pine View.
The Redmen got to it early, scoring 21 points in the first half, and holding the Panthers scoreless. The Redmen were very efficient when they needed it most. They converted 8 of their 12 third down attempts, and also converted on fourth down. John Ursua led the Cedar rushing attack, carrying the ball 14 times for 187 yards and three touchdowns.
This win is a major confidence boost for the Redmen, who take on 2-3 Snow Canyon this week in St. George.
The Bad News: Things seem to just be getting worse for Coach Hosner’s Panthers. Pine View has now dropped three straight at the hands of Dixie, Desert Hills, and Cedar. Oh, and it gets worse. The Panthers have to face undefeated Hurricane this weekend, in Hurricane.
By the numbers, Pine View out-played Cedar Friday night. They had more yards of total offense, longer time of possession, and fewer turnovers. It was just too little, too late. Pine View scored three touchdowns in the last 2:30 of the game.
Quarterback Kody Wilstead completed 13 passes for 168 yards and one touchdown. Braxton Peterson ran the ball 18 times for 129 yards and one touchdown, while Ty Matavao added two touchdowns on the ground.
This week’s battle with Hurricane is the perfect opportunity for Pine View to make a huge statement in Region 9.
Canyon View Falcons (2-3) vs. Ogden (3-3)
Canyon View 24, Ogden 28
The Bad News: The Falcons took a ten point lead into halftime, but were not able to keep it together in the second half. Ogden outscored Canyon View 21-7 in the second half, and took the 28-24 win.
Things certainly don’t get any easier to close out the season for the Falcons. They play at Dixie, at Pine View, and then host Cedar and Hurricane. Their 2-0 start could be their only two wins of the season.
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Region 9 has two teams in the Deseret News’ 3A rankings:
1) Hurricane 6-0
2) Juan Diego 5-1
3) Desert Hills 5-1
4) Spanish Fork 4-2
5) Delta 5-1
Region 9 is also represented in the statewide rankings:
Hurricane #9
Desert Hills #24
