Nook Canyon’s Jackson Ames isn’t in a position to make a protracted catch with Skyridge’s Saxon Higbee defending Friday, Sept. 23, 2022. The 2 groups look like on a collision course for the 6A championship recreation. Scott G Winterton, Deseret Information
Jackson Brousseau (2) of the Lehi Pioneers runs the ball whereas enjoying the Timpview Thunderbirds in Lehi on Thursday, Oct. 6, 2022. Lehi received 28-24. Ben B. Braun, Deseret Information
Morgan’s Nick Despain falls as Grantsville’s Eli Mondragon reaches for him throughout a varsity soccer recreation at Morgan Excessive College in Morgan on Friday, Sept. 30, 2022. Kristin Murphy, Deseret Information
Ten weeks later, and the highschool soccer season is about in the identical place it began.
Manner again in July the Deseret Information polled highschool soccer coaches about who they believed the highest 5 groups of their respective classifications had been heading into the 2022 season. Ten weeks later, the overwhelming majority of these groups ended the yr within the high 5 of the ultimate UHSAA RPI rankings.
In 2A, all 5 groups ranked within the high 5 within the preseason are ranked within the high 5 within the RPI.
In 6A, 4A, 3A and 1A, all however one preseason top-five workforce ended the yr high 5 within the RPI.
Class 5A was the one classification with a bit extra selection, as solely three of the highest preseason high 5 ended the yr high 5 within the RPI.
In order the highschool soccer playoffs get underway Friday in all six classifications, the favorites that we anticipated all alongside are nonetheless very a lot the favorites.
The highest RPI seed within the six classifications are Nook Canyon (6A), Lehi (5A), Crimson Cliffs (4A), Juab (3A), South Summit (2A) and Layton Christian (1A).
All six face very stiff competitors from a number of groups within the upcoming playoffs, which ought to make for an thrilling 5 weeks of highschool playoffs.
Right here’s a class-by-class take a look at among the high contenders.
Class 6A
Based mostly on the dominance of No. 1 Nook Canyon and No. 2 Skyridge all through the season, it’s powerful to foresee a situation by which these two groups don’t meet within the 6A championship recreation subsequent month.
Nook Canyon ran the desk within the Area 4 gauntlet with a median margin of victory of 23.2 ppg. Its two losses got here on the highway in opposition to nationally ranked Bishop Gorman after which a second-half collapse in opposition to 5A’s top-ranked Lehi.
Since that Lehi loss the Chargers have appeared the a part of No. 1 seed as they appear to get again to lifting championship trophies after falling to Lone Peak in final yr’s title recreation.
Skyridge is led by a fearsome protection that recorded 4 shutouts and solely allowed 8.4 ppg. Its lone loss got here to Nook Canyon in a 21-17 defensive showdown.
It wanted an enormous fourth-quarter rally to beat Lone Peak 31-30, however since then hasn’t allowed a degree in season-ending shutouts in opposition to Nice Grove and American Fork.
Skyridge expects to get senior quarterback McCae Hillstead, a Utah State commit, again for the playoffs, which will likely be an enormous increase to the offense. He missed each area recreation after injuring his ankle within the last preseason recreation in opposition to Timpview.
Who, if anybody, can compete with the large two?
No. 3 Bingham and No. 4 American Fork would like to get a shot within the semifinals. Bingham already misplaced to Nook Canyon this yr in a recreation that was 31-7 at halftime.
American Fork misplaced to each Skyridge and Nook Canyon and was outscored 72-14, so one thing drastic must occur in a rematch to vary a repeat end result.
Bingham has the hardest path to the semis of the highest 4 seeds based mostly on its bracket. No. 6 seed Syracuse has received eight straight and is enjoying excellent soccer since an 0-2 begin, whereas tradition-rich Lone Peak proved in its slim loss to Skyridge that on any day it could actually compete with anyone.
Lone Peak and Syracuse will probably meet within the second spherical, with the winner probably incomes a quarterfinal showdown with Bingham.
It could all be moot although if Nook Canyon and Skyridge maintain enterprise and renew their tense rivalry within the last.
Jackson Brousseau (2) of the Lehi Pioneers runs the ball whereas enjoying the Timpview Thunderbirds in Lehi on Thursday, Oct. 6, 2022. Lehi received 28-24.
Ben B. Braun, Deseret Information
Class 5A
Defending 5A state champ Lehi has had the bull’s-eye on its again all season, and it’s lived as much as the hype every week.
Actually, Lehi’s season was outlined by two video games, a surprising 25-24 come-from behind win over Nook Canyon and a 28-24 back-and-forth win over Timpview.
In its different eight video games in opposition to inferior competitors it outscored the opposition a mixed 395-28 to complete the common season 10-0.
So the identical query applies as in 6A, of the 22 remaining groups within the 5A state event is anybody succesful to halting the collision course of No. 1 Lehi and No. 2 Timpview?
Based mostly on RPI seeding, No. 3 Springville, No. 4 Stansbury, No. 5 Brighton and No. 6 Bountiful would appear to have the perfect shot. All 5 went undefeated of their respective areas, and Springville, Stansbury and Brighton seemingly have the offensive firepower to maintain up with most groups. Bountiful, then again wins with protection.
Each Stansbury and Springville had been semifinalists a yr in the past, each falling to Lehi by double digits. Stansbury and Springville each seem stronger offensively and defensively than a yr in the past, however so does Lehi in the event that they’re lucky sufficient to get a rematch.
On paper, Timpview looks like the one workforce that was the weapons wanted to beat Lehi.
When the groups met a pair weeks in the past, Timpview led 16-7 early within the third quarter, however the Pioneers rallied for the 28-24 win on a late TD move from Jackson Brousseau.
One other workforce with the potential to play spoiler on the Timpview-Lehi half at Rice-Eccles Stadium in November is East. The Leopards solely earned a No. 15 seed by advantage of some powerful preseason losses to IMG Academy, Florida, and Skyridge, after which a 14-3 area loss to Brighton. However, bodily, East is likely one of the few groups in 5A that has the our bodies to compete with Lehi and Timpview. It is going to probably get a shot at Timpview within the second spherical in a juicy No. 2 vs. No. 15 seed matchup.
Class 4A
A yr in the past within the 4A state event, Ridgeline was just too good and everybody was enjoying for second place.
Quick ahead to this season and based mostly on regular-season parity, as many as 5 or 6 groups seem ok to make a run over the approaching weeks to win a state title.
No. 1 seed Crimson Cliffs would’ve been alone on the high of the record with high quality wins over Spanish Fork, Desert Hills and Snow Canyon, however two weeks in the past it suffered a head-scratching 24-19 loss in opposition to Dixie. Was it an anomaly or did the Flyers expose some weaknesses that at the moment are on movie for everybody else to try to duplicate?
No. 2 seed Desert Hills has a high quality preseason win over Dixie, however misplaced to Snow Canyon and Crimson Cliffs.
No. 3 Dixie bought spanked by Snow Canyon and Desert Hills, however earned a reliable feather in its cap by beating Crimson Cliffs.
Whereas the highest three seeds all hail from Southern Utah, No. 4 Ridgeline is the very best seeded workforce from up north, and its greatest win of the season was a 16-point win over Snow Canyon within the preseason, however then it misplaced to Sky View by 24 final month.
No. 5 Snow Canyon could also be enjoying the perfect soccer of everybody heading into the playoffs with 4 straight blowout wins over Hurricane, Desert Hills, Dixie and Pine View since a 27-25 Week 5 loss to Crimson Cliffs.
No. 7 Sky View didn’t play anybody from Area 10 this preseason, however its signature 24-point win over Ridgeline raised some eyebrows about their postseason potential.
Morgan’s Nick Despain falls as Grantsville’s Eli Mondragon reaches for him throughout a varsity soccer recreation at Morgan Excessive College in Morgan on Friday, Sept. 30, 2022.
Kristin Murphy, Deseret Information
Class 3A
All season the chase for the 3A state title appeared like a three-horse race, however now it'd solely be two groups, No. 1 Juab and No. 2 Morgan.
Each went an ideal 10-0 this season and every has a notable win over one other top-four seed.
No. 1 Juab beat No. 4 Canyon View 49-28 again on Sept. 30 in a recreation Juab QB Alex Jackson threw 5 of his 45 TD passes.
On that very same evening, Morgan walloped No. 3 seed Grantsville 38-20 to avenge final yr’s title recreation loss to Grantsville.
The Trojans must do it once more within the playoffs most definitely because the groups appear destined for a semifinal showdown on Nov. 5 in Cedar Metropolis.
Morgan is equally stout on either side of the ball this season, which makes it a really harmful workforce within the playoffs. The Trojans allowed 111 much less factors this season than a yr in the past.
Prime-ranked Juab was the highest-scoring workforce in 3A, averaging 49.5 ppg whereas conceding 22.8 ppg. It narrowly beat Manti 41-37 within the season finale, and the Wasps might want to tidy up that protection within the playoffs to arrange the anticipated No. 1 vs. No. 2 showdown.
Class 2A
San Juan and South Summit haven’t met on the soccer subject since 2018, but when the collection is renewed this season, as many anticipate, will probably be a showdown for the 2A state championship with each groups arriving with undefeated data.
No. 1 South Summit and No. 2 San Juan, the defending 2A state champion, each ran the desk with 10-0 data.
Underneath first-year coach Michael Ruf, South Summit loved a median margin of victory of 31 factors. Its greatest win was a 38-14 win over Emery in Week 6.
San Juan received by a median of 30 factors regardless of starting the season with simply two returning starters offensively.
Within the preseason it beat Layton Christian and Canyon View after which only a couple weeks in the past beat Beaver to clinch the area championship.
No. 3 seed Emery and No. 4 seed Beaver hope to spoil the get together however they each already misplaced to the area foe they’d face once more within the semifinals in the event that they attain that time.
Class 1A
The final consensus all through the season was that Layton Christian merely had an excessive amount of expertise for anybody else in 1A to maintain up. In a 49-0 win over Duchesne and a 28-7 win over Kanab throughout this season that appeared to be the case.
No. 1 Layton Christian will try to sustain the dominance within the playoffs and declare its first state title at school historical past.
No. 2 Enterprise could be the one workforce able to enjoying spoiler because it posted an ideal 10-0 file through the common season that included wins over Duchesne, Kanab and Milford. In every of these wins the Wolves received with protection, which ought to give them a punching probability in opposition to Layton Christian if the groups meet within the finals.
Layton Christian has a bruising floor assault that wears groups down, and to step the Eagles somebody might want to match that physicality.
Class 1A (8 participant)
This yr was the primary season of eight-player soccer in Utah, and the playoffs start subsequent week with seven groups competing. The highest seed is Gunnison Valley, which had the choice of competing in eight 1A state event after enjoying each this season.
It performed seven video games in 11-player and two in eight-player. It opted to competing within the decrease stage this season and earned the highest seed.
No. 2 seed Wealthy and No. 3 Monticello would be the largest menace to the Bulldogs. Wealthy and Gunnison Valley squared off within the common season and Gunnison received in extra time 33-27.