Utah 6A High School State Tournament Matchups

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – The first round of the UHSAA football state tournament begins this weekend. Sixteen teams are competing in each classification with hopes of raising the state championship trophy in mid-November.

Each week, KSL Sports will take a look at the match-ups in each classification before the weekend’s action.

Here are the matchups for 6A

Region 3 No. 2-seed Riverton Silverwolves (6-4, 4-1)
vs Region 4 No. 3-seed American Fork Cavemen (8-2, 3-1)

Two of the most explosive offenses in 6A face off in this match up. Riverton averaged 33.6 points per game in Region 3 play, while American Fork scored 41.25 points per game. Riverton quarterback Dayne McDonald threw for 14 touchdowns, while adding 11 scores on the ground. For the Cavemen, Boone Abbott threw for nearly 3,000 yards, adding 34 touchdowns while targeting one of the most prolific receivers in the state, Chase Roberts, who hauled in 57 receptions for 1,152 yards and 15 touchdowns.

Region 1 No. 1-seed Weber Warriors (6-3, 6-0)
vs Region 2 No. 4-seed Granger Lancers (3-6, 1-3)

After starting 0-3 in preseason play, Weber rolled to a perfect 6-0 record in region play behind strong defensive play, allowing just 5.5 points per game, including two shutouts against Syracuse and Davis. The Warriors are tasked with stopping a dangerous Granger rushing attack led by Mosese Sonasi who rushed for 1,015 yards and 15 touchdowns in his senior campaign after bursting onto the scene as a junior with 2,150 yards and 22 touchdowns.

Region 2 No. 1-seed Kearns Cougars (7-3, 4-0)
vs Region 1 No. 4-seed Northridge Knights (5-4, 3-3)

Kearns rolled through Region 2 play behind one of the most prolific players in the state, Isaiah Afatasi. The junior running back does it all for the Cougars and scored touchdowns rushing, receiving, passing, and on punt and kick returns. They host Northridge, who finished .500 in region play. The Knights passing attack is led by quarterback Colby Browning, whose favorite target is Carson Stokes who hauled in eight touchdown receptions.

Region 4 No. 2-seed Bingham Miners (8-1, 3-1)
vs Region 3 No. 3-seed Herriman Mustangs (4-5, 3-2)

The preseason favorite for the 6A title, Bingham finished for a three-way tie in region 4, resulting in the two seed for the Miners. The stout Miner defense allowed just 20 points per game in what is considered the toughest region in the 6A classification. They’ll play Herriman in a rematch from Week 3, when the Miners beat the Mustangs 27-0.

Region 2 No. 2-seed Hunter Wolverines (4-5, 3-1)
vs Region 1 No. 3-seed Davis Darts (6-3, 4-2)

Hunter finished with just one loss in region play, to No. 1-see Kearns) and hosts Davis in the first round. Hunter comes into the game after rolling against Region 2 opponent Hillcrest 46-0. The Wolverines finished 4-1 in the regular season when scoring 30+ points, while Davis struggled offensively, breaking the 30-point barrier just once during the 2018 season.

Region 4 No. 1-seed Lone Peak Knights (6-3, 3-1)
vs Region 3 No. 4-seed West Jordan (5-4, 2-3)

Region 4 champion by coin flip, Lone Peak struggled in the preseason with quarterback play, but got things rolling when Region 4 play started. They picked up what many consider the best win of the season – a 17-14 win against Bingham. It was the Miners’ first regular season in-state loss since 2012. Lone Peak then rolled to three consecutive victories. The Knights face West Jordan, which struggled to compete against the top teams in Region 3 in East, Riverton, and Herriman.

Region 3 No. 1-seed East Leopards (7-2, 5-0)
vs Region 4 No. 4-seed Pleasant Grove (6-4, 1-3)

One of the most intriguing first round matchups comes between East and Pleasant Grove. The hot-start Vikings rolled to a 5-1 record, but struggled against Region 4 competition – narrowly losing to Bingham and Lone Peak. The Vikings may be without star quarterback Jake Jensen, who was injured against American Fork, but has one of the most dynamic players in the state in Dayne Christiansen who combined for 22 touchdowns rushing and receiving on the season. East has the most prolific rushing attack in the state, headlined by Charlie Vincent and Tutu Spann, who combined for 866 yards and 19 touchdowns.

Region 1 No. 2-seed Fremont Silver Wolves (7-2, 5-1)
vs Region 2 No. 3-seed Cyprus Pirates (7-2, 2-2)

Fremont averaged 30 points per game to a 7-2 season record. The Silver Wolves have a pass-heavy attack led by quarterback Mitch Strafford, who threw for 25 touchdowns. Cyprus returns to the playoffs for the second-straight year after a 5-0 preseason start which included a thrilling comeback 35-34 win against Spanish Fork. Pirates quarterback Parker Meldrum threw for 12 touchdowns and scored another five on the ground. Defensively, Isaia Sedillo caused headaches for opposing offenses with five interceptions on the season.