Playoffs Week 1: Friday night’s Utah high school football roundup
Oct 23, 2026, 10:03 PM
Recapping the Utah high school football playoffs week 1. (Lukas Katilius, Deseret News)
(Lukas Katilius, Deseret News)
SALT LAKE CITY – Favorites controlled the action in the first week of playoff football across the Beehive State. The higher-ranked seed won all but one game under the Friday night lights.
Ogden silenced Union in the Game Night Live Game of the Week as the 2026 UHSAA football playoffs kicked off.
All scores courtesy of the Deseret News.
Three classifications opened the state tournament Friday, while the 4A, 5A and 6A brackets wait another week to begin.
Playoffs Week 1 scoreboard
Class 3A
No. 1 Morgan, No. 2 Juab and No. 3 Logan have byes into the Oct. 30 quarterfinals
No. 9 Cedar 44, No. 8 North Sanpete 20
Cedar City quarterback Colt Kelling threw two touchdown passes and ran for a third to help the Reds past North Sanpete. The Reds face top-ranked Morgan on Friday, October 30, at 6 p.m. MT.
No. 10 Union 3, No. 7 Ogden 42 ⭐ Game Night Live
Seventh-seeded Ogden jumped to a 21-0 lead before Union answered with a field goal. The Tigers’ defense didn’t allow another point in a blowout win. Ogden will take on No. 2 Juab on Friday, October 30.
No. 13 Ben Lomond 6, No. 4 Grantsville 55
The Cowboys reeled off 42 straight points after Ben Lomond opened the game with a touchdown. Dawson Dunleavy caught two of Crew Allred’s four first-half touchdown passes. Grantsville will host Richfield in the 3A quarterfinals.
No. 12 Carbon 9, No. 5 Richfield 35
Richfield’s defense and special teams ruled the day, with two pick-sixes and a Trey Yardley punt return for a first-half touchdown. Yardley added a rushing touchdown in the 29-point Richfield win.
No. 11 Manti 35, No. 6 Canyon View 17
The Templars scored the final 28 points to defeat Canyon View and become the only lower-seeded team to win on Friday night. Ben Taulapapa scored two rushing TDs, and Preston Higgins caught two TD passes from Owen Williams. Manti advances to face No. 3 Logan.
Class 2A
No. 1 San Juan, No. 2 Delta, No. 3 Summit Academy, and No. 4 South Summit will host quarterfinal home games on Friday, October 30.
No. 9 Judge Memorial 21, No. 8 Emery 28
The eighth-seeded Emery Spartans battled back and forth with Judge Memorial before Kai Whitsel caught a fourth-quarter TD pass to top the Bulldogs. Spartan QB Ajay Thomas ran for two touchdowns and threw for two others. Emery advances to face No. 1 San Juan on Friday, October 30.
