Success rates among the higher-seeded teams in Friday's 4A and 3A first-round playoffs of the UHSAA-First Security Bank state championships were average at best. Only half of the higher-seeded 4A and 3A teams advanced to next week's quarterfinals with victories.
In the six 4A first-rounders played Friday, four higher-seeded teams suffered losses on their home fields. Most noteworthy was second-ranked Alta, a 33-12 loser to a Provo team that still doesn't boast a winning overall record. In ending its season with a first-round loss, Alta was joined by Timpview, Roy and West Jordan.The 3A playoffs went a little more according to the playoff seedings, with two of the higher seeded teams being defeated. Jordan, ranked No. 4 in the final regular-season polls, was upended by Box Elder, the fourth-place seed from Region 5. Meanwhile, Region 7 champion Lehi was defeated by Utah County neighbor Spanish Fork.
In the 2A quarterfinals, the biggest tumble came from on high, with top-ranked and previously undefeated Hurricane was upset at home by late-blooming Delta. Another ranked team will lose Saturday as No. 4 San Juan visits No. 2 North Sanpete, the latter being the only 2A team with an unblemished record.
Only in the four 1A quarterfinals did the higher-ranked and higher-seeded teams stay true to form. The only ranked team to lose was fifth-ranked Rich, which lost to No. 3 Duchesne.
4A first round
Skyline 44, Bingham 14: The top-ranked Eagles jumped out to a 44-0 lead by the third quarter, with Adam Kershaw carrying only twice for 89 yards and two TDs. Jake Marshall rushed nine times for 157 yards, scoring on an 80-yard run and a 44-yard pass from Joey Dupaix. Skyline, which had four rushers with at least 40-plus yards gained each, is now 9-1 overall.
Bingham, which ended the game with a pair of Corey Price-to-Allan Giles scoring tosses, finishes at 4-6.
Highland 21, Timpview 14 (2 OT): Joe Sheffield scored the game-winning TD in the second overtime for the third-ranked Rams, now 8-2. The T-birds end the year with a 6-3 record.
Granger 17, Roy 14: The Lancers ran their way overtop the Royals, as Shawn Peterson carried 14 times for 87 yards and two TDs and Marty Kinnear added 15 rushes for another 99 yards. Travis Mulford kicked a 33-yard FG and two PATs, with Peterson's second score - a 1-yard run in the fourth quarter - being the game-winner for Granger, now 7-3.
Jake Shulz scored both Roy TDs on carries of 13 and 7 yards, while Phil Durbano was held to 7-of-29 passing for 79 yards. Roy ends at 7-3.
Provo 33, Alta 12: Winless at home this year, the Bulldogs pulled off their biggest road win of the season, thumping the second-ranked Hawks and not allowing the hosts to score until the final period. Provo improves to 4-5, while Alta ends with a 7-3 overall record.
"Our offense executed very well, as well as our defense," said Provo Coach Frank Henderson. "They (the Hawks) are a good team and they have a good program there. I was just proud of our guys and how well they played."
Davis, 14, Taylorsville 7: The fourth-ranked Darts triumphed as Keith Elison and Joe Warden scored on 1-yard TD runs in the first half. Davis is now 8-2; Taylorsville finishes at 6-4.
Saturday's games: The final two 4A first-round games will be played today, with a pair of teams tied at No. 5 in the final rankings serving as hosts. Olympus travels to Orem for a 1 p.m. game, while Bonneville visits Cyprus at 4 p.m.
3A first round
Dixie 41, Sky View 18: Tyler Wilkinson rushed 26 times for 260 yards and four TDs of 6, 33, 2 and 69 yards. A fifth Wilkinson touchdown was actually his first of the game - a 97-yard kickoff return after the visiting Bobcats had jumped out to a 12-0 lead in the first quarter.
Greg Robertson rushed for two Sky View TDs and passes for a third. Dixie, ranked fifth in the final regular-season poll, is 8-1; Sky View ends its season at 6-4.
Spanish Fork 35, Lehi 6: Matt Maraziale rushed for 202 yards and a touchdown as the Dons snapped the Region 7 champion Pioneers' five-game win streak. Five different Spanish Fork players scored the five touchdowns, while QB Kent Crook was credited with a pair of scoring passes. Spanish Fork is now 4-5 overall; Lehi ends at 5-4.
Emery County 30, Pine View 29: After the Panthers scored twice to take a 29-22 lead with three minutes to play, the host Spartans took over on their own 13 and scored on a 38-yard pass from Gus Childs to Shawn Borba, with Childs hitting Jared Butler for the game-winning two-point PAT pass with :31 left to play.
Childs ended with two TD passes and one TD run for Emery, which is 8-2 overall. Pine View, which concludes with a 6-4 record, had a four-TD passing performance from Greg Sampson.
Mountain Crest 28, West 15: The Mustangs ended a late-season surge by the Panthers with MC's sixth win in the past seven weeks. Mountain Crest is now 6-3; West ends with a 5-5.
Springville 42, Uintah 2: The second-ranked Red Devils had no trouble with the Utes, which had played three nights earlier in a preliminary playoff to qualify for the first round. Springville remains one of only three teams in the state with an unbeaten record at 9-0; Uintah finishes at 4-6.
Saturday's games: The final two 3A first-round games are scheduled for today, with Woods Cross heading to third-ranked Bear River for a 3 p.m. contest, while two-time titlist Logan visits top-ranked Bountiful at 5 p.m.
2A quarterfinals
Beaver 24, Kanab 13: The Beavers picked off four passes and rushed for 323 yards while holding the Cowboys to a net rushing yardage of nine yards. Ben Dalton paced Beaver with TD runs of 14 and 75 yards and a 25-yard FG, while teammate Travis Hugh scored on a 35-yard carry and kicked three PATs for the third-ranked Beavers, who are now 7-2 overall.
Kanab, which ends the season with a 5-5 mark, was paced by James Reidhead's 1-yard TD run and his 17-yard scoring pass to Dallas Fox.
Park City 35, Millard 0: Justin Christense rushed for two TDs and caught one of Matt Marriott's two scoring passes as the fourth-ranked Miners shut out the Eagles. Mike Packard rushed 17 times for 119 yards and another TD for Park City, now 8-1.
The Eagles, which end with a 7-3 record, used a second-quarter Rick Robins pass that traveled 60-plus yards in the air to set up a first-and-goal at the PC 1-yard line, but the Miners kept the visitors out of the end zone.
Delta 28, Hurricane 18: The Rabbits continued their late-season roll with 258 rushing yards and all four scores on the ground - two by Joe Myers - in the on-the-road upset over the top-ranked Tigers. Hurricane's Renvic Erickson scored one TD on the ground and caught a TD pass from QB Cal Nielson, who ended with 172 yards rushing.
"We had some real inopportune fumbles," said Hurricane Coach Wes Christiansen. "Delta has a real good ball-control offense and we didn't get the ball back."
Saturday's game: Defending champion San Juan travels to second-ranked North Sanpete for a 1 p.m. quarterfinal contest.
1A quarterfinals
North Summit 48, East Carbon 0: The top-ranked Braves scored 21 points in the middle two quarters, as Matt Bates rushed 14 times for 131 yards and TDs of 4, 10 and 10 yards. Brandon Jones completed 11 of 18 passes with two touchdowns and no interceptions. North Summit is 6-4; East Carbon ends at 4-6.
Milford 39, Altamont 8: Chris Barnes rushed 21 times for 206 yards and a touchdown, while Tiger teammate Brandon Griffith carried 13 times for 152 yards and 2 scores. Troy Netto added a pair of TDs, while Brett Myers contributed one for lopsided victory by second-ranked Milford, now 9-1 overall.
Barnes, Myers and Griffith also logged double-digit tackle totals for the Tigers. Altmont ends the season with a 2-8 mark.
Monticello 18, Parowan 14: The fourth-ranked Buckaroos cut a 14-6 deficit to 14-12 just before half on a 5-yard TD run by Robbie Adams. Monticello, now 6-4, had all sorts of offense in the second half but only one score - the winning score, an 18-yard run in the fourth quarter by Brandon Goodwine. Parowan finishes the year at 3-6.
Duchesne 16, Rich 6: The third-ranked Eagles defeated the fifth-ranked Rebels for the second time in four weeks. Duchesne is 8-1; Rich concludes at 5-5.