All state tournament invitations are accepted, right?
A no-brainer? Not neccessarily.Whitehorse has turned down a berth in the 1A football playoffs (a play-in game with Milford) - citing low numbers (including some disciplinary expulsions) and lots of injuries.
"I just figured we'd have no chance at all," said Whitehorse coach Marvin Johnson. "I just didn't want any of my kids hurt. We've been injury-riddled."
Down to just 16 players, including 12 freshmen, the Raiders are looking ahead.
"I had a rebuilding year to begin with," said Johnson, whose team reached the 1A semifinals last year. "We are thinking for the future."
A future that will likely never include another opportunity to play for a Utah state championship. Realignment will dissolve 1A football after this season.
"We might get something going," Johnson said of the school's decision to play exclusively in a Navajo Nation circuit, beginning next fall. "We'll have no problem filling the schedule. We've got more games than we know what to do with."
Neighboring Monument Valley will likely follow suit - leaving classification survivors Rich and Milford with no choice but to play 2A football with current 1A mates Altamont and Duchesne next year.
IT'S ABOUT TIME: After years of pleading with the Utah High School Activities Association, volleyball coaches throughout the state finally got what they wanted - a new state tournament format.
Four of the state's five classifications will now play a true double-elimination tournament, the lone exception being Class 1A. This new format should make it so that the "best" teams in the state can suffer an upset in the tournament and still make their way into the championship game.
The new format is the same that the UHSAA has used for the state baseball and softball tournaments. It allows teams that lose in the first or subsequent rounds a chance to continue to play for a spot in the championship game by meeting other teams with one loss.
Should the team with one loss defeat a team that made it to the title game with no losses, a second match will be played to determine the state champion. This new format will get its first test this week when the 2A and 3A tournaments begin play Friday.
HEISMAN HONOREES: Granite's Adam Vandermyde and Heidi Sonntag of Woods Cross are this year's state winners of the Wendy's High School Heisman Award - a program that honors high school seniors for academic excellence, community service and athletic achievement.
As state winners, the Utah pair will be considered for national recognition. A panel of judges will meet next month to narrow the nationwide field to six boys and six girls. Finalists will then be invited to New York City's famed Downtown Athletic Club for the Heisman Trophy national telecast on Dec. 14.
NO CHALLENGE: The third year of the Man vs. Machine Challenge, a weekly prep football pick'ems contest pitting Noland Parry's computerized Power Guide and guest pickers, proved to be no challenge. Technology won the challenge by a 260-242 (games correct) count. KUTV sportscasters David James and Reece Stein were outpicked by Parry 34-29 in the season's final week.
RUNNER'S WORLD: Sugarhouse Park and Highland High School play host to the annual state cross country meet Wednesday. Bingham (5A), Timpview (4A), Lehi (3A), San Juan (2A) and Dugway (1A) will defend boys titles, while Mountain View (5A), East (4A), Cedar City (3A), Monticello (2A) and Dugway (1A) are reigning girls champions.
Deseret News prep writer Clifton Schmidt contributed to this column.