Last week, two teams fell from the ranks of the undefeated (Layton and Enterprise) and now there are just five (Bingham, East, Alta, Springville and South Summit). We've also learned that regions 2 and 4 are still anyone's game.
Here are the six games Utah high school football fans should keep their eyes on this weekend.
1. Lone Peak (5-1, 3-0) at American Fork (5-1, 2-0)
The Knights are picking up where they finished last season in dominating the competition with the exception of a 42-21 loss to top-ranked Bingham. The Knights, still the favorites in Region 4, will finish the season with four very tough opponents, including the Cavemen. American Fork is coming off a huge 38-14 win over Lehi. The Cavemen will have their hands full against a Knights team that is averaging 36.5 points per game.
2. Alta (6-0, 3-0) at Skyridge (5-1, 3-0)
The Hawks proved after their win over Timpview that they are the team to beat in Region 7. The Hawks are one of the best offensive teams in the state, averaging a scorching 46.5 points per game. The Falcons will have their hands full stopping that prolific offense. The Falcon defense is allowing 21.3 points per game, not great but they'll need to keep Alta under 40 if they have any shot, something only two teams have been able to accomplish (Timpview and Dixie).
3. Highland (4-1, 2-0) at Woods Cross (5-1, 3-0)
This is probably a must-win game for both teams. The Rams have a huge win over Sky View and have dominated so far in Region play. But with games against Davis and East, the Rams need to beat the Wildcats. Woods Cross has played well and won most of its games by 10 points or less. If the Wildcats want to stay in contention for Region 5, they must defeat the Rams because they still have to face Lone Peak and East.
4. Desert Hills (5-1, 2-0) at Dixie (3-3, 2-0)
The Thunder have had an incredible start to the season. They played 5A powerhouse Jordan close in Week 1 and have dominated in every week since. The Thunder have shut out two teams so far this season and are giving up just 12.5 points per game. The Flyers may have had the toughest nonregion schedule in the state. Dixie went 0-3 the first three weeks against Springville (6-0), Lone Peak (5-1) and Alta (6-0). The Flyers come in on a three-game winning streak, including a big 38-7 win over Pine View. This game could very well determine the 3AA South Region champion.
5. South Summit (6-0, 2-0) at Summit Academy (5-1, 2-0)
The Wildcats are dominating the 2A North Region. South Summit won their first two region games by a combined score of 114-14. The Wildcats are averaging an outstanding 40.7 points per game. The Bears, also dominating region play 92-46, know that if they want any chance of winning the 2A North Region, they need to beat South Summit.
6. Duchesne (4-1, 0-0) at Layton Christian (5-1, 2-0)
The Duchesne Eagles open region play against a tough Layton Christian team that's already dominated in the 1A North Region, going 2-0 and outscoring opponents 76-12. Duchesne is coming in after a bye week, winning games by an average of 18 points. The Layton Christian Eagles still have a lot to prove after their hot start. Their one loss was a 43-0 dismantling by Diamond Ranch, a team Duchesne defeated earlier in the season 41-13.
Honorable mentions:
This week is full of juicy matchups so here is a list of the games that fans should still look at but didn't make it on our list.
Jordan (4-1, 2-0) at West Jordan (5-1, 2-1)
Granger (4-2, 1-1) at Davis (5-1, 2-1)
Layton (4-1, 1-1) at Syracuse (4-2, 2-1)
Wasatch (4-2, 1-1) at Springville (6-0, 3-0)
Stansbury (5-1, 3-0) at Ridgeline (4-2, 2-1)
Milford (4-1, 1-0) at Kanab (5-1, 0-0)
Nathan Harker is a sports writing intern currently enrolled at Brigham Young University majoring in broadcast journalism. Nathan can be reached at nathan.harker32@gmail.com or via Twitter @n8_harker.