No. 7 American Fork (9-4) vs. No. 6 East (10-3)
- 6A state tournament semifinal
- Friday, 2:30 p.m. (Rice-Eccles Stadium)
- Parry’s Power Guide: American Fork by 9
- All-time series: East leads 5-2
- Coach vs. coach: American Fork’s Aaron Behm and East’s Brandon Matich tied 1-1
- Last meeting: American Fork, 57, East 45 (Week 4)
SALT LAKE CITY — It’s been 10 weeks since American Fork beat East 57-45 back in Week 4, and neither coach is reading too much into that game as they prepare for Friday’s 6A semifinal rematch at Rice-Eccles Stadium at 2:30 p.m.
“It’s so long ago, 10 weeks is nearly a season ago,” said American Fork coach Aaron Behm. “In some ways it’s almost like watching film from last year, but the personnel is the same and a lot of what both teams are going to do is similar.”
Both coaches would love to see similar offensive productivity from that earlier meeting, but they also know if they play defense like last time they don’t stand a chance.
American Fork’s two quarterbacks combined for 439 yards and seven touchdowns in that earlier meeting.
In recounting the game, East coach Brandon Matich said after one particular touchdown, defensive coordinator Gary Bowers looked at him and said, “’How did he get that open?,’ and I said, ‘They’re all open, he was just the first guy he looked at,” said Matich.
Hayden Betts threw six of the seven touchdown passes in that earlier meeting, but Maddux Madsen has been American Fork’s top quarterback option this year, as he’s passed for 3,202 yards and 37 touchdowns.
For American Fork, this is the program’s fourth appearance in the semifinals at Rice-Eccles Stadium in the past six years and the second straight after losing in the championship at Lone Peak last year.
Behm said that familiarity could be beneficial on Friday.
“Our seniors have already played two games there, they kind of know how it works, when you get in the locker room, and hanging out and waiting to take the field and how you have to shorten up warmups,” said Behm.
American Fork ranks second in 6A in scoring at 40.0 ppg and has routinely been involved in high-scoring games, including several losses.
Regardless of how the game plays out, Behm said his players have to match East’s physicality in every phase of the game.
“Up front, in the secondary, they finish plays. Their backs run hungry to get in the end zone, to get the first down. We really have to match that physicality and wrap up,” he said.
As for East, there’s a renewed excitement within the program to be back in the semifinals after missing out on playing at Rice-Eccles Stadium last year.
“When you’re there it never gets old. It’s always exciting and thrilling and new and special, and our kids didn’t get to experience that last year, and it was a difficult on our program,” said Matich.
East snapped a recent four-game losing skid against Bingham to reach the semifinals, and did so with a dominant defensive effort. The task against American Fork’s spread offense will be vastly different.
“Their coach does a heck of a job schematically with how he positions players and gets in the windows and motions to open the windows and all those good things that great spread teams do,” said Matich.
American Fork’s defense faces an equally difficult scheme against East’s triple option offense, which rushed for 476 yards and seven touchdowns in the earlier meeting.
American Fork statistical breakdown
- Scoring offense: 40.0 ppg (2nd in 6A)
- Scoring defense: 31.0 ppg (20th in 6A)
- Passing leader: Maddux Madsen (229-393, 58.3%, 3,202 yards, 37 TDs, 13 INTs)
- Rushing leaders: Jaxon Gregory (207 carries, 1,190 yards, 16 TDs)
- Receiving leaders: Devin Downing (86 rec., 1,545 yards, 20 TDs), Tanner Holden (74 rec., 985 yards, 13 TDs)
- Tackles leaders: Kade Wakefield (76 tackles), Jackson Olsen (71 tackles)
- Sack leaders: Bodie Schoonover (4 sacks), Griffin Hadlock (2 sacks)
- Interception leaders: Tanner Holden, Taylor Crump (5 INTs)
East statistical breakdown
- Scoring offense: 32.2 ppg (6th in 6A)
- Scoring defense: 16.1 ppg (3rd in 6A)
- Passing leader: Izaak Zimmerman (6 TDs)
- Rushing leaders: Amini Amone (1,683 yards, 12 TDs), Mapa Vaneuku (833 yards, 7 TDs), Sione Angilau (1,103 yards, 10 TDs)
- Receiving leaders: Iversyn Tapusoa (3 TDs)
- Tackles leaders: Osotonu Samani (135 tackles), Nicolas Sessions (80 tackles), Sione Angilau (79 tackles)
- Sack leaders: Voi Tunuufi Tuunufi (16.5 sacks), Sione Angilau (11 sacks)
Felt’s Facts for American Fork High School
- All-time record: 498-328-21 (94 years)
- Region championships: 17 (1937, 1938, 1939, 1942, 1953, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1971, 1972, 1974, 1975, 1977 co, 1980, 1984, 1995 co, 2007 co, 2014)
- Playoff appearances: 41
- All-time playoff record: 32-38
- State championships: 2 (1961, 1962)
- State championship record: 2-4
Felts Facts for East High School
- All-time record: 594-360-31 (106 years)
- Region championships: 38 (1917, 1919, 1920, 1921, 1922, 1923 co, 1925 co, 1926, 1929 co, 1934, 1935, 1936 co, 1937 co, 1938, 1939, 1940, 1942, 1943, 1952, 1953, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1960, 1962, 1964, 1966, 1973, 1996, 2006 co, 2007 co, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 co)
- Playoff appearances: 47
- All-time playoff record: 67-29-2
- State championships: 17 (1917, 1919, 1920, 1921, 1922, 1923, 1925, 1926, 1943, 1952, 1953, 1955, 1956, 1964, 1974, 1996, 2015, 2016) -- championships determined by season record vs. other high schools from 1898-1918.
- State championship record: 14-5-1