No. 7 American Fork (8-4) at No. 2 Herriman (9-2)
- 6A state tournament quarterfinal
- Friday, 5 p.m.
- Parry’s Power Guide: American Fork by 6
- All-time series: American Fork leads 5-3
- Coach vs. coach: American Fork’s Aarom Behm leads Herriman’s Dustin Pearce 5-3
- Last meeting: Herriman 34, American Fork 21 (week 5)
HERRIMAN — As Herriman and American Fork prepare to meet in the 6A quarterfinals, both coaches are looking to the past to help prepare for the future.
In a meeting in week 5, Herriman defeated American Fork 34-21 after the Mustangs outscored the Cavemen 20-7 in the fourth quarter.
“I think if we look back at the film, they’re just very physical, especially on the D-line, their front six and front seven. We need to handle that better than we did the first time, we need to be able to stop the run. That first time, they were really able to control the clock, limit possessions and our opportunities,” American Fork head coach Aaron Behm said. “Getting off the field on third down, where our offense can get the ball back, those sorts of things are going to be huge.”
The Mustangs are led by Jaxon James, who has thrown for 1,430 yards and 13 touchdowns. On the ground, Kepu Fifita has rushed for 602 yards. In its opening playoff game, Herriman beat Jordan 37-19.
“He’s given us confidence that we’ve never had here at this school before, being able to throw the ball. He’s a leader by action and a student of the game,” Pearce said of James.
Herriman really shines on defense, as the Mustangs boast the No. 1 defense in 6A, allowing just 13.3 points per game. Mana Kula Jr. has been getting to the quarterback, racking up 20.5 sacks this season.
“Any time you have the leading sack man in the state on your team, it’s a huge impact. He’s a fantastic player,” Pearce said.
Pearce’s keys to victory are not turning the ball over, controlling the clock, getting first downs and not giving up big plays.
American Fork comes into the matchup after winning a 66-45 shootout against Roy.
“They can score at any point, they have tremendous team speed, two really good quarterbacks. They’re a well-coached team. Aaron does a fantastic job,” Pearce said.
American Fork’s offense is averaging 41 points per game, second in 6A. The Cavemen are led by quarterback Maddux Madsen, who has thrown for 3,075 yards and 37 touchdowns.
“He’s great. He’s still very young and still getting better. To have a sophomore that can come in and contribute like that is a really big deal. He’s just trying to get better each and every week,” Behm said.
On defense, Kade Wakefield has been a leader, totaling 67 tackles.
“Kade has been great. He’s a captain, he’s a vocal leader, he’s a steadying influence when maybe things go wrong a little bit on defense. He’s also the reason why a lot of things go right for us on defense. He’s just a really good leader and somebody that kids can look to on the defensive side of the ball to get things going,” Behm said.
Behm’s keys to victory in the rematch is getting stops on third down, maximizing opportunities and taking care of the ball.
American Fork statistical breakdown
- Scoring offense: 41.0 ppg (2nd in 6A)
- Scoring defense: 32.4 ppg (20th in 6A)
- Passing leader: Maddux Madsen (217-368, 59.0%, 3,075 yards, 37 TDs, 11 INTs)
- Rushing leaders: Jaxon Gregory (182 carries, 1,043 yards, 13 TDs)
- Receiving leaders: Devin Downing (80 rec., 1,403 yards, 19 TDs), Tanner Holden (72 rec., 970 yards, 13 TDs)
- Tackles leaders: Kade Wakefield (67 tackles), Jackson Olsen (61 tackles)
- Sack leaders: Bodie Schoonover, McKay Owen, Griffin Hadlock (2 sacks)
- Interception leaders: Tanner Holden (5 INTs), Taylor Crump (4 INTs)
Herriman statistical breakdown
- Scoring offense: 25.0 ppg (15th in 6A)
- Scoring defense: 13.3 ppg (1st in 6A)
- Passing leader: Jaxon James (110-215, 51.1%, 1,520 yards, 13 TDs, 9 INTs)
- Rushing leaders: Kepu Fifita (123 carries, 602 yards, 5 TDs), Cole Williams (112 carries, 538 yards, 4 TDs)
- Receiving leaders: Alex Anderson (44 rec., 631 yards, 4 TDs), Jeffrey Butler (15 rec., 298 yards, 2 TDs)
- Tackles leaders: Davis Byrge (74 tackles), Mana Kula Jr. (69 tackles)
- Sack leaders: Mana Kula Jr. (20.5 sacks), 6.5 sacks)
- Interception leaders: Carter Pearce, Brock Hollingsworth, Jadd Warner (2 INTs)
Felt’s Facts for American Fork High School
- All-time record: 497-328-21 (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: 31-38
- State championships: 2 (1961, 1962)
- State championship record: 2-4
Felts Facts for Herriman High School
- All-time record: 61-44 (10 years)
- Region championships: 2 (2013 co, 2019 co)
- Playoff appearances: 9
- All-time playoff record: 9-8
- State championships: 1 (2015)
- State championship record: 1-0