Football
Ethan Jackson, Alta (Sr.)
Had a sensational performance in leading Alta to the dominant 48-23 win over defending state champion Orem.
Ethan Jackson completed 23 of 33 passes for 409 yards and seven touchdowns, with most of the damage coming in a 20-point second quarter in which Alta pulled away for good.
For the season Jackson has passed for 2,169 yards and 23 touchdowns for the now 4-3 Hawks.
“It was great to see our offense gel. Ethan Jackson had a great night connecting with wide receivers Jensen Campbell and Jace Turner,” said Alta coach Alema Teo.
Girls soccer
Emalee Plewe, Crimson Cliffs (Sr.)
Crimson Cliffs sits all alone atop the Region 10 standings with a three-game cushion, and a big reason why is the steady play at the back from senior Emalee Plewe.
She anchored the defense in wins over Dixie and Desert Hills last week, as the Mustangs are only allowing 0.7 goals per game in region.
“Emalee is the ultimate leader of our team. She plays the often thankless position of center back. She doesn’t get recognition for scoring goals or assisting, but we would not be where we are without her. She is a fearless defender and will do anything to prevent our opponent team from scoring. She is fast, smart, and an exceptional soccer player. She is a true competitor and is the heart of our team,” said Crimson Cliffs coach Kat Esplin.
Volleyball
Gabby Renaud, ICS (Sr.)
ICS picked up a huge region win last week against visiting Rich, and once again one of the catalysts to the big win was senior Gabby Renaud.
The outside hitter has been instrumental throughout the season in leading Intermountain Christian to the 17-2 record, and a perfect record against 1A competition in the state.
“Gabby is an amazing all-around team player. She is just having a lot of fun this season,” said ICS coach Lorenzo Gasper.
In the past four games, Renaud has recorded 19 aces, 54 kills, 49 digs, 31 received passes and is hitting .361 percentage.
Girls cross-country
Hailey Low, Layton (Jr.)
Hailey Low won her fifth race of the season last week at the Royal Run at Roy High School as she continues to set her sights on winning the big won at the state meet next month.
The junior posted a fantastic time of 17.52.0 to win the race, which was 46 seconds faster than the second-place finisher.
“We knew that she was going to have a fantastic year, but she has exceeded expectations. She has the most amazing determination to be fast and successful. She has won every race this year that she has been in except the race in Park City,” said Layton coach Aaron Bell.
In that Park City race, she was leading when she took a wrong turn and was lost for an hour. She ended up going seven miles off course but still finished the race.
Last year at the state meet Low finished seventh as a sophomore.
Boys cross-country
Henry Christiansen, Skyline (Jr.)
Henry Christiansen showed off his quality by finishing first at the Border Wars Cross Country Championships at Sugarhouse Park last weekend.
The senior recorded a great time of 15:25.19 to finish 14 seconds ahead of the second-place runner from Blackfoot, Idaho.
“Henry is one of the hardest workers I know. He goes about being a team leader in a very quiet but effective way. Henry is also a great student in the IB program where he maintains straight A’s,” said Skyline coach Tom Porter.
Last year as a junior, Christiansen finished 10th at state, the third-highest placing underclassmen in a race dominated by seniors.
Girls tennis
Alexandra Burnett, West (Jr.)
Alexandra Burnett put the finishing touches on a perfect season last week by capturing the Region 2 first singles region title. She finishes the regular season with a sparking 12-0 record.
“Alexandria’s strength, determination and focus is what guides her,” said West coach Casey Jackson.
At the final Region 2 tournament of the season she won both her matches 6-0, 6-0, and in region play she only dropped two games.
She’ll meet up with Pleasant Grove’s Oaklee Sorenson in the first round of the 6A state tournament.
As a freshman Burnett advanced to the 6A semifinals of the state tournament, but she didn’t participate in last year’s tourney.
Boys golf
Parker Bunn, Bonneville (So.)
Sophomore Parker Bunn dominated throughout Region 5 play this year, so it’s only fitting that he dominated the final meet at The Barn as well.
He wrapped up Region 5 play by shooting a 64 at the final meet at The Barn Golf Course, giving him a final scoring average of 67 in nine matches this season.
He won region medalist honors with a four-stroke cushion over the runner-up from Woods Cross.
“There are a couple of things that make Parker such a great golfer. First, he is willing to put in the work to improve his game, whether it is practice, tournament play or studying the game. Second, is his love for the game. He loves the challenge of constantly improving,” said Bonneville coach Michael Edwards.
He’ll compete in the 5A state tournament at Spanish Oaks Golf Course next week. He finished sixth at last year’s state meet with a two-day 4-under score.