Football
Will Warner, Snow Canyon (Sr.)
Will Warner played a big role in leading Snow Canyon to a resounding 56-12 victory over Dixie last week.
The senior scored on offense and special teams, all in the first half, en route to the win.
“Will Warner is one of the best all-around athletes I have ever seen in high school. He has a 3.94 cumulative GPA with an extremely challenging schedule. Not only does he play football, but also basketball and track where he helped both teams last season to a championship. He is a great kid and great leader,” said Snow Canyon coach Mike Esplin.
Warner returned a punt 82 yards for a score, a kickoff 89 yards for a score and then caught a 38-yard touchdown reception. He finished with five catches for 55 yards and then recorded two tackles defensively.
Girls Soccer
Nixan Jackson, Maple Mountain (Sr.)
Maple Mountain heads into this year’s 5A state tournament as a No. 7 seed, and Nixan Jackson has played a big part in that success.
The senior forward recorded 17 goals and six assists during the regular season as the Golden Eagles posted a 12-4 overall record and a 9-1 mark in region play to claim the Region 8 title.
“Nixan has been outstanding all season. She is a dynamic player that works extremely hard. Coming off of an injury during the spring, we weren’t sure what her game would be like this year. Fortunately for us, she has gotten better each week. Nixan is a great teammate, on and off the field. She involves others and is always helping players to step up to her level,” said Maple Mountain coach Cliff Swain.
Last week she scored a goal in Maple Mountain’s 4-0 win over Spanish Fork, then in the regular-season finale she noted a goal and assists in a 3-0 win over Salem Hills.
Volleyball
Kalia Kohler, Lone Peak (Sr.)
Lone Peak has navigated a challenging schedule so far this season and Kalia Kohler has been a steady force throughout.
The senior setter has led Lone Peak to a 12-6 overall record this season and a 5-0 record in region play, which included a 3-0 sweep over rival Pleasant Grove last week.
In that game Kohler recorded 33 assists, four digs and four kills.
“As a team captain and our setter, Kalia runs our offense, often isolating our hitters with a single block. Kalia averages 8.7 assists per set with a 42% efficiency,” said Lone Peak coach Paula Jardine.
Girls Cross Country
Hadlie Ballard, Green Canyon (So.)
With high school cross country heading into the final few weeks, Green Canyon sophomore Hadlie Ballard is positioning herself well for great success this October.
Ballard won the Cache Box cross country meet in Wellsville last week with a strong time of 20:05, just two seconds ahead of the runner-up finisher from Preston, Idaho.
“Hadlie is an amazing runner. She works hard every day and is dedicated to the sport. She joined us late in the season because she had to recover from stress fractures in both her feet, but once she started she never looked back. She inspires the whole team to do better and we love that she is part of our team,” said Green Canyon coach Aubrey Bracken.
Last season as a freshman Ballard finished 22nd at the 4A state meet but she figures to be in the hunt for a top 10 finish this season.
Boys Cross Country
Will Luoma, Northridge (Sr.)
A 13th-place finisher at the 5A state meet a year ago, Northridge senior Will Luoma is eyeing an even better finish this season, and his recent performance at the Davis District Championships certainly puts him in the conversation of potential top 10 finishers.
Luoma won the Davis District meet last weekend at Layton Commons with a strong time of 13:52.77, nearly seven seconds faster than the runner-up finisher from Bountiful.
“Not only is Will the fastest runner on our team, he is probably the most humble as well. It is apparent that he prefers to celebrate team successes rather than his own. His humility, along with other positive characteristics that make him a great athlete, is a large reason why he is such a great leader for our team. He always holds himself and others accountable without being demeaning or condescending. Because of this, others on the team love seeing him do well,” said Northridge coach Alan Rawlings.
“One of Will’s strongest traits in his running is his patience. He knows how to keep calm under pressure and run the race that he has planned rather than let other runners around him dictate what he does. I couldn’t be more proud of Will and what he has accomplished throughout his high school career. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for him.”
Girls Tennis
Emi Dowdell, Olympus (Fr.)
Olympus freshman Emi Dowdell recorded some big team points throughout last week’s 5A state tournament as she played a big role in leading the Titans to the state title.
Dowdell won all four of her third singles matches in straight sets and only dropped five total games in the process.
“Emi’s biggest strengths are her shot selection and patience. She has incredible technique with all tennis shots, understands when to unload offensively, and simply knows how to wear her opponents down,” said Olympus coach Katie Zimmerman.
Dowdell finished the season with a 13-0 record at third singles and then was 8-4 in her first doubles matches this season.
Boys Golf
Lance Loughton, Morgan (So.)
Lance Loughton polished off a great regular season last week by taking home the Region 13 medalist honors.
Loughton shot a two-day combined score of 141 at Lakeside Golf Course and Glen Eagle Golf Course to edge teammate Zaylin McCleary by two strokes for the region championship.
Loughton ended region play with the best season scoring average of 70.55.
Loughton heads into next week’s 3A state tournament in Richfield as one of the top contenders. Last season he finished tied for 11th at the state tournament as a freshman.
Baseball
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