3A championship preview
Richfield-Manti
It’s unlikely anyone at the beginning of the season truly predicted the 3A championship as being a 1-2 matchup between Richfield and Manti. Nevertheless, so it is that the two squads simultaneously ended long droughts of contention, and the No. 2 Templars will meet the undefeated No. 1 Wildcats for the 3A title game in Eccles Coliseum at Southern Utah University on Saturday.
An unstoppable force meets an immovable object as Manti’s deadly offense faces off with Richfield’s suffocating defense. When these two teams met in the regular season, the immovable object took that round as Richfield prevailed, 28-7, while the Manti offense was left looking for answers. With more knowledgeable preparation on both sides, it is once against anyone’s game in the final.
Manti is led by its record setting junior quarterback Maison Starkweather. Starkweather has shattered just about every school offensive record in Manti history and currently leads the state in passing touchdowns. He has completed 64.2% of his passes for 3,764 yards and 46 TDs with eight picks. The Templars have multiple 1,000-yard receivers as Hunter Stevens leads the way with 77 catches for 1,328 yards and 16 TDs, while Reggie Frischknecht has 84 catches for 1,241 yards and 17 TDs.
Manti’s defense is solid as well and was a huge part of how the Templars got past the Morgan Trojans in the semifinals. Lincoln Alder leads the way with 16.5 sacks for the season, a top-five number in the state, while the team has 38 sacks as a whole.
Richfield’s offense features a balanced attack with several personnel. Reggie Hafen leads the offense at quarterback and has completed 69.8% of his passes for 2,352 yards and 21 TDs with six INTs. Hafen is also his team’s leading rusher with 44 rushing yards and 11 TDs on the ground. Hafen’s main receiving target has been Kai Thomas, who has 47 catches for 688 yards and seven TDs.
The greatest catalyst of Richfield’s undefeated run has been its defense. The Wildcats have pressured teams on the defensive end with absurd levels of intensity, tallying 30 total sacks and a terrifying 24 INTs. What’s more is that they’ve specialized in turning those defensive plays into immediate points, racking up eight defensive TDs this season, including a pick-six in the semifinals against Canyon View.
Both of these teams are making returns to the big stage after long absences. Manti makes the title game for the first time since 2013, while Richfield breaks a generational streak by making its first title game since 1988.
2A championship preview
San Juan-South Summit
The 2A state championship Saturday in Eccles Coliseum at Southern Utah University is a classic case of “David against Goliath” as No. 2 South Summit becomes the final contender in 2A to take its shot at undefeated No. 1 San Juan.
The two squads never met during the regular season. San Juan hasn’t lost a game in nearly three seasons, and neither of South Summit’s losses were against teams on San Juan’s schedule, meaning Saturday’s championship bout will take place with virtually no precedent of expectations.
The heavy favorite in the matchup is San Juan, and for good reason. The Broncos are playing to win their third straight 2A title and their 37th straight game. A win would give them the third-longest winning streak in state history. They are led by the prolific offensive senior duo of quarterback Parker Snyder and running back Zach Conway. Snyder has nearly a 75% completion percentage this season while throwing for 2,962 yards and 37 touchdowns with just four interceptions. Conway, meanwhile, has been an unstoppable force in the backfield, averaging 10 yards per carry while racking up 1,380 rushing yards and a state-leading 31 TDs.
The Broncos have been solid defensively, collecting 22 total sacks while getting 16 total interceptions.
South Summit’s football dominance took a few years off after going back-to-back in 2017-2018. Now, the Wildcats look to try and reclaim the top spot, but they have to take out the clear top dog to do it. They’ll be led offensively by quarterback Bracken Lassche, who has completed 59.4% of his passes for 2,304 yards and 28 TDs with eight INTs. His two favorite targets are Mitchell Gempeler and Stratton Stevens, who have nearly identical receiving stats and nine TDs each. Trey Stembridge mans the backfield at running back and has 783 rushing yards and 16 TDs.
Defensively, the Wildcats might just have the biggest and most important strength of any opponent San Juan has faced as they are arguably the best team in the state at getting to the QB. South Summit has racked up an unreal 56 sacks on the year, led by Brady Freeman (14 sacks) and Noah Gunnerson (13 sacks). Kaden Hunter has been all over the defense with five sacks and three interceptions on the year.
The two squads are set to play for the 2A state championship at 4 p.m. on Saturday.
1A championship preview
Beaver-Enterprise
The 1A state championship concludes with a matchup between the No. 3 Enterprise Wolves and the No. 1 Beaver Beavers in Eccles Coliseum at Southern Utah University on Saturday. Enterprise upset No. 2 Duchesne, 18-12, in the semifinals to earn its first trip to a state championship game since 2005, while Beaver makes the big game for the fifth year in a row after advancing to the 2A title game every year from 2019 to 2022.
The Beaver are a highly experienced group when it comes to playoffs. As one of the largest small-school teams in the state, the Beavers’ current senior class has gone 7-2 in playoff games since its freshman year.
Beaver’s run-heavy wing-T offense has featured five different players with at least 200 rushing yards, led by Tate Gale and Tavyn Hollingshead who have combined for 1,641 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns. Nine different players have scored a rushing TD for the Beavers. Under center is Bodie Wheatley, who had 1,032 passing yards for 12 TDs and three interceptions.
The Beaver defense was stellar this season as Baylor Blackburn led the state in interceptions this season with nine picks. The team has a total of 20 INTs on the year.
Enterprise is ready to embrace the underdog mentality, especially after having not beaten the Beavers since 2011. The Wolves may not have to worry much about Beaver’s pass defense in this matchup. Quarterback Ryker Phillips has passed for only 667 yards this season, with nine TDS and nine INTs. Instead. the Wolves feature a dominant tandem of running backs led by Kyron Bracken, who has amassed 1,297 rushing yards on 173 carries with 18 TDs. Brayden Gardner has 975 yards on 142 carries with nine TDs, while Jaden Drake has an impressive 719 yards on just 96 carries with 11 TDs.
The Enterprise defense is just as imposing if not a little more. The Wolves defensive front features sack artist Parker Holt, who has 10 sacks on the year. Meanwhile, in the secondary, the Wolves have nabbed 22 INTs as Phillips, Jackson Hiatt and Gardner each have four.
The two teams met during the regular season, and Beaver came away with a defining 21-14 victory, Enterprise’s only loss of the season. A win in the title game for the Wolves would secure the first state title in 20 years for the team, while Beaver looks to finish its first season as a 1A team in the best way possible.