Fourth-seeded Spanish Fork (11-2) and third-seeded Crimson Cliffs (11-2) meet in Thursday’s 4A state championship game at 6:30 p.m. at Rice-Eccles Stadium, as both teams look to make program history.
The Dons aim for their first state title in their 105-year history, while the Mustangs seek their second championship in just their sixth season of existence. Spanish Fork reached its first final since 2012 with a 21-14 upset of top-seeded Ridgeline, while Crimson Cliffs advanced by defeating Sky View 38-29.
These teams’ only previous meeting came in 2022, when Crimson Cliffs dominated in a 35-7 home victory. However, both programs have evolved significantly since then, with Spanish Fork emerging as one of 4A’s most explosive offenses behind quarterback McKay Smith (2,904 yards, 27 TDs) and running back Kaden Vest (2,429 yards, 27 TDs).
Vest’s single-season rushing yards of 2,429 ranks sixth all time. With 69 yards he’ll move into fourth all-time. With 133 yards he’ll move into third all-time. He’d a monster game of 217 yards to move into second place. East’s Jaylen Warren owns the state record with 3,099 rushing yards back in 2016.
The Mustangs counter with their own dynamic offense, averaging 31.5 points behind quarterback Ryder Sherratt (2,427 yards, 28 TDs) and running back McCord Christiansen (2,098 yards, 20 TDs). Malakai Alofipo leads all receivers with 60 catches for 1,258 yards and 16 touchdowns.
Defensively, Spanish Fork features linebackers Brock Jacobson (74 tackles) and Cael Cabreros (65 tackles), while Gage Christensen has four interceptions. Crimson Cliffs’ defense, allowing just 21.4 points per game, is anchored by McKay Wright (163 tackles, 3 INTs) and Max Griffiths (119 tackles, 7 sacks).
“Our guys wanted it. They put in all the work in the offseason,” said Spanish Fork coach Dustin Smith about last week’s semifinal win. “When we were looking ahead to this moment, we stayed in each moment as it came, and now we’re here and now we are going to go play for it.”
The Dons enter having won five straight games since their only region loss to Provo. Spanish Fork has scored 30 or more points nine times this season while reaching double-digit wins for just the second time in school history.
Crimson Cliffs rides an 11-game winning streak into the final after starting 1-2. The Mustangs offense has averaged 35.4 points during that winning streak.
The championship matchup features contrasting program histories — Spanish Fork is seeking its first title in its second championship game appearance, while Crimson Cliffs aims to add another trophy despite opening just six years ago.
The Dons look to avoid remaining with Park City and North Sanpete in the state record books as the only programs to play more than 100 seasons without winning a state championship. Spanish Fork’s 105-year wait for a title could end Thursday behind an offense averaging 41.5 points per game.
This report was compiled with the assistance of ChatGPT.