Run game keeps American Fork’s record perfect
The Cavemen faced a big test on Friday as they traveled to face one of 5A’s finest in West. The Panthers have the second-best Utah recruit of the 2027 class, according to 247 Sports, in four-star QB and Illinois commit Kamden Lopati.
It couldn’t get much going in the air, but American Fork’s ground game kept it alive in a 18-12 victory over the Panthers.
Most of the Cavemen’s offense came at the hands of senior running back Prince Afu, who finished Friday with 158 rushing yards on 23 carries.
“Really proud of our kids for a gritty performance on Friday,” said American Fork head coach Aaron Behm. “West is a great football team who played extremely physical, we were fortunate to come out on top. Really happy with the way we were able to finish in the fourth quarter and close things out.”
American Fork held a 10-0 halftime lead after a field goal and a touchdown run from Luke Broadbent. But Lopati got going in the third quarter and finished two touchdown passes to Jaxon Toala and Mani Tu’uao.
West’s defense held American Fork at bay, but it finally broke through with just four minutes left in the fourth quarter by none other than Afu. Afu had a 20-yard touchdown run for the go-ahead score.
“It has been great to see what Prince and the offensive line have been able to accomplish,” Behm said. “Really fun to see all their hard work in the offseason pay off.”
American Fork joins Corner Canyon, Lone Peak and Skyridge as Region 3 teams who opened the season 3-0.
Westlake gets first win over Bingham
Since its opening in 2009, Westlake has struggled on the football field. In 15 years of competition, the Thunder have had only a single season with a final record above .500, which was an 8-2 finish in 2010.
After the end of the 2024 season, which it finished 3-9, Westlake held an all-time winning percentage of just 32%.
However, with wins in Weeks 1 and 2, things seem to be turning in the right direction for Westlake. In Week 3, the Thunder went on the road and opened their Region 2 schedule with their first-ever win over Bingham, 17-10.
“I told our team all week that this game would be a program defining moment,” said Westlake head coach Arnold Ale. “We were 0-6 against them and the Bingham name is still nationally known. Like I mentioned in our preseason outlook, when you have buy in from top down: admin, coaching staff, players, parents, and community, good things usually happen.”
It was a field goal fest during the first half, with Bingham’s Tucker Brown hitting one field goal and Westlake’s Asher James hitting three for a 9-3 halftime score.
A touchdown from Bingham in the fourth quarter put itself up 10-9, but the Thunders’ offense marched back down and scored with just two minutes left. Dylan Blakey had the 1-yard rush for Westlake’s only touchdown of the night.
It was the first time since 2020 that Westlake opened a season with a 3-0 record.
“The process began my first year (in 2023), but I felt this year was the most buy in that we’ve had as a program,” Ale said. “Of course, we’ve added some new pieces at the skill positions, but we all knew this was going to be our breakout year. I’m just grateful for the people I get to work with who are on the same page, and more importantly the players who have allowed me to coach them hard.”
Mountain View survives Union off fourth-quarter comeback
Things did not look great for the Bruins through three quarters of Friday’s game with Union. Despite the deficit, Mountain View climbed back for a 21-20 win.
The Cougars earned a 14-0 halftime lead after a brutal 83-yard touchdown pass from Dylan Watahomigie to Cruz Labrum with just 18 seconds remaining in the first half.
Mountain View finally got on the board early in the third quarter on a 52-yard touchdown pass from Tate Johnson to Hyrum Stafford. But a touchdown from Union’s JD Mojado pushed its lead back to 13 after Mountain View blocked a PAT.
The Bruins quickly answered with a touchdown run from Carter Vance and they sealed the narrow 21-20 victory with a 42-yard touchdown pass again from Johnson to Stafford.
A late field goal saved Sky View against Spanish Fork
Sky View entered Week 3 without yet finding its first win of the season. The Bobcats had come close, but lost to Salem Hills 30-28 in Week 1 and Morgan 35-27 in Week 2.
With a 17-17 tie with just two minutes left in the fourth quarter on Friday, Sky View’s Jace Carlson hit a 30-yard field goal to give his team its first win of the season.
After the third quarter, Sky View actually held a 17-10 lead. Carlson hit a 45-yard field goal to end the first half, and a pair of touchdown throws from Jack Clark to Ollie Collins and Carlson put the Bobcats ahead.
However, midway through the fourth quarter Spanish Fork tied the game with a 1-yard touchdown run from Jordan Bunnell, which allowed Carlson to get the go-ahead field goal.
“Glad to see our kids’ resiliency as we battled through some adversity and kept our confidence and poise down the stretch to make just enough plays for the win,” said Sky View head coach Eric Alder.
Sky View is coming off a successful 2024 season where it ended the season 8-5 and reached the 4A semifinals.
Morgan continues preseason gauntlet with win over Park City
Ever since Morgan head coach Jared Barlow took over the program in 2020, its been expected that the Trojans will take on a difficult pre-region schedule. Last year, Morgan soared and finished with a perfect 13-0 record while beating teams like Sky View, Idaho’s Sky Line and Crimson Cliffs.
Yet again, Morgan is meeting the challenge this year in a gauntlet of 4A and 5A teams. The Trojans seem to be up to the task after Friday’s 24-21 win over Park City even after starting quarterback Cade Randall went down early in the second quarter.
Morgan previously lost to 4A powerhouse Ridgeline in Week 1 but beat Sky View in Week 2.
“We feel very blessed that we have had the opportunity to compete against some of the premier 4A programs the first three weeks,” said Trojans head coach Jared Barlow. “Park City is a great team, well coached, and play hard. We have not finished well the last few weeks, so that was a focus coming into the game.”
Morgan got it done with a solid mix of air and ground game. The Trojans had 234 rushing yards and 219 passing yards in Friday’s win.
Park City held a 21-18 lead after a long 80-yard touchdown pass from Nikolas Morgan to Brogan Price. However, the Trojans answered by marching back down field and scoring on a 1-yard run from Owen Gilson for the win.
Morgan’s Kanyon Leonelli and George Thurston also scored on the ground while Gilson also connected with Brody Peterson for another.
The Trojans continue their tough schedule with a road game against Bountiful in Week 4 and hosts Provo in Week 5.
“It was awesome to see the kids focus and finish,” Barlow said. “We knew it would be difficult, especially after losing Cade, but their response was amazing. Cade continued to stay engaged and helped lead from the side. I was very proud of how we responded.”