With winter sports rapidly winding down, eyes turn forward to the start of the Spring sports season. This year, all classifications except for 6A have their defending state champion as preseason favorites to repeat. Alta (5A), Crimson Cliffs (4A), Ogden (3A) and Maeser Prep (2A) are the defending state champs and favorites in their respective classifications. Lone Peak is the favorite for 6A in this year’s coaches’ preseason rankings.
Last year, Lone Peak and defending champion American Fork looked like it was on a collision course to the state championship. The Region 3 rivals split the region series and were sitting in the semifinals.
The Cavemen qualified for the state championship game, but the Knights were stunned by No. 11 Bingham in a long 12-11 shootout loss. Lone Peak graduated a large pool of seniors, but it always has talent ready to fill the shoes.
Defending 5A champion Alta returns as the favorite, and it’s easy to see why, as the Hawks return arguably the most firepower in the state.
It’s senior trio of Tanner Kunz, Beckham Butler and Jack McAllister will all be returning. All three were the leading goal scorers for last year’s championship squad. They combined for 43 goals and 16 assists.
“Returning great players from last year. It will be fun and challenging to see how they come together as a team and compete in our new region,” said Alta head coach Mackenzie Hyer.
After winning its first state title in 2022, Crimson Cliffs climbed back atop the throne in a convincing 3-0 win over Dixie in last year’s 4A state championship. It was voted to go back-to-back in 4A.
Dixie had won both of its regular-season matchups with the Mustangs and took the Region 9 title, but the Mustangs got the last laugh.
It should come as no surprise that the two-time 3A defending champion Ogden returns as the favorite. The Tigers went undefeated in 2025 and have a 27-game win streak.
Two-time 3A all-state players Jace Rodriguez and Xavier Peregrina are among the returners for Ogden. Rodriguez led the team in scoring with 23 goals and seven assists last year as a junior. Peregrina led the defense with 11 shutouts last season.
Overall, Ogden has a significant number of contributors returning, and it should regain a lot of continuity from last year’s perfect 18-0 team.
“We are excited for this upcoming season,” said Ogden head coach Todd Scott. “We have a lot of young talent coming into our program, mixed in with a very senior-heavy roster.”
Finally, in 2A, we have Maeser Prep as the favorite. The Lions made school history last season by becoming the first team in any sport to win a state championship for Maeser Prep.
Maeser Prep had a strong defense in 2025 that held opponents to just a goal per game. Two major contributors are returning on the defensive end for the Lions in Gavin Dayton and Kale Garner. Both Dayton and Garner were named to the 2A all-state first team last year as juniors.
“We’re returning lots of key starters and looking to make another deep run in the playoffs,” said Maeser Prep head coach Dustin Simmons.
Deseret News preseason coaches rankings
Class 6A
Team (2025 record)
- Lone Peak (17-3)
- Skyridge (14-6)
- American Fork (14-4)
- Davis (11-6)
- Farmington (5-8)
Class 5A
Team (2025 record)
- Alta (18-2)
- Wasatch (18-3)
- Bountiful (18-2)
- Pleasant Grove (11-8)
- Brighton (7-10)
Class 4A
Team (2025 record)
- Crimson Cliffs (16-3)
- Murray (17-2)
- Ridgeline (14-4)
- Dixie (16-3)
- East (17-3)
Class 3A
Team (2025 record)
- Ogden (18-0)
- Morgan (12-3)
- Ben Lomond (10-5)
- Manti (16-4)
- Logan (8-11)
Class 2A
Team (2025 record)
- Maeser Prep (18-3)
- American Heritage (14-3)
- St. Joseph (9-5)
- Waterford (10-5)
- Rowland Hall (6-8)