American Fork at Lone Peak, 7 p.m.
The Cavemen get a chance at revenge for their 66-19 loss to the Knights in the Class 5A state semifinals last year at Rice-Eccles Stadium. And it’s all about the passing game with the Cavemen. Senior QB Bronson Barron runs the offense, averaging 338.6 yards passing per game. He’s thrown 22 TDs and only seven INTs while completing 65 percent of his attempts. Chase Roberts leads the Cavemen with 37 catches for 652 yards and seven TDs. Farrell Dean is next with 31 grabs for 421 yards and another seven TDs. The Knights (4-1) aren’t afraid to throw it around, either. The senior trio of Cody Collins, Brigham Trowbridge and Kaden Clemens each has at least 320 yards receiving this season. But the Lone Peak rushing attack isn’t slacking off. Masen Wake leads the way with 467 yards, while Kobe Freeman has rushed for 433 yards. That balance makes slowing down Lone Peak difficult. One thing to keep an eye on is Lone Peak’s pass rush, led by Jonah Vimahi and his 4.5 sacks, against American Fork’s passing game. The Knights have won four of the last five meetings with American Fork, outscoring the Cavemen 186-112 over that span.
TribPreps coverage • Eric Butler
Olympus at Lehi, 7 p.m.
Two of the top prep recruits will square off with an upper hand in the fight for the Region 6 crown at stake. Pioneers QB Cammon Cooper, who has committed to Washington State, will try to avoid the pass rush from defensive lineman Cameron Latu, an Alabama commit. The Titans held off West 45-42 in Week 5, thanks to 308 yards and four TDs through the air by QB Harrison Creer. The senior has been putting up impressive numbers this season. He’s thrown for 1,254 yards and 17 TDs to guide the Titans to a 3-2 start. Jake Hodgson led the Olympus defense with 17 total tackles in the West win. Lehi, after a record-setting offensive output against Alta in the opener, hasn’t been nearly as prolific. Cooper did throw for 362 yards and four scores in the 51-33 win over Maple Mountain in Week 5. Kade Moore continues to be Cooper’s main target. He’s hauled in 39 passes for 686 yards and seven TDs.
TribPreps coverage • Maddie Lee
Jordan at Brighton, 7 p.m.
The Bengals suffered their first loss of the season in Week 5, a 42-28 setback against Skyline. Eagles QB Tommy McGrath threw for 413 yards against the Bengals defense in that one. And they’re going to face another skilled QB this week — the Beetdiggers’ dual threat, Crew Wakley. Brighton did get 166 yards and two scores on the ground from QB Alex Zettler, but it wasn’t nearly enough. And junior Evona Hall struggled to get going, finishing with 55 yards on 14 carries. The Bengals hope to bounce back to win their Region 7 opener. But Jordan is riding a three-game winning streak. The Beetdiggers defense limited Springville to 164 yards of offense in last week’s 33-7 win. Jordan has won the last two meetings between these two teams by a combined four points.
Wasatch at Timpanogos, 7 p.m.
How about those Timberwolves? Timpanogos is one of 10 undefeated teams left in Utah entering Week 6. What makes the start even more impressive is the Timberwolves only won five games over the last three years. The offense has featured balance so far. Three players have rushed for at least 160 yards this season, with sophomore Rory Ziegra leading the way with 393 on 45 carries. Junior QB Gabe Sweeten has added 260 yards on 48 totes. He’s also thrown for 1,069 yards and 14 scores. That offense will be a stiff test for the 2-2 Wasps. The defense is coming off a shutout win over Cottonwood in which the Wasps finished with eight tackles for loss, including three sacks. Senior Isaac Young has carried the load on the ground for the Wasps offense. He’s rushed 38 times for 222 yards and six TDs. Wasatch also boasts four receivers — Carson Myers, Grayson Wynne, Kaden Smith and Daymon Vargas — with at least 175 yards receiving apiece. It's the Region 8 opener for both teams.
Dixie at Pine View, 7 p.m.
The Flyers return to Utah competition after traveling to California and suffering a 24-14 setback against Madison (Calif.) last week. And they’ll have revenge on their mind after seeing their season end at the hands of Pine View in the Class 3AA state semifinals last year. Of course Dixie was without its quarterback, Jacob Barden, in that state semifinal, and that made a huge difference. Barden has thrown for 1,627 yards and 16 TDs this season, although he’s been limited to less than 200 yards in each of the last two games. The Panthers are coming off a 27-20 loss to Snow Canyon, a team that Dixie sneaked past in Week 4. Pine View QB Ryan Javines only completed 33 percent of his passes in the loss, although running back Jacob Mpungi did run for 194 yards. This could come down to which style wins the night — Mpungi and the Panthers running or Barden and the Flyers passing.
TribPreps coverage • Justin Giles
Sky View at Mountain Crest, 7 p.m.
It’s just a couple of undefeated Cache Valley foes going at it for bragging rights in the new Region 12. The Bobcats’ defense continues to be stingy, allowing 12.8 points per game. Sky View took down Bear River 27-3 to open region play last week. If the Bobcats can take care of the Mustangs this week, they will position themselves as the favorites for the region title. Mountain Crest is no pushover, but it will have to reverse a trend. The Bobcats have won the last four meetings between the programs by a combined score of 133-43. The Mustangs are led by QB Brady Hall, who has thrown for 1,274 yards and 14 scores, while running for 278 yards and another six TDs. Senior Nicholas Nethercott has hauled in eight of those TD passes and is averaging 116.8 yards receiving per game.
