Surprise Teams: Which Programs Have Surpassed Expectations

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Three weeks into the high school football season and multiple teams have already outperformed their pre-season projections.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Stansburry Stallions </strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>When your lowest scoring game of the season is 42 points, you know your off to a hot start. The Stallions have two games over 65, where they scored 72 in the season opener vs. Pine View and then 68 against Skyline, Idaho. Stansbury was expected to be good but outscoring their opponents by over 100 points over the first two games is insane. [player_tooltip player_id='406862' first='Mateaki' last='Helu'] leads the state in touchdowns with nine, while receiver Dylan Hamilton has five scores of his own. Quarterback Ezra Harris has 14 touchdowns on the season and the Stallion's offensive line continues to dominate the trenches each week. Linebacker [player_tooltip player_id='406962' first='Easton' last='Baker'] leads a solid defense that should improve as the season continues. Head coach Eric Alder and the Stallions could have the state's most explosive offense.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Viewmount Vikings </strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It's not surprising that Viewmount is 3-0, but the fashion they have gone about it is impressive. The Vikings have yet to have a game within 10 points and scored a school record 73 points in a win over Hillcrest. Quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='406897' first='Luke' last='Jacobs'] has 12 touchdowns on the season and has rushed for over 340 yards in just three games. Speaking of an impressive ground performance, running back Miles Mcgrath is up to 341 yards on the season. The Vikings also have three receivers with over 170 yards, and head coach Andre Jones' offense should remain productive all year. Defensively the Vikings have four players with at least 16 tackles and a secondary that already has three interceptions. Viewmount strong start could signify what's to come in 2022.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>West Jordan Jaguars </strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Jaguars have outscored their opponents 102-35. Head coach Ron Halbert's squad has rode a stingy defense and potent offense to a hot start. Defensively, the Jaguars have playmakers at each level, defensive linemen Samuel Tautai anchoring the trenches, linebacker Diego Montes holding down the middle of the field, and safety Porter Hall monitoring the back end. Offensively quarterback Dameon Crosby has already thrown six touchdown passes, and with players like running back Daitrez Johnson and receiver Jerome Myles, the offense should continue to drop 30 on opponents. Region three is a gauntlet, but the Jaguars appear ready for it.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Bonneville Lakers</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Bonneville gutted out a tough win to start the season over Ridgeline 12-7 but since has looked dominant. The Lakers beat Tooele by 35 and Weber by 18 to move to 3-0 on the season. Quarterback Jaxon Johnson continues to be one of the state's best dual-threat quarterbacks, with nine total touchdowns. Receiver [player_tooltip player_id='1309948' first='Hunter' last='Davis'] leads a talented group of skill players that are difficult to contain. Defensive back Time Havili and Levi Olsen have helped the Lakers not surrender more than 21 points in a game. Region five is still up for grabs and head coach Jantz Afuvai's team could take it in 2022.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->