5A: Under the Radar Playoff Teams

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The 5A Classification may seem top-heavy, but these teams could shake things up in the postseason. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>East Leopards (6-4)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Outside of a week, one loss to Orem, all of the Leopard's defats have come to top-ranked teams inside or outside the state. East's average margin of victory is nearly 32 points, which includes a win against one of our top teams in 5A, the Park City Miners. The Leopard's dense is loaded, and they're the only team to hold Brighton under 15 all season. Players like linebacker Omar Shah, defensive end Zion Anderson, and corner Chase Barker have helped the Leopards allow just 66 points in Region 6 play. Offensivliey running back [player_tooltip player_id='406878' first='Amini' last='Amone'] leads one of the state's most potent rushing attacks. East could be big game hunting for a massive upset this postseason. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Orem Tigers (5-4)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Tigers always seem to get rolling come playoff time. In 2021 Orem ended the regular season with three straight losses and a 4-5 record. But Coach Sewell's team got hot and won three road playoff games to 5A reach the semifinals. This year the Tigers enter the playoffs with one more win than they had last year and look poised for another deep run. Quarterback Lance Reynolds and tight-end Rodger Saleapaga are one of the premier duos in the state. Defensively look for linebackers Tim To'a and Eniasi Matina to make plays for the Tigers. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Provo Bulldogs (6-3)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Bulldogs have a win against one of our top teams in 5A, the Box Elder Bees, and nearly beat two others, The Springville Red Devils and Spanish Fork Dons. Provo has proven they can win in a multitude of ways with both lopsided and close victories. The Bulldogs have scored over 30 in six games and have held opponents under 20 in six of their last eight games. Quarterback Kyson Condie has over 20 total touchdowns on the season, while running back Jamison Harward has over 890 rushing yards. Linebacker Hutch Fale and defensive back Kyle Larsen shin on a stout defense. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Cedar Valley Aviators (7-3)&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Aviator's offense has been soaring all season long, with 350 points in 10 games. They have won six of their last seven, scoring 73 points in their most recent victory. Running back Clayson Jakins has been sensational all year, with tight end KJ Fisher and receiver Taygen Hansen shining on the outside. Cedar Valleys dense has held opponents under 12 points in four of their last six games. Defensive linemen [player_tooltip player_id='406923' first='Bryan' last='Vogl'] and Devoux Tuataga have combined for 15 sacks and could provide the pressure that makes the difference in the postseason.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->