Region 3 Preview: Six Months Out

For years Region 4 was the premier region in the state. That distinction now belongs to Region 3. The UHSAA Realignment shrunk the 6A classification down to three regions shifting most of the Region 4 teams into Region 3. Corner Canyon will not be joining them as they were put into Region 2, but in their place is a program coming off back-to-back state championships in the Lehi Pioneers. Region 2 has five state championships from the 5A and 6A classifications over the past five seasons. The 2023 high school football season will be electric, and no Region has more teams who could win it all than Region 3.   Skyridge Falcons    The 2022 state champions were 13-1 despite being without their star quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='406869' first='McCae' last='Hillstead'] for most of the season. The Falcon even avenged their sole loss to Corner Canyon in the 6A state championship. Skyridge won state because of their high-powered offenses and strong defenses that only allowed 140 points all season and just 57 in Region four play. Repeating in 2023 will be tough after the Falcons lost so much talent. Skyridge lost our top-ranked players in the 2023 class, [player_tooltip player_id='406853' first='Tausili' last='Akana'], our top-ranked corner, [player_tooltip player_id='406857' first='Smith' last='Snowden'], Hillstead, and several other prominent players apart of their state championship run. Former Brighton head coach and Falcons offensive coordinator Justin Hemm takes over a program looking to repeat as state champions. Quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='406973' first='Jackson' last='Stevens'] transfers over from Davis after throwing for over 5,000 yards and 36 touchdowns in 2022. On the outside, he'll have one of the state's top receivers in [player_tooltip player_id='406980' first='La'akea' last='Kalama'], who had over 900 yards and 11 total touchdowns last year. Left tackle Ben Howard is also back and is one of the state's best tackles, even though he was just a sophomore last year. Speaking of sophomores, Deshawn Toilolo should be one of the state's best defensive linemen in 2023 after making big plays in 2022. He pairs with defensive tackle [player_tooltip player_id='406974' first='Ian' last='Mariner'] to form a formidable duo on the front four for the Falcons. Skyridge will once again be a juggernaut in 2023 and should be considered the early favorite to win Region 3.   Lehi Pioneers    The Pioneers were a perfect 14-0 in 2022. After their recent success, the back-to-back 5A state champions were moved up to the 6A classification. Head Coach Ed Larson will have to retool after losing some of the state's top players. Gone is quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='406873' first='Jackson' last='Brousseau'], running back Carson Gonzalez, defensive end [player_tooltip player_id='406863' first='Isaac' last='Terrell'], defensive back [player_tooltip player_id='406899' first='Kadiyon' last='Sweat'] and a slew of other talented players. The cupboard is not empty for Lehi, though, as they still return some gifted player's key to their 2022 state championship. Running back Kolose Latu is back after 500 yards of total offense and over ten total touchdowns in 2022. Talented backs [player_tooltip player_id='402743' first='Devaughn' last='Eka'] and Isiah Allen are also returning. Pass catchers [player_tooltip player_id='532702' first='Jace' last='John'] and Grayson Brousseau also return and should put up big numbers on the outside. Left tackle [player_tooltip player_id='406960' first='Jensen' last='Somerville'] is one of the top offensive linemen in the class of 2024 and will do a great job protecting projected starter Jet Niu's blindside. Most of Lehi's starting defenders are gone from last season, but there are no doubt some other talented players waiting for their opportunity to shine. Lehi will be an instant threat to win the 6A state championship in 2023.   American Fork Cavemen    The Cavemen had a strong 2022 season. They started the season 4-1 but would go 3-2 in Region 4 play. In the first round of the playoffs, they dominated the Sentinels 42-21 before falling in the quarterfinals to Farmington 19-3. American Fork finished the season 8-4 despite inconsistent play at quarterback. Qurtbacks Dylan Story and [player_tooltip player_id='578460' first='David' last='Gaisford'] Jr. will battle it in the spring for the starting job. Whoever wins the job will have quite the supporting cast to help him out. [player_tooltip player_id='406984' first='Josh' last='Andrus'] is one of the state's best tight ends and should be in for a monster 2023 campaign. Receivers Jace Hull, Peyton Reese, and Jett Nielson are all back. The Cavemen also return their top three running backs and multiple starters on the offensive line. Defensively American Fork returns one of the state's top linebacker duos in Maximos Edwards and Evan Agor, who combined for over 150 tackles last year. Defensive backs [player_tooltip player_id='406963' first='Davis' last='Andrews'] and Caleb Peterson will lock down the back end, while defensive lineman Drew Dicky returns after popping with four sacks in 2022. Kicker Noah Anderson is back after drilling nine field goals as a sophomore this past season. Head Coach Aaron Behm is nine wins away from 100 with American Fork, and with a loaded Region 3 schedule, it will be interesting to see if the Caveman can reach that mark and have a shot at the 6A crown.   Lone Peak Knights   The 2022 season was a wild ride for Lone Peak. The 2021 state champions lost a lot of talent from that team, but there was still optimism around what they could do heading into last year. A 31-10 loss to Timpview in the season opener made people question how good the team could be in 2022, but the Knights would quickly put that game behind them, winning four straight. They suffered two tough losses to American Fork and Skyridge by a combined four points. In the latter of those two losses, they led 30-10 with over 10 to play in the fourth quarter. Heading into the postseason, Lone Peak was 5-4, but Head Coach Bart Brockbank knows how to get the best out of his guys come late October/November. With their starting quarterback back, the Knights would reach the quarterfinals after playoff wins vs. Copper Hills and a road win at Syracuse. The 2022 season for Lone Peak ended at Bingham in the quarterfinals, but looking ahead to 2023, there's also to be optimistic about when it comes to the Knights. The Knights return their top two backs in, Brooks Wild and Easton Anderson, to lead the offense. Lone Peak may have lost some of the state's top pass catchers, but Shaun Blanton and [player_tooltip player_id='951539' first='Trey' last='Robinson'] are ready to break out. Projected starter Jackson Blake threw five touchdowns off of just 18 attempted passes and could make the Knights' offense special this season. Defensively there will be a lot of new faces for the Knights, but defensive back Pono Ah Quin will be a force on the backend. Counting out Lone Peak for the 2023 Region 3 crown would be a mistake.    Pleasant Grove Vikings    Pleasant Grove won just one game in 2021, but in Head Coach Taylor Walkenhorst's second year, the team turned things around in a major way. The Vikings went 4-1 to open the season with wins against Orem, Wasatch, and Riverton in that stretch. Pleasant Grove would fight hard in Region four play but finished 1-4. However, the team stayed together and dominated Cyprus in the first round of the playoffs before narrowly falling to Bingham 28-20. The Vikings finished the season 6-6 and are undoubtedly excited about the new opportunity in Region 3. Pleasant Grove will be without [player_tooltip player_id='532621' first='Nic' last='Staffieri'] in 2023, but projected starter Mason Jensen gained valuable reps in 2022 and should be ready to take the reigns of the offense. He'll be flanked by a talented group of receivers in Shawn Cottle, Kale McCoy, and Makai Peterson. Running back Wade Christiansen is also back after standing out last season. Defensively The Vikings return their top five tacklers, including Trevyn Gates, who had 145 in 2022. Pleasant Grove also returns Tu'alau Wolfgramm and Thatcher Coon, who combined for 11 sacks last season. The Vikings program continues to trend upward heading into the 2023 season.   Westlake Thunder    The Thunder come over after another tough season of Region 4 play. They went 2-9 overall and 0-5 in Region play. Based on their records over the past few seasons, the Thunder may not seem like a formidable foe, but if you look at their opponents, it's easy to see why. Region 4 has been the best in the state for the last few seasons and has produced the previous five 6A state champions. The Thunder have also done incredibly well outside of region play especially come playoff time. 2022 was the first time they lost in the playoffs in the last four years. New head coach Arnold Ale joins a program ready to have a real chance at a region crown. Dual-threat quarterback Aiden Bayless is back after leading the Thunder in passing and rushing yards. Running back Drake Younger is also back, giving the Thunder their tandem, who scored 22 total touchdowns back for 2023. Linebacker Manasee Te'o returns to help the Thunder try and stabilize a defense that was gashed time and time again last year. With a new coach, the Thunder will be fired up for a fresh reboot to their program.

For years Region 4 was the premier region in the state. That distinction now belongs to Region 3. The UHSAA Realignment shrunk the 6A classification down to three regions shifting most of the Region 4 teams into Region 3. Corner Canyon will not be joining them as they were put into Region 2, but in their place is a program coming off back-to-back state championships in the Lehi Pioneers. Region 2 has five state championships from the 5A and 6A classifications over the past five seasons. The 2023 high school football season will be electric, and no Region has more teams who could win it all than Region 3.