Region 5 Preview Part 2: Six Months Out

Region 5 kept all of its original six teams but added two new programs with the arrival of Roy and Clearfield. The two former 6A schools join a region that includes four teams that won six or more games in 2022. We looked at Bountiful, Woods Cross, Viewmount, and Box Elder in part one of our Region 5 preview. In this piece, we'll dive into the final four that should make Region 5 one of the more exciting races come the start of high school football in August.   Roy Royals    The Royals come over after a strong season in Region 2. Roy went 3-1 to start the season, including a win against new Region 5 foe the Clearfield Falcons. The Royals enjoyed great success inside Region 2, fishing 5-1 and 7-3 overall on the season. The Royals three losses came against American Fork, Farmington, and West, all of which were ranked in our 6A top 10 at different points in the season. Their only bad loss came against Weber in the first round of the playoffs, but the Warriors had been a scrappy team all season. Heading into Region 5, the Royals have a great chance to build on their monument from the previous season and become champions of their new region. Head Coach Chris Solomona's team returns starting quarterback Dru Gardner who threw for over 1,200 yards and 13 touchdowns as just a sophomore last season. Running backs DawQwan Snider and [player_tooltip player_id='1307579' first='Logan' last='Cella'] also return after combining for over 800 yards from scrimmage and 11 touchdowns. Da'Von Harvey is one of the state's best athletes and weapons on offense. Defensive linebacker Maxx Johnson leads the front seven, while Jacob Viers leads the secondary after racking up four interceptions last year. Roy will be one of the top teams in Region 5 and could find themselves in the race for the 5A title race.   Bonneville Lakers    The Lakers started the 2022 season 5-0, but things changed in the middle of their season. Bonneville would lose four of their final five games, including a round-one loss to Alta in the first round of the 5A playoffs. Head Coach Jantz Afuvai's team was nearly 4-1 in Region 5, but two close losses to Bountiful and Woods Cross sunk their season as they finished 6-4 overall. The Lakers will no doubt be hungry to make amends for their disappointing second half of the season when fall rolls around. Bonneville welcomes back dual-threat quarterback Jaxon Johnson who had over 1,680 yards and 20 touchdowns last year. Look for receiver [player_tooltip player_id='1552761' first='Isaac' last='Mansaray'] to breakout after leading Bonneville in receiving yards as just a Sophomore last year. The Lakers showed us how potent their offenses could be when they scored 123 points in a three-game span. Defensively look for linebackers Tifaga Havili and Adam DeMille to lead the Lakers. Bonneville has the pieces returning to help them compete for the Region 5 title by the time October rolls around.   Northridge Knights    Northridge entered Region play 2-2, but the rest of the season did not go their way. The Knights would drop their final six games of the season. At first glance, it may seem like the Knights collapsed, but a closer look at each game shows that their season nearly turned out dramatically different. In four of their five Region 5 games, the Knights were still in the game entering the fourth or had a chance at a late comeback they couldn't finish. Northridge and Head Coach Andrew Fresques will undoubtedly look to play complete games in 2023 as they strive to turn things around. Quarterback Porter Olsen earned valuable reps in 2022 and will have a chance to make a giant leap in 2023. He will support on the outside in 2023 with the Knights top three receivers in [player_tooltip player_id='407002' first='Zach' last='Smith'], [player_tooltip player_id='549798' first='Malu' last='lumpkins'], and Jaxon Fresques, all back. Defensively Fresques was also lights out, and the Lakers sack leader, Jacob Leroy Speredon, also returns in 2023. Northridge will be a tough out for each team they take on in the new look Region 5.   Clearfield Falcons    The Falcons are undoubtedly excited about the fresh start that reclassifying down to 5A will give them. Clearfield was 0-10 in 2022, struggling to find constancy on both sides of the ball. Head Coach Carl Harry enters his second year with the team as he looks to lead them to more success in Region 5. The Falcons will replace nearly all of their offensive production from last season but look for receiver Trace Hansen to rise up and make some plays for the Falcons on the outside. Hansen is already an elite player on the defensive side of the ball, where he had 72 tackles. In addition, the Falcons return their leading tackler in Canyon Dugger, who was just a sophomore in 2022. Clearfield has a lot of work to do to get to the top of their new region, but with the right adjustments and players committed to the process, the Falcons should take a step forward in 2023.

Region 5 kept all of its original six teams but added two new programs with the arrival of Roy and Clearfield. The two former 6A schools join a region that includes four teams that won six or more games in 2022. We looked at Bountiful, Woods Cross, Viewmount, and Box Elder in part one of our Region 5 preview. In this piece, we'll dive into the final four that should make Region 5 one of the more exciting races come the start of high school football in August.