Region 6 Preview Part 1: Six Months Out

Region 6 was one of the state's most competitive in 2022. Four teams won over seven games, and three of them are back amidst the latest UHSAA realignment. Those teams are Brighton, Olympus, and East. Highland and Skyline also return, but Region 6 did lose Park City and Murray. Replacing them will be two strong programs. The first is Alta, who comes off a great playoff run. The second is former 6A powerhouse West, who moved down to the 5A classification after winning Region 2 last year. The new look Region 6 is still loaded with talent and should be one of the best in 2023. We wanted to give each team its shine, so we broke our Region 6 preview into two parts. Here is part one covering West, Alta, and East.    West Panthers   The Panthers were one of the top teams in 6A, going 9-3 in 2022. Two of those losses came against some of the top teams in the state in American Fork and then Corner Canyon in the third round of the playoffs. West's third loss came against one of the top teams in the country when they traveled out to California to take on Mater Dei. The Panthers dominated everyone else they played, winning eight games by 30 or more points. The Panthers swept Region 6 play going 6-0, while only allowing 34 points to opponents in those games. West won their first two playoff games by outscoring their opponents 87-9 before falling to the 6A runner-up Corner Canyon in the Quarterfinals. Head Coach Junior Solovi's team will instantly be one of the top teams in 5A, thanks to the return of some of the state's best players. Quarterback Isiah SueSue is back after leading the Panthers with 31 touchdowns and over 2,720 all-purpose yards. SueSue is one of our top-ranked players in the class of 2024 and is an elite dual-threat signal caller. The Panthers also return one of the highest-ranked offensive linemen in [player_tooltip player_id='406969' first='Semisi' last='Tonga']. West also welcomes back some of the state's best defenders in defensive linemen [player_tooltip player_id='532691' first='Khalil' last='Laufau'] and Taimane Brown. The Panthers should contend for the Region 6 crown and a state title in their first year in 5A.   Alta Hawks    The Hawks are coming off a 6-6 season, but their record is incredibly deceptive. Alta entered postseason play 4-5, but three of those losses came against some of the best teams in 5A in Orem, Timpview, and Lehi. The Hawks also had to take on Davis and Layton, two solid 6A programs. Come playoff time, the Hawks were ready, and Head Coach Alema Teo's team would blow out Bonneville in the first round. In the second round, Alta had a tough task taking on Springville, who had reached the 5A state championship in 2021. The Hawks were ready for the Red Devils, though, and jumped out to a 31-0 halftime lead going on to win the game and reach the Quarterfinals. Alta's magnificent run would come to an end when they faced off against Orem for the second time in a narrow 26-24 loss. Now away from the old Region 8 and all the loaded teams it featured. The Hawks will undoubtedly be excited about a new opportunity in Region 6. Quarterbacks Matt McKea returns after leading the Hawks on their sensational postseason run as just a sophomore last year. Alta will also welcome back their leading rusher, Anthony Cottis, and watch out for athlete Branko Hansell-Fotu who could breakout at receiver. Linebackers Tony Vainuku and Kalvin Liavaa return to lead the defense after combining for over 15 sacks last year. The Hawks are well-positioned to make another deep run in 2023.   East Leopards    The Leopards finished 5-1 in Region 6 play last year and could win the region this year despite the talented returning and incoming teams. East was 7-5 overall, but those five losses came to some exceptional programs in Orem, Skyridge, IMG Academy, Brighton, and Timpview. East won in the first round of the playoffs before being knocked out by the Thunderbirds in the second round. The Leopards will no doubt be hungry to return to being one of the classification's top programs and will have a chance under the guidance of experienced head coach Brandon Matich. East returns starting quarterback Tucker McCormick who should be even more potent under center in 2023. The Leopards also return running back Michael Fonua and dynamic athlete [player_tooltip player_id='406964' first='Siona' last='Vailahi'] to their offense. The Leopards are always loaded in the trenches, and this season will be no different. The East defensive line, led by [player_tooltip player_id='532685' first='Papa' last='Matelau'] and Papaseea Matelau, will be one of the state's best. Defensive back Josh Amone leads the back end for the Leopards after flashing as a sophomore last year. East will be ready for a loaded Region 6 and could be one of the state's best teams come playoff time in late October.

Region 6 was one of the state's most competitive in 2022. Four teams won over seven games, and three of them are back amidst the latest UHSAA realignment. Those teams are Brighton, Olympus, and East. Highland and Skyline also return, but Region 6 did lose Park City and Murray. Replacing them will be two strong programs. The first is Alta, who comes off a great playoff run. The second is former 6A powerhouse West, who moved down to the 5A classification after winning Region 2 last year. The new look Region 6 is still loaded with talent and should be one of the best in 2023. We wanted to give each team its shine, so we broke our Region 6 preview into two parts. Here is part one covering West, Alta, and East.