High school football: 1A power Duchesne and 1A newcomer Beaver projected as the top teams, respectively, for the North and South regions

Nearly every classification in Utah high school football will be looking quite different this year thanks to a heavy dose of realignment. For the 1A class, the main changes happened right at the top.

The defending 1A champion, Layton Christian, will not be around to defend its title as it moved to 2A, while one of the most storied programs in 2A football for the past 10 years, the Beaver Beavers, ultimately didn’t have enough kids in the school to stick around and will be joining 1A this season.

1A North

With Layton Christian out of the 1A North picture, it’s a wide-open contest for the region crown, and most coaches predict the power to return to the team LCA had to wrest it from in the first place: the Duchesne Eagles.

Duchesne won the 1A state title in 2021, the first year that the 1A classification was reorganized after a period of meshing into the 2A class. With a competitive region top to bottom, coaches in the 1A North still unanimously considered Duchesne the team to beat in 2023 even on the heels of a 5-6 season.

“Overall, we’ve got a good core of kids coming back that have a lot of varsity experience,” Duchesne coach Jerry Cowan said.

The Eagles return six offensive starters, mostly at the skill positions, including senior quarterback Parker Crum. Crum was an offensive machine in the Eagles’ Gun-T offense, running for 15 touchdowns and nearly 1,000 rushing yards. He also completed 56% of his passes for 1,499 yards and 11 TDs with nine interceptions. Cowan did lose running back Colby Gines, who moved out of the area but had 700 rushing yards last season, but he still has senior returners all over the receiving corps.

The Eagles also have the joy of hosting games in a brand-new stadium, something that has been a long time coming for the program.

Duchesne’s challenge on offense will be reloading the offensive line, which lost four of five starters, only returning senior Britton Poulson.

“Honestly, I think we’re going to be as good or better than we were last year on the line,” Cowan said. “The kids that we have coming in are more prepared and look like football players.”

The Eagles project to be in good shape on defense with seven starters back. Crum was the star on that end as well with a team-high eight interceptions, including the team’s only defensive touchdown. They also return seniors Colter Giles and Draker Goodliffe, who each had four picks, and their sack leader, senior Dallin Porter.

After Duchesne, according to preseason votes, the 1A North could be a full-on free-for-all, and the votes indicated a potential No. 2 could be a team finally getting its chance to break out: North Summit.

The Braves may be coming off a lackluster 3-8 season, but North Summit coach Jerre Holmes believes everyone saw and understood the youthful potential of his squad.

“I think what other coaches know is how young we have been the last couple of years,” Holmes said. “Last year, we started six sophomores … it’s a pretty good class for us. … The part of it that wouldn’t be public is we’ve had a lot of guys hit the weight room hard. They don’t just lift in the summer; they lift year-round. It’s really made a difference.”

Holmes is in his second tenure as a head coach of North Summit, having won two state titles in his previous stint and another three as the head coach of Rich in the 1990s. He is in his third season with the Braves. In that time, one of the biggest changes is “our kids are hungry. They’re tired of being 3-8.”

The Braves will have eight returning starters on each side of the ball. While tough defense has kept them in a lot of games until the end, Holmes knows that “you have to score,” and his team averaged just 15.1 points per game last fall, albeit while starting six sophomores.

In an option-based offense, North Summit didn’t throw the ball a great deal. Instead, quarterback Jake Smith, now a returning senior, ran for 1,345 yards and 14 touchdowns. Junior McCade Nelson returns as a running back after posting 696 yards and four TDs.

Of the seven defenders to nab at least one interception last fall for the Braves, four of them are back, including junior Buck Sargent, who was also North Summit’s leading tackler.

North Summit’s will to win gets tested early and often with three straight 2A opponents to open the season, including cross-county rival and 2A semifinalist South Summit, which went undefeated during the regular season.

One of the two teams joining the 1A fray after dropping down is the Millard Eagles. The Eagles were a 2A team prior to realignment and finished 2-9 last season. There may be some expectation that Millard can adjust better to the playing landscape of 1A after struggling in 2A for several years. The Eagles return six starters on offense, including junior quarterback Kaden Turner, and five on defense.

North Sevier took the fourth spot behind Millard, and Gunnison Valley rounded out the poll at No. 5. The Bulldogs will be full-fledged participants in the 1A class again after committing to the inaugural 8-player playoff tournament and subsequently winning the championship.

1A South

There’s hardly a team that doesn’t have a true shot to win the ultra-loaded 1A South, but determining who had the best shot was a clear consensus.

It had to be the Beaver Beavers, a team dropping into the 1A classification after being one of the most dominant programs in 2A over the last decade, having won four state titles since 2015 and appearing in the last four championship games. The program had stalwartly been in 2A since the late 1980s.

“We try not to put a lot of stock in (rankings),” Beaver coach Jon Marshall said. “We understand that no matter what classification we’re in, we have to beat really good teams, and we have to do things the right way. Our focus is no matter what classification we’re in, no matter what team we’re playing, our expectations are to perform at a certain level, and we know we’re going to have to bring it every night if we want to win.”

The Beavers return seven starters on offense and eight on defense after falling just short in the 2A championship game against undefeated San Juan last season. Those starters highlight a large roster of roughly 70 varsity players in a classification where most teams are lucky to bring out 50.

Despite Beaver’s run of dominance, last year’s 8-5 season, albeit against an extremely tough nonregion slate and two losses to San Juan, highlighted to Marshall that there was a lot of work still to do to maintain the level of football the community expects.

“We recognize that we have to get better,” Marshall said. “We can’t just rest on what we’ve done in the past.”

Beaver runs a hybrid wing-T/Triple option offense that has consistently put up huge numbers in the run game, and thanks to five returning starters who were all ballcarriers last season, the Beavers are primed to continue running over defenses if not prepared. They’ll be led by seniors Tavyn Hollingshead and Tate Gale, who combined for 935 yards and 11 touchdowns last fall.

Defense carried the Beavers in a year where their offense didn’t put up as big of numbers as usual. It was a defense that shut out four opponents, including a 35-0 blowout in the playoff semifinals against an undefeated South Summit team. It also held three other opponents to a touchdown or less.

From that defense, Beaver returns its leading tackler, senior Kutlur Matheson, and all three of its leading ballhawks in the secondary as Gage Raddon, Luke Robinson and Baylor Blackburn had a team-high three interceptions.

Beaver will test itself early by sticking to upper classifications in nonregion play. A rematch with South Summit looms in Week 1, along with a showdown with 3A power Grantsville and a trip north to Layton Christian.

To the outside viewer, Beaver does seem like a big fish that just got tossed into a small pond, but other coaches around 1A would contest that. More than one coach went so far as to say that 1A is, from the top down, a more competitive and strong classification than the 2A ranks that the Beavers came from. One of those voices came from Kanab coach J.R. Quarnberg, whose Cowboys were voted No. 2 in the 1A South.

“The 1A league from top to bottom is very tough,” Quarnberg said. “I think the top teams in 1A are better than the top teams in 2A and can compete with 3A as well.”

The Cowboys are more than happy to face off with the rival Beavers after upsetting them in the 2022 season opener on a two-point conversion after time expired. Kanab went on to have a special season in which the team made a run to the 1A title game before falling to Layton Christian.

“We turned over some key pieces, so we have some shoes to fill, that’s for sure,” Quarnberg said. “We’re excited for our team in general. We have a lot of talent on the field, but we have some inexperienced players that haven’t been in starting positions before … it’s going to be a matter of bringing those guys along.”

Kanab is a little younger than its previous seasons but has six returning starters on offense and four on defense. Most notably among the Cowboys returning core is three-year starting quarterback Griffen Bone.

Kabab’s wing-T offensive scheme focused more heavily on the run, similar to most 1A teams, but unlike in past seasons, Bone’s ability to hit receivers in the end zone provided a new dimension to what Quarnberg could do. Bone only completed 47 passes but still racked up 957 yards and 17 touchdowns with just four interceptions, one of the better TD to INT ratios in the state.

“I do think we’ll have some growing pains,” Quarnberg said, “but we like the guys we have.”

Enterprise brought up the No. 3 spot by virtually the same vote count. After going undefeated in the regular season and capturing the region title, Enterprise fell short in the semifinals against Kanab. However, the Wolves do return seven offensive starters and six defensive starters after ranking third and second in those categories last year, respectively. Of note, the Wolves will see the return of senior Kyron Bracken, who had 1,173 rushing and 20 TDs along with five receiving scores to lead the team.

Milford comes in at No. 4 after an 8-4 season. The Tigers return eight starters, including junior QB Kilo Tsotsie, to an Air Raid-style offense that led 1A in scoring in 2022. With the competition level of the rest of the region, Milford project finish at the bottom half of the standings could still land them a home game in the playoffs on RPI alone.

Parowan lands at No. 5. The Rams struggled last season en route to a 1-9 record and then got even younger this year, returning just four starters on offense and defense.

1A North projections

(Preseason rankings are based on coaches’ votes)

1. Duchesne Eagles

2023 Schedule

2022 Record: 5-6 (second in 1A North with a 3-1 record)

2022 RPI rankings: No. 6 in 1A

2022 postseason: Lost to Kanab, 27-26, in the 1A quarterfinals

All-time record: 302-222-1 (52 years)

State titles: 7 (2006, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2016, 2020)

Region titles: 18 (1983 co, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1990, 2006, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022)

Head coach: Jerry Cowan

Entering his 17th season as head coach at Duchesne, which has been spread out over two stints. He’s amassed a 145-42 record during that stretch, including state titles in 2006, 2012, 2013, 2016 and 2020. He’s a graduate of Grand High School and Southern Utah University.

Coach Jerry Cowan’s general outlook

We bring back some good experience in the skill positions but have only 1 returning starter back from our offensive line. We should be able to fill those missing pieces in rather well and hopefully give us a chance to compete from week to week. We have a very tough schedule and look forward to playing on our brand new sports facility!

Offensive coordinator: Justin Parker

2022 offense: 29 ppg (No. 6 in 1A)

• Six returning starters

• Gun-T offense

Returning offensive starters

• Parker Crum, Sr., QB

• Draker Goodliffe, Sr., Slot

• Colter Giles, Sr., Wing Back

• Chance Lazenbee, Sr., Wr

• Dallin Porter, Sr., TE

• Britton Poulson, Sr., OL

Key offensive newcomers

• Treyson Shaffer, Jr., OL

• Brody Jacobs So RB/slot

• Austin Apodaca, Jr., OL

• Jaden Mortensen, Sr., OL

• Andre Fabrizion, Sr., OL

• Aidan Adams, Jr., OL

Defensive coordinator: Jerry Cowan

2022 defense: 22.09 ppg (No. 5 in 1A)

• Seven returning starters

• 4-2-5 defense

Returning defensive starters

• Draker Goodliffe, Sr., DB

• Parker Crum, Sr., DB

• Colter Giles, Sr., DB

• Kasen Crum So LB

• Britton Poulson, Sr., DL

• Dallin Porter, Sr., DL

• Treyson Shaffer, Jr., DL

Key defensive newcomers

• Brody Jacobs, So, DB/LB

• Jeshaun Johnson, Jr., LB

• Tanner Stansfield, Jr., DE

• Korbin Wallace So DE

• Dylan Hughes, Sr., LB/DL

• Isaiah Ortiz, Sr., DB

2. North Summit Braves

2023 Schedule

2022 Record: 3-8 (tied for third in 1A North with a 1-3 record)

2022 RPI rankings: No. 7 in 1A

2022 postseason: Lost to Enterprise, 35-7, in the 1A quarterfinals

All-time record: 458-417-23 (97 years)

State titles: 7 (1964, 1972, 1989, 1990, 1991, 2007, 2008)

Region titles: 22 (1928, 1929, 1930 co, 1937, 1955, 1965, 1969, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977 co, 1978, 1983 co, 1989, 1990, 1991 co, 2006, 2007, 2013 co)

Head coach: Jerre Holmes

Is entering his third year in his second stint as North Summit head coach, and 22nd overall season as a football head coach. In his previous stint at North Summit from 2000 to 2010, he racked up a 74-53 record with state titles in 2006 and 2007. Prior to that, he coached at Rich from 1991 to 1999, where his teams went 67-30, including state titles in 1994, 1995 and 1996. His overall coaching record is 149-97. He’s a graduate of Cokeville High School in Wyoming and the University of Utah.

Coach Jerre Holmes’s general outlook

We have a lot of experience coming back. We are excited to see what a new year brings.

Offensive coordinator: Devin Smith

2022 offense: 15.09 ppg (No. 9 in 1A)

• Eight returning starters

• Option offense

Returning offensive starters

• Cutler Blonquist, Sr., C

• Carter McCowen, Sr., Slot

• Jake Smith, Jr., QB

• Buck Smith, Jr., TE

• McKade Nelson, Jr., RB

• Logan Judd, Jr., OL

• Brenden Smith, Jr., OL

• Dax Sargent, Jr., OL

Key offensive newcomers

Defensive coordinator: Jerre Holmes

2022 defense: 26.09 ppg (No. 7 in 1A)

• Eight returning starters

• 3-4 defense

Returning defensive starters

• Cutler Blonquist, Sr., ILB

• Tristan Ovard, Sr., OLB

• Carter McCowen, Sr., CB

• Paxton Smith, Sr., FS

• Buck Sargent, Jr., ILB

• Jake Smith, Jr., SS

• Logan Judd, Jr., DT

• Brenden Smith, Jr., DT

3. Millard Eagles

2023 Schedule

2022 Record: 2-9 (fourth in 2A South with a 2-3 record)

2022 RPI rankings: No. 9 in 2A

2022 postseason: Lost to Delta, 28-21, in the 2A 2A first round

All-time record: 598-298-22 (97 years)

State titles: 13 (1950, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1958, 1960, 1976, 1978, 1981, 1982, 1988, 1995, 2001)

Region titles: 40 (1933, 1937, 1944, 1945, 1946, 1947 co, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1962, 1963, 1967 co, 1969, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1983 co, 1988 co, 1989 co, 1997, 1998, 1999 co, 2001, 2002 co, 2003, 2004 co, 2006, 2007, 2009 co, 2010)

Head coach: Stoney Meyers

In his first year as head coach at his alma mater, the long-time Millard assistant coach led the program to a 2-9 record. He’s a graduate of Southern Utah.

Coach Stoney Meyers’s general outlook

Generally speaking, we will be inexperienced in a lot of positions. We do return Luke Degraffenreid, Sam Rasmussen, Santana DeHerrera, Emilio Jackson, Austin Rubio, Lincoln Fullmer, Kaden Turner, and Morgan Tingy.

Offensive coordinator: Stoney Myers

2022 offense: 17.45 ppg (No. 10 in 2A)

• Six returning starters

• Option offense

Returning offensive starters

• Kaden Turner, Jr., QB

• Sam Rasmussen, Sr., RB

• Luke Degraffenried, Sr., TE

• Santana DeHerrera, Sr., FB

• Austin Rubio, Sr., OL

• Emilio Jackson, Sr., OL

• Morgan Tingy, Jr., RB

Key offensive newcomers

• Morgan Tingy, Jr., RB/WR

• Connor Stevens, Soph, RB/WR

Defensive coordinator: Trey Ashton

2022 defense: 24 ppg (No. 5 in 2A)

• Five returning starters

• 4 - 4 defense

Returning defensive starters

• Sam Rasmussen, Sr., LB

• Luke Degraffenried, Sr., LB

• Santana DeHerrera, Sr., LB/DE

• Morgan Tingy, Jr., DB

• Emilio Jackson, Sr., DL

Key defensive newcomers

• Lincolon Fullmer, Sr., LB

• Casey Boothe, Sr., DB

• Preston Sanchez, Jr., DB

4. North Sevier Wolves

2023 Schedule

2022 Record: 5-6 (tied for third in 1A North with a 1-3 record)

2022 RPI rankings: No. 5 in 1A

2022 postseason: Lost to Milford, 59-34, in the 1A quarterfinals

All-time record: 174-371-2 (64 years)

State titles: 1 (2008)

Region titles: 2 (1977 co, 1996)

Head coach: Wyatt Mason

Entering his fourth season as head coach at his alma mater, which he led to a 1A state title as a player in 2008. North Sevier has posted a 14-19 record under Mason the past three years. He’s a graduate of Southern Utah University.

Coach Wyatt Mason’s general outlook

From a varsity standpoint, there are a lot of new faces that will be stepping in that we are very excited about! We’ve had some new players move in that have not been on our team in the past that we expect big time contributions from this season! Currently we have 3 QB’s fighting for the varsity spot and it has been awesome watching them push each other this summer! Our team will be a bit on the younger side with lots of juniors stepping in due to a smaller senior class, but a lot of the juniors played a substantial amount of varsity time as sophomores. We will be younger, but we will still have some players back this year who have a lot of varsity experience!

Offensive coordinator: Greg Hammond

2022 offense: 21 ppg (No. 7 in 1A)

• Seven returning starters

• Fly offense

Returning offensive starters

• Kayden Johnson, Sr., Slot/RB

• Jace Noyes (cpt), Sr., TE

• James Crowley, Jr., Slot/RB

• Rylan Frischknecht, Jr., QB

• Mason Pierce, Jr., Slot/RB

• Dean Anderson (cpt), Jr., OT

• Cooper Thurston, Jr., G

Key offensive newcomers

• Cody Sorenson, Sr., RB

• Dorion Ha’o, Sr., G

• Brandon Vought, Jr., C

• Brayden Hammond, Jr., QB/WR

• Carter Hodges, Jr., QB/WR

• Quincy Lofgran, Jr., WR

• Brody Bulloch, So, WR

Defensive coordinator: Riley Tidlund

2022 defense: 27.55 ppg (No. 8 in 1A)

• Six returning starters

• 4-2-5 defense

Returning defensive starters

• Kayden Johnson, Sr., DB

• Jace Noyes, Sr., DE

• James Crowley, Jr., DB

• Mason Pierce, Jr., LB

• Cooper Thurston, Jr., LB

• Brandon Vought, Jr., DT

Key defensive newcomers

• Dax Bastian, Sr., DT

• Dorion Ha’o, Sr., DE

• Cody Sorenson, Sr., DE

• Dean Anderson, Jr., DT

• Brayden Hammond, Jr., DB

• Carter Hodges, Jr., DB

• Quincy Lofgran, Jr., DB

• Braydon Williams, So., LB

5. Gunnison Valley Bulldogs

2023 Schedule

2022 Record: 8-4 (tied for third in 1A North with a 1-3 record)

2022 RPI rankings: No. 1 in 1A 8-player

2022 postseason: Beat Monticello, 26-22, in the 1A 8-player championship

All-time record: 92-228 (33 years)

State titles: 1 (2022)

Region titles: None

Head coach: Patrick King

The Florida native is heading into his fifth season as head coach at Gunnison Valley, where he’s 17-24 in his first four seasons. Prior to moving to Utah, he was an assistant coach at three different high schools in Florida. He’s a graduate of Middleburg High School in Florida and the University of North Florida.

Coach Patrick King’s general outlook

We return all of our offensive and defensive line led by Sr DE/OT Kaleb Belnap, C/NG Andy Keith, and Sr DT/OT Gavin Roberts. Jr Guards Max Draper and Knightly Childs are back and will be bright spots! Our depth and experience on the line should be a strong point. Sr QB Tyson Tucker is poised for a big year as WR/CB Andres Valencia should be open early and often. Breakout star Sr RB/MLB Pearson Judy will carry the load in the running game and is ready for a good final campaign. Sr FB Sloane Childs will be opening up holes while Sr Gage Topham could be the best kept secret in 1A at Tight End.

Offensive coordinator: Patrick King

• Eight returning starters

• Hybrid Pro Style offense

Returning offensive starters

• Tyson Tucker, Sr., QB

• Pearson Judy, Sr., RB

• Kaleb Belnap, Sr., OT

• Gavin Roberts, Sr., OT

• Andy Keith, Sr., C

• Gage Topham, Sr., TE

• Max Draper, Jr., OG

• Knightly Childs, Jr., OG

Key offensive newcomers

• Jaxon Allen, Sr., WR

• Tyrus Roberts, So., OT

• Soren Jensen, Fr., Line

• Bronson Allen, Fr., Line

Defensive coordinator: Timothy King

• Eight returning starters

• 4-4 defense

Returning defensive starters

• Andres Valencia, Sr., CB

• Pearson Judy, Sr., LB

• Tyson Tucker, Sr., LB

• Sloane Childs, Sr., LB

• Kaleb Belnap, Sr., DE

• Gavin Roberts, Sr., DT

• Andy Keith, Sr., NG

• Max Draper, Jr., DE

Key defensive newcomers

• Jaxon Allen, Sr., CB

• Tyrus Roberts, So., DE

• Tyler Harris, So., DT

• Soren Jensen, Fr., Line

• Bronson Allen, Fr., Line

1A South projections

(Preseason rankings are based on coaches’ votes)

1. Beaver Beavers

2023 Schedule

2022 Record: 8-5 (second in 2A South with a 4-1 record)

2022 RPI rankings: No. 4 in 2A

2022 postseason: Lost to San Juan, 41-21, in the 2A 2A championship

All-time record: 512-264-11 (83 years)

State titles: 13 (1970, 1971, 1973, 1975, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1983, 1990, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2020)

Region titles: 18 (1962, 1965 co, 1969, 1970, 1972, 1973, 1977 co, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1987, 1992 co, 1994 co, 2002 co, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2020)

Head coach: Jon Marshall

Entering his seventh season as Beaver’s head football coach on top of the 26 years he’s been the girls basketball coach. Beaver’s football teams have an impressive 63-13 record in his six seasons in charge, including state titles in 2017, 2019 and 2020. He’s led Beaver’s girls basketball team to nine state titles, the third most in state history. He’s a graduate of Beaver High School and Southern Utah University.

Coach Jon Marshall’s general outlook

We are excited for another season. We have a lot of players returning with varsity experience. If we can have some kids step up on our offensive line we can be a very good team. We play a very tough preseason schedule and there are a lot of really good programs with a lot of returning players in our classification. Every week is going to be a battle.

Offensive coordinator: Jonathan Marshall

2022 offense: 30.69 ppg (No. 5 in 2A)

• Seven returning starters

• Wing T/Triple Option offense

Returning offensive starters

• Kutlur Matheson, Sr., TE/QB

• Tavyn Hollingshead, Sr., RB

• Baylor Blackburn, Sr., WR

• Tate Gale, Sr., RB

• Braden Laws, Sr., OL

• Brayden Evans, Sr., OL

• Bodie Wheatley, Jr., QB/RB

• Gage Raddon, Jr., WB

Key offensive newcomers

• Braxton Holgreen, Sr., OL

• Luke Wolff, Sr., WR

• Jace Hafen, Sr., OL

• Caleb Moffet, Sr., OL

• Santiago Amezcua, Sr., K/WR

• Kelton Langston, Sr., OL

• Luke Robinson, Sr., WR/RB

• Jex Puffer, Jr., OL

• Zaiden Gillins, Jr., OL

• Deegen Blackner, Jr., RB

• Deagen Horner, Jr., RB

• Andrew Hollingshead, Jr., WB

• Noah Beaumont, Sr., WR

• Trin Rubio, Sr., WR

Defensive coordinator: Steve Hutchings

2022 defense: 16.15 ppg (No. 2 in 2A)

• Eight returning starters

• 4-2-5 defense

Returning defensive starters

• Kutlur Matheson, Sr., LB

• Tate Gale, Sr., LB

• Tavyn Hollingshead, Sr., CB

• Baylor Blackburn, Sr., CB

• Luke Robinson, Sr., S

• Gage Raddon, Jr., LB

• Andrew Hollingshead, Jr., LB

• Kelton Langston, Sr., LB

Key defensive newcomers

• Bodie Wheatley, Jr., DB

• Brayden Evans, Sr., DL

• Luke Wolff, Sr., DB

• Jace Hafen, Sr., DL

• Caleb Moffet, Sr., DL

• Braden Laws, Sr., DL

• Deegen Blackner, Jr., LB

• Deagen Horner, Jr., DB

• Braxton Holgreen, Sr., DL

2. Kanab Cowboys

2023 Schedule

2022 Record: 10-3 (second in 1A South with a 2-1 record)

2022 RPI rankings: No. 3 in 1A

2022 postseason: Lost to Layton Christian, 55-19, in the 1A championship

All-time record: 455-267-7 (73 years)

State titles: 9 (1974, 1976, 1982, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1994, 2005, 2007)

Region titles: 23 (1963, 1964, 1971, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977 co, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1988, 1989 co, 1994 co, 2002 co, 2004 co, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2013 co, 2016, 2022)

Head coach: JR Quarnberg

Is entering his fourth season as head coach at his high school alma mater after leading the team to a 27-9 record the past three years. He’s a graduate of Southern Utah University.

Coach JR Quarnberg’s general outlook

We are excited for another football season. We are excited to compete in a very solid classification and region. We have a good core of returning starters as well as a couple of players who got a lot of varsity experience. We are younger than we have been the last couple of years so we are excited to see who steps up and earns jobs. We will be led offensively by our third-year starting QB Griffen Bone. We have some solid pieces up front in Britton Little, Karter Ramsay, Nate Stewart and Wyatt Orton and we hope to see them lead the way for our run game. We like our group of backs and expect Preston Brown to shoulder a huge load and Hayden Gubler to add some big plays. Defensively we will be led by senior Maddix Baird. We expect big things from Troy Federkeil and Nate Stewart. We will have a new group up front as well as some new pieces playing in the secondary, but these players are ones we are exited about. Good luck to everyone getting ready to kick off the 2023 season.

Offensive coordinator: JR Quarnberg

2022 offense: 30.77 ppg (No. 4 in 1A)

• Six returning starters

• Wing-T offense

Returning offensive starters

• Griffen Bone, QB, Sr.

• Britton Little, OL, Sr.

• Karter Ramsay, OL, Sr.

• Nate Stewart, RB, Jr.

• Wyatt Orton, OL, Jr.

• Hayden Gubler, RB, So.

Key offensive newcomers

• Preston Brown, RB, Jr.,

• Cooper Anderson, RB, Jr.

• Maddix Baird, TE, Sr.

Defensive coordinator: Brandon Brown

2022 defense: 21.31 ppg (No. 4 in 1A)

• Four returning starters

• 4-3 defense

Returning defensive starters

• Maddix Baird, LB, Sr.

• Nate Stewart, LB, Jr.

• Griffin Bone, S, Sr.

• Hayden Gubler, S So

Key defensive newcomers

• Cooper Anderson, S, Jr.

• Troy Federkeil, LB, Jr.

• Kash Kabonic, CB, Jr.

• Britton Little, DL, Sr.

• Rider Allen, DL, Jr.

3. Enterprise Wolves

2023 Schedule

2022 Record: 11-1 (first in 1A South with a 3-0 record)

2022 RPI rankings: No. 2 in 1A

2022 postseason: Lost to Kanab, 26-15, in the 1A semifinals

All-time record: 158-122 (26 years)

State titles: 1 (2003)

Region titles: 3 (2005, 2009 co, 2022)

Head coach: Andy Messersmith

Entering his eighth season as head coach for the Wolves, as he’s guided the program to a 46-31 record in his first seven seasons. He’s a graduate of Juab High School and Adams State in Colorado.

Coach Andy Messersmith’s general outlook

With quite a few returners starting, we hope to follow up with the success we had last year and make sure we finish the season strong.

Offensive coordinator: Andy Messersmith

2022 offense: 31.42 ppg (No. 3 in 1A)

• Seven returning starters

• Multiple Formation offense

Returning offensive starters

• Kale Day, OL, Sr.

• Parker Holt, OL, Sr.

• Easton Watkins, OL, Sr.

• Jackson Hiatt, QB, Jr.

• Ryker Phillips, QB, Jr.

• Brayden Gardner, TE/FB, Sr.

• Kyron Bracken, Slot, Sr.

• Jayden Drake, Slot, Sr.

Key offensive newcomers

• Kaden Aylworth, RB, Sr.

• Dailen Jones, OL, Sr.

• Eliseo Ramos, OL, Jr.

• Taylor Grob, WR, Sr.

• Moises Betancourt, WR, Sr.

Defensive coordinator: Dallin Clove

2022 defense: 12.67 ppg (No. 2 in 1A)

• Six returning starters

• 4-2-5 defense

Returning defensive starters

• Parker Holt, DE, Sr.

• Kale Day, DT, Sr.

• Easton Watkins, DT, Sr.

• Kyron Bracken, LB, Sr.

• Brayden Gardner, LB, Sr.

• Jayden Drake, DB, Sr.

Key defensive newcomers

• Dailen Jones, DL, Sr.

• Eliseo Ramon, DL, Jr.

• Kaden Aylworth, LB, Sr.

• Jackson Hiatt, DB, Jr.

• Ryker Phillips, S, Jr.

• Moises Betancourt, DB, Sr.

• Taylor Grob, DB, Sr.

• Devin Strong, LB, Jr.

4. Milford Tigers

2023 Schedule

2022 Record: 8-4 (third in 1A South with a 1-2 record)

2022 RPI rankings: No. 4 in 1A

2022 postseason: Lost to Layton Christian, 24-3, in the 1A semifinals

All-time record: 278-411-11 (81 years)

State titles: 3 (1993, 2017, 2018)

Region titles: 5 (1990, 1991, 1999 co, 2017, 2018)

Head coach: Thane Marshall

Entering his 10th season as head coach at Milford, recording a 71-34 record over that stretch, including back-to-back 1A titles in 2017 and 2018. He’s a graduate of Beaver High School and Southern Utah University.

Coach Thane Marshall’s general outlook

We are looking forward to improving from last year. We are going to be young but experienced. We have some big shoes to fill from last year but the young men have been working hard to make themselves better. We look forward to get back to hitting!

Offensive coordinator: Wes Marshall

2022 offense: 37.67 ppg (No. 1 in 1A)

• Eight returning starters

• Air Raid/spread offense

Returning offensive starters

• Kilo Tsosie, Jr., QB

• Drayton Blackburn, Sr., Slot/TB

• Tesler Fields, Sr., T

• Justen Beebe, Sr., T

• Kason Kesler, Jr., C

• Colton Barnes, Jr., WR

• Sadler Barnes, Jr., WR

• Taylor Dotson, Sr., WR

Key offensive newcomers

• Marek Holth, Sr., G

• Cannon Carter So G

Defensive coordinator: Isaako “Tui” Aaitui

2022 defense: 24.08 ppg (No. 6 in 1A)

• Eight returning starters

• 4-3 defense/78

Returning defensive starters

• Tesler Fields, Sr., DE

• Morgan Finicum, Sr., DE

• Tanu Aaitui, So., NG

• Judd Netto, Jr., MLB

• Drayton Blackburn, Sr., OLB

• Colton Barnes, Jr., CB

• Sadler Barnes, Jr., S

• Taylor Dotson, Sr., DB/LB

Key defensive newcomers

• Hunter Stewart, Sr., DL

• Giffin Walker, So., MLB

• Toby LaOrange, Jr., DB

5. Parowan Rams

2023 Schedule

2022 Record: 1-9 (fourth in 1A South with a 0-3 record)

2022 RPI rankings: No. 8 in 1A

2022 postseason: Lost to Layton Christian, 57-0, in the 1A quarterfinals

All-time record: 188-450-7 (74 years)

State titles: None

Region titles: 1 (1989)

Head coach: Ryan Heath

Ryan Heath is entering his fourth year as head coach at Parowan after leading the program to a 12-22 record the previous three seasons. He’s a graduate of North Sevier High School and Southern Utah University.

Coach Ryan Heath’s general outlook

We are going to extremely young this year. We have a few experienced returning guys, but we will have a lot of new guys that need to step up.

Offensive coordinator: Ryan Heath

2022 offense: 17 ppg (No. 8 in 1A)

• Four returning starters

• Spread offense

Returning offensive starters

• Boden Mackelprang, Sr., Tackle

• Kasen Walker, Sr., Guard

• Tex Stubbs, Sr., Tackle

• Brennan Church, Sr., Slot

Key offensive newcomers

• Hunter Bettridge, So., QB

• Chandler Hoffmeier, So., RB

• Garrett Hoyt, So., Center

• Traigun Clark, Jr., WR

Defensive coordinator: Dave Bettridge

2022 defense: 40 ppg (No. 9 in 1A)

• Four returning starters

• 4-2-5 defense

Returning defensive starters

• Boden Mackelprang, Sr., End

• Kasen Walker, Sr., Tackle

• Tex Stubbs, Sr., Tackle

• Brennan Church, Sr., LB

Key defensive newcomers

• Hunter Bettridge, So., Safety

• Chandler Hoffmeier, So., LB

• Hudson White, Jr., LB