High school football: 4A semifinal playoff previews
4A semifinal previews
Green Canyon-Park City
Fresh off its big upset in the quarterfinals, No. 8 Green Canyon will try and keep the momentum going in the 4A semifinals on Thursday at 6 p.m. as it faces No. 4 seed Park City at the University of Utah.
Both teams are coming off tight quarterfinal wins, with Green Canyon topping No. 1 seed and previously unbeaten Sky View 36-2, while Park City emerged victorious against No. 5 Timpanogos, 28-24.
Park City (11-1) has been dominant on both sides of the ball this season, averaging 36 ppg while allowing just 15 ppg. Green Canyon (9-3) has been one of the top defensive teams in 4A all season allowing only 12.5 ppg.
Wolves quarterback Payton Wilson is coming off his best performance of the season as he threw for 213 yards and three TDs in the win over Sky View last week. For the season he’s completed 61.11% of his passes for 1,689 yards and 15 touchdowns. Wide receiver Dewey Egan has been a reliable target for Wilson, catching 43 passes for 697 yards and 10 touchdowns. Leading Green Canyon’s dominant defense are Carter Stembridge, Collin Gibson and Will Wheatley.
The Miners offense will rely on their balanced offensive attack led by running back Elijah Warner, who has rushed for an impressive 916 yards and 9 touchdowns on 121 carries. The defense is the catalyst though for the Miners led by Corbin Towery, Blake Tabaracci and Benjamin Beatty.
These teams met previously back in the 2022 preseason, with Park City coming out on top in a 30-6 victory. The winner of this semifinal matchup will advance to the 4A championship game, where they will face either No. 6 Ridgeline or No. 2 Crimson Cliffs.
In 115 years of playing high school football, Park City has never won a state title, a trend it helps take a step toward ending as it faces Green Canyon, which opened in 2017.
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Ridgeline-Crimson Cliffs
In an intriguing rematch of last year’s 4A semifinal, No. 2 Crimson Cliffs will face No. 6 Ridgeline at the University of Utah on Friday at 6 p.m.
Crimson Cliffs (11-1) has been arguably the best team in 4A all season as it averages 46.7 ppg while allowing just 10.4 ppg. Ridgeline (10-2) averages 35.9 ppg, allowing an average of 20.2 ppg. Crimson Cliffs’ lone loss came at 6A in Week 2, while Ridgeline’s only losses came to Sky View and Orem.
The standouts of both teams this season have been their quarterbacks. Ridgeline’s Nate Dahle has completed 60.5% of his passes for 2,992 yards and 27 touchdowns, whereas Crimson Cliffs’ Steele Barben boasts a 65.7% completion rate, throwing for 3,003 yards and 41 touchdowns.
Dahle’s top receiver for Ridgeline is Graham Livingston, who has caught 77 passes for 1,161 yards and 11 TDs. JT White leads the Riverhawks in rushing with 673 yards and six touchdowns on 124 carries, closely followed by Jackson Lindsay with 624 yards and 7 touchdowns on 109 carries.
McCord Christiansen led the Mustangs in rushing with 1,042 yards and 14 TDs, with Mason Topalian and Darius Strickland each rushing for six touchdowns this year. Barben has spread the ball around to a variety of receivers this year, but Tyler West has been his top target with 1,161 yards and 16 TDs.
On the defensive end, Ridgeline’s top contributors have been Bode Hansen, Charlie Booth and Cooper Clark, while McKay Wright has been a standout for Crimson Cliffs with 114 tackles, three sacks and two interceptions.
These teams met in the semifinals last year, with Crimson Cliffs coming out on top with a 27-13 victory. The winner of this year’s semifinal will advance to next week’s 4A state championship to face the winner of Park City-Green Canyon.
