Prep football: Week 9 game previews and predictions for Northern Utah – Standard-Examiner

BRIAN WOLFER, Special to the Standard-Examiner

Note: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated Bountiful player Corbin Cottles rushing statistics for the previous two games. The Standard-Examiner regrets the error.

After this week, most region football championships in Northern Utah will either be decided or be pretty easy to figure out. The complicated part is figuring out where teams will land, seeding-wise, in the playoffs.

Heres where things stand in the football RPI with two weeks left in the season. For 6A, 24 schools qualify for the playoffs, the top eight teams get a first-round bye, and seed Nos. 9-16 host a first-round playoff game.

6A: Weber 5, Farmington 9, Layton 10, Syracuse 11, Davis 12, Fremont 15, Roy 16, Clearfield 22

5A: Bountiful 8, Northridge 15, Bonneville 16, Box Elder 24, Viewmont 26, Woods Cross 30

4A: Bear River 13

3A: Morgan 3, Ogden 9, Ben Lomond 11

1A: Layton Christian 5

Below are this weeks games, which are being played Thursday and Friday.

Last weeks prediction record: 9-4. Season prediction record: 82-28.

BOUNTIFUL at NORTHRIDGE

Game of the Week, Friday

Friday brings a de-facto Region 5 championship game between Bountiful and Northridge. One can point to Bountifuls (5-2, 4-0 Region 5) running game as a reason why the Redhawks already clinched a share of the Region 5 title.

Running back Corbin Cottle has put up a combined 540 rushing yards on 38 carries (14.2 yards per rush) with seven touchdowns the last two games, but theyve really locked down their region opponents defensively, allowing only 34 points in four region games.

This is the challenge facing Northridge (6-2, 3-1) as the Knights seek their first region football title since 2003.

NHS quarterback Maximus Fonoti-Maikui is second in the state in passing yards (2,597) and pass yards per game (324.6). Receiver Josh Acord is third in the state with 979 receiving yards and second with 13 receiving touchdowns.

The Knights dont run as often as they pass, but the run game averages 7.7 yards per carry. Defensively, they can key in on the run since Bountifuls offense is Cottle-centric with quarterback Max Barker out. The Redhawks have had their hands full plenty of times this year and done fine.

Prediction: Bountiful

BONNEVILLE at BOX ELDER (Fri.)

Bonneville (4-4, 3-1 Region 5) is very invested in the Northridge-Bountiful result because if the Lakers and Knights win, then Bonneville wins a share of the Region 5 title.

Standing in the Lakers way is Box Elder (3-5, 2-2), which has won two of the last three games thanks to its ground game. Both teams could literally get stuck in the mud Friday playing on the Bees grass field.

The National Weather Service is calling for a 90% chance of rain in Brigham City after multiple days of whats expected to be solid rainfall. Who does that benefit? The team with the better offensive line and the team that runs the ball better.

Prediction: Bonneville

WEBER at DAVIS (Thurs.)

Region 1 plays on Thursday this week since there are region games next Wednesday before fall break starts. Weber (6-2, 4-0 Region 1) has a chance to win a share of the Region 1 title.

BRIAN WOLFER, Special to the Standard-Examiner In this Oct. 30, 2020, photo, Davis receiver David Spjut (4) runs the football as Webers Spencer Hall (80) stretches for a tackle during a 6A second-round playoff game in Pleasant View.

The Warriors have some uncertainty at quarterback as starter Jake Lindsay got hurt in last weeks win, but backup Aidan Carter completed 10 of his 12 passes for 164 yards and two TDs.

Theyre facing a Davis (4-4, 2-2) defense that has some very good playmakers, led by the states leading tackler, linebacker Colby Flint (107 tackles, 3.5 tackles-for-loss, three sacks, two forced fumbles). Webers not one to let a chance like this slide by.

Prediction: Weber

MORGAN at OGDEN (Thurs.)

If one looks at results from Morgan (5-3, 2-1 3A North) and Ogden (2-6, 0-3) against Grantsville, indications are there that this could be a pretty tough, close matchup. But if Thursdays game is anything like the teams recent history, it wont be close. At any rate, the Trojans are still in the 3A North region title hunt and look set to rebound this week.

Prediction: Morgan

FARMINGTON at FREMONT (Thurs.)

Farmington (5-3, 3-1 Region 1) doesnt have its leading rusher, Boston Reinhold, anymore due to injury, but the Phoenix still handled Davis last week and present a better running game than what Fremont (4-4, 2-2) faced last week.

Farmington is rolling four straight wins and a defense thats allowed 53 points the last four games, though that defense will have to find a way to slow down Fremont running back Kyler Kotter, who has 413 all-purpose yards in the last two games.

Prediction: Farmington

GRANGER at ROY (Thurs.)

Roy (5-3, 3-1 Region 2) ran for 317 yards and four touchdowns last week. Grangers had issues stopping the run all year and so have the Royals, but the Parker Kingston-led running attack has the advantage.

Roy is still in the Region 2 title hunt, but the Royals need Kearns (3-1 Region 2) to beat West (4-0 Region 2) on Friday to stay in contention. If the Panthers win, the race is pretty much over.

Also, if youre Roy and sitting at No. 16 in the RPI, you want to go 2-0 the next two games and move up 2-3 spots in the RPI so your second-round playoff game isnt at Corner Canyon.

Prediction: Roy

BEN LOMOND at JUAN DIEGO (Thurs.)

Juan Diego is a second-half collapse away from beating Morgan, who in turn put up 69 points against Ben Lomond (1-7, 0-3 3A North) earlier this year.

Prediction: Juan Diego

LAYTON at SYRACUSE (Thurs.)

The computers like Syracuse (5-3, 1-3 Region 1) this week. Recent history also favors Syracuse. Recent trends point toward Layton (5-3, 3-2), which still has an outside shot at a split region title.

Both teams have good defenses and have played many games in the 20s and teens for scoring. First one to 20 points wins.

Prediction: Layton

BRIGHTON at CLEARFIELD (Thurs.)

Clearfield (1-7, 0-5 Region 1) is No. 22 in RPI (the top 24 get into the playoffs for 6A) and unless Pleasant Grove, Cyprus and Copper Hills all start winning (thats unlikely), the Falcons are a lock for the postseason.

A difficult non-region game awaits this week against a team that has one hand on the Region 6 trophy.

Prediction: Brighton

WOODS CROSS at VIEWMONT (Fri.)

Woods Cross (0-8, 0-4 Region 5) has lost three of four region games by single digits, which says the Wildcats are close to a breakthrough.

Viewmont (2-6, 0-4) has had troubles with its defense this year. Playing against a WXHS offense thats averaging 11.5 points per game in the region should be a good chance for the Vikings to have a good game on senior night.

Prediction: Viewmont

MOUNTAIN CREST at BEAR RIVER (Fri.)

This is Bear Rivers (0-8, 0-4 Region 11) best chance for a win the rest of the year. If theres anything going for the Bears, its that theyre playing at home for only the second time this year and the last time they played at home, they scored 42 points with a huge rushing game.

Prediction: Bear River

CANCELED

Layton Christian head coach Ray Stowers told the Standard-Examiner that Monticello has forfeited Fridays game against LCA.

Join thousands already receiving our daily newsletter.

Originally posted here:
Prep football: Week 9 game previews and predictions for Northern Utah - Standard-Examiner