Prep football expert Brian E. Preece ranks all 113 Utah prep football programs as they get set to start the 2023 season (Utah Valley teams in bold):

Rank/School (Classification)/Note

1. Lehi (6A): As always, last year’s Power Poll champion starts on top.

2. Skyridge (6A): Falcons win first state title and want to add another.

3. Corner Canyon (6A): Chargers have been 6A runner-up the past two seasons.

4. Timpview (5A): Thunderbirds will be the favorite in 5A.

5. Lone Peak (6A): Knights had a bit of an off year in 2022 but will contend this year.

6. Bingham (6A): Miners will have to contend with Corner Canyon in new Region 2.

7. American Fork (6A): Cavemen shouldn’t be overlooked in 6A gridiron wars.

8. Farmington (6A): The Phoenix have risen from the ashes and are formidable.

9. Pleasant Grove (6A): Vikings will provided a tough game to their Region 3 foes.

10. Orem (5A): Tigers could pose a challenge to Timpview in Region 7, 5A.

11. West (5A): Panthers will be a huge factor now that they are in 5A.

12. Crimson Cliffs (4A): Newer St. George area school looks ready to claim gold trophy.

13. Syracuse (6A): Titans may be the team to beat in Region 1.

14. Stansbury (4A): The Stallions have shown they are legit contenders.

15. Riverton (6A): Silverwolves want to push their rivals to the brink in 6A Region 2.

16. Springville (5A): After stunning playoff loss, Red Devils want redemption.

17. East (5A): Leopards could power itself into a real contender in 5A.

18. Alta (5A): Hawks hope to draw momentum from last year’s playoff run.

19. Bountiful (5A): The Redhawks continue to be a solid program.

20. Mountain Ridge (6A): Sentinels hoping to go to the next level in 2023.

21. West Jordan (5A): Going down to 5A will likely help the Jaguars get more wins.

22. Davis (6A): Traditional power wants to get back into the thick of things in 6A.

23. Desert Hills (4A): Thunder looking to repeat as 4A state champs.

24. Herriman (6A): Mustangs have the athletes to win a lot of games.

25. Brighton (5A): Bengals seek to win Region 6 and go further in 5A playoffs.

26. Olympus (5A): Titans seem to peak when it’s playoff time.

27. Fremont (6A): Silverwolves will compete for Region 1 title.

28. Roy (5A): Royals look to be a factor in 5A.

29. Morgan (3A): The Trojans are powerful and want to get back on top.

30. Wasatch (5A): High-flying Wasps will provide a tough test for any opponent.

31. Box Elder (5A): Bees look to back-up fine 2022 season.

32. Provo (4A): Going down to 4A could launch the program into a title contender.

33. Ridgeline (4A): Cache Valley program shouldn’t be overlooked.

34. Woods Cross (5A): Wildcats hope to contend in Region 5.

35. Spanish Fork (4A): Dons should find 4A environs to their liking.

36. Weber (6A): After an off-year, Weber wants to reestablish its winning ways.

37. Hunter (5A): Going down to 5A will help the Wolverine program.

38. Granger (5A): Like rival Hunter, moving down to 5A should bring more wins.

39. Park City (4A): Miner program is on solid footing.

40. Westlake (6A): Thunder still stuck in the toughest 6A region.

41. Dixie (4A): Flyers are steep in tradition.

42. Kearns (5A): Going down to 5A could pay dividends for Cougar program.

43. Grantsville (3A): Cowboys are just plain tough.

44. Skyline (5A): Eagles still win games though the luster of past glory has faded.

45. Snow Canyon (4A): Warriors look to make noise in 2023.

46. Bonneville (5A): Lakers have had some nice seasons in recent years.

47. Cedar Valley (5A): Aviator program ready to launch to new heights.

48. Timpanogos (4A): Program has made big strides in past two seasons.

49. Payson (4A): Another new coach but he has talent to work with.

50. Juab (3A): Wasps are serious contenders in 3A gridiron wars.

51. Sky View (4A): Bobcats want to get back in the state title chase.

52. Layton (6A): Lancers want to be more than an afterthought in Region 1.

53. Mountain Crest (4A): Mustang program has pride and wants more wins in 2023.

54. Highland (5A): Rams hope to return to glory days.

55. San Juan (2A): Broncos remain the team to beat in 2A football.

56. Green Canyon (4A): Wolves disappointed last year but hope to redeem themselves.

57. South Summit (2A): Going back down to 2A should really help the Wildcat program.

58. Logan (4A): Grizzlies might surprise some folks.

59. Viewmont (5A): Vikings hope to win more games in 2023.

60. Jordan (4A): Being in 4A is just what the doctor ordered for the Beetdiggers.

61. Bear River (4A): Bears usually outmanned but play tough and get wins.

62. Juan Diego (3A): Soaring Eagle look to take flight in 2023.

63. Cedar (4A): Overlook the Reds’ program at your own risk.

64. Salem Hills (4A): After two rough seasons, being in 4A could really help fortunes.

65. Northridge (5A): New region might lead to more wins.

66. Canyon View (3A): Since moving to 3A, wins have become more frequent.

67. North Sanpete (3A): Overlook tough-minded Hawks at your own peril.

68. Maple Mountain (5A): Being in Region 7 won’t be easy for Golden Eagles.

69. Richfield (3A): Wildcats are a 3A program to be reckoned with.

70. Manti (3A): Templar program has a strong tradition.

71. Cyprus (5A): Though moving down to 5A, Pirates will play familiar foes.

72. Copper Hills (6A): Grizzlies will have to figure it out in 6A Region 2.

73. Beaver (1A): Tradition-rich program should feast against 1A competition.

74. Tooele (4A): Being in 4A should help Tooele get more wins.

75. Pine View (4A): Panther fans hoping 2022 season was just an aberration.

76. Layton Christian (2A): 2A football will provide more challenge for private school program.

77. Emery (2A): In 2A football, Spartans should see more winning seasons.

78. Murray (4A): In 4A Region 10, Spartans should see more wins.

79. Enterprise (1A): Wolves will hope to push Beaver in 1A ranks.

80. Ogden (3A): Tigers hope to put together a winning season.

81. Providence Hall (2A): This could be a breakout year for the Patriot program.

82. Clearfield (5A): Program has struggled in recent years but going 5A should help.

83. Union (3A): Cougars hope to put up a fight in 3A.

84. Delta (2A): Proud program hopes to restore its winning ways.

85. Summit Academy (2A): Charter school could be a factor in 2A North region.

86. Uintah (4A): Going back to 4A should really help Ute program.

87. Taylorsville (5A): Warriors hoping that 5A treats them more kindly.

88. Mountain View (4A): New region and new classification will benefit the Bruins.

89. Duchesne (1A): Traditional 1A power will contend again.

90. Hillcrest (4A): More wins likely now that the Huskies are in 4A.

91. Hurricane (4A): Tough times are still likely for Tiger program.

92. Kanab (1A): Cowboys are always a threat for the title in the 1A wars.

93. Milford (1A): Tigers have played tough football in recent seasons.

94. Cottonwood (4A): Dropped independent status and will compete in 4A.

95. Millard (1A): Going 1A will likely give the Eagle program some momentum.

96. South Sevier (2A): Rams might find it tough going in the 2A South.

97. Judge Memorial (2A): Once proud program looking for wins.

98. North Sevier (1A): Wolves hoping to be a factor in 1A North race.

99. Carbon (3A): Dino program has seen plenty of woes over the years.

100. Ben Lomond (3A): Scots will look to make some strides.

101. Grand County (2A): Red Devils will find 2A South a pretty tough road to go.

102. ALA (2A): New coach and new hope for Eagle program.

103. Parowan (1A): 1A South is a tough league for Ram program to navigate.

104. North Summit (1A): Braves hoping for a better season in 2023.

105. Gunnison Valley (1A): Bulldogs will compete fully in 11-player football in 2023.

106. Monticello (1A-8): Buckaroos touted as 1A favorite for 8-player classification.

107. Rich (1A-8): Rebels play mostly in Wyoming against 11-man teams.

108. Water Canyon (1A-8): Polygamist community school will win some games.

109. Altamont (1A-8): UHSAA adopting 8-player football brought the program back.

110. Whitehorse (1A-8): Raiders want to be a factor in the 8 player classification.

111. Saint Joseph (1A-8): Former Aggie star Jeremy Hunt-Loveless will lead new program.

112. Mon. Valley (1A-8): Cougar program will hope to get more wins in 2023 campaign.

113. USDB (1A-8): School for the deaf and blind will play more games in 2023.

Utah County Rankings: 1 Lehi (#1) 2. Skyridge (#2) 3. Timpview (#4) 4. Lone Peak (#5) 5. American Fork (#7) 6. Pleasant Grove (#9) 7. Orem (#10) 8. Springville (#16) 9. Provo (#32) 10. Spanish Fork (#35) 11. Westlake (#40) 12. Cedar Valley (#47) 13. Timpanogos (#48) 14. Payson (#49) 15.Salem Hills (#64) 16. Maple Mountain (#68) 17. Mountain View (#88) 18. ALA (#102).

Notes: Utah County, and northern Utah County in particular, continues to be the epicenter of prep football in the Beehive State. Four of the top five programs in this poll hail from Utah Valley and seven of the top ten including five teams from Region 3 alone.

The coaching carousel continues to go round-and-round with six schools in Utah County with first-year head coaches. The new coaches are Lance Burell (ALA), Kalin Hall (Maple Mountain), Lance Reynolds (Orem), Brian Wall (Payson), Justin Hemm (Skyridge) and Arnold Ale (Westlake). Ale coached at Payson last year, and speaking of the Lions, this will be the fifth straight year the program has started with a new head coach.

On top of that, several head coaches are still relatively new. Springville’s Dave Valeti is in his second year while Mountain View’s Abe Poduska and Pleasant Grove’s Taylor Walkenhorst begin year three of their tenures. With the retirement of Maple Mountain’s Brad Burtenshaw, American Fork’s Aaron Behm is now the senior in seasons coached beginning his 13th season.

And think on this, Payson has had five head coaches in five seasons while American Fork has had just three head coaches over the last 60 years with Don Mower, Davis Knight and Behm.

Whether one likes it or not, Lehi, last year’s top Power Poll team, starts on top until knocked off. The Pioneers are not tabbed as a favorite in 6A, but in the hands of Ed Larson, Lehi might pull off more wins than people think.

Skyridge is the returning 6A state champion. The Falcons have plenty of talent, but will break in a new head coach. After two straight runner-up finishes, Corner Canyon, by many, is tabbed as the team to beat in the classification for the state’s largest schools.

6A was broken into three regions with many of the Salt Lake Valley teams, along with Roy and Clearfield, moving down to 5A. And what was Region 4 is now Region 3 with Lehi added to the mix to make for a very powerful region of northern Utah County programs.

Corner Canyon will move to Region 2 and reestablish a league rivalry with Bingham. Region 1 is very similar to what it was last year minus Clearfield and Roy.

While Corner Canyon and Skyridge are considered the teams to beat in 6A, Lehi, Lone Peak and Pleasant Grove are three Utah Valley schools that will be right in the mix. Bingham, Farmington, Herriman, Mountain Ridge and perhaps Syracuse are programs outside the Utah Valley that could pose a threat to dethrone Skyridge.

The 4A and 5A landscape has changed significantly.

Timpview will be the favorite to win 5A but could get a stiff challenge by former 6A program West. Another quality team to look out for that dropped classifications is West Jordan. The Jaguars were making strides in 6A and moving to 5A might just enhance this program’s improvement.

Other 6A teams dropping down will be former Region 2 programs Cyprus, Granger, Hunter and Kearns. The Cougars of Kearns High School have been the most consistent of these teams. Their best team lately was in 2020 but unfortunately the Granite School District and school administration withdrew from the state tournament citing COVID-19 concerns when the Cougars were the No. 5 seed.

But the addition of these teams could strengthen 5A overall. Alta, Brighton, Bountiful, Box Elder and Olympus are teams up north that look strong, while Orem and Springville will be strong contenders from Utah Valley. But one program to keep an eye on for sure is Cedar Valley. The Aviators, in just their fourth year of existence as a program, are well coached and seem ready to launch to the next level as a serious contender.

5A lost two semifinal teams from last season as Lehi is going 6A and Stansbury will actually drop to 4A.

The 4A classification looks to be the most intriguing. Desert Hills is the returning state champion and the Thunder will be tough again. But the classification is wide open. Stansbury has been a top shelf program in 5A and will be right in the thick of things. But so could Utah County programs like Provo and Spanish Fork, while Payson and Timpanogos also return a lot of talent and can’t be overlooked.

The 4A classification only had 14 schools last year with some good programs in the likes of Crimson Cliffs and Desert Hills from Region 9, along with Ridgeline and Sky View from the Cache Valley area and what is now Region 11. But the classification nearly doubling its programs will make it much more competitive than the past few seasons. The realignment gets this author’s approval based on making 4A a much better classification.

Morgan crushed the competition last year in 3A but Grantsville and Juab hope to give a serious challenge to Trojan supremacy.

Returning 2A champion San Juan is the team to beat in 2A while South Summit is likely their biggest challenger. Two charter schools could upset the apple cart in Providence Hall and Summit Academy.

1A was strengthened with the return of Beaver but there are several tough teams for the Beavers to contend with in Duchesne, Enterprise, Kanab, and perhaps longtime rival Milford.

8-player football was a big hit and a new program led by Jeremy Hunt Loveless will try it at Saint Joseph. Eight programs will compete this fall but expect more programs to give it a shot in the future.

A grand total of 113 schools will compete in some level of football in 2023. It was expected that 114 teams would don uniforms, but the death of a student followed by a lawsuit and investigation by the Utah Board of Education, resulted in Diamond Ranch closing its doors as an institution for troubled teens.

Newsletter