Preece’s Prep Football Primer: State playoffs reach quarterfinal stage
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- American Fork senior running back Prince Afu celebrates with senior offensive lineman Carson Thorne after Afu scored a touchdown during the Region 3 game against Lone Peak at American Fork on Friday, Sept. 26, 2025.
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- Skyridge students react during a high school football game against Lehi on Thursday, Sept. 18, 2025.
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- Provo quarterback Gehrig Orchard (2) gets ready to throw the ball during a Region 8 football game against Uintah on Friday, Oct 10, 2025.
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- Springville’s Tua Naufahu (8) throws a straight arm at Pleasant Grove’s Ryder Huntsman in a high school football game on Friday, Sept. 12, 2025.
A total of six Utah Valley teams still have a dream of being crowned state champions in the prep football playoffs as quarterfinal action takes place Friday.
Three of them hail from 6A Region 3 and unfortunately one program is guaranteed to be eliminated when No. 7 seed American Fork tangles with fellow league rival Skyridge, the No. 2 seed. No. 6 seed Lone Peak will hit the road to take on No. 3 seed Davis.
In 5A No. 4 seed Orem will entertain No. 5 seed Woods Cross while No. 3 Springville hosts No 6 seed Box Elder. Provo as the No. 5 seed in 4A heads south to take on No. 4 seed Hurricane. So here’s the tale of the tape in these match-ups.
American Fork (7-4) vs. Skyridge (8-2): American Fork eliminated Lehi last week in a thrilling 21-20 contest. This was after the Cavemen had lost to the Pioneers earlier in the season 26-3. Now American Fork travels just a few miles north to take on league rival Skyridge. The Falcons won an earlier meeting 26-14 so the Cavemen faithful should have hope that the rematch could go their way like it did in the week previous.
American Fork has scored 268 points while allowing 228 in eleven games. In just ten games Skyridge has scored 445 points or over 44 points a game while allowing 239. So yes, the numbers seem to suggest a Falcon victory but on any given Friday anything can happen. Statistically, American Fork might have a slightly better defense and will hope to keep this a low-scoring game. If Skyridge gets rolling early, it could be a long day for the Cavemen.
Lone Peak (6-4) vs. Davis (10-1): On paper this looks like Davis should win this game. But Lone Peak has proven over and over it’s no pushover. Davis has lost just one game, a one-point loss to 5A Fremont in Week 2. Dart quarterback Tradon Bessinger is one of the most prolific passers in state history with 3,978 yards, 50 touchdowns and just two interceptions. This isn’t the Davis team of generations ago where they ran the double-wing offense and relied on deception. Now Davis likes to chuck it around.
The Knights have always been known for their great defense and the challenge here is huge. If Lone Peak can keep the Dart offense off the field they certainly have a chance. One important aspect of this game might be special teams where over the years the Knights have made game-changing punt and kickoff returns to help their cause. And there is also the reality that despite its four losses Lone Peak has played a much more demanding schedule.
Woods Cross (8-3) vs. Orem (9-2): This is a battle of region champions though Woods Cross had to share its title with No. 7 seed Brighton, who will tangle with No. 2 seed Fremont. Orem won its league title outright but still found itself seeded lower than Springville who they beat head-to-head 17-14.
Woods Cross has never won a state title though its head coach Brody Benson guided a team to a title when he was at Highland. The Wildcats have scored 332 points on the season while allowing 180. Meanwhile, Orem has lit up the scoreboard pointing 423 while allowing just 143, or 13 per contest. It is felt here that the Tigers have been undervalued in the RPI seeding and should easily advance. Not only are the numbers in their favor, the Tigers have also played a much more rugged schedule and this should play out in their favor.
Box Elder (9-2) vs. Springville (10-1): If this game goes like I think it will, the contest might not last even two hours. Both of these teams don’t just like to run the ball, they love to run the ball. But they do it a bit differently. Box Elder will use a veer option attack with some spread formations. Meanwhile, expect Springville to use either traditional two-back sets or some wildcat formations with Lisiate Valeti and Tua Naufahu sharing snaps. Both programs are known for being physical and playing good defense. Box Elder is known for pulling off some upsets in state play so the Red Devils need to be wary and take the Bees very seriously.
Provo (7-4) vs. Hurricane (7-3): As the No. 5 seed Provo will hit the road. I definitely see Provo as way underrated, and if the Bulldogs play up to their potential, they should win this game. The two have one common opponent in Crimson Cliffs, who are the 2-time 4A defending champions and this year’s No. 2 seed. Provo lost to the Mustangs 28-24 giving up a touchdown in the final moments of the game. The Tigers did play Crimson Cliffs relatively close, losing 21-16 at home.
Over the years Provo has suffered some excruciating playoff losses on its home turf so maybe going on the road might change the Bulldog fortunes. Provo played one of the toughest schedules of any 4A team and still put up 408 points while allowing 220. Provo actually broke the 60-point barrier three times and brings in a six-game winning streak. Meanwhile, Hurricane is a more defensive minded team as the Tigers have pointed 324 points in ten games while allowing just 167 or 16.7 points per game.
Coaching Memories: A good omen for Provo is that for the first time since 1999, the Bulldogs have gone further in the playoffs then their cross-town rival Timpview. In that season the Thunderbirds were upset at home by Fremont who went on to the semifinals. Lone Peak was actually the favorite that year winning the league while Timpview was second and Provo third.
The Bulldogs hosted Logan in the first round of the playoffs. On that Grizzly team was Chris Cooley, who had a nice career in the NFL. And future Utah Hall of Fame coach Mike Favero was just beginning his career.
Yours truly was the offensive coordinator of the sophomore team and once the playoffs started Provo head coach Frank Henderson asked me if I would coordinate the special teams. The different units were spread out among the other coaches and it was felt that if I could take on the whole thing under one umbrella, the other coaches could concentrate more on their other duties.
The first thing I did was design a kickoff I called “Wall right, reverse right.” I’m not sure Coach Henderson liked it but he rolled with it. The game with Logan had turned into a physical dogfight and early in the third quarter the Grizzlies took a 23-20 lead.
That’s when I called for this new trick play kickoff. I vividly remember the kickoff being a bit shorter and Scott Whitaker fielded the ball around the 15-yard line. He then ran to the center to hand it off to David Ashworth, who was also our star running back. The trap was sprung as the Logan kickoff team broke to the center of the field and Ashworth took it up the sideline untouched behind a wall of defenders. Our defense held firm and we escaped with a hard-fought 27-23 victory. That kickoff return was the only score we mustered the entire second half.
As it so happened, Cyprus stunned Lone Peak and instead of hitting the road to take on the top-rated team in the state, we got to host another playoff game. Provo took care of business winning 48-13 and made the semifinals before losing 24-17 to Bountiful.
I won’t deny it, I am rooting hard for the Bulldogs this week. I spent 25 years teaching and coaching at Provo and I worked along Brent Chambers, the father of current head coach Kirk Chambers. I was also blessed to have taught and coached members of the Chambers family.
Remembering Mom: This Saturday our family will lay my mother to rest. Her husband, my father Dennis Preece, was the architect of the Uintah wrestling dynasty winning nine state titles in 12 years.
It was about this time of year when she wondered if I could come by her place and help her with some projects and yard work. I told her that I couldn’t because I was coaching that weekend and Provo High was heading down to St. George to play Pine View in the playoffs.
Much like former Indianapolis Colts head coach Jim Mora, she exclaimed, “Playoffs! Playoffs! You guys have won two whole games and you’re going to the playoffs!”
I was left trying to justify our team going to the playoffs with a 2-7 record saying that we did win two region games which was good enough for fourth place. She was having none of it. I’m pretty sure she was joking when she said, “I think I might need to call the UHSAA and tell them that two-win teams going to the playoffs is a waste of taxpayer money.”
For the record, we lost 48-14.
Though I’m glad the UHSAA has expanded the playoffs, perhaps some minimum standard to make the field might be in order. Maybe at least winning a game though for Mom the standard would be much higher. And as we saw this year, two schools that could have participated in the new format declined the opportunity and I know Mom would have supported their self-awareness.
The default starting times are 6 p.m. but again double check as often coaches will mutually agree to change the kickoff time.
