GAME PREVIEW CAPSULE
Cedar (1-7, 1-3) at Desert Hills (5-3, 4-1)
Previous Meeting – Desert Hills 23, Cedar 21 (State semifinals, Nov. 11, 2011 at Dixie State)
REDMEN
Classification: 3A, Region 9
Coach: Todd Peacock (26th year, 154-120-1 overall)
Offense: Wishbone, Wingback
Last week: Beat Canyon View 42-8
Players to watch: The running game was phenomenal last week for the Redmen, led by FB Brendon Williams’s 162 yards and four touchdowns. QB Easton Weaver and RBs Dallin Grover and Mike Hourigan also ran hard. Hourigan had 69 yards rushing and 67 receiving.
PPG: 17.3
PAPG: 29.5
Trend: It’s too late for any thoughts on the playoffs, but Cedar has been playing better lately. In this year’s first four games, CHS managed just 9.3 points a game. In the last four weeks, the Redmen have been scoring at a clip of 28.8 ppg and have scored at least 21 points in every game of that stretch.
THUNDER
Classification: 3A, Region 9
Coach: Carl Franke (first year, 5-3 overall)
Offense: Spread
Last week: Beat Hurricane 46-38 in 3 OTs
Players to watch: TE/DE Josh Anderson made on of the more spectacular catches you’ll ever see a high schooler make in a key moment of last week’s win. WRs Brad Wulfenstein and Jordan Hokanson continue to make plays as well for the Thunder. QB Ty Rutledge, as we all know, is a supreme athlete. But he also showed smarts and determination last week in the gritty win over Hurricane.
PPG: 31.8
PAPG: 16.9
Team Stats: http://www.stgeorgeutah.com/high-school-sports/mens-football/desert-hills-stats
Trend: Desert Hills has lost three games this season, all of them on the road. The record of the teams DH lost to: 25-2. Plus, the Thunder just beat previously undefeated Hurricane. The tough schedule is paying off for Coach Carl Franke and his team. Now, they need to not overlook Cedar.
GAME OUTLOOK
Let’s see: an emotional late-night win last week, a short week of practice this week and an opponent that is better than its record indicates. With those clues, it would seem that Desert Hills is ripe for an upset tonight at home. Cedar really does improve as the season goes along and will be no easy win. But DH is better than last year and Cedar is nowhere as good and the Thunder still beat them on a neutral field in the playoffs.
STGnews PREDICTION
Andy Griffin (34-7) — Desert Hills
J.A./Keric Seegmiller (34-7) — Desert Hills
Region 9 standings: http://www.stgeorgeutah.com/high-school-sports/mens-football-standings
Region 9 leaders: http://www.stgeorgeutah.com/high-school-sports/mens-football-leaders