ST. GEORGE — Region 9 will be well represented at the 4A boys state soccer tournament beginning Friday, but local teams will have to step up their game if they want to be the last team standing.
None of the Region 9 squads made it into the top four in the state when the RPI (ratings percentage index) numbers were released Wednesday morning.
Layton Christian Academy (13-1) earned the No. 1 seed. Region 11 champion Ridgeline (12-2) is No. 2 and defending 4A state champion Green Canyon (10-4) secured the third overall seed in the tournament.
Region 9 champion Dixie (12-2) earned the No. 5 seed and a bye in Friday’s first round. The Flyers will host the winner of Hillcrest and Bear River at Walt Brooks Field May 14 at 4 p.m.
Crimson Cliffs, second-place in Region 9, secured the No. 7 seed and also has a bye in the first round. The Mustangs host the winner of Sky View and Cottonwood in Washington Fields May 14 at 4 p.m.
Desert Hills (8-6) finished fourth in the Region 9 standings and was named the No. 8 seed. They host the winner of No. 9 Snow Canyon (8-5) and No. 24 Stansbury at Thunder Field May 14 at 4 p.m.
The Warriors finished third in the Region 9 standings, ahead of Desert Hills but secured the No. 9 seed at state according to the RPI rankings. Snow Canyon’s RPI was .535 while Desert Hills was just ahead at .537.
Due to that meager difference, Snow Canyon plays in the first round Friday at home, scheduled for 4 p.m. They’ll face a Stansbury Stallions team that finished 3-11 and sixth in Region 10.
Finally, Cedar (5-9), the fifth-place team in Region 9, secured the No. 20 seed in the state tournament and plays on the road Friday at No. 13 Mountain Crest (6-8).
Click here to see the complete 4A soccer state tournament bracket.
Follow St. George News Sports for complete results of the tournament all the way through the championship game, which is scheduled May 23 at America First Field in Sandy at 10 a.m.
Region 9 result: Dixie 1, Snow Canyon 0
Dixie won its first Region 9 championship since a shared title in 2021 after beating Snow Canyon on the road in the last game of the regular season Friday.
If the Warriors had prevailed, there would have been a three-way tie for the Region 9 crown. But the shutout win for Dixie secured the region title outright for the Flyers.
“This region obviously has a very strong top-end,” Dixie coach Travis Wilkinson told St. George News after the win. “You win this region, it’s saying something.”
The only goal of the tightly played contest came in the first half. Dixie’s Iker Meza launched a free kick at the Snow Canyon cage.
The Warriors goalkeeper deflected the ball, which went to Dixie’s Taylor Kogan at the edge of the box.
Kogan chipped the ball to the far post, where Dixie’s Tucker McNary punched in a header that found the net for the game-winner.
“It was a beautiful goal,” Wilkinson said. “Tucker just patiently waited on that post and was in the right spot to finish that. It was good to see him execute that play.”
After that, it was up to Dixie’s Mason Randolph and the stout backline of the Flyers to keep Snow Canyon’s potent offense off the scoreboard.
“Mason is a fantastic keeper, arguably one of the best in the state I would say,” Wilkinson said. “One way or another we’ve had a few unlucky goals scored against us, but I would say Mason had a fantastic night. To get that shutout was a big deal for us.”
Final Region 9 boys soccer standings (region, overall) 2024:
- Dixie 10-2, 12-2
- Crimson Cliffs 9-3, 10-4
- Snow Canyon 8-4, 8-5
- Desert Hills 7-5, 8-6
- Cedar 5-7, 5-9
- Pine View 3-10, 3-11
- Hurricane 0-12, 0-14
Photo Gallery
Dixie goalkeeper Mason Rudolph makes a save against Snow Canyon in a Region 9 soccer match, St. George, Utah, May 3, 2024 | Photo by E. George Goold, St. George News
Dixie and Snow Canyon Snow in a Region 9 soccer match, St. George, Utah, May 3, 2024 | Photo by E. George Goold, St. George News
Snow Canyon's Luke Awerkamp (foreground) gets tackled from behind by Dixie's Pablo Diaz in a Region 9 soccer match, St. George, Utah, May 3, 2024 | Photo by E. George Goold, St. George News
Dixie's Pablo Diaz does all he can to win the ball against Snow Canyon in a Region 9 soccer match, St. George, Utah, May 3, 2024 | Photo by E. George Goold, St. George News
Snow Canyon's Adam Parkhurst (10) controls the ball against Dixie in a Region 9 soccer match, St. George, Utah, May 3, 2024 | Photo by E. George Goold, St. George News
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