ST. GEORGE — Six players from the 4A state runner-up Dixie High School football team committed to continue their careers at the next level.
In a ceremony for friends and family at the Dixie Lecture Hall Wednesday morning, the six players– Honor Alo, Truemann Alo, KC Erickson, Bronson Barben, Jakheo Mitchell and Cade Hansen– all put pen to paper and signed National Letters of Intent.
“We appreciate what they have given to Dixie High School over the last four years of their playing here and helping us out,” Dixie Athletic Director Mike Bair said.
“I wanted to mention their character and the examples they set as players,” Bair added. “We strongly stress that in all of our programs, to all our young men and women, that you represent not only yourself but your family and the 1,300 kids that go to Dixie and our community here.”
Dixie finished with a 9-4 overall record after beating Pine View twice, defeating Sky View in overtime in the playoffs and falling 45-20 to undefeated Ridgeline in the 4A state championship game Nov. 12 at the University of Utah.
“It’s been a great pleasure to coach these guys,” Dixie head coach Blaine Monkres said. “You know when they were 8 years old, they all had the dream of playing college football.”
“Today they’ve arrived and achieved that goal and have an opportunity to go on and get a great education and do what they love to do,” Monkres added. “They have to love football or they wouldn’t be sitting up here. It takes a lot of hard work.”
St. George News spoke with each of the six football players and asked them the same question: What memory of Dixie High School football will you take with you to your college team?
“I combine all of the memories,” Honor Alo said after signing his letter to play for Colorado State University Pueblo in Pueblo, Colorado, a Division II team in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference.
“I don’t have any specific memory, everything is just one to me,” he added. “I’m glad that we’re able to sign and continue on with our futures somewhere else. Time to start a new journey.”
Truemann Alo, Honor’s brother, will also play in the RMAC at Black Hills State University in Spearfish, South Dakota.
So after a lifetime of wearing the same jerseys, the Alo brothers will face each other on opposite sidelines in their upcoming college years.
“Just the bonding and the friendships,” Truemann Alo said when asked for his favorite Dixie memory. “People that were like friends that turned into brothers to me while I was here.”
Lineman KC Erickson signed to play at William Jewell College in Liberty, Missouri, a Division II team in the Great Lakes Valley Conference.
“It’s going to be my peers that I remember,” Erickson said. “Them sitting in the student section and cheering for us.”
“Whether it was upsetting the No. 1 team in 4A or losing at state, they always had our backs and they were always there for us,” he added. “I’m always going to love them, that’s Dixie pride.”
Quarterback Bronson Barben decided to stay home and will play at Dixie State University after he gets back from a two-year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Barben led the Flyers to the state title game after missing significant game action at the beginning of the year due to an ankle injury.
“There’s so many things that happened throughout my high school career that I’ll remember,” Barben said. “Coming back from my injury is something that I think will stick with me.”
“The adversity, overcoming that and being able to come back and play,” he added. “I’ll remember that and just playing football with my guys.”
Cade Hansen signed his letter of intent to play at William Penn University in Oskaloosa, Iowa. The Division I Statesmen compete in the National Association on Intercollegiate Athletics.
“I’ll remember the win after Pine View, in the semifinals,” Hansen said. “That was just amazing, that feeling of actually being able to go to the U and playing for state.
Last, Jakheo Mitchell signed to go to Logan and will play at Utah State.
“We had a lot of good memories this year,” Mitchell said, noting that he can’t pick only one. “I’d say one of the best memories was beating Pine View in our first game, and that overtime win over Sky View.”
“And then definitely playing at Utah University playing with these guys was great,” he added.
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