4A state soccer playoffs: Dixie, Desert Hills both get big first-round wins

Written by E. George Goold
May 4, 2023

ST. GEORGE — The first round of the 4A state soccer playoffs saw two Region 10 teams advance to play again while four others played their last games of the season on the pitch.

The stage is set for Saturday’s quarterfinal round. Dixie, after beating No. 9 seed Cedar Wednesday night, will hit the road to play No. 1 seed Layton Christian Academy.

“They’re definitely a team that’s solid defensively,” Dixie head coach Travis Wilkinson told St. George News after the No. 8 Flyers handled Cedar at home.

While Layton Christian was not affiliated with any region, the Eagles compiled a 9-2 overall record and earned the No. 1 seed in the state tournament. LCA scored 37 goals in 11 games this year while yielding a total of six goals.

“We’re excited to break down some game film tonight and tomorrow and try to prepare for what we think might help unlock that defense, which seems to be so solid,” Wilkinson said.

Region 11 foes Ridgeline and Green Canyon will play in the other half of that quarterfinal bracket.

Meanwhile, No. 3 Desert Hills dominated Hurricane at home Wednesday night and advanced to face No. 6 Mountain Crest in another home game for the Thunder.

And the defending state champion Crimson Cliffs Mustangs, seeded second in the tournament, will face No. 7 Sky View in Washington Fields.

All of Saturday’s quarterfinal games are scheduled for kickoff at 1 p.m.

Here are quick looks at the action from the pitch in 4A playoff games on Wednesday, May 3.

Dixie 7, Cedar 2

Cedar works the ball at midfield against Dixie in a 4A state soccer playoff game, St. George, Utah, May 3, 2023 | Photo by E. George Goold, St. George News

Senior forward Hayes Thompson removed all doubt at Dixie (9-7) after he scored a hat trick plus-one against the visiting Reds. In the first half.

“He’s just coming on,” Flyers coach Travis Wilkinson told St. George News about Thompson’s four-goal outburst.

“He got injured in that middle third of the season, we missed him for five or six games,” Wilkinson added. “And now to see him come back and catch his stride, we’re starting to see what his top end is, potentially. It’s fun to see him coming back.”

Dixie struck first when Melvin Contreras converted an assist from Andy Lagomarsino. Cedar equalized, then Thompson netted his first tally with an assist from Noah Knox.

Zach Rands and Darinel Briones assisted Thompson’s next two markers, making it 4-1 Dixie. Then Cedar got one back on a free kick.

Contreras assisted Thompson’s fourth tally and Dixie took a 5-2 lead into halftime.

After a 30-minute weather delay caused by lightning, Iker Meza and Rands scored second-half Dixie goals to provide the final margin. Meza assisted the last score as well.

“Cedar is a much better team than I think they’ve gotten credit for,” Wilkinson said. “We decided we would come and we would throw a lot more into our attacking third. We went thinner a little in our mid and then went really at them in their backline. I think that early on caused them problems.”

Cedar (7-10) was the only Region 10 team to defeat both co-champs, Desert Hills and Crimson Cliffs, during the regular season. Tylan Murray and Carden Murray accounted for the Reds’ goals against Dixie.

Desert Hills 5, Hurricane 1

Desert Hills senior Jaxon Resendez (center) celebrates a goal against Hurricane in a 4A state soccer playoff game, St. George, Utah, May 3, 2023 | Photo by E. George Goold, St. George News

The third-seeded Thunder got two quick goals from Jaxon Resendez then coasted to a convincing win over the No.14 Tigers.

Dan Simister also scored twice for Desert Hills (12-3) in the win and Harry Echohawk scored the fifth Thunder marker.

Zac Davis had a hat trick of Thunder helpers, finishing with three assists. Gage Lewis and Dawson Amick each contributed and assist for the victors as well.

Desert Hills took a 4-1 lead into halftime then scored one more insurance marker in the second half.

Connor Cavacs netted Hurricane’s lone tally. The Tigers finished the campaign with a 1-15 record.

Sky View 2, Snow Canyon 1

At Sky View, the No. 7 seeded Bobcats broke a scoreless tie with a goal less than one minute before halftime.

Then, in about the 55th minute of the contest, Snow Canyon’s Brandon Gough kicked in an equalizer from the right side, assisted by Will Warner.

Snow Canyon at Sky View, 4A boys soccer playoffs, Smithfield, Utah, May 3, 2023 | Image courtesy of Robert Scott, Cache Valley Daily, St. George News

However, with about eight minutes left in the contest, Sky View (7-6) regained the lead, after which they held on to defeat the No. 10 seeded Warriors, 2-1.

“I thought we played very well, but couldn’t score,” Snow Canyon head coach Zac Hales said after the game. Hales said he was proud of his team’s efforts, not just in that game but throughout the season.

“I am very happy with what these boys did this year,” he told St. George News. “We were able to be in every game except for a couple, no matter who we played. We never quit and kept working. Every one of these boys in the program have my utmost respect for the way they carry themselves on and off the field.”

Snow Canyon finished the season with a 7-9 record.

— written by Jeff Richards

Green Canyon 8, Pine View 0

Playing at home in North Logan, the No. 5 seed Green Canyon Wolves (10-6) shut out the 12th-seeded Pine View Panthers, 8-0. The Wolves scored four times in each half.

Pine View finished the season with a 3-13 record.

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Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2023, all rights reserved.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Eric George Goold came to St. George News from southwestern Colorado, where he was a radio news reporter. He has been a journalist for over 20 years in five different states. He graduated with a master's degree in English from Kansas State University and writes nonfiction as well. Goold has been published in Sunstone Magazine and has done multiple public readings about local history. When he has free time, he enjoys chess, movies and dogs.

Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @STGnews

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