ST. GEORGE — An early-season Region 9 matchup will bring intrigue and excitement to Southern Utah high school football fans: a rematch of the 2022 4A state championship.
In this week’s Friday Night Spotlight, it’ll be Desert Hills vs. Crimson Cliffs. The defending state champions vs. the runners-up. The 2-2 Thunder vs. the 3-1 Mustangs.
Both teams are 1-0 in Region 9. Kickoff is 7 p.m. Friday at Crimson Cliffs, and three other matchups are set for the same time and day:
- Cedar at Snow Canyon
- Hurricane at Pine View
- Non-region: Beaumont, California at Dixie
The Fan Sports Network Game of the Week
Desert Hills at Crimson Cliffs
The last time these two teams faced off, it was for the 4A state title in St. George, with the Thunder emerging victorious 30-14. During regular season play in 2022, it was Crimson Cliffs getting the better of Desert Hills 21-14.
It’s fair to say the winner of this game will be widely considered the favorite to win the regular season region championship. This game has been circled on the calendar since last November.
Crimson’s defense has been lights-out, and they also have the revenge factor, which makes this team scary good. The Mustangs have been able to play physical football, but that won’t be easy against the Thunder this week.
Desert Hills was able to slow down Pine View’s offense last week in a 28-point win, and the Thunder are right back on track. Both teams have capable quarterbacks in Beau Wall and Steele Barben. They can make big-time throws, and both are very mobile.
Look for this one to be decided in the latter stages of the second half. The team that takes advantage of red zone chances, fourth-down conversions and turnovers will come out on top.
— Compiled by Devin Dixon
Keep your eyes on …
Tytan Mason for the Thunder vs. McCord Christiansen for the Mustangs could be the difference … but that’s only if the offensive line can move people … And watch out for the Thunder’s Ocean Tafua and the Mustangs’ Parker Andrus on that side of the ball.
And the edge goes to … Crimson Cliffs, according to one prep sports media outlet.
What’s streaming on The Fan?
When you click here to access The Fan website, you can livestream the following games, all of which begin at 7 p.m. Friday:
- Desert Hills at Crimson Cliffs
- Cedar at Snow Canyon
Click here for the Week 4 Region 9 recap.
Our teams cover your teams
From preps to pros, the Canyon Media sports team has you covered.
Southern Utah sports authority Devin Dixon hosts The Drive in the morning and provides insights about each Region 9 matchup (see below).
On-air sports gurus Kaden Foremaster and Mark Musgrave’s afternoon radio show From the Bleachers airs at 4 p.m. Monday-Friday.
Then they head to the booth for the best play-by-play and color commentary in the region. Dixon and Jeremiah Jensen will call the Crimson-Desert Hills game on the Fan’s KSL simulcast, while Kaden Foremaster and Connor Collins will handle Cedar at Snow Canyon.
Once the games are in the books, be sure to visit the St. George News website for full coverage of Southern Utah teams. Sports writers Eric Goold and Jeff Richards, along with videographer Aaron Crane, combine to bring you the most complete reports in the region. Crane’s Region 9 recap video will keep you fully informed on who won, who lost and who shined under the lights.
And if you’re looking for more than football, see the related stories links below.
See more on Dixon’s X feed (formerly known as Twitter) and on Facebook at The Devin Dixon Show as well as the From the Bleachers podcast.
Miss the season preview? Click here to watch Region 9 Media Day.
Devin’s Tale of the Tape
Cedar at Snow Canyon
The Warriors are rolling right now and have the No. 5 spot in the RPI rankings, but it’s early. This is the Region 9 opener for Snow Canyon. Cedar, after a lopsided loss, has a chance to bounce back and prove that last week’s setback to Crimson Cliffs was just a sub-par performance against a good team.
Watch for QB play to be a factor as Tank Kelly has been dropping dimes for the Warriors, and Everett Kelling has the potential to spark the Reds offense. Both teams are going to need this win, so expect a very balanced attack with both offenses trying to take advantage of every possession.
Players to watch are wide receiver JT Jeter and Koden Lunt, who is a team guy and has moved to linebacker for the Reds. For the Warriors, keep an eye on running back Max Reynolds for the Warriors and linebacker Teagan Whitehead.
Hurricane at Pine View
Both teams are coming off losses, so it will be interesting to see how they respond. The Tigers beat the Panthers last year 28-19, but this year it seems, at least on paper, that Pine View has more overall talent. If you haven’t seen Brock Harris, Adam Moore, Quincy Jones and this Panther offense yet and you’re going to this game, be prepared to enjoy the tempo and playmaking ability.
You will also catch a glimpse of some future stars who are getting valuable reps for the Tigers, including Dylan Gabriel and CJ Trump (Trump didn’t go last week so it will be interesting to see if he’s back in action this week.) Expect over 75 total points in this game.
Las Vegas Raiders and Intermountain Health will present the “Friday Night Showcase” program that will feature Raiders alumni and Raiderettes. They will be on hand to assist with the coin toss prior to kickoff and present the winning team with a trophy following the game.
Beaumont, California at Dixie
On paper, this is a very tough matchup for the Flyers, who picked up their first win of the season last week and appear to have found their quarterback in junior Wyatt Truman. Coach Blaine Monkres will have his team ready to go.
Beaumont is 3-0 and has been lighting up the scoreboard with 34, 38 and 52 points in each win. If the Flyers’ defense can keep this team under 28 points, Dixie’s playmakers should be able to find a road to victory in an out-of-region game.
For the latest on all things Region 9 and beyond, stay connected to Southern Utah sports at the following links:
- The Fan Sports Network homepage
- The Fan Sports Network on the X platform
- Region 9 football schedule 2023
- St. George News Sports on Facebook
- St. George News Sports on X platform
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