ST. GEORGE — The defending champs are carrying a great big target on their backs as the 2024 Region 9 football season is less than three weeks away from opening kickoff.
Last year, Crimson Cliffs rolled to an undefeated campaign in Region 9 and went on to win the 4A state championship convincingly in November.
Media members from The Fan Sports Network and St. George News voted Crimson Cliffs as the preseason favorite to win Region 9 again this year.
Devin Dixon hosted the media event on Tuesday at the Bemore Complex in St. George.
“Like we’ve told them, we were state champs last year. We haven’t won anything this year,” head coach Wayne Alofipo told Dixon, adding that the Mustangs are going to get everyone’s best game of the year.
After Crimson, the media preseason poll ranked Desert Hills second and Dixie third.
Following them in the poll in order were Snow Canyon, Pine View, Cedar and Hurricane.
Media members also voted on a preseason All Region 9 team, choosing Desert Hills senior running back Tytan Mason as preseason MVP.
Also voted onto the team were Dixie running back Ran Sawyer, Pine View tight end Brock Harris, Crimson running back McCord Christiansen, Desert Hills athlete Cyrus Polu, Crimson linebacker McKay Wright, Crimson receiver Malakai Alofipo, Dixie lineman Aisa Lopati, Snow Canyon running back Max Reynolds, Dixie quarterback Wyatt Truman and Snow Canyon’s Archie Threlfall, who plays multiple positions.
Click here to go to the YouTube video of the complete Region 9 football media day.
St. George News spoke with a player from each Region 9 squad at media day to get some insight into the teams as the season approaches.
Preseason No. 1 Crimson Cliffs is reloading, not rebuilding, with a roster that includes 41 seniors. Among them is linebacker McKay Wright, who started for the state champs last season.
Wright said the Mustangs will run their vaunted 3-4 defense, a huge key to their success.
“We’re definitely going to run it again,” Wright said, noting that the departure of Parker Andrus (to Southern Utah University) at nose tackle will be a big loss for the Mustangs defense.
“He was an anchor, but we got some dudes that are going to step up on that D-line,” Wright said. “And we got some linebackers that are also going to step up and fill that position when they need to.”
Wright said it’s amazing to play for a program that can roster over 40 seniors in back-to-back years.
“Coach Wayne has built such an awesome program to be around,” he said. “It’s just like a brotherhood. Being around the guys is always fun.”
Crimson finished 6-0 in Region 9 and 13-1 overall last year, losing only to 6A’s Bingham by three points on the road. The Mustangs open their title defense on Aug. 16 at Morgan.
Preseason No. 2 Desert Hills enters its second year under head coach Solomona Tapasa.
“Coach Taps is a great coach, getting some of the guys ready for the next level. That coaching style is great. Makes sure practice is always fast, fast, fast,” preseason Region 9 MVP Tytan Mason said.
“Makes sure we’re always going,” Mason said. “Great guy, knows what he’s doing.”
Mason added some muscle weight during the offseason and he expects to improve upon last year’s gaudy numbers on the field. He finished with over 2,000 rushing yards, over 200 carries and 25 touchdowns.
“I think our guys are doing really good at being competitive — being able to know that we can run the ball very well,” Mason said, “I think we can be pretty good at running the ball as we have been in the past.”
Desert Hills will enjoy a size advantage over their opponents at nearly every offensive and defensive line position and the Thunder will not shirk from physical play in trenches.
“I don’t know about the favorite, but I think we got a really good chance in our region this year,” Mason said. “So we’ll see what happens.”
Desert Hills was 4-2 in Region 9 play last year and finished 7-5 overall. The Thunder opens the season on Aug. 16 at Faith Lutheran.
Preseason No. 3 Dixie welcomes back defensive coordinator Rick Berry. A longtime assistant to veteran Dixie head coach Blaine Monkres, Berry coached crosstown rival Desert Hills to the 4A state championship in 2022.
Berry will coach the defense and Monkres will call his usual spread offense for the Flyers, which this year might be nicknamed the “Get Ran Sawyer the Ball” offense.
The speedster Sawyer, who electrified Region 9 gridirons as a receiver and punt returner last season, will line up at running back for Dixie. The Flyers hope that increased touches for Sawyer means more touchdowns on the board.
Clearing the running lanes for Sawyer will be an all-senior offensive line at Dixie that boasts both size and experience.
“We’ve all been playing since the sixth grade, so we’ve got a lot of chemistry on the field,” senior lineman Nash Owens said. “We like to mess around with each other, tease each other a little bit but it’s all love. Yeah, we’ll be pretty good this year.”
A more mature and experienced Wyatt Truman returns to call the signals under center for Dixie and he’ll have a variety of weapons to distribute the ball to.
“We did really well in camp, a lot better than I expected us to be,” Owens said. “So I’m really excited to see what we can do.”
Dixie was 4-2 in Region 9 and finished 5-7 overall last year. The Flyers kick off the 2024 season at home on Aug. 16 against Springville.
Preseason No. 4 Snow Canyon returns depth on the lines along with maybe the fastest wide receiving corps in Region 9.
Senior quarterback Joe Mack Smith has been a backup for the past two seasons at Snow Canyon but he said his approach doesn’t change going into this year as QB1.
“Doesn’t change anything. It means you work hard and be with the team, it means the team is still way more important than any of your interests,” Smith said. “It means I’m here to stay. You work hard, you do your job.”
Smith said that the Warriors don’t have a large senior class, but they are all considered captains.
“We’ve been together literally almost our entire lives,” Smith said. “And that’s why we are just lock step, arm-in-arm. We are guys that are going to lead our team.”
Smith said seniors like Archie Threlfall exude intensity and Smith paid lineman Andrew Castro the ultimate compliment, saying, “He’s just a dog.”
“All our seniors have been together forever, and we’ve always been that intense, gritty dog team,” Smith added.
Snow Canyon finished 4-2 in Region 9 last year and finished 7-4 overall. The Warriors host Region 10’s Stansbury in Snow Canyon’s first game on August 16.
Preseason No. 5 Pine View enters its third season under head coach and former Panther KJ Boyer.
Pine View players Boston Wilden, Cayson Himelright, Carson Curtis, Levi Shaw and Brock Harris appeared at media day along with Boyer.
Wilden said that one of Pine View’s strengths this year will be an experienced offensive line blocking for a group of explosive playmakers.
The Panthers have a long list of excellent former offensive linemen, some of whom went on to play in college.
“It’s some big shoes to fill, you got guys like Camden Smith, Peter Falaniko,” Wilden said. “I’m just hoping I can rank somewhere in there and try and have the best line that we can have and hopefully win the region.”
Entering their third year under Boyer, Wilden said the Panthers should benefit from familiarity and a consistent culture.
“Out of the years I’ve played, this is the most cohesive senior group we’ve had,” Wilden said. “We’re looking for improvement this year.”
Pine View’s lone Region 9 victory last year was a home win versus Hurricane. The Panthers finished 3-7 overall. Pine View opens the season on the road at Manti on August 16.
Preseason No. 6 Cedar welcomes first-year head coach Tye Hiatt to the sidelines. He appeared at media day along with players Ian Pouha, Krew Giles, JT Orr and Everett Kelling.
Kelling returns as quarterback for the Reds after emerging as a leader last year as a sophomore.
“I think culture is something that coach Hiatt has brought in,” Kelling said. “Not that the culture last year was bad, but once he got hired there was a new sense of excitement that was brought towards the Cedar football community.”
“That’s been a huge change in the locker room and in the weight room, and how we play on the field,” he added.
No matter the season, Cedar always comes up with an upset or two in Region 9 play and Kelling expects nothing different.
“We lost a lot, but we had a great group of underclassmen behind all of our seniors last year,” Kelling said. “So a couple of upsets, I think we’re definitely capable. I’d say probable, for certain teams, as well.”
Cedar finished with two wins in Region 9 last year and went 4-7 overall. The Reds open the season on Aug. 16 on the road at 3A state champion Richfield.
Preseason No. 7 Hurricane appeared at media day with first year head coach Jerry Cowan and players Dylyn Gabriel, Austyn McRoberts, Gage Huntsman and Bryon Ireland.
As was previously reported in St. George News, Cowan got to know the Tigers and they got to know him at this past summer’s football camp at Southern Utah University in Cedar City.
Junior quarterback Gabriel returns to run the Hurricane offense this year and he said he’s already benefited from the coaching change.
“It’s a new experience. A whole new intensity,” Gabriel said. “I’m ready to watch our team hustle and hit people. Our motto this year is ‘Outhit, Outhustle’ and I love it.”
Gabriel also said that the coaching change has helped tactically and he’s learned to see the field better.
“It’s a whole process. Got a lot of reads to make as a quarterback,” Gabriel said. “It’s been a lot cleaner this year.”
Hurricane was winless in Region 9 last season and finished out of the playoffs with an overall record of 2-9. The Tigers open their 2024 season at home on Aug. 16 against Region 11’s Mountain Crest.
Follow St. George News Sports leading up to kickoff for daily previews of each of the Region 9 teams starting next week.
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