ST. GEORGE – Region 9 football fans know they still have almost two months of sweltering summer days to survive before their favorite gridiron teams return to the turfs of southern Utah. But now they know who, when and where they’ll be playing come mid-August.

That’s because all the football schedules are out for local teams, and besides an always fierce region schedule, which begins Sept. 7, the preseason features some high-caliber opponents for the best of Utah’s 3A squads.

Defending-champion Hurricane has developed an off-beat rivalry with Skyline and the two teams will square off Aug. 17 in the heat at Hurricane High. The Tigers then travel to traditionally high-scoring West Jordan in Week 2. Hurricane beat the Jaguars 48-36 last season. HHS then closes out the preseason against Legacy (Nev.), a Las Vegas-area school that went 4-5 last season. Hurricane opens Region 9 play Sept. 7 at Cedar City.

Desert Hills, which made it all the way to the 3A title game before falling to the Hurricane Tigers in a blizzard in Salt Lake City last November, starts its season Aug. 17 at 5A Syracuse. The Titans beat the Thunder 14-12 last season and made it all the way to the 5A semifinals. Desert Hills then takes a week off before playing host to the West Panthers Aug. 31. The Thunder then open region at Canyon View Sept. 7. DH also plays at Stansbury during its region bye week Sept. 24. The Thunder and Stallions met in the 3A quarterfinals last season with Desert Hills coming out on top 26-7.

Cedar has a tough preseason with games against American Fork, Highland and Skyline. The Redmen open region at home against Hurricane Sept. 7.

Dixie High continues its preseason rivalry with Springville when the Flyers and Red Devils open up their respective seasons Aug. 17. The two teams will be starting their seventh straight season against each other. Dixie has won four of the six previous match-ups. Dixie then plays River Valley, Ariz., and closes the preseason at Provo. The Flyers open region play with a rivalry game at Walt Brooks Stadium against the Pine View Panthers. Dixie beat PV 35-33 a year ago.

Speaking of the Panthers, Pine View plays four of its first five games on the road. PVHS opens the season at East Aug. 17, a team the Panthers lost to 35-27 last season. Pine View then travels to Orem in Week 2. The Panthers finish the preseason at home against Uintah, before starting region play with consecutive road games at Dixie and at Desert Hills. Pine View also filled its region bye week with a game. The Panthers will meet Bear River at Snow College in Ephraim for a 3 p.m. game Oct. 11.

Snow Canyon starts the year on the road as well, playing at 2A San Juan. The Warriors actually have a four-game preseason as their region bye comes early. SC follows the San Juan trip with a home game against Shadow Ridge (Nev.), a Las Vegas school that went 0-9 last season. Snow Canyon closes the preseason with a road trip to Park City and a home game against North Sanpete. Region for SC starts Sept. 14 at home against Canyon View.

The Falcons, who were 2-1 in non-region games, but 0-6 in Region 9, plays preseason games against Juab, Richfield and North Sanpete before starting region Sept. 7 at home against Desert Hills.

Canyon View, Pine View and Snow Canyon, having filled their region bye weeks with non-league opponents, have 10 games scheduled. The other four Region 9 teams play just nine games.

The first round of the 3A state playoffs are scheduled for Sat., Oct. 27.

Region 9 schedules:

Canyon View
Fri., Aug. 17 – at Juab
Fri., Aug. 24 – Richfield
Fri., Aug. 31 – North Sanpete
Fri., Sept. 7 – Desert Hills
Fri., Sept. 14 – at Snow Canyon
Fri., Sept. 21 – Ogden
Fri., Sept. 28 – Dixie
Fri., Oct. 5 – Pine View
Thu., Oct. 11 – at Cedar
Wed., Oct. 17 – at Hurricane

Cedar
Fri., Aug. 17 – American Fork
Fri., Aug. 24 – at Highland
Fri., Aug. 31 – at Skyline
Fri., Sept. 7 – Hurricane
Fri., Sept. 14 – bye
Fri., Sept. 21 – at Pine View
Fri., Sept. 28 – Snow Canyon
Fri., Oct. 5 – at Dixie
Thu., Oct. 11 – Canyon View
Thu., Oct. 18 – at Desert Hills

Desert Hills
Fri., Aug. 17 – at Syracuse
Fri., Aug. 24 – bye
Fri., Aug. 31 – West
Fri., Sept. 7 – at Canyon View
Fri., Sept. 14 – Pine View
Fri., Sept. 21 – at Dixie
Fri., Sept. 28 – at Stansbury
Fri., Oct. 5 – Snow Canyon
Thu., Oct. 11 – at Hurricane
Thu., Oct. 18 – Cedar

Dixie
Fri., Aug. 17 – Springville
Fri., Aug. 24 – River Valley, Ariz.
Fri., Aug. 31 – at Provo
Fri., Sept. 7 – Pine View
Fri., Sept. 14 – at Hurricane
Fri., Sept. 21 – Desert Hills
Fri., Sept. 28 – at Canyon View
Fri., Oct. 5 – Cedar
Fri., Oct. 12 – at Snow Canyon
Thu., Oct. 17 – bye

Hurricane
Fri., Aug. 17 – Skyline
Fri., Aug. 24 – at West Jordan
Fri., Aug. 31 – Legacy, Nev.
Fri., Sept. 7 – at Cedar
Fri., Sept. 14 – Dixie
Fri., Sept. 21 – at Snow Canyon
Fri., Sept. 28 – at Pine View
Fri., Oct. 5 – bye
Thu., Oct. 11 – Desert Hills
Wed., Oct. 17 – Canyon View

Pine View
Fri., Aug. 17 – at East
Fri., Aug. 24 – at Orem
Fri., Aug. 31 – Uintah
Fri., Sept. 7 – at Dixie
Fri., Sept. 14 – at Desert Hills
Fri., Sept. 21 – Cedar
Fri., Sept. 28 – Hurricane
Fri., Oct. 5 – at Canyon View
Thu., Oct. 11 – Bear River (3 p.m. at Snow College)
Thu., Oct. 18 – Snow Canyon

Snow Canyon
Fri., Aug. 17 – at San Juan
Fri., Aug. 24 – Shadow Ridge, Nev.
Fri., Aug. 31 – at Park City
Fri., Sept. 7 – North Sanpete
Fri., Sept. 14 – Canyon View
Fri., Sept. 21 – Hurricane
Fri., Sept. 28 – at Cedar
Fri., Oct. 5 – at Desert Hills
Fri., Oct. 12 – Dixie
Thu., Oct. 18 – at Pine View