ST. GEORGE — Dixie handled Stansbury with ease while Pine View battled it out on the road at Green Canyon. Both teams advanced on to the Class 4A semifinals, which will be played on Thursday and Friday at the University of Utah.
No. 5 Pine View (9-2) vs No. 1 Park City (12-0) – Thursday at 6 p.m.
Last week Pine View barely squeezed their way past Green Canyon. Getting the ball back with under a minute to go in the game, Macloud Crowton led the team on a 78-yard drive to win. Crowton capped that drive off with a rushing touchdown, only his third of the season. The Panthers pulled out the win by a final score of 43-36 on the road.
Park City comes into Thursday’s game after beating fellow Region 9 team, Snow Canyon. In a low scoring affair, with chilly temperatures, Park City got an extremely tight win, 14-10. This was, in fact, their smallest margin of victory of the season. The game was dominated by the run game, with all of the touchdowns scored coming by way of the run.
Park City had a big-time running game against arguably one of the best defensive teams in Region 9, getting 240 yards on the ground. They were led by Dylan Bauer, who had 28 carries for 212 yards. Pine View will need to clamp down on that running game. For Pine View, their strength is their passing game, with Macloud Crowton in the driver’s seat. He is helped out by his experienced receivers on the outside, and a solid run game with Enoch Takau.
Both offenses have shown that they can put points on the board, but this game will come down to defense. The two teams’ only common opponent was Snow Canyon, who Pine View beat 45-31.
We could see an offensive explosion in this game, or we could see a tight defensive battle. Remember the Pine View and Dixie game? Everyone thought that would be an offensive shootout, but that was far from the truth. This will be a huge test for the Region 9 champion Pine View Panthers.
No. 3 Dixie (9-2) vs No. 2 Sky View (11-1) – Friday at 6 p.m.
Dixie has blown past both of their opponents in the second and third round of the playoffs to get to the semifinals. They blew out Ridgeline 38-7, then beat Stansbury 42-14 last week. For a team that has been highly regarded for their offense, Dixie’s defense has been stellar. Stansbury had a great offense that had put up points all season, and the Flyer defense held them to two touchdowns. While that defense has been improving, their offense has continued to play just as advertised. They are explosive and do so behind Reggie Graff and his crew of experienced receivers. Throw Preston Moore into the mix, and you have yourself a very well rounded offensive attack.
On the other hand, the Sky View defense is no joke. They have only allowed more than 14 points in a game four times this season. The Bobcats beat Cedar Valley in the second round of the playoffs 62-0; then beat Mountain View 56-13 in the third round. Prior to those two games, Sky View shutout Bear River and Providence Hall to end the regular season. While holding teams to low scoring outputs, Sky Ridge has been a force on offense as well. The Bobcats average 38.3 points per game on offense and have scored more than 35 points in their last five games.
Both teams are solid on defense and offense, which could be the perfect recipe for a great game. The two teams have two common opponents, Ridgeline and Stansbury. The one difference was Sky View’s close seven-point victory over Stansbury. This may be the first test Dixie has in the playoffs to this point, but the Flyers have dealt with tight games in region play. Blain Monkres and company will have the Flyers prepared for the game, and you will not want to miss it.
Both games will be streamed on WatchIt Network through KSL.
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