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SALT LAKE CITY — It may be a new high school football season, but the top teams in the state look familiar for another year.
There's still a lot of high school football to be played this season, but there's already been a few twists and turns that weren't expected in Week 1 action. Here's a look at the KSL.com Sports' Top 20+1 rankings as the season enters Week 2.
1. Corner Canyon (1-0)
The Chargers opened up the season with a bang on the road against a Granger team that is expected to be a contender for a 5A title. But Corner Canyon quarterback Isaac Wilson was too much to handle for an overpowered Lancers defense.
Wilson, a Utah commit, proved why he's the No. 2-rated recruit from the state of Utah when he put up video game numbers in the first game of the season. The senior quarterback threw for 470 yards and four touchdown passes on 17-of-25 passing. He even added a 31-yard rushing touchdown on fourth-and-10 to give Corner Canyon a 49-7 Week 1 win.
2. Skyridge (1-0)
Yes, the Falcons dropped one spot in the rankings, but it should be viewed more as a 1A and 1B type scenario between Skyridge and Corner Canyon this week ... and likely for much of the season. Skyridge opened the season at home with a 26-14 win against a Timpview team that was previously ranked No. 3 in our preseason rankings.
Skyridge overcame a 14-13 halftime deficit and shutout Timpview in the second half behind transfer quarterback Jackson Stevens, who completed touchdown passes to La'akea Kalama and Jack Burke to put the game away for the reigning 6A champions.
3. Lone Peak (1-0)
Against a traditionally stout Bingham team, Lone Peak had little trouble Thursday night as the Knights secured a 27-7 victory at home to open the season. Quarterback Jackson Blake opened up the scoring for the Knights on a 77-yard touchdown pass to Jasean Mayberry and a 61-yard toss to Brooks Wilde for another touchdown.
The Knights are in a difficult region, but they start the season off on the right side of the win-loss column, which never hurts.
Top-rated @skyridgefb seals the 26-14 win over Timpview in Week 1 with this 1-yard TD toss from Jackson Stevens to Jack Burke. pic.twitter.com/bZRAjAsSI3
— KSL.com Sports (@KSLcomSports) August 12, 2023
4. American Fork (1-0)
Speaking of a difficult region, American Fork makes it a 1-2-3 punch in Region 3. The Cavemen were locked in a 7-7 game after the first quarter against Roy Friday, but it didn't take long for American Fork to pull away for a 42-14 win. American Fork quarterback Dylan Story took over the game and threw three touchdowns and running back Jacob Eardley added to rushing touchdowns.
American Fork will face a tough battle Friday as the Cavemen welcome in Orem to town.
5. Lehi (1-0)
Did we mention how difficult Region 3 appears this season? Lehi rounds out the top four teams from Region 3 inside the top five of the rankings, even after its jump from 5A to the higher classification of 6A. But the reigning 5A champs got a comfortable Week 1 win over Davis on the road following a 52-yard fumble recovery to start off the scoring.
6. Timpview (0-1)
The presumed Region 7 favorite opened up the season with a loss, but held up well enough against a tough Skyridge team. The Thunderbirds held a 14-13 halftime lead but couldn't find pay dirt in the second half. Quarterback Helman Casuga and running back Paka Haunga remain great assets for a Timpview team looking for a 5A title.
7. Syracuse (1-0)
Coming off a solid 8-3 season, Syracuse made a good impression in its 38-0 win over Riverton in Week 1. Titans quarterback Jake Hopkins connected on four touchdown passes — three of which came in the first half — en route to a 341-yard passing night for the presumed Region 1 favorites. Syracuse will look to do that against a ranked Brighton team Thursday.
8. West (0-0)
While everyone in the state played its first game of the season last week, West was on the sideline waiting for its shot. The Panthers will open up their season on the road in California against Santa Margarita.
9. Bingham (0-1)
Bingham opened up the season with a 27-7 loss to Lone Peak but remains one of the top teams in the state in our view. The talent is there, but it wasn't good enough to contend against a better, more experienced Lone Peak team in Week 1. The Miners host a good Crimson Cliffs team in Week 2, with the hopes of its first win on the line.
10. Orem (1-0)
East controlled a 14-0 halftime lead, but Orem rallied in the second half to beat the Leopards on their home turf in a narrow 21-20 win to open the season. Quarterback Lance Reynolds opened up the scoring for the Tigers on a 14-yard pass to Asher Young, which was followed by two rushing touchdowns. Orem allowed an 80-yard touchdown run from East at the end of the game, but the Leopards missed the ensuing point-after attempt.
11. Brighton (1-0)
On the road, Brighton found itself in a 7-0 deficit against a Desert Hills teams that has dominated play in the Southern Utah for years. But the Bengals reeled off 27 straight points — all in the first half — to quickly put some distance on the Thunder and to eventually win 34-14. Quarterback Jack Johnson finished the night with four passing touchdowns, two of which went to Myles Peters.
12. Alta (1-0)
After a 6-6 season, Alta came out of the gates ready for the 2023 season. The Hawks controlled a 14-0 halftime lead and then added 28 more points in the second half to overwhelm a Layton team on its home field. Alta quarterback Matt McKea threw three touchdowns in the second half, two of which were to Jaxon Toala, to leave no doubts on the field.
13. Springville (1-0)
Tevita Valeti is a tough running back for teams to handle — and that's putting it lightly. Valeti rushed for five touchdowns en route to a 34-7 Week 1 win over a visiting Dixie team. As long as Valeti has the ball, Springville is in good shape to win. He finished with 180 rushing yards and five touchdowns on 26 carries for the Red Devils.
14. Pleasant Grove (1-0)
The expectations were low for Pleasant Grove coming off a 6-6 season, especially against a formidable Farmington team that was expected to challenge for a Region 1 title. But the Vikings flipped the script, held the Phoenix scoreless and came away with an 18-0 Week 1 win to send a message to the doubters. The problem is, Pleasant Grove is in Region 3 ... and you may have heard about how difficult that region is this year.
15. Herriman (1-0)
Herriman welcomed Bountiful to town and used a 21-point third quarter to put distance on the Redhawks en route to a 35-23 victory. Mustangs quarterback Frederick Ta'ai threw all three touchdowns in the third quarter, all of which were for more than 47-yard passes. Bountiful reeled off three touchdowns of their own, but Herriman staved off a comeback on a 33-yard touchdown pass from Ta'ai.
16. Crimson Cliffs (1-0)
Crimson Cliffs traveled to Morgan and dismantled the reigning 3A champions to the tune of a 35-15 win. The Trojans opened up the game with an 8-0 lead, but the Mustangs reeled off 35 unanswered points before Morgan managed another score. By then, it was clear who the better team was on the field.
17. East (0-1)
East held a 14-0 first half lead against Orem, and even had a chance to tie up the game right at the end, but a missed extra-point attempt sealed a 21-20 victory for the visiting Tigers. East remains a contender this season, but a loss in Week 1 on a missed PAT is a tough blow. East gets another shot Friday against ... oh, Skyridge.
18. Box Elder (1-0)
Coming off a 9-4 season, Box Elder entered the 2023 underrated, and the Bees proved as much in a 55-26 win against a veteran Kearns teams. Box Elder used a 21-point second quarter, followed up by a 27-point second half, to put distance on Kearns in a solid Week 1 win.
19. Farmington (0-1)
We're going to give Farmington another shot to prove its a Region 1 contender. But failing to score in the first week of the season to Pleasant Grove is a tough look. The Phoenix travel to Bountiful in an effort to correct the slow start to the season.
20. Provo (1-0)
Who doesn't love a shutout? Provo used a 34-point first half to dismantle an overmatched Grantsville team in Week 1. Fortunately for the Cowboys, the Bulldogs added only one more score in the second half en route to a 41-0 victory.
Plus-1: Cyprus (1-0)
Last season, Cyprus won four games, which doubled the season before that. In short, the Pirates haven't been all that competitive over the years. But against Tooele, Cyprus opened up the floodgates on offense. The home team reeled off 30 points in the second quarter to make a statement, and then maintained the scoring in the second half with an additional 14 points.
The Pirates have Skyler Armenta and Britton Jepsen largely to thank for the offensive explosion. The two combined for all six of the Pirates' touchdowns, with each scoring three apiece. Armenta managed a 38-yard rushing touchdown, and Jepsen had a 40-yard and 60-yard rushing touchdown to lead Cyprus to a 44-14 victory.
