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SALT LAKE CITY – High school football is less than a month away and Utah teams around the state are wrapping up their summer training camps. Now is a better time than ever to take a look at the projected top programs in high school football in the 5A classification.
It's important to clarify that these are not necessarily rankings or in any sort of order; they should be viewed as a list of the teams you should get to know before the season starts.
Springville Red Devils
Under head coach Willy Child, the Red Devils won 11 games last year and took second place in Region 9. As the No. 1 seed in the RPI going into the state playoffs, they made a push to the championship game but lost to Lehi 35-6. Shortly after, coach Child stepped down and the mantle was passed on to former defensive coordinator Dave Valeti.
Springville did most of their damage on the ground last year, with senior Seth Rigtrup totalling 1,543 yards and 21 touchdowns on 217 carries. Expect Tevita Valeti, nephew to the new head coach, to be the workhorse this year. He had over 500 yards on just 60 carries as a backup to Rigtrup in 2021.
Quarterback Ryder Burton is returning as the starter after he threw for 2,301 yards and 24 touchdowns. Burton has been working to improve his play action footwork and cadence at the request of Valeti, and is expected to shine his senior year.
The Red Devils had a lot of productive seniors on defense last year. Yet somehow, their most impressive player was BYU commit Dallin Johnson. As a sophomore defensive tackle, Johnson recorded 69 tackles, 12 tackles for loss and eight sacks — stats not typically seen from an interior lineman, let alone a sophomore.
Playing alongside Johnson on the line is defensive tackle Tyson Naufahu, giving Springville a two-man brick wall that will be hard for anybody to run against.
"In the eight years that I've been (in Springville), we went to at least the semifinals four times, and twice to the championship," Valeti said. "And we came up short. Springville is a small town but football is big here, and there's a feeling that it is time to get something done. We are not satisfied with just getting there."
Lehi Pioneers
Fresh off its 5A state title and an 11-3 record, Lehi returns its most impressive player from last year in quarterback Jackson Brousseau. He threw for over 3,200 yards and 36 touchdowns and only had five interceptions his junior year. The Colorado State commit played so well that it's hard to envision the improvements he will make as a senior — not that he necessarily needs it.
Carson Gonzalez led the Pioneers in carries last season and return for another season. His hefty 1,226 yards on 171 carries were a perfect compliment to the potent passing attack.
Leading receiver Jaxon Christensen scored 13 touchdowns as a senior, so it will be interesting to see who Brousseau's red zone target will be in 2022, but look to tight end Boston Bingham to have a big year. Gonzalez will be a threat in the receiving game, as well. Lehi also features three other big-bodied tight end/receivers in Grayson Brousseau, Jace McGary and Koby Moore.
The defense features a few big names to look out for, including defensive end Isaac Terrell, who had 96 tackles, 22 tackles for loss and 23.5 sacks in 2021. Leading tackler Hema Katoa returns after he recorded 130 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks.
Another exciting player to note is defensive back Kadiyon Sweat. An electric returner, Sweat led the nation in total return yards in 2021. Defensively, Sweat is also a ballhawking corner who brought down nine interceptions.
Lehi returns the majority of their key contributors from their state championship roster, but wIll the pressure to repeat be too much?
Brighton Bengals
Brighton's 2021 season ended in heartbreak after they were upset in the first round of the tournament by Orem. The Bengals finished the year 8-3 overall and won the Region 6 title with a 5-1 record. But with new head coach Casey Sutera, Brighton is in a good position to improve upon its 2021 finish.
Sutera joins Brighton after a stint as the defensive coordinator at Corner Canyon for the past five seasons, so he knows what it takes to succeed at a high level.
The Bengals were led by the performance of sophomore quarterback Jack Johnson last year, who threw for 2,623 yards and 31 touchdowns at a 65% completion rate. Still only a junior, Johnson will return as the signal caller again.
Johnson's best weapon will be Kace Gurr, who is an all-around impressive athlete that had 1,138 yards and 12 touchdowns his junior season. Expect Gurr to get about as many touches as he can handle.
There will be a lot of new faces on Brighton's defense in 2022, but they return a few key contributors, including defensive tackle Mana Nonu, who registered 53 tackles, eight tackles for loss and four sacks. Safety Jace Matheson had 45 tackles, two tackles for loss, and three picks for the Bengals last season.
WIth an offense returning most of its top players and a defense boasting solid pieces at all levels, the Bengals will look to outperform their 2021 counterparts.
Timpview Thunderbirds
The Thunderbirds were the No. 2 seed in last year's tournament after going 4-0 in Region 8 play and 8-3 overall.
Running back Micah Beckstead led the team in rushing yards a season ago with 986 yards and 10 touchdowns on 150 carries. But Kerven Tua'one also played a big role with 97 carries for 523 yards. Both rushers return and will be seniors in 2022.
Pokai Haunga was the real deal and the alpha wide receiver last year, catching 67 passes for 1,221 yards and 14 touchdowns. He returns to lead a room that also includes Tei Nacua, who is still only a junior, and now senior Jared Esplin; both players had over 500 yards receiving. Haunga will likely be the top target again, but Nacua and Esplin will play similar roles to last year.
Offensively for Timpview, the only real question mark is at quarterback. Last year's starter, Liu Aumavae, threw for almost 3,000 yards and added 28 touchdowns as a senior, but will Kahi Graham be the one to take over? Graham saw very limited action as a junior and completed just 49 of 70 attempts for 592 yards and three touchdowns across nine different appearances.
Junior Isaiah Vaea could be in the mix as well, but Graham is likely the starter for 2022.
On defense, outside linebacker Hezekiah Anahu-Ambrosia returns. In 2021, the standout player posted 94 tackles and 21 tackles for loss; he should continue to wreak havoc during his senior year.
On the other side of the line, Siale Esera joins Anahu-Ambrosia to form possibly the scariest pass rush duo in 5A. Esera can play standing up or with his hand in the dirt. He recorded 43 tackles, 15 tackles for loss and 11 sacks last season.
Stansbury Stallions
After losing to Lehi in the semifinals, the Stallions will try to make another deep playoff push in 2022. Head coach Eric Alder led his squad to a 10-3 record in 2021 where they won Region 7 with a 7-0 record.
Returning at quarterback for the Stallions is senior dual-threat Ezra Harris. He was average as a passer in his first year as a starter and threw for just 1,766 yards and 16 touchdowns to six interceptions, but he added 100 carries on the ground for 690 yards and 11 touchdowns. Alder plans on throwing the ball more now that Harris has a full season of experience under his belt — Harris' development as a passer will be the true x-factor for the team.
The true lead back for the Stallions will be University of Utah commit Mateaki Helu, who played for Tooele last year. Helu rushed for over 1,000 yards on just 120 carries.
Stansbury's best receiving weapon will again be Dylan Hamilton, who is returning for his senior year. Hamilton posted 48 receptions for 765 yards and eight touchdowns, and was oftentimes the best player on the field for the Stallions last year. With an increased passing volume in 2022, Hamilton could have a big season. Hamilton will also play corner for Stansbury, but can play safety if the team needs him to.
The other two names to look out for on the defense is Helu at outside linebacker and Easton Baker, who led the team in tackles for loss and sacks as a junior.
"Easton is just a tremendous football player," Alder said. "He has a knack to find his way to wreak havoc on offenses. He has a unique gift for creating turnovers — he had a few scoops and scores last year. Our defense is a lot better with him."
Honorable mention:
Orem, East, Bountiful, Spanish Fork.
