Prep Sports: Journey to the Top

When Alta and Bingham played each other in the second week of the season, the game had a playoff atmosphere. Fans overflowed the bleachers, TV cameras were there and the players played as if the season depended on it.

That was just a preseason game and I can't imagine what this week's rematch will be like because for one team, the season is on the line.

It was a tale of two halves in that first game. Alta's speedy
receivers found the holes in Bingham's defense and dominated in the first half, taking a 28-14 lead after two quarters. Then it was Bingham's bruising run game that allowed them to score 24 straight points and take the come-from-behind victory.

"I like that we were able to come back in a huge game early in the season," Bingham coach Dave Peck said. "Our kids responded. They didn't hang their heads."

What makes this match-up so exciting is that it is always a close game. So when the Hawks and Miners meet again on the Turf at Rice Eccles Stadium, it will be another chapter in this storied rivalry.

--Maggie Thach

This is all starting to feel a little familiar and that's not because I have been to the volleyball state tournament for the past few years. It's because the teams playing for both Class 5A and 4A title are the same teams that played for it last year.

Lone Peak and Pleasant Grove will battle it out for the top prize in 5A and the schools from down south — Snow Canyon and Dixie — will again face each other. This is the fourth straight time the Warriors and Flyers will play each other for a title. The met  for the first time in 2006, the last year the two schools' were in 3A. Snow Canyon has won every meeting.

Lone Peak has been the favorite the last few years but will be more of an underdog against Pleasant Grove. The two play in the same region and the Vikings have won both games during the season. Pleasant Grove is stacked and have multiple weapons on offense. But Lone Peak always plays big in the state title match.

--Maggie Thach

Spanish Fork beat Mountain Crest 28-26, 15-25, 25-12, 25-20 in the last first round game of the day. Here is how the quarterfinals look.

Dixe vs. Mountain View

This game is going on right now and Dixie is up two games. Mountain View is a scrappy team though and won't go down quietly.

Sky View vs. Highland

Bountiful vs. Snow Canyon

Spanish Fork vs. Lehi

This will be the best match-up of the quarterfinals. Lehi beat out Olympus but it wasn't easy. It took five games and the final score was 34-32 22-25, 25-21, 21-25, 15-11.

The quarterfinals for Class 5A is just starting. Lone Peak and Northridge is getting ready to play. Here's what the 5A brackets look like.

Lone Peak vs. Northridge

Davis vs. Brighton

Layton vs. Pleasant Grove

Bingham vs. Cottonwood

--Maggie Thach

We're about a little more than halfway through with the first rounds of the Class 4A and Class 5A state tournament here at UVU and there have been some surprising scores so far.

In Class 5A,  Lone Peak easily advances with a 25-19, 25-21, 25-19 victory over Taylorsville this morning. Northridge, the No. 1 seed from Region 1 battled against Murray and came out on top 22-25, 25-19, 25-5, 25-9. In the upset of the day so far, Davis — the No. 4 seed from Region 1 — beat Hunter —the No. 1 seed from Region 2 — 25, 18, 23-25, 18-25, 25-21, 15-13. That has slowed things  a bit at UVU.  Layton surprisingly swept Skyline 25-14, 25-22, 25-23.

In 4A, outcomes have been predictable. Mountain View beat Stansbury 25-19, 25-20, 25-20 an Sky View took care of Uintah 25,22, 8-25, 25-22, 26-24. The top seed from Region 6, Highland, had no trouble against West Lake as it beat the first-year program 25-15, 25-17, 25-12. Bountiful came out ahead 25-19, 25-13, 25-17 over Box Elder. I expected more competition in the Dixie/Springville match up but the Flyers won in three, 25-18, 27-25, 25-19. There's an intense game going on right now in the most intriguing match-up in the Class 4A first round between Olympus and Lehi.

More scores to come......

--Maggie Thach

A few surprises and I went on a limb and picked a few upsets. Have at them and have fun discussing. 

Class 5A

Cottonwood at Alta – Jones's pick: Alta

Hawks destroyed the Colts in first week. More of the same here

Syracuse at Bingham – Jones's pick: Bingham

Miners much too strong offensively to stumble here

Pleasant Grove at Davis – Jones's pick: Davis

A bit of an upset here, but Darts advance here

Lone Peak at Hunter – Jones's pick: Lone Peak

The Knights can advance all the way to title game

Class 4A

Mountain Crest at Highland – Jones's pick: Mountain Crest

This figures to be a shootout. The Mustangs love shootouts

Spanish Fork at Timpview – Jones's pick: Timpview

Dons are good, but Timpview's on another level

Bonneville at Dixie – Jones's pick: Bonneville

Love the Lakers defense. That proves to be difference here

Woods Cross at Springville – Jones's pick: Springville

Red Devils continue dream season

Class 3A

Morgan at Hurricane – Jones's pick: Hurricane

Hurricane's good enough to make it back to title game

Cedar at Juan Diego – Jones's pick: Juan Diego

Juan Diego's good enough to repeat as state champs

Delta at Park City – Jones's pick: Park City

This may not be close

Bear River at Wasatch – Jones's pick: Bear River

Wasatch ride ends here

Class 2A

San Juan vs. South Sevier – Jones's pick: South Sevier

SS makes the title game

Grand vs. South Summit – Jones's pick: South Summit

Balance is the key for this team

Class 1A

Duchesne vs. Monticello – Jones's pick: Duchesne

By a landslide

Altamont vs. Rich – Jones's pick: Rich

Rich is the title favorite in this class