The Hive Sports

by AJ Conlin

The playoffs are finally here, and fans of high school football everywhere couldn’t be happier. Fans of teams that play in Region 8 were also generally pleased, as every team clinched a playoff berth. There is still general excitement in the region after the first round, with four teams still vying for a run.

Payson vs. Mountain View (35-17)

The Payson Lions hosted the Mountain View Bruins for their first round game last Friday. The Lions beat the Bruins for their first playoff win since 1986! This game was exciting all around, but was ultimately dominated by the Lions. Mountain View has not entered stats for this game.

The Lions racked up 476 total yards of offense, 307 of them through the air. They threw for three touchdowns and found the end zone once on the ground.

Defensively, they forced three turnovers, two of which were interceptions from star senior Cooper Swasey. He returned one of them 45 yards for a defensive touchdown.

Overall, this game was dominated by the Lions, but the Bruins refused to go out without a fight. The Bruins are done playing football this season. They ended their season with a 3-8 record.

The Lions advance to the second round of the playoffs, and they will play the high ranked, Region 8 champion Provo Bulldogs. In their last match-up, the Bulldogs barely pulled out the win 26-23.

This next game is going to be a slug-fest for sure. Their last game was decided by just a field goal, so this game is expected to be incredibly close, and a must-watch contest. That game will be played in Provo on Friday at 6 PM.

Provo (bye)

The Provo Bulldogs had a bye this week, which was no doubt used for some rest. It was probably also used for some game planning going into their first playoff game against the Payson Lions, a tough region foe. In their last match-up, the Bulldogs barely pulled out the win 26-23.

This next game is going to be a slug-fest for sure. Their last game was decided by just a field goal, so this game is expected to be incredibly close, and a must-watch contest. That game will be played in Provo on Friday at 6 PM.

Salem Hills vs. Uintah (44-7)

There really isn’t much to the game between the Salem Hills Skyhawks and the Uintah Utes. It was a clean win for the Skyhawks, and the only thing worth mentioning are some stat leaders. Uintah has not entered stats for this game.

Offensively, the Skyhawks got most of their work done on the ground, but finished the job more often through the air. They had just two touchdowns on the ground, but four through the air.

Senior RB Roper Kay was having none of Uintah, and ended up rushing for an unreal 253 yards off of 20 carries! He somehow only managed to find the end zone once.

Overall, this game was a clean win and impressive show for Kay and the Skyhawks. The Utes’ loss has ended their season. They finished with a 2-9 record.

The Skyhawks will travel to play the Green Canyon Wolves for their second round game. Both teams have similar records and similarly powerful regions. This game is projected to be another nail-biter and end up being incredibly close up to the final whistle. That game will take place at Green Canyon on Friday at 6 PM.

Spanish Fork (33-47 Loss)

The Spanish Fork Dons hosted the Bear River Bears in the first round of the playoffs, and subsequently lost a heart-breaker. The Dons’ stats were not easily accessible, but looking at the Bears’ stats, everything makes sense.

The Dons gave up nearly 500 yards, 374 of them to dual-threat QB Owen Olsen. Their defense was put under quite a lot of pressure due to the offense’s inability to keep the ball when it mattered most.

The Dons threw four interceptions over the night, and only grabbed one of their own. This was a critical reason for their loss.

The Dons are done playing football this season. They finished with a record of 3-7.

Timpanogos (bye)

The Timpanogos Timberwolves had a bye week this week, being the second team in the region to have one. This week was probably filled with planning for their next game against the Mountain Crest Mustangs.

The Mustangs carry some energy rolling into the playoffs after their 63-14 win over the Tooele Buffaloes. Both the Mustangs and the Timberwolves come from powerful regions, but the Timberwolves are the favorite to win this game.

These two teams will play at Timpanogos on Friday at 6 PM.

Featured image credit: Brian E. Preece, Daily Herald correspondent