After this week, there are no longer any Region 8 teams left in the playoffs. Payson was blown out by Ridgeline, ending an impressive playoff run. Timpanogos barely lost a heart-breaker to the Park City Miners.
Payson (6-45 Loss)
When the Payson Lions traveled up to Cache Valley to play the Ridgeline Riverhawks, a lot of people expected them to be a tough contender in that game. They had upset Provo in the playoffs just one week before, and had a lot of swagger coming into the game.
Unfortunately, turnovers riddled their offense, resulting in a tough job for the defense. One of the biggest battles that a team has to overcome against a team like Ridgeline is getting stops in critical situations, and that can’t happen when the defense is exhausted.
The Lions lost the turnover battle 5-0, throwing three interceptions and losing two fumbles. This negated their good offensive production.
Offensively, the Lions were able to gain 332 total yards, just 20 shy of the Riverhawks’ total. Lion senior Cooper Swasey gained 165 of those yards, but also added to the turnover margin when he threw an interception on a trick play.
Overall, the Riverhawks dominated the Lions in every way. Their defensive ability to create turnovers and their offensive ability to score off of them ultimately won them the game.
The Lions finished the season with a record of 7-6.
Timpanogos (24-28 Loss)
If you would like to know more about this game, you can read about it here:
Featured Image Credit: Brian E. Preece, Herald Journal Correspondent
The Hive Sports 
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