Thursday’s 4A semifinal between Dixie and Springville will be a true rematch of opening week. After a review by the Utah High School Activities Association, Dixie QB Mike Sharp will be able to play despite being ejected from Friday’s second-round game against Bonneville.
Sharp was tossed during the second quarter when officials thought he threw a punch at a Bonneville player after the conclusion of a play. Though players cannot appeal an ejection, the UHSAA reviewed Sharp's ejection at the request of the officials working the game.
The decision was that Sharp was making a reaction and didn’t intend to hit the player.
Sharp has accounted for 31 touchdowns this year and is less than 100 yards away from 1,000 rushing for the season.
With Sharp back in the lineup, Dixie-Springville becomes the best semifinal at Rice-Eccles that doesn’t involve Bingham or Alta.
Zach Liston, Alta
File photo by Dave Argyle
Dixie has won seven straight and has averaged 34 points a night in doing so. Springville’s 10-1 and showed it can play defense after it needed three (four if you count an interception on a final play desperation pass) fourth-quarter defensive stands to hold off Woods Cross 16-12 Friday.
The Red Devils’ vaunted offense didn’t garner a first down on its final four possessions, but the defense stopped three Wildcat drives inside the Springville 21.
The other 5A game:
The big game Friday, of course, is the 2:30 matchup between Bingham and Alta. Following is Davis-Hunter, a match-up of two teams who haven’t seen much of the spotlight lately. Davis hasn’t been to the semis since its 2004 state title run. Same for Hunter and its 2003 championship.
It will be a good display of running backs with Davis’ Tanner Hinds going up against La'au Tanuvasa of Hunter, which needed four overtimes to beat Lone Peak on Friday.
3A: Wasatch crashes the party: The Juan Diego-Hurricane-Park City trio needed a fourth, and the spot went to Wasatch when the Wasps defeated Bear River 48-32. It’s been a nice two-game recovery for Wasatch after being humiliated at home by Park City in the regular-season finale/Region 10 championship game. The reward is a Thursday morning matchup with defending champion Juan Diego.
Meanwhile, at Alta:
The 1A and 2A championship games will be at Alta School on Saturday morning. In the 1A game, Rich will look to cap off an unbeaten season when it faces Duchense. Rich dispatched Altamont 35-7 behind four Bradley Holmes touchdown runs while Duchense’s defense shut down Monticello for a 22-12 victory in last Saturday’s semifinals. Rich defeated Duchense 38-8 in the regular season.
The 2A game will be South Summitt and San Juan.
Volleyball recaps
4A
: Snow Canyon defeated Dixie for the fourth consecutive time the teams have met in the championship match. Snow Canyon won 3-0 behind 12 kills from Taylor Murphey.
5A:
Pleasant Grove extracted some revenge from Lone Peak with a 3-0 victory in a rematch of last year’s championship game. Pleasant Grove sweeps Lone Peak to win a Class 5A title on Saturday at UVU. Danica Mendivil and Kim Dahl had 19 and 13 kills, respectively.
