{"id":4240,"date":"2026-07-26T14:41:33","date_gmt":"2026-07-26T14:41:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/americanmovershub.com\/?p=4240"},"modified":"2026-07-26T14:41:33","modified_gmt":"2026-07-26T14:41:33","slug":"high-school-football-experienced-north-summit-gets-nod-as-1a-north-preseason-favorite-ahead-of-duchesne","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/americanmovershub.com\/?p=4240","title":{"rendered":"High school football: Experienced North Summit gets nod as 1A North preseason favorite ahead of Duchesne"},"content":{"rendered":"
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North Summit was picked as the preseason favorite in the 1A North region after finishing second in the region last season. The Braves went 6-6 overall in 2025 and reached the 1A state semifinals for the second consecutive year before falling to eventual state champion Kanab. North Summit has qualified for the playoffs in each of the past seven seasons and will look to take the next step in 2026.<\/p>\n

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The Braves\u2019 record was somewhat deceiving. North Summit played one of the toughest schedules in the state, with every loss coming against a team that reached at least the state semifinals, including eventual 1A champion Kanab twice.<\/p>\n

North Summit also enters the season with a new head coach as Dalton Ross takes over for longtime coach Jerre Holmes after spending the past 10 seasons as an assistant. Ross, who also played for Holmes, said he plans to continue the culture that has made the Braves one of the state\u2019s most consistent programs.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt North Summit, we\u2019re fortunate to be able to build on the great culture that Coach Holmes and those before him established,\u201d Ross said. \u201cOur goal is simply to continue building on the foundation that has already been laid.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Braves return 13 starters, including six on offense and seven on defense. Senior quarterback Cru Richins returns after earning second-team All-State honors last season. Richins threw for 1,358 yards and 14 touchdowns while adding 632 rushing yards and four scores. First-team All-State receiver Knox Woolstenhulme is also back after catching 60 passes for 963 yards and 10 touchdowns while rushing for another 408 yards and six scores. Junior Tayton Pace, a second-team All-State selection, threw for 687 yards and seven touchdowns while adding 304 receiving yards.<\/p>\n

Defensively, North Summit is led by first-team All-State linebacker Cael Blonquist, who recorded 118 tackles last season. Ross also expects senior Jaymon Bailey to play a key role in the trenches as the Braves look to make a third straight trip to the state semifinals.<\/p>\n

As for Duchesne, despite winning the 1A North title and finishing 9-3 last season, it was picked second in this year\u2019s preseason coaches poll. The Eagles reached the 1A state semifinals before falling to eventual 1A runner-up Beaver and now enter Tom Clark\u2019s third season looking to defend their region championship.<\/p>\n

Replacing last year\u2019s senior class will be one of Duchesne\u2019s biggest challenges. The Eagles graduated 1A leading rusher Kasen Crum along with several other key contributors from an offense that scored 471 points, the second-highest total in school history. Clark said Duchesne expects six or seven first-year starters on both sides of the ball.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe will definitely have to rely on our All-State returners to lead the way while our young kids grow as the season goes on,\u201d Clark said. \u201cHopefully we can gel early and have a good start.\u201d<\/p>\n

Those returning leaders begin with senior Brex Robinson, who is expected to take over at quarterback after earning first-team All-State honors as a defensive back last season. Robinson threw for 356 yards and four touchdowns while adding 162 rushing yards. Defensively, he recorded 36 tackles and six interceptions.<\/p>\n

The Eagles also return one of the top offensive lines in 1A with first-team All-State selections Eli Lefler and Tucker Lefler, along with honorable mention lineman Jackson Stansfield. Tucker Lefler helped pave the way for 1A leading rusher Kasen Crum last season, while Eli Lefler earned first-team All-State honors on the defensive line. Junior kicker Alec Thomas also returns after earning first-team All-State honors.<\/p>\n

Duchesne returns four offensive starters and six on defense, but if its experienced leaders can help the next wave of players develop quickly, the Eagles should once again be in the mix for another 1A North championship.<\/p>\n

Millard was picked third in the preseason 1A North coaches poll after finishing 5-6 last season. The Eagles reached the 1A quarterfinals before falling to North Summit, marking their third straight quarterfinal appearance that ended one win shy of the semifinals. Their 5-6 record came against a difficult schedule that included eventual 1A champion Kanab, runner-up Beaver, semifinalists North Summit and Duchesne, along with 2A semifinalist South Sevier. <\/p>\n

The Eagles return 18 starters, including eight on offense and 10 on defense, giving head coach Stoney Myers squad one of the most experienced rosters in the region.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe like our team this year,\u201d Myers said. \u201cWe do have a number of players returning that bring valuable playing experience for this season. The culture of our program seems to be improving, but we are still looking to get out of the \u2018quarterfinal slump.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Millard is led by first-team All-State defensive lineman Deegan Leatham, who recorded 45 tackles and four sacks last season. Second-team All-State running back Kaydon Fowkes also returns after rushing for 782 yards and six touchdowns while adding 49 tackles on defense. Senior Jensen Davies is expected to take on a larger offensive role after recording 192 receiving yards last season, while Christian Briceno returns after leading the Eagles with 59 tackles and adding 14 receptions for 163 yards and four touchdowns.<\/p>\n

Millard will also look to replace the production of graduated quarterback Connor Stevens, who accounted for nearly 1,900 total yards last season. If the Eagles\u2019 experienced roster can build on the progress they\u2019ve made in recent seasons, they have the pieces to contend for a deeper postseason run.<\/p>\n

Gunnison Valley was picked fourth in the preseason 1A North coaches poll after finishing 4-7 last season. The Bulldogs took a significant step forward in 2025, improving from an 0-9 campaign the year before and advancing to the 1A quarterfinals after defeating rival North Sevier in the opening round before falling to eventual state champion Kanab.<\/p>\n

The Bulldogs return 14 starters, including seven on offense and seven on defense, giving head coach Austin Jackson an experienced group to build around.<\/p>\n

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\u201cWe return a lot of starters who have played a lot of football,\u201d Jackson said. \u201cMost of our senior class has been starting or have had significant time since they were sophomores. We do fill a few spots with new starters, but we have a lot of confidence due to a lot of talent and experience surrounding the new starters.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gunnison Valley returns several All-State players led by second-team defensive lineman Wrigley Crouch and second-team defensive back Krew Donaldson. Donaldson intercepted seven passes last season, while Crouch recorded 37 tackles and two sacks. Honorable mention quarterback Talan Dyreng also returns after throwing for 429 yards and six touchdowns. Honorable mention running back Ryder Coates rushed for a team-high 407 yards and four touchdowns, while receiver Waylon Sorenson caught 12 passes for 191 yards and three touchdowns.<\/p>\n

With nearly all of last season\u2019s key contributors returning, the Bulldogs will look to build on last year\u2019s improvement and compete for a higher finish in the 1A North standings.<\/p>\n

North Sevier was picked fifth in the coaches poll after finishing 1-10 a year ago. The Wolves relied heavily on underclassmen throughout the year and now return 11 starters, including six on offense and five on defense, hoping the experience gained in 2025 translates into more success this fall.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were very young last season and had a lot of kids getting some experience, so we\u2019re hoping to build on that experience we gained from last year and get this season rolling in a good direction,\u201d head coach Brady Wheeler said.<\/p>\n

Junior quarterback Houston Mickelson returns after passing for 915 yards and eight touchdowns last season. He\u2019ll have several familiar targets back, including second-team All-State receiver Brody Bulloch, who caught 39 passes for 464 yards and three touchdowns, along with honorable mention tight end Davis Malmgren, who added 36 receptions for 391 yards and three touchdowns while recording 41 tackles and two return touchdowns on defense.<\/p>\n

Honorable mention linebacker Zander Christiansen also returns after rushing for a team-high 314 yards and three touchdowns while adding 49 tackles. Junior linebacker Rhyder Snow is back after leading the Wolves with 64 tackles as North Sevier returns much of the core that gained valuable varsity experience a year ago.<\/p>\n

The Wolves also faced a challenging schedule in 2025, including games against eventual 1A champion Kanab, semifinalists Duchesne and North Summit, and 2A semifinalist South Sevier. With another year of development and an experienced group of returning players, North Sevier hopes to take a step forward in the competitive 1A North.<\/p>\n

1A North projections<\/h3>\n

(Preseason rankings are based on coaches\u2019 votes)<\/p>\n

1. North Summit Braves<\/h3>\n

2026 Schedule<\/h4>\n

Head coach:<\/b> Dalton Ross<\/p>\n

A North Summit alum who spent 10 years as an assistant coach with the school, he\u2019s set to take over as head coach for the 2026 season.<\/p>\n

Coach Dalton Ross\u2019s general outlook<\/b><\/p>\n

We have a great group of kids that have bought into our weight room program. They have been working hard and are excited about the upcoming season. <\/p>\n

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North Summit overview<\/h4>\n
2025 team stats<\/p>\n

2025 Record:<\/strong> 6-6 (second in 1A North with a 3-1 record)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

2025 RPI ranking:<\/strong> No. 4 in 1A<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
2025 postseason:<\/strong> Lost to Kanab, 43-19, in the 1A semifinals<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
All-time record:<\/strong> 481-429-23 (100 years)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
State titles:<\/strong> 7 (1964, 1972, 1989, 1990, 1991, 2007, 2008)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Region titles:<\/strong> 23 (1928, 1929, 1930 co, 1937, 1955, 1965, 1969, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977 co, 1978, 1983 co, 1989, 1990, 1991 co, 2006, 2007, 2013 co, 2024)<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Offensive coordinator:<\/b> Dalton Ross<\/p>\n

2025 offense:<\/b> 22.92 ppg (No. 4 in 1A)<\/p>\n