This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
"Jackpot: 7-7-7" is our prep football series published every Friday morning at 7 a.m. It analyzes the best seven games kicking off at 7 p.m. that evening.
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It was the second time this season all three of us finished below the .500 mark, which either illustrates how difficult and evenly-matched games are going to be from this point forward as we progress through the regular season and deep into region play, or how we should stick to writing and ditch our picking "skills" at the side of the road.
SEASON STANDINGS
Week 7 is packed, and quite frankly has more than seven games of "pick 'em" quality, but of course we could only pick seven. We cannot break our now seven-week-old tradition.
JUAB (5-1) at CANYON VIEW (5-1)
Jordan and Brighton combined for 100 points last week. Could this be round two of the shootout? According to prep football historian George felt, Canyon View currently leads the state in points per game (49.7) and average yards per game (581). The Wasps are freshly off an uncharacteristic and unexpectedly tight win against Delta. It was only the second time this season they failed to reach the 34-point plateau, the other being a one-point loss against Cedar. The winner takes full custody of the southern region of 3A.
PREDICTIONS
Trevor Phibbs: Canyon View
Tom Wharton: Canyon View
Brennan Smith: Canyon View
DESERT HILLS (2-3) at PINE VIEW (4-1)
Both programs are looking to avenge disappointing performances last week by returning to their normal production on Friday. Desert Hills laid an egg in the highly anticipated showdown against Dixie on its home field, while Pine View, although it discovered its offense in the fourth quarter, fell against unranked Hurricane. Considering the emergence of Snow Canyon and the improvement of Cedar — the 3AA South is as competitive as it has ever been. Two losses in this league at this point in the season could potentially spell doom.
PREDICTIONS
Trevor Phibbs: Desert Hills
Tom Wharton: Desert Hills
Brennan Smith: Desert Hills
AMERICAN FORK (4-2) at LONE PEAK (6-0)
Lone Peak is embarrassing people. The Knights average margin of victory, you ask? Oh, you know, just 30.3 points per game. Nothing out of the ordinary. This is the same program that finished 5-6 in 2014. The coaching job by Mike Mower and the overall improvement of this program is easily the best in the state. American Fork one this game last season by the tune of 51-24, but the Cavemen aren't the same team, but counting them out, well that would be silly. Tanner Smith is the real deal at quarterback and anything can happen in a rivalry.
PREDICTIONS
Trevor Phibbs: Lone Peak
Tom Wharton: Lone Peak
Brennan Smith: Lone Peak
PLEASANT GROVE (3-3) at HERRIMAN (4-2)
The Vikings seem to finding their footing with two consecutive wins after catching an uppercut on the chin to start the season. The offense painted 35 points on the scoreboard in both of those wins. Herriman is also on the upward climb, winning four straight after opening the season with two straight losses against Brighton and Bingham. The Mustangs is regarded as one of the most formidable in the entire state, and with Pleasant Grove's propensity to turn the ball over this season, they could smell blood.
PREDICTIONS
Trevor Phibbs: Herriman
Tom Wharton: Herriman
Brennan Smith: Pleasant Grove
SPRINGVILLE (6-0) at WASATCH (5-1)
Step forward if you believed Wasatch would be 5-1? Anyone outside of the program, that is. If you moved forward (even subconsciously), well you're much smarter than I am. Springville will undoubtedly present the stiffest test of the season for the Wasps, whose five wins occurred against opponents with a combined record of 9-23. The Red Devils, which have an opportunity to start 7-0 for the first time since 2004, finally found an offensive unit in their win against Uintah to complement their highly publicized defense.
PREDICTIONS
Trevor Phibbs: Springville
Tom Wharton: Springville
Brennan Smith: Springville
BRIGHTON (5-1) at SKY VIEW (6-0)
The game that nearly never was. Brighton contacted Sky View to discuss potentially cancelling the marquee non-league game because of concerns about health, but both parties decided to keep the game on the schedule. Great for the fans, great for the players. These are the types of games players remember when they graduate. Brighton has had issues with staying healthy, and whether or not Sione Lund is 100 percent ready after missing huge chunks of action against Jordan with a shoulder injury will have huge implications on how this game plays out. The second-ranked Bobcats have yet to register a signature win this season. Beating the Bengals would erase that blemish.
PREDICTIONS
Trevor Phibbs: Sky View
Tom Wharton: Sky View
Brennan Smith: Brighton
MOUNTAIN CREST (5-0) at ROY (3-1)
Similar to the Class 3AA South, the Region 1 race allows little room for error. Mountain Crest has put to rest any questions on whether it would return to the top after two down seasons, while Roy has shown losing several contributors from last year's runner-up team won't slow down the progression of the program. The Mustangs can score in a hurry, and Tanner Schwab has been fantastic. The Royals want to ground and pound, and tackling Baby Tee Eteuati can make you reevaluate your passion for playing football. The winner of this game will come from which team can establish the line of scrimmage.
PREDICTIONS
Trevor Phibbs: Mountain Crest
Tom Wharton: Roy
Brennan Smith: Roy
— Analysis by Trevor Phibbs