This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Where has time gone? It seems like yesterday programs were engulfed in the middle of two-a-days, and now the regular season is officially past the halfway point.

Football is a flame that burns too quickly, so instead of jumping right into the next installment of the statewide top 25, how about we take a step back and savor the season by evaluating the top players in each position thus far?

Alrighty then.

These rankings are completely subjective, and don't necessarily equate to the best overall talent at each position, as college potential won't be taken into consideration. Example: Bingham's defensive tackle Jay Tufele is the best player in the state, but he won't make the list because he's been injured. This is a list about high school players excelling through the first five weeks of the season.

Quarterbacks:

1. Bingham's Matt Degn: Last season, I said Degn is the "Dexter" of high school football. He's a silent killer. Nothing about his play will amaze spectators, but he's as consistent of a player as you will find in this state. He rarely makes the wrong decision, which has elevated the Miners' confidence in the passing game.

2. Alta's Will Dana: The junior entered the season as the one question mark for an offense that averaged nearly 40 points per game last season, but he's emphatically extinguished those questions. While leading the Hawks to a 5-0 record, he's throwing for 1,283 yards with a 16-to-3 touchdown-interception ratio while completing nearly 70 percent of his attempts.

3. Lehi's Cammon Cooper: Rated as one of the top pocket passers in his class, the junior has been surgical through the air. He's thrown for 1,415 yards with 19 touchdowns against five interceptions. In a heavy passing-scheme, he's still completing 67 percent of his attempts despite the defense knowing the Pioneers priority their aerial attack.

Running backs:

1. East's Jaylen Warren: This is a no-brainer. Warren is on a record-breaking pace for the Leopards. In case you missed it in this weekend's prep football notebook, here is how dominant Warren has been: He's rushed for 1,089 yards and 11 touchdowns. Assuming the Leopards play 14 games, he'd finish with 3,049 yards and 31 touchdowns with his current per-game average. The state record for rushing in an individual season is 2,561 by Beaver's Kelly Smith in 1979. The state record for rushing touchdowns in one year is 38 by Grantsville's Alan Mouritsen in 1997; 31 would tie for the ninth-most in UHSAA history.

2. Alta's Josh Davis: One of the most electric players in Utah, Davis has already accumulated 867 yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground after leading the state in rushing last year. He's extremely quick and runs with an attitude. Don't overlook his size because Davis is a legitimate talent.

3. Ben Lomond's Angelo Rios: The Scots (4-1) are off to their best start since 1997 when they lost in the Class 3A state championship. Rios is one of the main factors to the success. He tallied a state-leading 13 touchdowns on the ground. He might not be a household name around the state, but he's worth the price of admission.

Receivers:

1. Bingham's Brayden Cosper: I haven't wavered in crowning Cosper, a junior, as the best receiver in the state. Bingham is a notorious downhill rushing team, but the Miners are opening it up in the passing game because of the talent on the outskirts paired with Degn's ability to deliver. Cosper, who is fast but not blazing, continuously gets open with his ability to run precise routes and in the two seasons he's started on the hashes, I have yet to see him drop one pass.

2. Provo's Ty Jones: The Washington commit opened the season with four straight games of 100-plus yards receiving. He current has 658 yards and seven touchdowns on 28 receptions. Timpview limited him to four catches and 27 yards this past Friday, but according to Kurt Johnson from Preps Utah, Jones was limited with a leg injury against the Thunderbirds in the second half.

3. Jordan's Isaiah Jackson: It's hard to outshine one of the top statistical receivers in UHSAA history, but Jackson has emerged as the top target for first-year quarterback Crew Wakley, not Spencer Curtis, who is closing in on every single individual career receiving record. Jackson leads the state in touchdown receptions and touchdown catches. The system obviously encourages those numbers, and the circus 91-83 win against Taylorsville didn't hurt Jackson's stats, either, but he's a sure-handed receiver.

Offensive linemen:

1. East's Paul Maile: The unquestioned leader of an offensive line that advertises five legitimate Division 1 prospects. Obviously the system helps with statistical numbers, similar to Jordan in the passing game, but Maile is setting the tone and helping pave the way for the relentless amount of talent in the Leopards' backfield.

2. American Fork's Michael Richardson: "Big Mike" is one of the most sought-after offensive linemen in the state with double-digit offers. The Cavemen are living up to preseason expectations, with a 4-1 record and a perfect mark against in-state opponents. Friday's primetime matchup against Lehi will provide a huge stage for Richardson and Co.

3. Bingham's Cole Clemens: Thinner and quicker than last season after losing 60-plus pounds, Clemens is the best prospect for the Miners up front. If anything, his ability to consistently block Bingham's defensive line, which is arguably the best in the nation, is a confirmation of his talent.

Defensive linemen:

1. Bingham's Langi Tuifua: The four-star Oregon commit is off to a torrid start to the season, and considering his partner in crime, Jay Tufele, has been hobbled with a foot injury, and Tuifua has still produced gaudy numbers is an amazing accomplishment.

2. East's Jordan Lolohea: He leads the state in total sacks, including six in an incredible performance against Pulaski Academy (Ark.). The Leopards lost two major book ends on their defense from graduation, but Lolohea has stepped into the role and hasn't missed a beat.

3. Olympus' Cameron Latu: The Titans have been ranked in the 4A classification for the majority of the season, in large part due to their stingy defense. Latu, who is committed to BYU, has seven sacks this season and 34 tackles, including 11 behind the line of scrimmage.

Linebackers:

1. Cedar's Jade Bulloch: One of the top tacklers in the state as a junior, Bulloch already has 70 total tackles, including 55 solo, as Cedar is expected to contend in the 3AA classification.

2. East's Sati Tu'uhetaufa: The Leopards are an intimidating bunch, so when you see how they all fall in line and follow Tu'uhetaufa — nothing else needs to be said. He's a bad dude.

3. Salem Hills' Vili Wolfgramm: He doesn't receive the recognition he deserves. Wolfgramm has been a steady presence for the SkyHawks for several seasons. He's on pace for his third straight season of 100-plus tackles.

Defensive backs:

1. Roy's Angel Arvizo: Talk about an underrated player. Arvizo, who was named second-team all-state as a junior, does it all for the Royals. Last week against Fremont, he caught a touchdown, intercepted a pass, threw a two-point conversion and knocked down the Silver Wolves' final attempt in the end zone, all while locking down Haze Hadley, one of the best receivers in the state.

2. Skyridge's Jaxon Peck: Only a sophomore, Peck leads the state with five interceptions, including two in an upset against Corner Canyon. The Falcons, a first-year team in Lehi, are 4-1 on the season, and Peck's ability to cover in the secondary is a large part of the early success.

3. Timpview's Chaz Ah You: Has emerged as the top receiver for the Thunderbirds, but the four-star recruit has continued to shutdown opponents in the defensive secondary.

OK.

I think we can move onto the rankings. Now that region play has started, moving up the charts will be difficult unless teams register major wins.

Also a disclaimer is needed: Out-of-state games are essentially viewed as bye weeks, which might be controversial, but teams never move up or down the rankings for wins or losses against teams residing outside of Utah. Why? Because it's incredibly difficult to evaluate.

Three newcomers enter the rankings this week. Salem Hills checks in at No. 22; Woods Cross, which was ranked previously, is ranked No. 23; and Kearns completes the list at No. 25. The Cougars strength of schedule is extremely questionable, however, so we'll see how they match up against No. 12 Olympus on Thursday.

There was hardly any change this week, with only two teams — Roy (+3) and Skyridge (+2) — jumping more than one spot. While several teams fell completely out of the rankings, the biggest drops from teams still ranked were Fremont, which plummeted five spots, and Viewmont, which fell three spaces.

There are three ranked-ranked games in Week 6:

No. 18 Lehi at No. 6 American Fork

No. 25 Kearns at No. 12 Olympus

No. 19 Syracuse at No. 15 Davis

Complete statewide top 25

1. Bingham (5-0)

2. East (5-0)

3. Lone Peak (4-1)

4. Alta (5-0)

5. Herriman (3-1)

6. American Fork (4-1)

7. Roy (4-1) — +3

8. Timpview (4-1)

9. Springville (5-0)

10. Fremont (4-1)

11. Jordan (3-1)

12. Olympus (4-1)

13. Highland (4-1)

14. Desert Hills (4-1)

15. Davis (4-1)

16. West Jordan (4-1)

17. Sky View (4-1)

18. Lehi (4-1)

19. Syracuse (4-1)

20. Layton (4-0)

21. Skyridge (4-1)

22. Salem Hills (4-1)

23. Woods Cross (4-1)

24. Viewmont (3-2)

25. Kearns (4-1)

Classification power rankings:

CLASS 5A

1. Bingham (5-0) — Routed Copper Hills, but that was expected. The Miners have now outscored their five opponents 232-57.

2. Lone Peak (4-1) — Essentially had a bye week against Riverton.

3. Herriman (3-1) — Needed a late touchdown to beat Westlake. The offense is a concern.

4. Roy (4-1) — Back in the rankings after knocking off rival Fremont.

5. American Fork (4-1) — Trailed at halftime against a very inferior Maple Mountain team until scoring 14 points in the third quarter.

CLASS 4A

1. East (5-0) — Consecutive wins against Pulaski Academy (Ark.) and De La Salle (Calif.) was a huge statement for the state of Utah.

2. Alta (5-0) — The Hawks offense keeps flying.

3. Timpview (4-1) — Rebounded with a statement blowout against rival Provo.

4. Springville (5-0) — This is almost a weekly evaluation of the Devils: Somehow, someway, they final a way to win.

5. Olympus (4-1) — Had no problem with Cyprus.

CLASS 3AA

1. Desert Hills (4-1) — Edged Cedar by one point with a touchdown in the fourth quarter.

2. Dixie (2-3) — From unranked to No. 2 in the class? Yes. Dixie's preseason schedule was brutal, and its 38-7 smashing of Pine View shows this team will compete for a title.

3. Stansbury (4-1) — Shutout Judge Memorial, in what could have been a letdown game after the big rival win against Tooele last week.

4. Tooele (4-1) — Rewarded for going on the road and knocking off Ridgeline.

5. Ridgeline (3-2) — Lost on a two-point conversion at home against Tooele. Lucky to stay in the rankings.

CLASS 3A

1. Morgan (3-2) — The 3A classification rankings are receiving a total makeover. There might not be a team deserving of the No. 1 spot, but Morgan has played best lately.

2. Juab (2-3) — Really handled Richfield.

3. Juan Diego (1-3) — Surprisingly two games below .500, but the Soaring Eagle likely won't lose for the rest of the season.

4. Delta (3-2) — The Rabbits slapped North Sanpete around.

5. North Sanpete (2-2) — The Hawks laid an egg immediately after receiving some major publicity.

CLASS 2A

1. South Summit (5-0) — Anyone say something about a rebuilding year in Kamas? Well, the Wildcats are back atop the rankings.

2. San Juan (4-1) — Thrilling overtime win against Beaver.

3. Beaver (4-1) — The defending champs fell for the first time this season.

4. Enterprise (5-0) — According to prep historian George Felt, the Wolves are off to their best start in school history.

5. Summit Academy (4-1) — Ran away from Millard.

CLASS 1A

1. Kanab (4-1) — Another quality win against Rich tightened the Cowboys' hold on the top spot.

2. Duchesne (4-1) — After a disappointing loss against Kanab, the Eagles rebounded with a 35-0 rout of Monticello

3. Rich (2-2) — Hard to blame the Rebels for losing to the top-ranked program in the classification, but their inability to score is starting to be an issue.

4. Milford (4-1) — The Tigers continued their strong play with a two-touchdown win against Parowan.

5. Diamond Ranch (1-2) — After a bye week, the Diamondbacks are back in action against Rich.

— Trevor Phibbs

Twitter: @trevorphibbs