This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated.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.

In the preseason, The Tribune predicted Dixie would start the year with three consecutive losses and still be in contention for the state championship come season's end.

The crystal ball has been right thus far. The Flyers lost to No. 8 Springville, No. 3 Lone Peak and No. 4 Alta, but have since reeled off three straight wins against programs residing in the 3AA classification. Now, for the first time, Dixie is ranked in the statewide top 25, which sets up a massive showdown in St. George when Desert Hills, ranked No. 15, invades the Flyers' turf on Friday.

Dixie is the only newcomer this week, but No. 18 Skyridge, arguably the biggest surprise of the season as a first-year program, No. 19 Salem Hills and No. 20 Woods Cross all ascended the charts by three spots.

Lehi plummeted five spots, the steepest drop this week, after getting smacked around at American Fork, and Herriman, which struggled against winless Riverton, fell four spots. The Mustangs have some serious issues on offense, and until those are rectified, they can't be considered a top five program.

There are six ranked-ranked games in Week 7:

No. 4 Alta at No. 18 Skyridge, Thursday

No. 3 Lone Peak at No. 5 American Fork

No. 10 Jordan at No. 16 West Jordan

No. 14 Highland at No. 20 Woods Cross

No. 15 Desert Hills at No. 22 Dixie

No. 24 Viewmont at No. 23 Lehi

Complete statewide top 25

1. Bingham (6-0)

2. East (6-0)

3. Lone Peak (5-1)

4. Alta (6-0)

5. American Fork (5-1)

6. Roy (5-1)

7. Timpview (5-1)

8. Springville (6-0)

9. Herriman (4-1)

10. Jordan (4-1)

11. Fremont (5-1)

12. Olympus (5-1)

13. Davis (5-1)

14. Highland (5-1)

15. Desert Hills (5-1)

16. West Jordan (5-1)

17. Sky View (5-1)

18. Skyridge (5-1)

19. Salem Hills (5-1)

20. Woods Cross (5-1)

21. Syracuse (4-2)

22. Dixie (3-3)

23. Lehi (4-2)

24. Viewmont (4-2)

25. Kearns (4-2)

Classification power rankings:

CLASS 5A

1. Bingham (6-0) — The machine keeps rolling. The Miners had no problem with Hunter.

2. Lone Peak (5-1) — After a slow start, the Knights pulled away from Westlake.

3. American Fork (5-1) — Looked impressive in nearly every fashion in a rout against Lehi.

4. Roy (4-1) — After a bye week, the Royals return to action against Mountain Crest.

5. Herriman(4-1) — The Mustangs have some serious problems on offense.

CLASS 4A

1. East (6-0) — No hangover from the win against De La Salle. The Leopards torched Bonneville.

2. Alta (6-0) — The Hawks dispatched an inferior opponent in Mountain View.

3. Timpview (5-1) — After falling behind 23-0 in the first quarter, the Thunderbirds outscored Orem 38-7 for an incredible come-from-behind victory.

4. Springville (6-0) — The Devils have now won 17 consecutive regular-season games dating back to 2014.

5. Olympus (5-1) — Took care of business against Kearns in a downpour on Thursday night.

CLASS 3AA

1. Desert Hills (5-1) — The Thunder turned on the afterburners in a win against Hurricane after a slow start.

2. Dixie (3-3) — Validated No. 2 ranking in the classification with a dismantling win against Cedar.

3. Stansbury (5-1) — Park City is an underrated team, and the Stallions had no issue with them.

4. Tooele (5-1) — Logan is always a difficult place to play, and the Buffaloes stampeded right through the the Grizzlies.

5. Ridgeline (4-2) — Big rebound against Judge Memorial after the loss to Tooele last week.

CLASS 3A

1. Morgan (4-2) — The Trojans are starting to find some rhythm.

2. Juan Diego (2-3) — Leapfrogged Juab with a 64-0 win against Union.

3. Juab (3-3) — The Wasps knocked off a solid Delta team, but still slid one spot in the rankings.

4. Manti (2-4) — Quality win against North Sanpete has the Templars back in the rankings.

5. Grantsville (3-3) — After a tumultuous several weeks, the Cowboys appear to have regained their footing.

CLASS 2A

1. South Summit (6-0) — Hardly broke a sweat against Gunnison.

2. San Juan (5-1) — The Broncos handed Enterprise its first loss of the season in convincing fashion.

3. Beaver (5-1) — One week after suffering their first loss, the Beavers returned to their winning ways against South Sevier.

4. Summit Academy (5-1) — North Summit is a difficult place to play, but the Bears escaped with a win.

5. Enterprise (5-1) — The Wolves were no match against San Juan.

CLASS 1A

1. Kanab (5-1) — The Cowboys continue to reaffirm their status atop the classification.

2. Duchesne (4-1) — After a bye week, the Eagles enter a pivotal showdown with Layton Christian, the leader atop the region.

3. Milford (4-1) — The Tigers can make a statement with a win against Kanab following their bye week.

4. Diamond Ranch (2-2) — Knocked off a quality Rich team.

5. Layton Christian (5-1) — The most improved team in the state after going 2-9 last season, the Eagles now enter the most important week of the year in preparing for Duchesne.

— Trevor Phibbs

Twitter: @trevorphibbs

Facebook: @trevphibbs

Instagram: @trevor_phibbs