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Pick 6: Six prep football playoff games worth watching in Week 11

(Scott Sommerdorf | The Salt Lake Tribune) Skyline QB Tommy McGrath throws a pass against Brighton during their game earlier this season.

Riverton at Weber, 6 p.m.

The region-champion Warriors will try for their first playoff win since 1999, when they won the Class 4A state title. Weber lost its season opener against American Fork before running the table to claim the Region 1 crown. The defense has posted three shutouts during the run. Jace Campbell leads the Weber defense with 84 total tackles and Tyler Short has four sacks. The Silverwolves will provide a good test, even though they have been outscored 122-46 during their current three-game losing streak. Sophomore QB Cannon Coggins has thrown for 1,670 yards and 12 TDs, with Stetson Thacker hauling in six of those TD passes. Colton Jones and Carter Green have combined for 1,118 yards and 15 scores on the ground, while receiver Hudson Schenck has 596 yards receiving and eight TDs to lead Weber. This is the first meeting between the programs.

TribPreps coverage • Mark Jones

Alta at Roy, 7 p.m.

Senior Zach Engstrom is a headache for the opposition’s defense. He’s carried 72 times for 537 yards and six TDs while adding 848 yards and nine TDs on catches. Then throw in McCoy Didericksen’s 562 yards rushing and six TDs, and the challenge of stopping Alta’s offense starts to clear up. The Hawks have scored at least 50 points in five of their nine games this season. Roy has dropped two of its last three games. The Royals have been leaning on a freshman QB, Jaxson Dart, this season. He’s thrown for 1,384 yards and 11 TDs while completing 48 percent of his attempts. And Trace Tupe has shouldered the running attack, carrying 125 times for 730 yards and 12 TDs for the Royals. A balanced attack that eats up large chunks of the clock could go a long way toward slowing down Alta’s potent offense.

TribPreps coverage • Maddie Lee

Olympus at Springville, 4 p.m.

The Class 4A state runner-up last year enters on a five-game winning streak. The Red Devils ran the table in Region 8 thanks in part to the passing of Ty Eriksson, who threw for two TDs in four of the five region wins. Bradley Nicol added at least 100 yards rushing in three of the five region games. The Titans enter as losers of three of their last four. Senior QB Harrison Creer has thrown for 1,700 yards and 21 TDs while adding seven scores on the ground. The Titans likely will need a monster effort out of him, which isn’t unheard of. He has thrown for at least three touchdowns in a game four times this season.

Jordan at Viewmont, 5 p.m.

Region 7 featured some of the toughest teams in the state, so the Beetdiggers are a scary No. 4 seed after going 2-3 in that region. But Viewmont is no pushover after putting together a perfect season in Region 5. The Vikings don’t score a ton of points, but they also don’t allow many. They’ve held an opponent to 14 points or fewer in six of their nine games. Chris Stubbs leads the defense with 97 total tackles, including 10 sacks, while Jackson Coyle has added 85 total tackles. The Vikings defense certainly will be tested by the high-octane Jordan offense. Senior QB Crew Wakley threw for 2,645 yards and 19 TDs while running for 1,183 yards and 20 TDs this season. Jacob Shaver has added 670 yards and 14 TDs on the ground. The Beetdiggers offense can put up big number — they scored at least 45 points in six games this season. This is a rematch of last year’s first round, a game Jordan won 63-20.

TribPreps coverage • Eric Butler

Skyline at Skyridge, 4 p.m.

The Falcons bounced back in a big way after dropping their lone game to Springville. They beat Maple Mountain and Wasatch by a combined 91-24 to close the regular season. Jayden Clemons has thrown for more than 1,400 yards in Skyridge’s second season. And the defense has limited opponents to 10 points or fewer six times. Tommy McGrath and the Eagles offense will try to break that trend. McGrath threw for 3,099 yards and 36 TDs. Taylor Larsen has caught 58 passes for 1,240 yards and 16 scores. Saione Matagi topped the 1,000-yard rushing mark with 69 yards in the loss to Lehi to wrap up the regular season. But that was the first time since the season opener that he was held under 100 yards rushing.

TribPreps coverage • Jon Clifford

Kanab at Layton Christian, 3 p.m.

A third-quarter touchdown run by freshman Jaice Holt was the game’s only score when these two teams played Sept. 22 in Layton. Dustin Moffo ran for 115 yards in that game, but the Eagles only managed a 3.2-yard average on their 48 carries. They didn’t attempt a pass in the game. That Layton Christian win was the first time the Eagles beat the Cowboys after dropping the first three meetings between the programs. Interestingly, all four games between the schools have been shutouts, according to Utah prep football guru George Felt.