A pair of Davis County football teams are still in contention for 5A state championships. And they might soon be playing one another. 

Woods Cross, seeded fifth, and Bountiful, seeded ninth, both won second-round games and now have quarterfinal matchups on Friday. Woods Cross plays fourth-seeded Orem on the road, while Bountiful has a tough test at top-seeded West. If both teams pull upsets, they will face each other in the semifinals on Nov. 13 at Rice-Eccles Stadium on the campus of the University of Utah. 

Woods Cross

The Wildcats were blown out by Olympus in the second round of the state tournament a year ago but got their revenge last week with a low-scoring 13-6 triumph. It was the second win in the past three weeks over the Titans for Woods Cross, having knocked off Olympus 40-7 on Oct. 9.

The playoff matchup was much different but still went in the Wildcats’ favor. 

The defenses ruled this game, with Woods Cross keeping Olympus out of the end zone, surrendering just two field goals on the day. The Wildcats scored a touchdown midway through the first quarter when Teiyon Halbasch sprinted to the end zone from 67 yards out. Late in the third quarter, with Woods Cross ahead 7-6, Ryan Miller caught a 13-yard touchdown pass from Jesse Simmons for the game’s final score. 

Viliami Tapa’atoutai had 24 carries for 111 yards, and Simmons had 10 carries for 46 yards. In all, Woods Cross rolled up 255 yards on the ground. Simmons also completed six of 11 passes for 88 yards. Miller had a team-high 13 tackles, while Brayden Haas and Hayden Thorne each had 11 tackles. Thorne and Tapa’atoutai each had sacks. Wyatt Hunter had a pair of interceptions, and Shayden Gerratt added one as well. 

Bountiful

The defending 5A champions are looking to get back to the semifinals, but the Redhawks will have to contend with West, which enters the quarterfinals game with a 10-1 mark. West has scored the most points in the entire state this season and averages an eye-popping 56 points per game. 

The 7-5 Redhawks followed up a 56-6 blowout of Clearfield in the first round of the playoffs on Oct. 24 with a 34-32 thriller over West Jordan on Oct. 31. In the back-and-forth contest, Hudson Malmrose completed 10 of 16 passes for a season-high 235 yards and touchdown passes to Ivan Davis (75 yards) and Corbin White (40 yards), both in the first half. Siaki Fekitoa rushed 16 times for 130 yards and touchdowns of 3, 13 and 54 yards. His 54-yard gallop with 2:38 left to play put the Redhawks up 34-25. 

Bountiful surrendered a West Jordan touchdown 1:39 later, but the Redhawks recovered the ensuing onside kick to preserve the victory. 

The Redhawks enter the big game at West with some momentum, having won five of their last six games. The task is a formidable one, however. West’s only loss was to 6A foe American Foe. Plus, the Panthers have won their games by an average of 48 points a game.