Beky Beaton / American Fork Citizen

The Utah High School Activities Association (UHSAA) has begun the biennial process of adjusting classification and region assignments for its member schools, which number 163 at present.

As has often been the case in recent years, some adjustments to the procedures to establish these assignments have been made in an attempt to refine the process based on results from the previous cycle’s alignments.

In a press release sent out Friday (Aug. 21), the UHSAA announced that the “Board of Trustees met and finalized the Formats and Procedures for the 2027-29 statewide alignment of member schools. The approved formats and procedures outline the process used to establish classifications and regions for UHSAA competition.

“The UHSAA conducts a statewide realignment of its member schools every two years to establish classifications and regions for competition.

“Beginning with the 2027-2029 alignment cycle, member schools are placed into classifications using a Composite Realignment Index (CRI), which combines school enrollment, socio-economic status (SES) and competitive performance.

“The UHSAA Board of Trustees establishes the number of schools in each classification and retains final authority over all classification and region assignments, including consideration of geographic factors and appeals.

“Realignment includes both a general alignment and a separate football alignment. Region assignments are finalized in December of even-numbered years, with competition under the new alignment beginning the following August.”

As indicated in this document, the Board will now apply a new “Composite Realignment Index (CRI)” as part of the realignment process. The UHSAA Handbook gives this explanation of what the CRI is and how it will be applied, as follows.

C. Procedures for the 2027-2029 Alignment of Schools as Adopted by the Board of Trustees

1. Classifications are based on October 1 data for junior and sophomore classes, excluding self-contained students, as reported by the State Office of Education in even calendar years.

2. UHSAA member schools shall be placed into classifications based on a Composite Realignment Index (CRI) score. The CRI score is calculated using a combination of enrollment (size), socio-economic status (SES), and competitive performance. The number of schools in each classification shall be established by the Board of Trustees (BOT). Schools will be assigned to classifications based on a CRI score with higher scores placed in higher classifications and lower scores placed in lower classifications. A school may submit an appeal for classification placement based on geographic considerations. The BOT will review all appeals and determine if an adjustment is warranted. The BOT retains the responsibility and final authority for alignment of all UHSAA member schools.

3. To accommodate geographic adjustments, regions may have schools in different classifications.

Since this is the first time the CRI has been used, it’s uncertain at this point how the local high schools will be affected by this change. In addition to these modifications, “Section B. Format” includes the following new language.

5. Prior to the first consideration of assigned regions or divisions, any school may apply to compete in a higher classification for a specific sport or activity if the school is already competing at that higher level in that sport or activity, or if it has finished with an average in the top 15 percent of its classification in that sport during the past three seasons.

Application does not guarantee approval. Once a school is placed in a higher classification, it must remain there for that sport or activity for the full duration of the established two-year alignment. In the general alignment, schools will remain in their assigned classification and region during region competition. However, the school will compete in the higher classification for postseason competition.

Under the system used in the previous realignment, Wasatch joined Region 3 for swimming only and Jordan joined the league for baseball only. Both of these schools had a definite impact on the course of competition last school year.

The way the process turned out last time, there was a large disparity between the sizes of the classifications. There are 17 schools in Class 6A but twice that number, 34, in Class 4A and 29 in Class 5A now. These three classes include most schools in the more urban areas of the state.

For the next cycle, the Trustees have decided that the minimum number of schools in each general classification as well as each football classification will be 21 for Classes 6A, 5A and 4A, and a minimum of eight for the smaller-school classifications.

This will likely mean that some schools which successfully petitioned to move down in classification in the last cycle will be relocated to the competition level they previously escaped.

Since Class 6A is going to add a minimum of four more schools, there are likely to be changes in Region 3 for our local institutions as well. It has been very challenging to fill schedules with only four schools to play in league competition.

The size of classifications matters for an additional reason now. Starting in the present school year, only 16 schools per classification will advance to the state tournaments, eliminating the preliminary rounds that used to allow more schools to participate in post-season play.

For the moment, the RPI index will be the determining factor, but other formulas are under consideration for future use.

The timeline for the 2027-29 realignment cycle starts with a first meeting on November 19 when the initial classification placement of all schools based on the new CRI will be presented.

In the second meeting on December 1, schools may apply for a higher classification in a specific sport or activity, and geographic adjustments will be considered. In addition, there will be a second consideration of classification placement and a first consideration of region assignments.

A week later, on December 8, there will be a Zoom public hearing at 6:30 p.m. followed by a second consideration of assigned regions the next morning (Dec. 9) at 9 a.m.

Final placements are scheduled to be announced on December 17. However, last year some appeals were made after this date, and the resulting adjustments had Region 1 and Region 3 ending up with just five schools each while Region 2 had seven.

The American Fork Citizen will continue to follow all the developments as the realignment process continues.

Beky Beaton / American Fork Citizen

The American Fork High School girls tennis team won the North bracket of the Utah Valley Ashton Invitational tennis tournament on August 14 and 15 at various locations in north Utah County.

This tournament includes four singles and three doubles positions. The Cavemen played at home for the duration and started the event against Provo, sweeping the match 7-0. However, they then fell to a strong Deer Creek squad 5-2.

American Fork went on to top Woods Cross 4-3 to reach the North bracket final against Green Canyon, and they won that match 4-3 as well for a strong finish.

“It was an excellent tournament with great competition,” said Coach Jason Herrud. “We have a group of girls that are all playing in different positions than last season, so we have a lot of growing and learning to be excited about.

“The Ashton tournament is an excellent test since many of the best teams in the state get to compete regardless of the classification,” he added. “Our region is stacked this year once again and it’s going to be a fun ride going against the best week in and week out.”

The Cavemen mixed up their customary lineup against the Wolves to experience some different perspectives as they played.

In the No. 1 Singles match, senior Rylee Egbert fell to Sophie Anderson 4-1, 4-1. At Second Singles, senior Claire Corbridge worked hard to defeat Evelyn Wilkinson 4-3 (4), 1-4, 10-8.

Green Canyon’s Carly Huish won the No. 3 Singles match over senior Bentley Christensen 4-1, 4-0. However, in Fourth Singles, senior Lacey Ernst got American Fork’s second win with a 4-3 (6), 4-0 victory over Amelia Wilkinson.

In No. 1 Doubles, seniors Demi Dalton and Ella Harris battled against Nora Wash and Ruby Warn, winning the second set but ultimately bowing out 4-1, 2-4, 10-5.

The Cavemen claimed the remaining two doubles bouts to prevail in the match. In the No. 2 pairing, seniors Halie Andrews and Macy Murdoch swept Addie Jenson and Ellie Jones 4-1, 4-0.

At Third Doubles, sophomores Lyla Wood and Eva Littlefield had to work a little harder but triumphed 4-2, 4-3 (3) over Piper May and Sofia Raymond.

Beky Beaton / American Fork Citizen

The American Fork boys golf team came in fourth at the first Region 3 tournament on Monday (Aug. 17) at the Mountain Dell Canyon Course in Parley’s Canyon east of Salt Lake City.

To no one’s surprise, Lone Peak won the event with a 282, but Lehi wasn’t far behind at 287 and surprised Corner Canyon at 290. American Fork tallied a 302 to just edge Skyridge at 303.

Junior Sam Fairbanks and Sam Bitner each shot a 74 to post the best results for the Cavemen at this event. Junior Landon Lieu was right behind them with 75, and junior Cade Henneman completing the counted scores with a tally of 79.

The other varsity participants included junior Cash Van Buren and senior Wes Brown, each with 80 strokes, plus senior Chad Douglass at 83 and junior Ben Davis at 85.

Sophomore James Smith was the low scorer for the JV squad with a 78. He was followed by freshman Jude Price at 80, sophomore Jett Miller at 83 and freshman Colt Garner with an 84 to provide the team tally of 325.

Additional golfers included junior Cutter Garner and Brayden Stolk with 85 apiece, senior Hawk Rosenvall at 90 and Tate Marsing with a 92.

The next Region 3 tournament is scheduled for Wednesday (Aug. 26) at the River Oaks Golf Course in Sandy.

NOAH BEHM

GRADE: 12

SPORT: Football

POSITIONS: Wide Receiver, Defensive Back

RECENT HIGHLIGHTS:

In the Pleasant Grove game on Aug. 14, Noah had one reception for a 51-yard touchdown, one assisted and three solo tackles for four combined, plus one Interception returned 80 yards for another touchdown.

EDITOR’S COMMENTS:

It’s a rare thing for any football player to score both an offensive and a defensive touchdown in the same game, but Noah did just that against the Vikings in impressive fashion, racing ahead of his pursuers in both cases for huge yardage on the way to providing critical points for his team in their come-from-behind victory.

– Beky Beaton

Sponsored by Axio Wealth Management.

DALIN AFU

GRADE: 12

SPORT: Football

POSITION: Defensive Lineman

RECENT HIGHLIGHTS:

In the Pleasant Grove game on Aug. 14, Dalin recorded two solo and three assisted tackles, two sacks, two tackles for loss, and one forced fumble which he also recovered and returned for a 10-yard touchdown.

EDITOR’S COMMENTS:

Dalin kept pressure on the Pleasant Grove offense all night in whatever way he could, making plays which resulted in negative yardage for the Vikings. He also ended a drive which was nearing the goal line by forcing a fumble, then alertly picking up the ball and diving across that line for the score to help lift his team to victory.

– Beky Beaton

Sponsored by Axio Wealth Management.

Jefferson Penrod / American Fork Citizen

Despite some early struggles, the American Fork football team defeated the Pleasant Grove Vikings 36-16 in the season opener at Pleasant Grove on Friday (Aug. 14).

The Cavemen were able to bounce back from two turnovers that put them in an early 0-9 hole. After touchdowns on back-to-back possessions gave American Fork a 15-9 lead, the Cavemen never looked back and didn’t trail by less than six points for the remainder of the game.

On the second play from scrimmage, American Fork senior quarterback Nate Childs threw an interception that the Vikings returned for a touchdown.

On the third play of the ensuing Caveman offensive drive, Childs was picked off again by the Vikings, who returned that interception to the American Fork two-yard line.

With their backs against the wall, the Caveman defense stood tall and held Pleasant Grove to a field goal just six feet away from the goal line.

“It’s huge as you go through a season,” American Fork head Coach Aaron Behm said about relying on his defense. “Tonight we needed the defense to pick us up a little bit, and they did.”

The defense certainly did carry its weight. The Cavemen had three takeaways, including an 80-yard pick-six of their own courtesy of senior safety Noah Behm to open the third quarter, as well as a strip sack recovered for a 10-yard touchdown by senior defensive lineman Dallin Afu in the fourth quarter.

Afu’s score acted as the exclamation point for a defensive unit which allowed only three points all night. Afu also had five combined tackles including two sacks in the game and caused the fumble he recovered.

Despite the early offensive struggles, the Cavemen were able to get the ball moving. After the first two turnover-ended possessions, American Fork turned to sophomore Jake Matsen at the quarterback position.

Matsen’s first possession under center led to the first Caveman touchdown of the game, a 51-yard screen pass from Matsen to Noah Behm, who got snaps on both sides of the ball. Senior running back Tani Vaki converted a two-point try to close the gap to a single point at 8-9.

American Fork senior corner Hayden Reutzel picked off a deflected pass from Viking quarterback Cannon Jacobson on the subsequent Pleasant Grove possession, giving the Cavemen the ball in the red zone.

Vaki punched it into the endzone from the 1-yard line with 3:39 left in the first quarter. American Fork would take that 15-9 lead into halftime as the teams were scoreless in the second period.

Matsen added a seven-yard touchdown pass to senior tight end Zach Cowie early in the final quarter, and ended his day completing 14-of-24 (58%) of his passes for 161 yards with two touchdowns and one interception.

Junior wide receiver Cash Taiese had seven receptions for 83 yards as the only American Fork player with more than two catches. The ground game managed to net just 12 yards in the contest, but senior running back DC Fonua had eight carries for 22 yards and also had two kickoff returns for 51 yards.

“We’re just trying to find continuity,” Coach Behm said about the up-and-down offensive play. “No matter which guy was in [at quarterback], we didn’t play to the standard we want to offensively… we want to stay on the field and move the ball.”

Notwithstanding the shakiness from the offense, the Caveman defense took over the game. The defensive line, led by Afu, hurried the Pleasant Grove backfield all night long, and the secondary stood up to the Viking passing attack.

Senior linebacker Sam Thompson was the leading tackler for American Fork in the contest with six solo and nine combined including two sacks. Junior linebacker Ty Wilson, sophomore defensive back Brayden Litke and senior linebacker Mason Peterson each registered eight combined tackles.

The season opener, despite the win, was by no means mistake-free. In addition to the three giveaways, the Cavemen had some other mental errors: a pair of roughing the passer calls extended Pleasant Grove offensive drives, and a kickoff return for a touchdown drew the Vikings within 13 points in the 4th.

Even with these mistakes, the result was a controlled American Fork victory to kick off the 2026 campaign. “I told our guys before the game that this was all that was left to do,” Behm said. “It [was] time to play a four-quarter football game, and that was a lot of fun tonight.”

The Cavemen will travel to Santa Ana, California, to take on perennial national powerhouse Mater Dei on Friday (Aug. 21). They then will make the trip to Provo to take on the Timpview Thunderbirds on August 28, before the home opener on September 4 hosting the Farmington Phoenix.

Photos by Sam Penrod.

Beky Beaton / American Fork Citizen

The American Fork football team will kick off their 2026 season on the road at longtime rival Pleasant Grove for an endowment game Friday (Aug. 14) at 7 p.m. under head Coach Aaron Behm, who is entering his 17^th season at the helm for the Cavemen.

He has the luxury of fielding a returning starter at the quarterback position in senior Nate Childs (6-foot-3, 200 lbs.). Although initially sharing time with another player for the spot last year, he became the full-time starter when his teammate suffered a season-ending injury.

Childs appeared in 10 of 12 games in 2025, completing 119-of-205 (58%) passes for 1,533 yards and nine touchdowns with eight interceptions. His backup this season will be sophomore Jake Matsen (6-3, 185).

Three of the team’s top four targets from last year also return. Junior Cash Taiese (6-0, 160) was the leading receiver with 49 catches for 663 yards and four touchdowns. He also scored five times on the ground.

Third in yards gained was junior Ty Holmstead (6-2, 190) with 21 catches for 663 yards and two touchdowns. Senior tight end Christian Hanshaw (6-5, 230) was fourth with 27 catches for 356 yards and two touchdowns. Senior Zach Cowie (6-1, 175) is the new face in the group.

With their top rushers from last year graduated, Behm said American Fork will rely on senior DC Fonua (5-11, 175) as the primary running back this year. He’ll be protected by an offensive line anchored by seniors Talon Roberts (6-2, 270) and Xander Voeller (5-11, 255).

On the other side of the ball, the Cavemen still have a playmaker in senior defensive lineman Dalin Afu (6-2, 240), who tallied 15 solo and 28 assisted tackles for 43 total, including 15 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks and two blocked field goals.

Also back is senior Sam Merten (5-9, 150), who contributed 24 combined tackles and five sacks last season. He’ll be joined by senior linebackers Sam Thompson (6-1, 210), who supplied 23 combined tackles, two interceptions and three 3 deflections a year ago, plus Mason Peterson (6-0, 205), who tallied 28 combined tackles.

Leading in the secondary will be senior safety Noah Behm (6-0, 175). He provided 28 solo and 41 combined tackles in 2025 along with one interception, one fumble recovery and one reception for touchdowns plus a fumble caused. Junior Brayden Litke (5-11, 150) will man the cornerback slot.

Senior Jace Worthington (6-0, 175) takes over the primary kicking duties this time around. In four appearances a year ago, he was a perfect 8-for-8 in PATs and 2-for-2 in field goals.

Behm said his troops relish their tough league schedule. “All the coaches in this region do such a great job getting their teams ready to play and the talent level is so high that every week is exciting,” he said. “Our kids love playing against the best and the great environment that Region 3 games create.

“Traditionally the 6A champion has come from this region,” the coach continued. “This year Davis and Mountain Ridge look very strong. There are a lot of good non-region games that should give us an idea of where everyone stands headed into region play.”

With such a small pool in the league, American Fork has filled the calendar with strong teams to help prepare them for the “SEC of Utah football.” Next week they will head out to national power Mater Dei (Santa Ana, CA), followed by pre-league tilts against Timpview, Farmington, Layton and Davis.

Photos by Sam Penrod.

Beky Beaton / American Fork Citizen

The American Fork High School girls volleyball team graduated a host of seniors last year but returns a pair of solid hitters and three other players with varsity experience to anchor the team this season.

The group is led by All-State senior outside hitter Macy Melville, who finished her junior season with 378 kills and averaged 4.2 kills, 2.8 digs and 6.0 serve-receives per set. She also laid down 60 ace serves and had 264 points plus 16 combined blocks and 25 assists.

Also back is another senior hitter, Destinie Hampton, who tallied 211 kills and averaged 2.4 kills, 1.3 digs and 2.3 serve-receives per set. She also provided 43 aces and 193 points.

Senior setter Brynn Murray was a major contributor at the service line last season with 57 aces and 253 points along with 379 assists (4.2 per set). She made 63 kills, 27 combined blocks and 188 digs as well.

Junior opposite Alivia Lemon provided 97 kills, 25 aces, 82 points, 36 combined blocks and 32 digs a year ago, while junior middle blocker Daci Roberts added 66 kills, 16 aces, 47 points, 24 combined blocks and 23 digs.

“We are really looking forward to another very competitive season in our region and classification,” said Coach Melissa Guymon.

Aug. 6: Woods Cross 3, American Fork 1

On the road for their inaugural match of the new season, the Cavemen started well but ended up bowing to the Wildcats in four games 25-23, 22-25, 25-16, 25-15.

Melville led the attack with 13 kills and also supplied three combined blocks, six digs and 18 serve-receives to lead the effort. Hampton added six kills, led in digs with seven and also had 15 serve-receives.

Lemon served five aces with three kills while Murray made four kills, two aces, and 25 assists. Sophomore libero Calla Pranger collected six digs and 17 serve-receives. Senior libero Taanii Fielding took 23 serve-receives.

The Cavemen visit Mountain Ridge on Thursday (Aug. 13) at 6:30 p.m. They will then welcome Pleasant Grove on Tuesday (Aug. 18) at 6:30 p.m. and will later head south for a three-game road trip on the weekend.

Beky Beaton / American Fork Citizen

The American Fork High School girls soccer team prevailed in their home opener after an exciting extra-time contest to get the fall campaign started under second-year head Coach Tara Taggert. The Cavemen then split a pair of road contests, falling at Davis but winning a thrilling contest at Syracuse.

American Fork graduated six seniors from last year’s team but returns the players responsible for half their goals and points from last year.

Senior forward and midfielder Cambree Ballard had seven goals and four assists in 2025 for 18 points to lead the group. Another versatile player in those same two roles, senior Suri Parsia, scored six goals last season for 12 more points. Senior center back Stori Jones added an additional score.

There are high expectations for the program this year as the Cavemen were ranked at No. 5 in the coaches preseason poll.

Aug. 4: American Fork 3, Mountain Ridge 2 (2OT)

In their first match, the Cavemen had the opportunity to exact some revenge at home against the Sentinels, who knocked them out of the 6A state tournament last year in the quarterfinals.

American Fork got the advantage with a score in the initial period and held the 1-0 lead to the break. However, the teams were knotted at 2-2 by the end of regulation time and neither found the target in the first extra period. The Cavemen won with a golden goal in the second overtime.

Sophomore forward Ivy Jacobson had a goal and an assist in the contest. Parsia and sophomore midfielder Sophie Judd each found the target once, while Ballard supplied a pair of assists.

Aug. 7: Davis 3, American Fork 0

In an away match, the Cavemen struggled to get the goal in the net against the top-ranked Darts and ultimately suffered a shutout loss.

Aug. 11: American Fork 3, Syracuse 1

The Cavemen rebounded to earn an upset over the second-ranked Titans on the road. The teams were even at one goal apiece after the first half, but American Fork hit the target twice in the second period and didn’t allow Syracuse any more goals to get the impressive win.

Ballard scored once and made one give to lead the effort. Parsia and sophomore midfielder Claira Connors added one goal apiece while senior defender Sophie Dunn and junior defender Abby Slater made the other two assists.

The Cavemen are on the move down south this weekend. They are scheduled to play at Snow Canyon on Thursday (Aug. 13) at 7:30 p.m. and are then set to take on Crimson Cliffs on Saturday (Aug. 15) at 8 a.m.

Beky Beaton / American Fork Citizen

The American Fork boys golf team was just edged for third place in a four-team pre-season tournament on Monday (Aug. 10) at Lakeside Golf Course in West Bountiful against Weber, Skyridge and Cedar Valley.

The Cavemen posted a combined score of 291 for the day. The Warriors won the meet with a team score of 279 strokes, followed by the Falcons at 289 just two points ahead of American Fork. The Aviators finished fourth at 308.

Junior Landon Lieu posted the best score of the day for the Cavemen, tying for fourth place in the individual standings with an even-par 72. 

Three of his teammates each posted a 73 for the other counted scores, including juniors Sam Fairbanks and Ben Davis plus senior Chad Douglass.

Other varsity participants included junior Cash Van Buren at 77, senior Wes Brown at 78, sophomore Jett Miller at 80 and junior Cade Henneman at 81.

This tournament included spots for a full junior varsity contingent as well. Skyridge won that competition with a 314, again just getting by American Fork at 316. Weber was third at 323 and Cedar Valley brought up the rear at 372.

For the Cavemen, freshman Will Zimmerman had the low card at 77, followed by sophomore James Smith and junior Cutter Garner at 79 apiece. Freshmen Colt Garner and Jude Price each recorded an 81, rounding out the combined team score for that group.

In addition, senior Hawk Rosenvall shot an 84, junior Hunter Nielsen made an 85 and junior James Norton finished with an 87.

Region 3 tournaments get underway Monday (Aug. 17) with the first event set at the Mountain Dell Canyon Course in Parley’s Canyon east of Salt Lake City.