Beky Beaton / American Fork Citizen

Although American Fork alumni quarterback Maddux Madsen’s Boise State Broncos didn’t quite pull it off, the team did give the high-flying Oregon Ducks a serious scare on the road in the season opener for both teams on Saturday (Sept. 5).

What the game did show was that BSU is likely to be a serious contender in the newly reformatted PAC-12 Conference that the Broncos joined this year with five other schools to compete in football with remaining members Oregon State and Washington State.

A fifth-year senior, Madsen directed his team down the field 75 yards on their very first possession, capping it with a 13-yard toss to Cam Bates for a touchdown to give Boise State the initial lead.

Second-ranked Oregon tied the score early in the second quarter. Later in the period, the Broncos took advantage of a muffed punt to start a drive on the Duck 38.

On first down, Madsen threw a screen pass to Sire Gaines and he reached the endzone to push Boise State back out in front with more than 10 minutes left.

The Broncos extended their advantage with a 29-yard field goal at the 2:48 mark. Oregon managed to score another touchdown with 19 seconds remaining to close the gap to three points at the break.

The Ducks scored the next 10 points after returning from the locker room to get their first lead at 24-17. Boise State responded with another 75-yard drive in eight plays culminating in a fourth-down strike from Madsen to Matt Wagner to even the score once again.

Oregon’s field goal in the early fourth quarter was matched by the Broncos with 8:45 to play. The Ducks answered quickly to take a 34-27 lead with 7:51 left. A big third-down sack as Oregon tried to run the clock out gave Boise State one more shot but the Broncos couldn’t convert on the chance.

Madsen completed 15-of-29 passes for 181 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions. This was the seventh 3+ touchdown game of his career. He has had zero interceptions in all but one of those contests.

Madsen also moved up to seventh all-time in BSU program history in career yards, finishing the game with 6,767. The fifth-year quarterback passed Hank Bachmeier (2019-22), who threw for 6,605 total yards.

That name might sound a little familiar, and it should. Hank is the oldest of the football Bachmeier brothers and he’s presently the quarterback for the Alpine Rams of the American Football League Europe while younger brothers Bear and Tiger are playing for BYU.

As for Madsen, this was only the first game of the season. Stay tuned.

Photos by Kenna Harbison courtesy of Boise State University.

Beky Beaton / Lehi Free Press

It didn’t take long for Lehi High School’s former football stars to have an impact in their new uniforms at BYU. Together, true freshmen wide receiver Legend Glasker and running back Devaughn Eka provided four touchdowns in their Cougar debuts as part of a 63-7 win over Utah Tech on Saturday (Sept. 5).

The duo graduated early after finishing the football season last year and enrolled at BYU immediately so they could participate in spring practice. Both earned praise for their efforts then and during fall camp as well. Glasker was listed as the starting No. 2 receiver going into this contest.

A number of former Cavemen also suited up for the season opener. Sophomore Hunter Clegg was the starting defensive end for the Cougars and recorded one solo tackle on the day.

Former teammate Blake Jensen, a freshman, lined up at defensive end for Utah Tech and was credited with one solo and two assisted tackles for the outing.

Other American Fork alumni who participated in this game for BYU included redshirt freshman wide receiver Trey Roberts, younger brother of Chase Roberts; senior transfer wide receiver Fisher Ingersoll; redshirt senior defensive end Bodie Schoonover; and redshirt sophomore tight end Noah Moeaki.

The ESPN announcers calling the game quickly picked up on Glasker’s interesting first name and pronounced his contributions “legendary.”

He scored the first touchdown of the season for the Cougars, a 9-yard rush less than two minutes into the game. He added another one on his second touch of the afternoon early in the second quarter, this time on a 26-yard reception from sophomore quarterback Bear Bachmeier.

Later in the period, Bachmeier connected with him again for a third touchdown, this one for 33 yards, with 7:47 remaining to the break. He finished with three catches on three tries for 65 yards and had two carries for 16 yards as well.

Here’s more on what he accomplished according to BYU’s official player notes:

• The freshman wideout tallied three touchdowns in the first half. It’s the first time that a Cougar receiver has posted a three-score game since Puka Nacua against Arkansas in 2022. The last BYU true freshman with three or more touchdowns was Jamaal Williams (who had four) at Georgia Tech on Oct. 27, 2012.
• Glasker is also the first BYU player with three touchdowns in a half since WR/TE Keanu Hill, also against Utah Tech, back in 2022.
• He is the first true freshman (in NCAA DI) to score on his first two career touches since the 2024 season, when Decker DeGraaf (Washington) and Ryan Coleman-Williams (Alabama) both did so.

In the postgame news conference, head Coach Kalani Sitake said, “I told you guys: ‘don’t worry about our receiver room.’ Fesi knows what he’s doing there. He saw the capabilities of Legend Glasker and what he can do, and not just Legend but the entire receiver room.

“Glasker was able to make a lot of plays tonight, but there is a lot of talent all over the place in that room, so I am really proud of the way they blocked more than anything.

“We didn’t need them to do much in the pass game, but we know we can if we need to. We saw a lot of future stars play tonight, not necessarily household names, but you’ll get used to hearing their names with time,” he said.

Glasker was also tabbed for postgame comments. “Coming into the game, I really wanted to score,” he said. “So, I mean, three was a surprise, but before the game I just said it was in God’s hands, and that’s what he wanted to happen for me, so I’m blessed.

“The people around me, the coaches and the players, they bought into me a lot, and they trust me. So I feel like when they entrusted me, I can just really go out there and do this with their trust. I feel like I can do anything,” he continued.

As for his connection with Bachmeier, he said, “Bear is just so smart, and I feel like his smarts help me do better on the field, just looking at the defense and seeing what he wants me to do.”

On questions about the receivers, he added, “I mean, man, the potential is there. We have so many guys that can just do great things on the field. We have so much size and speed. We just have everything you could think of in a wide receiver room. We have a lot of depth in the room.”

Glasker’s Pioneer teammate also turned some heads. Although Eka didn’t start, he ended up as the leading rusher of the night with eight carries for 59 yards, including an 11-yard touchdown at the 14:07 mark of the fourth quarter that was the final score of the game for the Cougars.

He hurdled over a would-be tackler on his first carry. “First run ever he jumped over somebody,” Glasker said. “I mean, that’s just what he does, and I can’t wait to see him break one for very long. He’s going to do it. I believe in him.”

Eka had some words to say about Glasker too. “I knew he played like that. It wasn’t anything new to me, but it’s great for everybody else to see it. He’s just too fast. He’s a dog. So it was great seeing him go out there and have a day like that,” Eka said.

As for his own performance, he said, “Every time I went in, I tried to do as much as I can and do everything I can. It was a great feeling today. Going in without being touched is great too, but making a play like that, and having to put your body on the line is great.”

He had some praise for his other teammates as well. “We showed that no matter who you put in we can go in and make a play. Journee Tonga, he came in and got a touchdown. Anybody you put in can really go out and show,” Eka concluded.

Former Skyridge Falcon Tausili Akana, who transferred to BYU from Texas during the winter, also made his presence felt by recording his first fumble recovery for the Cougars playing defensive end.

Photos courtesy of BYU.

Beky Beaton / American Fork Citizen

The American Fork High School cross country teams won both versions of the Championship races at the UIAAA Invitational on August 29 at the Spanish Fork Sports Park, despite two lightning delays and intermittent rain throughout the event.

The Caveman boys placed all of their scoring runners in the top 20, tallying 49 points to nationally ranked Riverton’s 87 and Herriman’s 123 points in a field of 27 teams. All but one of AF’s entrants were underclassmen.

Junior Chase Hejny crossed the line first for American Fork in third place overall with a mark of 14:59.7 on the grass course. He was followed immediately by junior David Webb in fourth place at 15:03.9.

Senior Roy Jones finished 11^th at 15:31.8, with sophomore Bennett Jensen 15^th at 15:36.6 and junior Dax Jolley 19^th at 15:41.6 rounding out the team score. Junior Logan Wagstaff and sophomore Michael Jones also competed in this race.

In the girls event, the Cavemen won the 17-program race with 58 points among runners scored for team standings, outdistancing second-place Herriman at 92 points with Riverton in third at 105.

Senior Skye Jensen finished sixth overall at 17:55.2, with junior Sarah Watson in eighth place at 18:13.6 and senior Shay Smith in 11^th place at 18:37.5. Junior Jane Sorenson was 28^th at 19:09.7 and junior Rebekah Jacob came in 41^st at 19:28.8. Senior Sophie Bahr also ran in this event.

American Fork showed depth with strong finishes in the other races as well. The boys placed first of 20 teams in the Boys Junior/Senior AM Race with 16 points, sweeping the first four spots with their fifth runner finishing sixth. Senior Trey Nielsen won the event with a time of 16:00.9.

In the corresponding girls race, the Cavemen were first of 27 teams with 32 points, led by event winner senior Mara Jensen at 20:12.0.

The American Fork girls were also dominant in the Freshman/Sophomore AM race, finishing first among 17 teams with 16 points as they once again captured spots 1-4 and 6. Sophomore Leila Maughan was the winner here at 19:29.0.

With so many younger runners in the other events, the Caveman boys came in seventh of 23 teams in the Freshman/Sophomore AM race, led by sophomore Joshua Jensen in fifth place at 16:39.1.

American Fork boys win Timpanogos Invitational, girls finish second

Megan Wallgren / American Fork Citizen

The American Fork High School cross country teams earned podium finishes September 4 at the 2026 Timpanogos Cross Country Invitational at Lakeside Park in Orem, with the Cavemen boys taking first place overall and the girls finishing second behind Herriman.

The American Fork boys were led by a pair of juniors who finished second and third. Chase Hejny crossed first for the Cavemen in 14:51.6, followed just 1.2 seconds later by teammate David Webb in 14:52.8.

The Cavemen continued to build their team score with senior Roy Jones finishing 15th in 15:30.5 and sophomore Bennett Jensen taking 17th in 15:32.0. Junior Dax Jolley rounded out American Fork’s top five, finishing 28th overall in 15:39.6.

The Cavemen’s sixth and seventh runners, junior Logan Wagstaff and senior Trey Nielsen, crossed the finish line in 16:13.2 and 16:15.5, respectively.

American Fork’s exceptionally low team spread of just 48.0 seconds for its scoring five highlights the depth and discipline of the team.

The American Fork girls also posted a top-two team finish, placing second overall behind Herriman.

Junior Sarah Watson led the Caveman girls, finishing 10th overall in 18:10.0. Senior Shay Smith followed in 11th with a time of 18:24.1, giving American Fork two runners in the top 10.

Junior Rebekah Jacob was the team’s third finisher, placing 31st in 19:00.9. Junior Jane Sorensen finished 56th in 19:44.5, followed closely by sophomore Scarlett Simkins in 57th with a time of 19:46.3.

Sophomore Leila Maughan and freshman Quincy Skousen completed the team’s top seven, finishing in 19:52.5 and 20:00.0 respectively.

The Timpanogos Invitational gave the Cavemen an opportunity to measure themselves against a large field of Utah’s strongest cross country programs mid-season.

With both American Fork teams finishing in the top two, the Cavemen showed the combination of front-running talent and depth that has made the program a perennial contender in both Utah and on the national stage.

Beky Beaton / American Fork Citizen

The American Fork football team turned a relatively close game into a blowout in about five minutes of clock time in the second half on Friday (Sept. 4) to earn a satisfying 41-13 win over Farmington in non-region action.

The Cavemen won the coin toss and elected to defer, and the Phoenix chose to receive the ball first. It didn’t help them as they were only able to gain four yards in their first series.

The snap for the planned punt went over the kicker’s head and he chased down the ball and booted it out of the endzone to limit the damage to a safety instead of a touchdown. This gave American Fork an early if unconventional 2-0 advantage just 1:35 into the contest.

On the subsequent kickoff, senior Carter Jorgensen returned the ball 22 yards to midfield, giving the Cavemen excellent field position to start their first drive. A defensive pass interference penalty on the initial play of the first series moved the ball to the 35 with a first down.

Senior running back DC Fonua made a good gain on the next play, but the ball came loose as he was tackled and was recovered by Farmington. Yards didn’t come any easier for the Phoenix this time around and after a deflected pass on fourth down, the ball went back to American Fork.

Then it was the Cavemen who went 3-and-out, and Farmington put together a long drive starting from the 12-yard line which ended in a touchdown at about the 4:30 mark. A two-point conversion try failed, so the score remained 6-2 in favor of the visitors.

The kickoff went to senior Luke Vernon and he was immediately tackled at the 33-yard line. American Fork moved quickly up the field with chunk plays as Fonua made gains of 15 and nine yards followed by sophomore quarterback Jake Matsen connecting with senior wide receiver Noah Behm for 19 more.

A holding call on the next down backed the ball up 10 yards, but it didn’t matter. Matsen tossed a 34-yard scoring strike to Behm on the following play and then ran to the right corner of the endzone for the two-point conversion, making it 10-6 with about 2:40 remaining in the first quarter.

The teams traded fruitless possessions for most of the second period. However, when American Fork secured the ball again with about 1:35 left to the break, the Caveman offense kicked into high gear.

Throws to junior wide receivers Ty Holmstead and Cash Taiese helped bring the ball into the red zone. With about 20 seconds to go, Matsen dropped a beautiful pass right over Taiese’s shoulder in the endzone for a 17-yard score. With the PAT by senior kicker Jace Worthington, American Fork carried a 17-6 advantage into the locker room.

The Cavemen didn’t waste much time stretching the margin as they received the kick to begin the second half. Starting from their own 47 after an onside-kick attempt went out of bounds, two Fonua runs followed by a pass to senior tight end Zach Cowie moved the ball to the Phoenix 38.

The next play, Fonua hit a hole opened by the offensive line and was gone. His score and the PAT moved the American Fork advantage to 24-6 less than two minutes into the third quarter.

Later in the period, an ill-advised throw under pressure resulted in an interception by Farmington returned 52 yards for a touchdown and narrowed the gap to 11 points with about seven minutes to go.

That was as close as it got. In the next five scoreboard minutes, the Cavemen added a 24-yard Worthington field goal and a pair of passing touchdowns to Holmstead for 72 yards and Taiese for 65 yards to complete the tally for the contest.

Matsen finished the night completing 21-of-31 (68%) of his passes for 344 yards, four touchdowns and one interception. He used six receivers, led by Taiese with eight catches for 158 yards and Holmstead with four receptions for 92 yards. Fonua added 10 carries for 148 yards.

On the other side of the ball, senior defensive backs Mack Segura and Lincoln Miller tied as the top tacklers with eight apiece. Jorgensen added five solo of six total tackles and junior linebacker Ty Wilson also had six combined tackles.

“It was great to be back home and play in front of the AF community,” said head Coach Aaron Behm. “Their support was huge. We are still looking to put four full quarters of our best football together, but we are getting closer.

“The defense played fantastic all night, but specifically in the second half,” the coach continued. “I think we saw our offense get in more of a rhythm as the game went on and that is something that we have really been focusing on.

“There are still plenty of mental mistakes we need to clean up, but I was excited to see the progress from week 3 to week 4,” Behm said.

The Cavemen will welcome Layton on Friday (Sept. 11) for a 7 p.m. kickoff.

Beky Beaton / American Fork Citizen

The American Fork boys golf team is making good progress as the Cavemen move through ultra-competitive Region 3 play. The league race has proven to be very interesting this season as teams jockey for position and switch places from week to week.

Aug. 26: Cavemen fifth at River Oaks

In the second Region 3 tournament at River Oaks Golf Course in Sandy, American Fork posted a combined score of 290 in an exciting race as only 12 strokes separated the entire field.

Lone Peak won this round at 278, followed by Lehi at 281, then Skyridge and Corner Canyon tied at 285 strokes apiece. The counted scores for the Cavemen were all under 75.

Junior Sam Fairbanks led the effort with a 70 (-2), while junior Landon Lieu and senior Wes Brown each carded a 73 and junior Ben Davis completed the tally with a 74.

Among the other varsity participants, freshman Will Zimmerman was the next one in with an 80, junior Cade Henneman posted an 82, senior Chad Douglass earned an 83 and Sam Bitner came in at 85.

American Fork finished fourth in the JV tournament, with junior Cash Van Buren recording the lowest score of the round in that division at 70 (-2).

Aug. 31: Cavemen fourth at Thanksgiving Point

American Fork outlasted Skyridge in this third event of the Region 3 season. Lehi captured the title with a team score of 283. The Knights posted a 285, the Chargers amassed 297, the Cavemen tallied 302 and Skyridge finished at 304.

Van Buren provided the best score on this occasion with a 73, followed by Fairbanks at 75, Henneman at 76 and Douglass at 78 for the combined team total. The other varsity participants included Lieu at 79, Davis at 81, Brown at 82 and junior James Norton at 84.

In the JV tournament, American Fork finished second behind only Corner Canyon. Sophomore James Smith and senior Hawk Rosenvall tied for the team-best score of the round at 80 strokes.

Sept. 3: Cavemen third at Meadow Brook

At the Meadow Brook Golf Course in Taylorsville, the Cavemen finished tied with perennial state power Lone Peak at 290 in the combined team scores, but both of them were behind the Pioneers at 274 and the Chargers at 279. The Falcons came in at 295.

American Fork had all but one score in the 70s this round, led by Fairbanks with a solid effort at 70 (-2). Lieu and Davis tied at 73 and Douglass  furnished a 74 to complete the counted scores.

Brown also shot a 74. Henneman managed a 77, Van Buren carded a 79 and junior Cutter Garner posted a 91.

In the corresponding JV round, the Cavemen finished just three strokes behind Corner Canyon and Lone Peak, which tied for first place. Smith earned the squad top spot with a score of 75.

The league competition continues on Tuesday (Sept. 8) at Fox Hollow Golf Club in American Fork.

Beky Beaton / American Fork Citizen

The American Fork football team made the plays they needed to in all three phases of the game to earn a hard-fought 28-26 victory over the Thunderbirds in rain-soaked Provo on Friday (Aug. 28).

Timpview got the ball first and managed to penetrate as far as the Caveman 33-yard line, but on 4^th-and-3, an attempted throw went through the hands of the receiver with sophomore defensive back Brayden Litke right there on the coverage and the ball went over on downs.

With sophomore quarterback Jake Matsen sidelined with an injury, senior quarterback Nate Childs took over the signal-calling duties and gave a credible effort against a tough Timpview squad that limited offensive production throughout the contest.

That made it important for American Fork to take advantage of every opportunity. The Thunderbirds provided some with undisciplined penalties on the initial drive along with big completions to senior wide receivers Mason Brooks and Damian Wilkinson plus senior running back DC Fonua.

Those combinations brought the ball to the 2-yard-line. Senior fullback Dalin Afu took it over from there at the 5:08 mark and senior kicker Jace Worthington added the PAT for a 7-0 lead.

During the subsequent Timpview possession, senior safety Noah Behm made an interception near the goal line but it was called back on a penalty and the Thunderbirds eventually scored. The PAT was blocked, leaving the tally at 7-6.

The next Caveman drive started with two big completions by junior wide receiver Ty Holmstead to get the ball to midfield. Junior wide receiver Cash Taiese then made a spectacular one-handed catch for a first down at the Timpview 40-yard line.

American Fork alternated rushes by senior running back Ben Iongi with passes to senior tight end Christian Hanshaw to keep the ball moving. Taiese picked up 17 yards on the next throw to get close to the target, and senior tight end Zach Cowie cradled a 5-yard touchdown toss for the score.

The Caveman defense applied some serious pressure during the next Thunderbird possession. Senior defensive lineman Dalin Afu sacked the quarterback and later, senior defensive lineman Dylan Latu dragged him down again to force a punt on 3-and-out.

American Fork got great field position at their own 45, but threw a pick on first down that was returned to the 20 but backed up to the 38 on a penalty. Despite sacks by senior defensive back Lincoln Miller and Latu during the drive, Timpview was able to score and converted a pass to draw even at 14-all.

The teams traded the ball a couple of times before senior linebacker Sam Thompson made an impressive leap to snag a pick at midfield after a Thunderbird pass was deflected by junior defensive lineman Hiland Atwood with about a minute remaining to the break.

However, the ensuing drive bogged down after a sack and the Cavemen punted, with senior linebacker Rhett Jensen downing the ball inside the 1-yard-line with just seconds left.

On the next down, there was a scrum around the goal line. Thompson managed to knock the ball loose and Afu recovered it in the end zone for a touchdown. Worthington’s PAT gave American Fork a 21-14 advantage going into the locker room.

The Cavemen started with the ball in the second half and marched right down the field with a mix of plays supported by excellent effort from the offensive line. Iongi cashed in from the 1-yard mark and Worthington doubled the lead to 28-14 with 5:19 to go in the third period.

Timpview rallied to score two touchdowns in the fourth quarter, but American Fork blocked the PAT after the first one and a two-point pass try after the second one failed to allow the Cavemen to escape with the victory.

“We just want to let everyone know we’re coming,” said Dalin Afu after the conclusion of the contest. “Don’t sleep on us.”

Childs completed 20-of-28 (71.4%) passes for 185 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Iongi was the workhorse rusher with 13 carries for 47 yards and one score.

American Fork spread the ball among six receivers. Holmstead finished with five catches for 47 yards, Taiese added five receptions for 41 yards and Hanshaw tallied 36 yards with his five grabs.

Senior defensive back Damian Wilkinson and junior linebacker Ty Wilson led in tackles with seven combined apiece while Miller and Latu added six each. Wilson also had three deflections.

Afu and Hanshaw were responsible for the blocked PAT attempts. Senior defensive lineman Daedae Mausia caused a fumble that was recovered by Thompson in addition to the one already mentioned.

“Timpview is a great football team,” said head Coach Aaron Behm. “I was really proud of our kids and how we continued to focus on the next play.

“When you play teams who also have great athletes and a lot of talent, there are going to be big plays throughout the course of the game,” the coach said. “But continuing to move forward and play the next play was huge for us tonight.

“I think a great example of that is immediately after Timpview scored, we focused on the PAT and blocked two of them, and that turned out to be the difference in the game,” Behm concluded.

After three straight weeks on the road, the Cavemen will host their home opener on Friday (Sept. 4) when they welcome Farmington at 7 p.m.

Beky Beaton / American Fork Citizen

The American Fork High School girls volleyball team posted four wins and three losses in the past two weeks in pre-region action to bring their overall record to 4-4 at this point.

Aug. 13: Mountain Ridge 3, American Fork 1

The Cavemen played well on the road in their opening two games against the Sentinels, pushing the first one to an extra point before bowing 24-26 and winning the second one 25-15. However, Mountain Ridge was able to prevail in the final two sets 25-18, 25-16 to finish out the match on top.

Senior outside hitter Macy Melville led the effort for American Fork, furnishing 13 kills, three combined blocks, six digs and 18 serve-receives. Junior opposite Alivia Lemon served five aces to go with three kills.

Senior outside hitter Destinie Hampton added six kills and 15 serve-receives, while senior setter Brynn Murray contributed four kills, two aces and 25 assists. Sophomore libero Calla Pranger tallied six digs and 17 serve-receives. Senior libero Taanii Fielding managed 23 serve-receives.

Aug. 18: Pleasant Grove 3, American Fork 2

The Cavemen played a lively five-set match against the perennial powerhouse Vikings at home which included 16 ace serves by the home squad. It was a back-and-forth contest throughout the evening, but the visitors eventually prevailed 18-25, 25-15, 21-25, 25-19, 15-6.

Melville again led the attack with 12 kills, three aces, 12 digs and 10 serve-receives. Fielding had an exceptional outing with six aces, 11 digs and 40 serve-receives. Murray added three kills, four aces, 10 digs and 30 assists.

Hampton supplied eight kills with three aces, 12 digs and 14 serve-receives. Lemon and freshman hitter Alexis Brant each laid down seven kills and Pranger took 11 serve-receives.

Aug. 20: American Fork 3, Crimson Cliffs 0

In the initial match of their southern road trip, the Cavemen recorded their first victory with a 25-22, 25-15, 25-17 sweep of the Mustangs.

Melville posted 11 kills with eight digs, four assists and 12 serve-receives. Hampton added eight kills, seven digs and nine serve-receives while Lemon had six kills, three aces plus three combined blocks. Brant also made six kills.

Murray contributed three kills with two solo blocks, 14 digs and 26 assists. Fielding managed 12 serve-receives while Pranger took 10.

Aug. 21: Faith Lutheran (Las Vegas NV) 3, American Fork 0

The Cavemen then dropped down to meet the Crusaders the next day. They competed well in the early going but the home school built a 25-22, 25-20, 25-13 win.

Hampton led the attack with eight kills to go with 11 serve-receives while Melville added six kills and 17 serve-receives. Junior middle blocker Daci Roberts added four kills and three solo blocks and Brant also had four kills.

Murray served two aces with eight digs and 19 assists. Fielding led in digs with 11 and serve-receives with 20.

Aug. 22: American Fork 3, Desert Hills 1

The next morning, the Cavemen prevailed 25-23, 22-25, 25-21, 26-24 in a tight match against the Thunder. Melville had an impressive offensive outing with 19 kills and also picked up a team-high 22 serve-receives to spark the effort.

Lemon also had a productive morning with seven kills, four aces, six solo blocks and one block-assist. Hampton added seven kills, a team-high 14 digs plus 19 serve-receives. Fielding was right behind her with 12 digs and 19 serve receives. Murray served three aces with 11 digs and 29 assists.

Aug. 22: American Fork 3, Dimond (Anchorage AK) 0

The Cavemen completed this intensive stretch by sweeping the Lynx 25-20, 25-15, 25-22. Lemon hammered 11 kills while Melville had 10 with 12 digs and 14 serve-receives.

Fielding added three aces plus 26 serve-receives and Hampton delivered five kills, three aces and 10 digs. Murray supplied 28 assists.

Aug. 27: American Fork 3, Westlake 0

Finally back in their own gym, the Cavemen pulled out another exciting win over the Thunder 27-25, 25-20, 25-21. In their final match before the start of league play, the Cavemen visit Farmington on Thursday (Sept. 3) at 5 p.m.

They will open the Region 3 schedule by hosting top-ranked and undefeated Corner Canyon on Tuesday (Sept. 8) at 6:30 p.m.

Beky Beaton / American Fork Citizen

The American Fork football team gave a creditable effort against powerhouse Mater Dei in Santa Ana (CA) on Friday (Aug. 21), but the Monarchs eventually prevailed 31-11.

The first victory was holding the home squad out of the end zone the entire first quarter. However, Mater Dei broke through in the second period, first scoring a safety and then a rushing touchdown. The Monarchs elected to go for two and converted for a 10-0 lead at the 5:28 mark.

The Cavemen responded with a drive that penetrated the red zone, but with less than a minute remaining to the break, senior kicker Jace Worthington split the uprights from 26 yards out to get American Fork on the board.

Half a minute later, Mater Dei scored on a long pass play and took a 17-3 advantage to the locker room.

The Cavemen narrowed the margin in the third quarter, capping a drive with a 9-yard touchdown pass from sophomore quarterback Jake Matsen to junior wide receiver Cash Taiese. Matsen threw to senior tight end Zach Cowie for the two-point make.

That pulled American Fork within a touchdown at 11-17 with 4:19 remaining in the third period, but that was as close as they got. The home squad scored twice more in the final quarter to earn the win.

“It was a great trip,” said head Coach Aaron Behm. “I’m really proud of our kids and how they took on the challenge of playing a school like Mater Dei. We battled for all four quarters, made plays on both sides of the ball and competed really, really well.”

Senior safety Noah Behm led the defense with three solo and nine total tackles, plus two fumbles caused and one recovered. Senior linebacker Luke Vernon added six tackles and recovered a fumble, while sophomore defensive back Brayden Litke had four solo of six tackles and Taiese made a pick.

“We would have loved to travel to California and come home with a win, but this experience is one that should give our guys a lot of confidence heading into the rest of the season,” the coach continued. “I think we learned more about ourselves.

“I think we played better than we did in Week 1, which is always the goal – to get better each week.  We’re excited to get back home and get back to work and take on a really talented Timpview team,” he concluded.

The Cavemen head to Provo on Friday (Aug. 28) to take on the Timpview Thunderbirds at 7 p.m.

Beky Beaton / American Fork Citizen

The American Fork High School girls soccer team has played its way into a No. 3 statewide ranking with four straight victories for a 6-1 mark to get the year started.

Aug. 13: American Fork 2, Snow Canyon 1

In the first game of a southern road trip, the Cavemen came from behind to top the Warriors. Snow Canyon enjoyed a 1-0 advantage at the break, but American Fork responded with two goals in the second period to earn the win.

Senior forward Cambree Ballard and sophomore forward Ivy Jacobson each hit the target once with senior midfielder Suri Parsia providing an assist in the contest.

Aug. 15: American Fork 1, Crimson Cliffs 1 (SO 5-4)

Next the Cavemen took on the Mustangs. Ballard scored in the initial period with an assist from sophomore midfielder Claira Connors, but Crimson Cliffs drew even with a goal in the second half and the teams played through the rest of regulation and two overtime periods without scoring again.

American Fork won the ensuing shootout 5-4. Junior defender Lehua Fisher, Suri Parsia, senior defender Farah Parsia, Ballard and senior defender Sienna Bushman all converted on their penalty kicks to lift the Cavemen to the victory.

Aug. 18: American Fork 2, Spanish Fork 1

The next stop for the Cavemen was in south Utah County, where they faced off against the Dons. American Fork found the target one time in each half while the home squad scored once in the second period.

Ballard and senior midfielder Alli Brown supplied the goals for the visitors and Suri Parsia contributed an assist.

Aug. 20: American Fork 2, Skyline 0

Finally back at home, the Cavemen scored twice in the first half and the goalkeeper kept a clean sheet to notch a shutout win for American Fork. Senior defender Sophie Dunn and Connors recorded the goals in the match and senior midfielder Charlotte Anderson supplied an assist.

The Cavemen host Layton on Tuesday (Aug. 25) and visit Weber on Thursday (Aug. 27). Both matches are set to kick off at 3:30 p.m.

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.