Jennifer Thomas / American Fork Citizen

The American Fork football team put up a valiant effort on the road in the final game of the regular season, but the Skyridge Falcons secured the Region 3 title on their Senior Night with a thrilling 21-15 victory over the Cavemen.

The hard-fought battle captured the grueling nature of Utah high school football, showcasing standard-setting grit alongside a somber reminder of the game’s physical costs.

The intense, regular-season finale took an ominous turn during the first half that briefly silenced a roaring stadium. In a collision indicative of the Region 3 gauntlet, American Fork defensive leader Dalin Afu suffered a severe injury late in the second period.

Play halted for several minutes in a deeply emotional scene as the player was carefully stabilized and taken off the field on a stretcher, drawing a poignant mix of applause and supportive gestures from both sidelines.

The injury cast a heavy, physical toll over an already battered American Fork roster working to manage multiple depth adjustments that include the starting quarterback ahead of the playoffs.

Down 14-0 at the half, the Cavemen refused to fold and dialed up an aggressive aerial assault when senior quarterback Nate Childs connected with senior two-way player Noah Behm on a 15-yard strike in the corner of the endzone to narrow the gap to a single score in the third quarter.

The Falcons answered back before the end of the period to extend the advantage to 21-7. The energized American Fork defense relentlessly pressured the Skyridge quarterback and attacked with physicality and determination to effectively slow down the Falcons, holding them scoreless in the fourth quarter.

“We have been stressing the next play with the guys,” said Coach Aaron Behm. “We play good teams who will make plays and score some points. All we can do is bounce back and get to the next play. I think they did a really good job of doing that.

“I think they tackled really physically, when the contact was made that was the end of the play, which was a great sign. If we keep that up, we will be in great shape,” added Coach Behm.

It was the fourth quarter that nearly turned the game completely on its head. Facing an uphill battle, American Fork’s offense, led by Childs, suddenly went into hyper-drive.

The Caveman offense started slicing through the Skyridge secondary. Late in the final frame, Childs connected with senior tight end Zack Cowie on a clinical 4-yard touchdown pass.

Refusing to back down, the Cavemen went for a high-risk two-point conversion, with Childs successfully rushing it across the goal line to cut the deficit to 21-15 with just over eight minutes remaining in the game.

“Nate did a really nice job in this game,” Coach Behm said. “He had a full week of practice and came ready to play. It helped to be able to run the ball tonight as that took some of the pressure off.

“I am super proud of him. He did really well when he got flushed from the pocket keeping his eyes up and converting on some crucial downs,” the coach said. Childs finished the game completing 19-of 37 passes for 212 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions.

Behm tallied seven catches for 87 yards while junior wide receiver Cash Taiese made four receptions for 77 yards. American Fork’s leading rusher for the contest was senior running back Tani Vaki with eight carries for 39 yards.

The defensive effort was led by senior linebacker Luke Vernon with 13 combined tackles and senior linebacker Mason Peterson with 10 tackles including a sack.

Despite the frantic, physical push from the Caveman offense, the Skyridge defense dug deep in the final minutes, forcing a decisive stand to run out the clock and secure the victory.

“I really love these guys. We’ve been on the short end of the stick the last couple of weeks, but they have continued to get better, they have continued to work. These guys continue to have great energy when they come to practice. That is all a coach can ask for,” concluded Coach Behm.

American Fork finished 1-3 in Region 3 play and 6- 4 overall. The Cavemen head into postseason play carrying plenty of momentum from a late-game offense that proved it can threaten anyone in the state.

Photos by Sam Penrod.

American Fork earned home field in the first round of the playoffs. Here’s how the Cavemen are positioned going into the 6A state tournament.

American Fork

Season record: 1-3 Region 3 (T3rd), 6-4 overall

Final RPI ranking: 8 in 6A

MaxPreps ranking: 6 in 6A, 10 statewide

Next contest: Oct. 30

Prospects: The Cavemen will welcome #9 Copper Hills (7-3) in the new initial round of the playoffs after the field was narrowed to 16 teams, resulting in an automatic bye for all 6A teams in the playoffs. If American Fork wins, the team will advance to play either #1 Skyridge (8-1) or #16 Riverton (2-8) on Nov. 6 at the home of the higher seed in the quarterfinals. The default start time for these games is 6 p.m. unless the teams agree to change it. The Cavemen did not see the Grizzlies this year and suffered a narrow loss to the Falcons in the final game of the regular season.

Beky Beaton / American Fork Citizen

The American Fork High School girls soccer team moved confidently through the first two rounds of the 6A state tournament this week, defeating a pair of opponents with home-field shutouts to earn a berth in the semifinals on Monday (Oct. 19).

The No. 4 Cavemen (13-6) will take on No. 1 Lone Peak (16-3) at noon in Herriman at the Zion’s Bank Stadium. The Cavemen lost both Region 3 matches to the Knights this year, but the second one was only by a single goal.

Lone Peak had to secure their first-round match victory against No. 16 Skyridge in a shootout on Tuesday.

The team prevailing this Monday will play the winner of No. 2 Davis (14-4) against No. 3 Farmington (13-5) for the championship on Oct. 23 at 10 a.m. in the same location. American Fork fell to the Darts in the second game of the year but didn’t lose again for a month.

Oct. 13: American Fork 1, #13 Riverton 0

The Cavemen played a tight defensive match with the Silverwolves to open the playoffs. Neither team was able to find the net in the initial period, but junior midfielder Eva Gunn managed to hit the target in the second half to lift her team to victory.

Freshman goalkeeper Sofia Crowley earned the shutout between the pipes.

Oct. 15: American Fork 2, #5 Corner Canyon 0

The Cavemen split their league contests with the Chargers during the regular season, with Corner Canyon coming out on top in the second-round game on Oct. 1.

However, the rubber match went to American Fork at the time when it most mattered as the Cavemen eliminated the Chargers with a pair of second-period scores while Crowley earned another clean sheet.

Senior midfielder Cambree Ballard provided the offensive firepower for the home squad, as she has all season. She got an assist from senior defender Sienna Bushman on one of her two goals.

Photos by Sam Penrod.

Megan Wallgren / American Fork Citizen

The American Fork High School Boys Cross Country team captured the Region 3 Championship on Tuesday (Oct. 13) at Mary and Art Dye Park. The Caveman girls were runners-up in a tight battle with nationally-ranked Lone Peak.

American Fork continued to demonstrate why it is among the nation’s top cross country programs, with both its boys and girls teams ranked nationally going into post-season racing.

The Caveman boys are ranked No. 6 nationally by DyeStat, while the girls team holds the No. 13 spot. Lone Peak’s girls team is ranked No. 5 nationally.

The American Fork boys scored 31 points to top the podium in the five-team region competition, placing five runners in the top 12, including the top two finishers, with a spread of 1:52. All seven varsity runners placed in the top 15, showing the strength and depth of the Caveman roster.

Caveman junior David Webb took the individual title, crossing the 3-mile finish line in a personal-best time of 14:58.22. Junior Chase Hejny followed closely behind, finishing second in 15:09.86.

Sophomore Bennett Jensen placed seventh, crossing in 15:39.47, followed by senior Roy Jones in ninth place at 15:52.19. Senior Trey Nielsen rounded out the scoring five with a 12th-place finish in 15: 59.74.

Junior Will Thresher and sophomore Michael Jones finished off the varsity effort, placing 14th in 16:02.05 and 15th in 16:14.42, respectively.

In the girls competition, American Fork scored 43 points to finish second in their race. The Cavemen were led by senior Skye Jensen, who finished third with a time of 17:53.06. She was followed closely by junior Sarah Watson, coming in fourth in 17:53.17.

Senior Shay Smith placed ninth in 18:38.34, followed by freshman Quincy Skousen in 13th at 18:56.19 and sophomore Cali Dooley in 14th at 19:02.98. The five scoring runners finished with a close spread of 1:09.92.

Junior Rebekah Jacob finished 15th in 19:04.61, and senior Mara Jensen placed 18th in 19:24.60, rounding out the girls varsity squad.

With strong showings at the competitive Region 3 meet, both the boys and girls teams are poised for state championship runs at the 2026 UHSAA Cross Country State Championships on Oct. 27 at Sugar House Park in Salt Lake City.

Photos by Matt Paepke.

Beky Beaton / American Fork Citizen

The American Fork High School girls tennis team finished in fifth place at the 6A state tournament, played at Liberty Park in Salt Lake City on October 8 and 10. The Cavemen reached the semifinals in the First Singles and No. 2 Doubles brackets.

Three of the other four Region 3 teams earned spots in the top four. Lone Peak claimed the championship with 53 points, Skyridge was second with 46, Corner Canyon came in fourth with 27, and American Fork tallied 21 points.

On Thursday in No. 1 Singles, Caveman senior Sophia Leavitt entered as the No. 3 seed and swept plus shut out No. 14 Briahna Sayer of Riverton 6-0, 6-0. Later that day in her quarterfinal match, Leavitt easily bested No. 11 Macie Peterson of Farmington 6-1, 6-0.

She played hard in the Saturday semifinal against No. 2 Ava Jensen of Lone Peak. Jensen won the first set 6-3, but Leavitt responded to take the next set 6-4, necessitating a third round to settle the outcome. Jensen eventually prevailed after a lengthy battle 7-5.

In Second Singles, No. 10 senior Bella Harris upset No. 7 Kinley Olson of Lehi 6-3, 6-4 in the first round. However, her season ended with a loss to No. 2 Elizabeth Ludlow of Skyridge 6-4, 6-1 in the quarterfinal.

In No. 3 Singles, No. 7 senior Claire Corbridge had to come from behind to eliminate No. 10 Jane Blackburn of Herriman 2-6, 6-4, 7(7)-6(2). She fell to No. 2 Maezie Oswald of Skyridge 6-2, 6-2 in the quarterfinal.

In No. 1 Doubles, No. 4 American Fork seniors Rylee Egbert and Demi Dalton ousted No. 13 Brooklyn Jeppesen and Paityn King of Syracuse 6-1, 6-2. In a hard-fought quarterfinal, they bowed out to No. 5 Ruchi Pawar and Anna Dorny of Corner Canyon 7-5, 7(7)-6(4).

In the Second Doubles bracket, No. 4 Caveman seniors Bentley Christensen and Halie Andrews comfortably advanced after defeating the No. 13 Herriman duo of Violet Freeman and Eleanor Elshaug 6-0, 6-1.

The pair earned a semifinal berth with a little more work by topping No. 5 Kate Anderson and Savannah White of Corner Canyon 6-4, 6-4. Their run ended with a loss to No. 1 Anabelle Rowley and Chloe Barker of Skyridge 6-3, 6-4. The Falcons went on to claim the bracket title.

Photos by Sam Penrod.

Jennifer Thomas / American Fork Citizen

In a highly anticipated Week 9 Region 3 clash, Corner Canyon (7-2) flexed its offensive muscle early to stun the home crowd and hand the American Fork football team (6-3) its second consecutive loss on Thursday (Oct. 8).

The game’s outcome was effectively determined in a decisive opening stretch. The Chargers completely dominated American Fork right from the kickoff, exploding for 27 points in just over seven minutes.

The Jaxon Pehrson-to-Kelen Gold connection proved completely unstoppable for the Cavemen. Corner Canyon quarterback Pehrson started the game flawlessly, finding junior wideout Kelen Gold for three touchdown strikes in the first quarter alone—from 17, 16, and 32 yards out.

Despite a valiant effort by the American Fork secondary, American Fork could not stop the physical junior wideout from Corner Canyon.

The Caveman defensive front consistently pressured the Charger quarterback, but his experience allowed him to escape the pocket, pick up crucial first downs and keep American Fork’s offense off the field.

The home squad regrouped in the second quarter, trying to orchestrate a Senior Night comeback. The Cavemen got on the scoreboard with a 20-yard field goal from senior kicker Jace Worthington.

Later in the period, American Fork added a touchdown on a 31-yard strike from sophomore quarterback Jake Matsen to senior two-way player Noah Behm.

Matsen faced relentless pressure all night, enduring multiple sacks before an injury forced him out in the second quarter. He completed 18-of-26 passes for 173 yards and one touchdown before leaving the game. The Chargers took a 41-10 advantage into the break.

Following halftime adjustments, American Fork’s defense locked down in the second half and kept Corner Canyon out of the end zone for the rest of the game.

Senior quarterback Nate Childs stepped up in relief, delivering precision passes that marched American Fork down the field for their final touchdown late in the third period with a three-yard dive into the endzone by senior running back Ben Iongi, but a scoreless fourth quarter sealed the 41-17 victory for the Chargers.

Childs completed 9-of-18 passes for 71 yards. Worthington and senior kicker David Lambourne each had a PAT in the game. Iongi was the team’s leading rusher on the night with 10 carries for 40 yards.

Senior wide receiver Mason Brooks picked up 90 yards with six catches while Noah Behm had six receptions for 66 yards to lead the air force. Junior wide receiver Cash Taiese was back in action and had five grabs for 42 yards.

Caveman senior tight end Christian Hanshaw effectively tracked down several passes for significant yardage during the second period of the game.

“I’m proud of their resiliency and the way they bounced back,” said American Fork head coach Aaron Behm. “That’s exactly what we challenged them to do at halftime. We had two quarters left to get better and they made the most of them.

“I thought we ran the ball better in the second half and we were more physical. But with good teams you can’t start down 28-0 and that is unfortunately what we did,” added Coach Behm.

American Fork senior defensive lineman Dalin Afu gave a standout performance with several run stops and kept up his relentless pass rush, helping to thwart the Chargers passing game.

Led by the Caveman senior linebackers Mason Petersen and Luke Vernon, who made crucial stops and several tackles each, the defense delivered a strong performance, highlighted by the leadership of Behm who racked up a sack and multiple tackles.

Senior defensive back Lincoln Miller contributed to the effort with a drive-stopping interception in the second period. Vernon also intercepted a Corner Canyon pass in the third quarter and later recovered a fumble to rally the Caveman defense.

Senior linebacker Sam Thompson was the leading tackler with seven combined. Sophomore defensive back Brayden Litke, senior linebacker Rhett Jensen and junior linebacker Ty Wilson all made significant defensive contributions as well.

“Defense did a great job stopping the run,” said Coach Behm. “We let out a few big plays in the pass game in the first half, but once we played the run and the pass in the second half, Corner Canyon didn’t score.

“That second half is something we will celebrate but we have to put four quarters of football together,” the coach said.

“Nate stepped it up and did a great job for us tonight. We haven’t heard anything official yet regarding Jake, we will see and hope for the best,” said Behm. Matsen has since been ruled out for the rest of the season.

American Fork visits Region 3 rival Skyridge for the regular-season finale on Wednesday (Oct. 14) at 7 p.m.

Photos by Sam Penrod.

Beky Beaton / American Fork Citizen

The American Fork High School girls soccer team found the going tough as they finished the regular season with three Region 3 losses, all of them on the road. The Cavemen slipped to fourth place with their 3-5 league mark and tallied an overall 11-6 record for the season.

The Cavemen ended up ranked at No. 4 in Class 6A and No. 11 statewide. They will host #13 Riverton (10-8) in the first round of the playoffs on Tuesday (Oct. 13).

The winner of that contest will play the winner of #5 Corner Canyon (10-7) against #12 Copper Hills (11-7) in the quarterfinals on Oct. 15. The higher seed is the host team during the playoffs. Both matches are set to kick off at 4 p.m. although the schools may agree to change the time.

The Cavemen did not play the Silverwolves or the Grizzlies this year and split their Region 3 matches against the Chargers.

Sept. 29: Lone Peak 1, American Fork 0

At Lone Peak, the Cavemen held the undefeated league-leading Knights out of the net in the first period, but the hosts managed to squeeze a goal across in the second half to claim the narrow win.

Oct. 1: Corner Canyon 1, American Fork 0

The story was the same in Draper, where the Chargers finally found the target in the second period after going scoreless to the break.

Oct. 6: Lehi 3, American Fork 0

The Pioneers got one goal in the initial period and added two more in the second half to complete their home victory on Senior Night.

Senior midfielder Cambree Ballard has been the leading scorer for the Cavemen this season with seven goals followed by senior midfielder Suri Parsia with five.

Ballard is also the leader in assists with six and sophomore forward Ivy Jacobson is second with five. Freshman goalkeeper Sofia Crowley has been credited with three shutouts.

Beky Beaton / American Fork Citizen

The American Fork boys golf team finished in fifth place at the Region 3 stroke play tournament on Wednesday (Oct. 7) at the Sleepy Ridge Golf Course in Orem.

Lehi earned a combined team score of 281 to outdistance Corner Canyon at 284 and the Knights at 287 for the championship. Skyridge finished at 293 and the Cavemen at 303.

Junior Sam Fairbanks carded the best score of the day for American Fork with an even-par 72, tying with three other golfers for sixth-place medalist honors.

However, the rest of the team struggled a bit with challenging course conditions that included fast greens and difficult hole placements.

The remaining individual scores contributing to the team tally were supplied by sophomore James Smith, junior Cash Van Buren and junior Cade Henneman, who all shot 77 strokes.

Finishing right behind them with 78s were senior Wes Brown and senior Chad Douglass. Junior Landon Lieu came in at 85 and junior Ben Davis scored an 88.

The 6A State Tournament is set for October 12 and 13 at Talons Cove Golf Club in Saratoga Springs.

Elizabeth Spencer | American Fork Citizen

Many generations of American Fork High School graduates returned to campus Friday evening to remember days gone by. The AFHS Cavettes hosted a reunion with past drill team members before the homecoming football game.

1988 AFHS graduate Heidi Jensen Kirby drove from Mapleton to participate. “I think it’s important to know where your roots are. It’s fun to come back and see the difference in Cavettes and what they do,” said Kirby. She thinks it’s important to come home for homecoming.

“This was a sisterhood,” said alumna Kelsey Ackley, who graduated in 2018 and returned to spend time with the Cavettes. Ackley said the group of girls was amazing. Now a mother of two young children, Ackley danced on the drill team for two years and said it was important to gather to reconnect.

That reconnection happened on the north side of the stadium, where the drill team and alums enjoyed a full soda-and-cookie bar.

Although 2013 graduate McCall McCombie wasn’t on the drill team as an AFHS student, she helped coach the Cavettes for six years. When the drill team program was at risk of being pulled from AFHS, Coach Jeanna Harmon asked McCombie to help her save the Cavettes. McCombie said she “fell in love with the drill team” while coaching. “It was the best time ever. I miss the girls. I love the girls so much. I think drill is such a cool program.”

McCombie said she would love to see the Cavettes keep thriving, and she loves the sisterhood.

Seven years ago, Cierra Potts graduated from AFHS. As a senior, she danced with the Cavettes. “The drive here was so nostalgic,” Potts said. It brought back clear memories of driving to games with her friends and performing with the team. Potts will soon be heading to New York City to model but took time out of her Friday evening to connect with the Cavettes.

During school on Friday, students celebrated homecoming weekend with their traditional annual assembly in The Cave. This year’s homecoming theme was “A Night in Radiator Springs.” Administrators kicked off the assembly by riding in on scooters in cardboard-box car costumes representing characters from Disney’s beloved “Cars” movie.

The drum line took the court, hyping students up for the big game against the Lehi Pioneers. Dance Company, the Cavettes and the cheer squad entertained students with their amazing talents. Students also met their homecoming royalty. Representing the sophomores were Cali Dooley and Walter Combs; juniors chose Ruby Dickson and Justin Rawlins; and seniors crowned Evelyn Combs homecoming queen and Jace Worthington homecoming king. The assembly concluded with students belting out the school song.

Student Body President Jace Worthington was excited for the football game. Worthington, along with other Student Council members, hosted homecoming for students.

“Being chair of homecoming, I think it’s important to emphasize how much homecoming brings people together. It sets the tone for new sophomores to get excited about the upcoming year and helps seniors realize that they’ve made it to their last year. Homecoming is a special experience that every high schooler should get to experience at least once,” said senior Caleb Fulton, who serves on student council at AFHS.

Before Friday night’s game, the school held a special club rush on the south side of the school. A variety of school clubs set up stations for students to explore. “It’s a chance for kids to learn more about clubs that AFHS offers and gives them a chance to sign up for one. It’s a great way to learn more about how you can stay involved and make new friends,” said Fulton.

During halftime, the AFHS Marching Band debuted its competition piece, which it will take to Grand Nationals next month. The Cavettes, cheer squad and Dance Company also combined to perform a special number.

“I love American Fork. The community is great. People are great. I love the traditions. We have a good balance of everything here. We have this established great community with all these awesome traditions and history,” said Assistant Principal Cole Perry of AFHS. “It’s a great place, one town, one high school; it’s great.”

Saturday evening, students attended the dance in their best dress. “My favorite thing about homecoming at AF is that our dance takes place outside. Not every school hosts a big event like homecoming outdoors,” Fulton said.

The football game may not have turned out the way AFHS students and alums had hoped, but the weekend gave them opportunities to renew connections and create new memories.

Beky Beaton / American Fork Citizen

The American Fork football team made a late comeback in an intense rivalry showdown with Lehi on Friday (Oct. 2), but the Pioneers succeeded with their final drive to pull out a 20-19 win.

The teams traded the ball for the first few possessions without either of them being able to move it much against the respective stiff defenses, but the Cavemen put the first points on the board at the end of their third drive with a 22-yard field goal to go up 3-0 with 1:35 left in the initial period.

Lehi answered on their next possession, scoring on one of very few plays for big yardage allowed in the game to move in front 7-3 at the 11:03 mark of the second quarter.

The slugfest continued through the period until American Fork created a short-field opportunity when senior defensive back Lincoln Miller blocked a Pioneer punt and senior linebacker Mason Peterson recovered it at the Lehi 18-yard line.

On first down, senior running back Tani Vaki rumbled all the way to the 1-yard line and senior Sam Thompson took it over from there on the next play. With senior kicker Jace Worthington’s PAT, the Cavemen carried a 10-7 advantage into the locker room at the break.

The defenses took center stage during the third period. Neither team was able to add any points to the board, and each claimed two interceptions during the quarter, with both of American Fork’s coming at the hands of senior safety Noah Behm.

The second of those picks allowed the Cavemen their next breakthrough. Behm gave an outstanding performance on both sides of the ball during this outing and continued to help move it wearing his other hat as a wide receiver.

However, the drive stalled after a penalty and American Fork had to settle for a 35-yard Worthington field goal to extend the lead to 13-7 just 15 seconds into the final stanza.

On the ensuing kickoff, it was Lehi’s turn to cash in on good field position as the ball was returned all the way to the Caveman 30-yard line. The Pioneers eventually scored on the drive to retake the lead 14-13 with 8:10 remaining.

Undaunted, American Fork immediately responded. Sophomore quarterback Jake Matsen engineered a swift march down the field using his talented receiving corps. Junior Ty Holmstead, junior Preston Fairbanks and senior Christian Hanshaw all had receptions to bring the ball to the Lehi 24.

Matsen then tossed up a pinpoint pass to the end zone and senior Mason Brooks went up and got it with a defender in his face for a spectacular touchdown grab.

The Cavemen tried to extend the margin to seven points with a pass conversion, but they were unsuccessful and the score remained 19-14 with 5:21 left to play.

That was just enough time for Lehi to get a final touchdown with 1:01 on the clock. The Pioneers also tried a two-point conversion, but the pass was deflected, leaving the score at 20-19.

American Fork had a chance after senior Carter Jorgensen busted a huge return on the kickoff, covering half the field to reach the Lehi 49. However, the subsequent first-down pass ended up in the hands of the defender and the Pioneers were able to run out the clock to secure the win.

With leading receiver Cash Taiese sidelined due to injury, his teammates picked up the slack. Brooks finished the night with five receptions for 101 yards and Behm snagged eight catches for 90 yards. Five other players also contributed air yards in this contest.

Matsen completed 27-of-42 (64%) of his passes for 284 yards, but the Cavemen were held to 20 yards on the ground. Jorgensen tallied 96 yards on his three kickoff returns.

Miller ended his outstanding effort as the leading tackler with 13, four of them solo. Senior linebacker Rhett Jensen added five solo of 10 tackles and also had two deflections. Senior defensive back Damian Wilkinson also made 10 combined tackles.

“I was really proud of the boys for continuing to battle through all four quarters,” said head Coach Aaron Behm. “You have to be competitive in Region 3. We certainly came away feeling like we have some things to clean up and improve on, but the kids’ effort was fantastic.

“I felt like our wide receivers did a good job stepping up in Cash’s absence and our defense forced turnovers to keep us in a position to win,” he added. “We will learn from it, move forward, and be better next week.”

It doesn’t get any easier for American Fork as the Cavemen must finish the regular season playing the league’s top two teams on shortened weeks. Up next is Corner Canyon at home on Thursday (Oct. 8), and then the team visits Skyridge on Oct. 14. Both games are set for 7 p.m. kickoffs.

Photos by Jim Ballard.