Mountain West Top 25 Football Regional Rankings

Despite Corner Canyon suffering its first loss of the season, it didn’t cost the Chargers the top spot in this week’s High School On SI Mountain West high school football Top 25 rankings.

Corner Canyon’s three consecutive Utah 6A state championships and six titles in eight years affords it a bit of grace when it goes on the road and loses 38-24 to Liberty, which entered the year ranked No. 3 in High School On SI Arizona’s Preseason Top 25 rankings.

However, the Chargers can ill afford another defeat when in-state rivals Ridgeline, Mountain Ridge and Skyridge and Idaho champions Bishop Kelly and Rigby keep posting signature wins.

Bishop Kelly’s victory in the third annual Northwest Showdown allowed the Boise area’s top teams to go 2-2 against some of the West Coast’s top teams. Eagle and Rocky Mountain suffered losses to Washington powerhouses, while Mountain View entered the Top 25 this week after knocking off Spanish Springs of Nevada.

Here are this week’s Mountain West high school football Top 25 rankings, bringing together the best teams from Utah, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota and South Dakota.

Previous weeks: Preseason | Wk 1 | Wk 2 | Wk 3

Mountain West Football rankings — High School On SI

1. Corner Canyon (Draper, UT) (3-1)

Last week: 1; Lost 38-24 to Liberty (Peoria, AZ)

Next up: vs. Eastwood (El Paso, TX), Sept. 11

The Chargers led 24-14 after Ryce Palepoi’s 15-yard fumble return for a touchdown less than a minute into the third quarter before watching the Lions roar from behind for the home win.

2. Ridgeline (Millville, UT) (4-0)

Last week: 2; Def. Mountain Crest (Hyrum, UT) 42-14

Next up: vs. Tooele (UT), Sept. 11

Crew Cox threw for 196 yards and four touchdowns for the Riverhawks.

3. Bishop Kelly (Boise, ID) (2-0)

Last week: 3; Def. Summit (Bend, OR) 28-26

Next up: at Centennial (Boise, ID), Sept. 11

The Knights stopped a two-point conversion try with 1:38 to play, then recovered the ensuing onside kick to hold off last year’s Oregon 5A runner-up.

4. Rigby (ID) (3-0)

Last week: 4; Def. Syracuse (UT) 28-14

Next up: vs. Minico (ID), Sept. 11

The Trojans trailed 14-7 midway through the second quarter but rode the legs of senior Chandler Faulkner, who ran for 118 yards and three touchdowns, to victory.

5. Mountain Ridge (Herriman, UT) (4-0)

Last week: 5; Def. Cedar Valley (Eagle Mountain, UT) 59-0

Next up: at Copper Hills (West Jordan, UT), Sept. 11

Jaxon Hunt threw for 312 yards and seven touchdowns, giving him 17 scoring tosses in his first four games.

6. Skyridge (Lehi, UT) (3-1)

Last week: 6; Def. Liberty (Henderson, NV) 24-20

Next up: vs. Skyline (Salt Lake City), Sept. 11

Jagger Fountaine tossed three first-half touchdown passes as the Falcons led 21-10 at halftime.

7. Star Valley (Afton, WY) (2-0)

Last week: 9; Def. Raymond (Alberta, Canada) 42-22

Next up: at Sugar-Salem (Sugar City, ID), Sept. 11

The Braves extended their school-record winning streak to 35 with a victory at the Rocky Mountain Rumble played in Pocatello, Idaho — coach McKay Young’s 100th victory with the program.

8. Herriman (West Herriman, UT) (4-0)

Last week: 11; Def. Riverton (UT) 47-3

Next up: vs. Bingham (UT), Sept. 11

The Mustangs led 33-3 at halftime as senior Bryson Sweeney threw for 147 yards and four touchdowns.

9. Lone Peak (Highland, UT) (2-2)

Last week: 7; Lost 38-14 to Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas)

Next up: vs. Timpview (UT), Sept. 11

Cruz Christensen’s touchdown pass to Ledger Holmes tied the game at 7-7 with 3:52 left in the first before the Gaels, No. 7 in this week’s High School On SI Power 25 national rankings, scored 31 unanswered points.

10. Davis (Kaysville, UT) (2-2)

Last week: 12; Def. No. 25 Alta (UT) 27-6

Next up: vs. Olympus (Salt Lake City), Sept. 11

Oklahoma commit Bode Sparrow scored three touchdowns, including a 96-yard kickoff return, to help the Darts overcome five turnovers.

11. Billings Central Catholic (MT) (2-0)

Last week: 13; Def. Havre (MT) 41-18

Next up: at Frenchtown (MT), Sept. 11

The Rams led only 14-12 at halftime before taking control with 27 unanswered points in the third quarter.

12. Orem (UT) (2-2)

Last week: 14; Def. Springville (UT) 42-14

Next up: vs. Spanish Fork (UT), Sept. 11

Beckham Curtis ran for 254 yards and three touchdowns to help the Tigers pull away from a 14-14 halftime tie.

13. American Fork (UT) (3-1)

Last week: 15; Def. Farmington (UT) 41-13

Next up: vs. Layton (UT), Sept. 11

Sophomore QB Jake Matsen had the best game of his young career, going 21-of-31 for 344 yards and four touchdowns with one interception.

14. West (Salt Lake City) (4-0)

Last week: 16; Def. Hunter (West Valley City, UT) 54-6

Next up: at Brighton (UT), Sept. 10

The Panthers overwhelmed their winless hosts as Kamden Lopati threw for 302 yards and five touchdowns.

15. Coeur d’Alene (ID) (3-0)

Last week: 22; Def. Lewis & Clark (Spokane, WA) 58-0

Next up: vs. Moses Lake (WA), Sept. 11

The Vikings held their visitors to 29 total yards and forced three turnovers, while Gibson Comstock caught six passes for 119 yards and two touchdowns.

16. Crimson Cliffs (Washington, UT) (3-1)

Last week: 19; Def. Brighton (UT) 36-13

Next up: vs. Hurricane (UT), Sept. 11

The Mustangs led just 16-13 at halftime before heating up as senior Tanoai Andresen threw for 180 yards and two touchdowns and Kammon Uluave returned an interception 95 yards for a score.

17. Eagle (ID) (2-1)

Last week: 10; Lost 41-22 to Sumner (WA)

Next up: at No. 18 Rocky Mountain (ID), Sept. 11

The two-time Washington 4A state champs rolled up 322 rushing yards to overcome a solid night from Mustangs RB Bowen Blackburn, who ran for 129 yards and a touchdown.

18. Rocky Mountain (Meridian, ID) (1-1)

Last week: 8; Lost 57-14 to Puyallup (WA)

Next up: vs. No. 17 Eagle (ID), Sept. 11

The Grizzlies were no match for the Vikings, who lost to Sumner in last year’s Washington 4A semifinals. They trailed 29-0 at halftime and were outgained by Puyallup 528-99.

19. Kindred (ND) (2-0)

Last week: 20; Def. Horace (ND) 39-7

Next up: vs. St. Mary’s Central (Bismarck, ND), Sept. 11

The Vikings won the matchup between the top-ranked teams in 11AA and 11AAA in the North Dakota Associated Press rankings.

20. Cody (WY) (1-0)

Last week: 21; Def. Buffalo (WY) 42-14

Next up: at Douglas (WY), Sept. 11

The Broncs won their ninth in a row in the series.

21. Brandon Valley (SD) (2-0)

Last week: 23; Def. O’Gorman (Sioux Falls, SD) 34-21

Next up: at Rapid City Central (SD), Sept. 11

The Lynx ensured that O’Gorman would not pull a second consecutive upset, scoring 10 fourth-quarter points to pull away from a 24-21 lead.

22. Homedale (ID) (3-0)

Last week: 24; Def. Gooding (ID) 48-7

Next up: at Kimberly (ID), Sept. 11

The Trojans racked up 526 total yards and scored on all seven of their possessions, led by Tyce Fisher’s 126 yards and two touchdowns on 11 carries.

23. Morgan (UT) (3-1)

Last week: Not ranked; Def. then-No. 17 Bountiful (UT) 37-14

Next up: at Faith Lutheran (Las Vegas), Sept. 11

The Trojans take the Redhawks’ spot in the Top 25 with a dominant performance led by junior QB Rhett Larsen, who threw for two touchdowns and ran for another.

24. Mountain View (Meridian, ID) (2-0)

Last week: Not ranked; Def. Spanish Springs (Sparks, NV) 56-7

Next up: at Madison (Rexburg, ID), Sept. 11

The Mavericks dominated last year’s Nevada 5A state champion, limiting the Cougars to 22 rushing yards and 126 total while picking off junior QB Kanon Boggs three times.