Southern Utah Football – Region 9 - Dominates 3AA Football

High school playoffs are down to the semi-finals, and our Region 9 boys have dominated the scene.

The playoffs have been fun to follow as we have watched our local high schools pick off their opponents securing all four spots in the semi-finals.

Last Friday night, we saw Dixie High School turn their game around against Stansbury. Unbelievably, they were down 42-14 half way through the 3^rd  quarter and managed to turn the game around. At the end of regulation time, they were on top, 49-42. (I’m thrilled for Dixie, but it is the kind of come back that you can’t help but shake your head and mutter “poor Stansbury”.) Talk about the come back of the season!

Hurricane Tigers took down their nemesis, Juan Diego. Those two schools have quite a history over the past six years, and whether you are a Hurricane fan or not, if you are from Southern Utah, you have to smile when they take out Juan Diego.

Desert Hills defeated Bear River to secure their spot in the semi-finals. They are the defending state champs and this year’s Region 9 champs. They are marching forward as a solid, cohesive team and are eyeing a second year state championship.

And Pine View High School finished off Cedar High School (another of our Region 9 schools) last Friday night. Lead by BYU bound quarterback, Cody Wilstead, they, too, have their eyes on taking state with the possiblity of repeating last year’s final match up of Pine View versus Desert Hills High School.

Despite the teams all being from Southern Utah, the semi-finals and the finals will be played in Salt Lake City at Rice-Eccles football stadium at the University of Utah. (A widely debated topic here in the South.)

The Games:

• Dixie versus Pineview, 6:30 p.m., Thursday, November 13.
• Desert Hills versus Hurricane, 6:30 p.m., Friday, November 14.

Good luck to all the players and teams.

We buy and sell real estate in all of the schools’ neighborhoods. Let us help you settle in the right spot for you.

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High School Sports, REGION 9: A Force to Be Reckoned With

Southern Utah Schools have become a force in the Utah High School Sports Arena. In the last five years, we’ve had state titles in football, girls’ and boys’ basketball, baseball, tennis, volleyball, and more. It would take several blogs to do the Region 9 schools justice in celebrating their athletic presence. In fact, look for some in the future.

Now is the time to enjoy the fall sports season which include: football, volleyball, girls’ tennis, cross country, golf, swimming. Whether you are the athlete or the spectator, there is an air of excitement as these young athletes begin to compete. Check out the "sports passes" that some of the high schools offer and cheer on these young athletes.

Schools in the Saint George area fall under the umbrella of the Utah High School Activities Association (UHSAA). As in other states, schools are grouped into classifications based on the size of enrollment. In Utah, the UHSAA has divided most sports into classifications ranging from the schools with the lowest number of enrolled students at 1A to the schools with the largest number of enrolled students at 5A. Football has the added classification of 3AA in addition to the other five classifications. Within each classification, schools are grouped into geographic regions for competition.

Desert Hills, Dixie, Hurricane, Pine View and Snow Canyon High Schools all compete against each other in Region 9. These schools are 3AA schools for football and 3A for the remaining sports.  The top four finishers in Region 9 advance to the state tournament.

While not the largest classification, 3A and 3AA sports provide a high level of competition. Each year, several of the best senior players move on to play sports competitively in college. Local residents can enjoy seeing past Region 9 athletes represent Dixie State University and Southern Utah University on a regular basis. This year, Pine View High School’s senior quarterback, Kody Wilstead, is reported to have received a scholarship offer and verbally committed to Brigham Young University to play quarterback. Also, Hurricane’s kicker, Corey Edwards, Snow Canyon's Adam Hine, and Dixie's Nate Carter will play for BYU this fall.

Let us help you to find a home in the right area for you.

Call Chris at 435-313-3966

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Facing the Reality: Pickle Ball Take-over

Vernon Worthen Park

Okay. I’ll confess. I was a tennis snob. The day I saw pickle ball courts take over the tennis courts adjacent to Vernon Worthen Park in downtown St. George, was a day of mourning. Smaller courts. Silly paddles. Only the weak, slow and retired could be opting for such a water-downed sport. Imagine my consternation when I started seeing more tennis courts being adapted for pickle ball and then when a whole pickle ball complex was installed at The Fields at Little Valley. What were people thinking??? http://www.sgcity.org/departments/leisureservices/parks/park.php?id=129

Little Valley Park

Yes, friends would suggest that I should give it a try. More and more friends began inviting us to go play as a couple. I declined several times—but I started to feel isolation creeping in to my choice of eliteness. Wednesday night at the Summit was where we could find our friends, hanging out on the %$@*$ pickle ball courts. I finally relented when our friends told us they were going to bring extra paddles so that we could come and give it a try. http://summitathleticclub.com/

Summit Athletic Club

I stood on the court with paddle in hand, listening to the crazy rules, trying to make peace with my step onto the dark side. We started warming up, dinking the ball back and forth. My competitive juices started to warm, as well, and it didn’t take long for those competitive impulses to take over. The harder I hit the ball, the harder it came back. The more finesse I used, the more finesse my opponents shoved right back. This little “paddle ball” game grew into an all out war, and the moment I lost, I wanted back on the court for a re-match. Sweat was pouring down my face, and I was guzzling water to keep up the pace of this wuss sport. http://www.usapa.org/rules-summary/

Pickle Ball is described as a mix between ping pong, tennis and badminton, all sports that I enjoy, and I could definitely feel a little of each of those sports as I played.

Our evening ended. The façade of eliteness stripped away. I was a convert. We discussed the best kinds of paddles and where to buy them as we walked—humbly walked—off the courts. Tennis is still my first love—but pickle ball has earned my respect and attention, and we’ll be back on the courts next Wednesday. But for now I’ll go take some Ibuprofen and rub some icy hot on some of those muscles that got whooped by Pickle Ball.

Pickle Ball Tournaments in St. George: http://www.sgcity.org/departments/recreation/adultsports/pickleball_tournaments.php

http://www.seniorgames.net/sports/pickleball/handbook/

Looking for a spot in St. George? Find me at the pickle ball courts or just call:

Chris at 435-313-3966

Or

Visit: www.whystgeorge.com