Morgan vs. Richfield headline 3A football semifinals Saturday at Zions Bank Stadium

A year ago, Morgan put up 21 points in the first quarter and beat Richfield 49-14 in the 3A quarterfinals. On Saturday, Nov. 7, those same two programs meet again — this time in the semifinals, at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman, with a trip to the 3A championship game on the line.

The 1 p.m. kickoff pits No. 5 Richfield (10-2) against No. 1 Morgan (9-2) in what amounts to a collision between the two best statistical units in 3A: Richfield's defense, which allows just 11.8 points per game — best in the classification — and Morgan's offense, which scores 42.4 points per game, also best in 3A.

Richfield's path to this point has its own revenge subplot. The Wildcats lost to Grantsville 31-24 in August after leading 24-10 in the fourth quarter. When they met again in last week's quarterfinal, Colton White broke an 80-yard touchdown run on the game's first possession, finished with more than 150 rushing yards and three touchdowns, and Richfield won 31-7. Grantsville didn't score after the first quarter.

White is the engine of Richfield's offense. He has run for 1,353 yards and 14 touchdowns on 95 carries — an average of 14.2 yards per carry — and has 18 total touchdowns including catches and a return score. Quarterback Cordon White has thrown for 1,151 yards and 18 touchdowns while also rushing for eight more. Trey Yardley averages 11.7 yards per carry and has 12 total touchdowns, including one on defense and one on a return. The Wildcats have four shutouts and Nash Spell leads the pass rush with eight sacks.

Morgan's offense is built around quarterback Owen Gilson, who has completed 65.3% of his passes for 2,589 yards and 39 touchdowns. He has two receivers over 1,000 yards: George Thurston (78 catches, 1,019 yards, 19 receiving touchdowns, 25 total) and Rhett Larsen (1,016 yards, 14 total touchdowns). Owen Belliston has added eight touchdown catches. The defense contributes points as well — Morgan has seven defensive touchdowns as a team, with Lawson Walker, Krew Asay and Cade Spens each scoring twice or more on that side of the ball.

The Trojans' résumé includes wins over 4A programs Sky View (47-0), Park City (35-0) and 5A quarterfinal qualifier Bountiful (37-14). Their two losses came against Ridgeline, the unbeaten 4A No. 1 seed, and at Logan in the regular-season finale that decided the 3A North title.

The clearest opening for Richfield is Gilson's 11 interceptions. Richfield's formula against Grantsville — run the ball, keep Gilson on the sideline, win the turnover battle — is the same blueprint the Wildcats will need Saturday. Common opponents offer some evidence: Morgan beat Grantsville 42-7 and Cedar 49-0, while Richfield split with Grantsville and beat Cedar 38-7, giving Morgan the edge in that comparison.

Head coach Eric Thorson won the 3A title at Richfield in 2023. Morgan coach Jared Barlow won titles in 2022 and 2024. The winner faces the Logan–Juab winner for the 3A championship; notably, Juab beat Richfield 37-21 during the regular season, and Logan beat Morgan 32-22.

The second 3A semifinal tips off at 7 p.m. the same night: No. 3 Logan (9-2) against No. 2 Juab (9-2), the first meeting ever between the two programs. Logan went 4-7 last season and lost in the first round; this year the Grizzlies scored 66 points against Manti in the quarterfinals. Logan quarterback Easton Favero has put up big passing numbers and accounts for many total touchdowns. Juab counters with a defense-first identity and the versatility of Price Armstrong.

In 2A, the semifinals are a day earlier — Friday, Nov. 6, also at Zions Bank Stadium. No. 4 South Summit (7-4) faces No. 1 San Juan (9-1) at 1 p.m., and No. 3 Summit Academy meets No. 2 Delta at 7 p.m., according to High School Football America.

Why it matters — Four Utah high school football teams will punch their tickets to state championship games this weekend, with the 3A matchup between Richfield and Morgan offering a rematch of last year's lopsided quarterfinal and a clash between the classification's best defense and best offense.

Reported by deseret.com, highschoolfootballamerica.com