​A goal line marker and football are pictured before a football game held at Timpview High School in Provo on Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024.
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Isaac Hale, Deseret News
North Summit was picked as the preseason favorite in the 1A North region after finishing second in the region last season. The Braves went 6-6 overall in 2025 and reached the 1A state semifinals for the second consecutive year before falling to eventual state champion Kanab. North Summit has qualified for the playoffs in each of the past seven seasons and will look to take the next step in 2026.The Braves’ record was somewhat deceiving. North Summit played one of the toughest schedules in the state, with every loss coming against a team that reached at least the state semifinals, including eventual 1A champion Kanab twice.North Summit also enters the season with a new head coach as Dalton Ross takes over for longtime coach Jerre Holmes after spending the past 10 seasons as an assistant. Ross, who also played for Holmes, said he plans to continue the culture that has made the Braves one of the state’s most consistent programs.“At North Summit, we’re fortunate to be able to build on the great culture that Coach Holmes and those before him established,” Ross said. “Our goal is simply to continue building on the foundation that has already been laid.”The Braves return 13 starters, including six on offense and seven on defense. Senior quarterback Cru Richins returns after earning second-team All-State honors last season. Richins threw for 1,358 yards and 14 touchdowns while adding 632 rushing yards and four scores. First-team All-State receiver Knox Woolstenhulme is also back after catching 60 passes for 963 yards and 10 touchdowns while rushing for another 408 yards and six scores. Junior Tayton Pace, a second-team All-State selection, threw for 687 yards and seven touchdowns while adding 304 receiving yards.Defensively, North Summit is led by first-team All-State linebacker Cael Blonquist, who recorded 118 tackles last season. Ross also expects senior Jaymon Bailey to play a key role in the trenches as the Braves look to make a third straight trip to the state semifinals.As for Duchesne, despite winning the 1A North title and finishing 9-3 last season, it was picked second in this year’s preseason coaches poll. The Eagles reached the 1A state semifinals before falling to eventual 1A runner-up Beaver and now enter Tom Clark’s third season looking to defend their region championship.Replacing last year’s senior class will be one of Duchesne’s biggest challenges. The Eagles graduated 1A leading rusher Kasen Crum along with several other key contributors from an offense that