Game Preview Capsule: Desert Hills at Cedar

GAME PREVIEW CAPSULE
Desert Hills (3-0, 0-0) at Cedar (1-2, 0-0)
Previous Meeting: Desert Hills 42, Cedar 14 (Oct. 17, 2012 at DH)
Broadcast: ESPN SportsRadio 106.1 FM, Mike McGary and Andy Griffin on play-by-play

THUNDER
Desert-Hills-smClassification: 3AA, South Region
Coach: Carl Franke (2nd year, 11-4 overall)
Offense: Spread, pistol
Last game: Beat West, 26-3
Players to watch: RB Bridger Cowdin, our player of the week last Friday, is leading 3AA in rushing yards (353) and rushing touchdowns (5) and is averaging a whopping 9.5 yards per carry. Meanwhile, his LB twin brother Tucker is fourth in the classification in tackles (35). That’s 11.7 per game. The Thunder defense, led by Tucker Cowdin, Sil Bundy and Gabe Sewell, has allowed 22 points in three games, 7.3 ppg. Lineman Brock Doman is out with a hyperextended knee and partially torn miniscus.
PPG: 19.3
PAPG: 7.3
Trend: Spend five minutes with Franke and you can tell he’s still fired up about “dirty play” from West last week. But, contrary to rumors, no suspensions were handed out from the late-game scuffle. So the Thunder will be near full-strength (except Doman) for the Redmen. The offense is still experiencing growing pains, but that defense is as good as it gets.

REDMEN
cedar-smClassification: 3AA, South Region
Coach: Todd Peacock (27th year, 155-127-1 overall)
Offense: Triple option
Last game: Lost to Skyline 38-19
Players to watch: Junior Breckin Lewis seems to have won the job at QB, though Austin Obering still gets some reps. Lewis had 107 rushing yards and a TD against Skyline. FB Dallin Grover has 178 rushing yards in three games. The Redmen have a prime kicker in Jeff Rogers, who also scored a TD on a fake against Skyline.
PPG: 29.7
PAPG: 20.3
Trend: Not much changes at Cedar, though the Redmen are harder to read this year, at least so far. The 63 points against Canyon View taints the points per game score as the Falcons are bad. Perhaps more impressive is the Skyline game in which Cedar had 236 rushing yards. The Redmen really need either Lewis or Obering to have a good game, and that includes passing the ball.

GAME OUTLOOK
Cedar’s offense struggled in Week 1, but is improving. But even 4A Skyline doesn’t dominate defensively like this Desert Hills team. The Thunder are a little banged up from the West game, but the way they smothered Stansbury and West, two predominantly rushing teams, doesn’t bode well for the Redmen. Desert Hills will miss Doman, but should still be able to run the ball against Cedar.

STGnews (record) PREDICTION
Andy Griffin (18-2) — Desert Hills
Darren Cole (15-5) — Desert Hills
Parry’s spread: DH by 20

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