Region 9 sports roundup: Volleyball teams begin region play; updates on other sports

Dixie High's Makinzie Kelsch spikes the ball against Canyon View, Cedar City, Utah, Aug. 30, 2018 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News

CEDAR CITY — This week’s Region 9 high school sports recap leads off with volleyball, which held its first region matches of the season Thursday night.

Hurricane beat Pine View in three sets at home Thursday, while Snow Canyon swept visiting Cedar. Canyon View was the only home team to lose Thursday night, getting swept by Dixie.

Dixie High’s Sidney Kerr bumps the ball as teammate Halle Anderson watches, during Dixie’s 3-0 win over Canyon View, Cedar City, Utah, Aug. 30, 2018 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News

At Canyon View, the visiting Dixie Lady Flyers overcame a slow start to defeat the Lady Falcons in three sets, 25-19, 25-23 and 25-17.

Canyon View had led by three or four points for much of the first set until Dixie regained momentum and took a 17-16 lead and stayed ahead the rest of the game.

Late in the second game, the score was tied 23-23, but Canyon View’s next serve went into the net, and Dixie capitalized by winning the next point to take the game.

In the third and final game, Dixie jumped out to an early 12-6 lead and stayed ahead by about six points the rest of the way.

Canyon View junior Audrey Jensen serves vs. Dixie, Cedar City, Utah, Aug. 30, 2018 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News

Aubrey Coffin had eight kills for Dixie, while Savannah Wilson added seven kills and eight blocks. McKinlee Peterson had four kills and multiple service aces. Halle Anderson had 16 digs.

Dixie coach Stacy Leavitt said the Lady Flyers had to overcome some early first-game jitters to find their rhythm.

“A lot of these kids, it’s their first varsity experience. It’s our first region game, but you know, you just go in and compete,” Leavitt said. “That’s what I tell them, you have to earn your points, all the time.”

Canyon View head coach Monica Jensen said that “silly mistakes” hurt the Lady Falcons.

“I saw a lot of good things, but we didn’t attack the ball as much as I hoped we would,” Jensen said. “Dixie is a strong team, but I think if we can just get it together and set it up more, we’ll be a lot stronger.”

In other action Thursday night, the Hurricane Lady Tigers defeated Pine View 3-0, winning the three sets 25-23, 25-13, and 25-15. Senior London Gubler led the way with 11 kills. She also added three service aces and 10 digs.

Meanwhile, at Snow Canyon, the Lady Warriors beat Cedar 3-0, winning by scores of 25-19, 25-14 and 25-14. Sammi Johnston led Snow Canyon with 10 kills, Katie Langford made seven blocks and Hallie Remund had four service aces. Remund and Johnston each had eight digs.

Girls soccer

Cedar High’s Logann Laws kicks the ball past Dixie’s goalkeeper to tie the score 1-1 in Cedar’s eventual 5-2 win, Cedar City, Utah, Aug. 30, 2018 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News

In Thursday afternoon’s games in Cedar City, Cedar beat Dixie, and Desert Hills defeated Canyon View, both by 5-2 scores. Later that evening, Snow Canyon came from behind to force a 2-2 tie with Hurricane.

At Cedar, the Lady Reds defeated visiting Dixie 5-2, thanks to a hat trick by sophomore Logann Laws.

Dixie had scored first, about midway through the first half, on a long penalty kick by Kelcee Call that just cleared the outstretched arms of goalkeeper Morgan Crites. Seconds later, just after taking the ball again at midfield, Cedar’s Chloe Bearnson answered with a long kick from the right side to tie the score 1-1.

A couple minutes later, Laws knocked down the ball to the right side of the box, drawing Dixie’s goalkeeper with her before deftly kicking it into the net from a sharp angle, putting Cedar ahead 2-1. Then in the final seconds of the first half, Cedar was whistled for a handball in the goal box, upon which Dixie’s Halee Barker drilled the penalty kick to even the score 2-2 at halftime.

Cedar head coach Scott Kamachi was among those who thought time had already expired before the penalty happened.

“It was unfortunate, but the referees made the call and we have to go with it,” Kamachi said, adding that his players didn’t lose focus or momentum as a result of the penalty kick. “I thought we responded very well to that.”

Cedar High’s Logann Laws celebrates with teammates after tying the score 1-1 during Cedar’s eventual 5-2 win over Dixie, Cedar City, Utah, Aug. 30, 2018 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News

Cedar went on to outscore Dixie 3-0 in the second half, with Laws scoring two more goals and Kelsi Oldroyd netting one in between. Laws’ final goal was a header that came off a corner kick by junior Lexi Bird.

“That was beautiful by Lexi,” Laws said. “She just had a beautiful cross in the middle that gave us a chance to put it in the back of the net.”

Kamachi praised the Lady Reds for creating more scoring opportunities, involving different players in the offense, especially following the team’s 2-0 loss at Hurricane Tuesday. He said:

Tuesday, we came out a little flat in that game. You know, today it’s just about taking care of her opportunities to get the ball in front of the goal. You’ve got to score goals or you don’t win games. At Hurricane, we had chances, but we just didn’t put them in the back of the net. Today, the girls did a much better job of doing that, and it wasn’t just one girl, it was different girls and different ways.

Also on Thursday, Kiki Stewart recorded a hat trick as Desert Hills defeated Canyon View at Canyon View. Desert Hills led 2-1 at the half but added three more goals in the second half to pull away with the 5-2 win. Morgan Haag scored both of Canyon View’s goals.

Thursday night, the Hurricane Lady Tigers led 2-0 until midway through the second half, when Snow Canyon’s Ashley Brindley and Heidi Smith each added a score to tie the game in regulation. The game went to overtime, but neither team was able to score again.

Here are the updated Region 9 girl soccer standings, as of Aug. 31:

  1. Desert Hills 3-0-1
  2. Snow Canyon 1-0-2
  3. Hurricane 1-1-2
  4. Cedar 1-1-0
  5. Pine View 1-1-0
  6. Dixie 1-2-1
  7. Canyon View 0-3-0

Girls tennis

Desert Hills dominated the Stephen Wade Invitational tournament in St. George last weekend.

Read more: Desert Hills girls dominate at Stephen Wade Invitational tennis tournament

However, it wasn’t the only tournament in town, as the Bloomington Duel in the Desert was also staged last Friday and Saturday at the Bloomington Country Club. Local team Pine View placed third among tough competition from Wasatch Front schools such as East, Highland, Wasatch and Ridgeline.

The Lady Panthers went 3-1 during the two-day event, their only loss coming to Highland in the semifinals. There will be a second such tournament at Bloomington Sept. 13-14.

Up-to-date standings for in-region dual matches are not yet available, but both Desert Hills and Pine View are undefeated in Region 9 play.

Boys golf

At the third Region 9 meet of the season Thursday at Southgate Golf Club in St. George, Desert Hills’ Ashton Davison shot a 66 to take top individual honors as he helped the Thunder edge Pine View by a single stroke, 289 to 290. Pine View sophomore Lucas Schone, who’d taken first in each of the first two region matches, shot a 67 and finished second to Davison by one stroke.

Dixie’s Sam Edwards chips the ball onto the green on the 11th hole during a Region 9 match at Southgate Golf Club, St. George Utah, Aug. 30, 2018 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News

Also for Desert Hills, Cruz Kirchhusen and Curtis Matheson each shot a 73, and Kyson Plant carded a 77. For runner-up Pine View, Jonathan Fairbanks shot a 73, and Jaden Whetzel and Cooper Milne each had 75.

Dixie finished third overall with a team score of 295. The Flyers had two players with under-par scores, as Yash Vyash and Shinfei Quek each shot 70.

The scores and standings for Thursday’s match are as follows:

  1. Desert Hills (289)
  2. Pine View (290)
  3. Dixie (295)
  4. Cedar (318)
  5. Hurricane (328)
  6. Snow Canyon (337)
  7. Canyon View (371)

Football

Friday night marks the last week of non-region matchups before the start of the regular season. Three Region 9 teams have home games, with Dixie High hosting Tooele, Desert Hills welcoming Kealakehe High all the way from Hawaii and Cedar hosting North Sanpete.

Four Region 9 schools will be on the road Friday, with Snow Canyon traveling to Shadow Ridge High in north Las Vegas; Hurricane playing at Juab; Pine View taking on Hunter in West Valley City; and Canyon View playing at Timpanogos. All games are at 7 p.m. local time (the Snow Canyon game in Nevada is at 7 p.m. PDT, 8 p.m. MDT).

Cross-country

The Canyon View boys and the Desert Hills girls were the top varsity teams in the annual Southern Utah University High School Championships last Saturday in Cedar City.

Read more: Canyon View, Desert Hills take top team honors at SUU Invitational cross-country meet

The next scheduled Region 9 meet is the Dixie All-Comers invitational at Bloomington Hills Park Tuesday at 6 p.m.

Sports scores, photos, statistics, and tips

High school sports fans, if you have information or photos to share, please submit them to St. George News / Cedar City News via email at the following address: [email protected].

Email: [email protected]

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Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2018, all rights reserved.

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