Dixie High School Jetettes win Region 9 drill team competition

Written by Jeff Richards
January 23, 2021
Dixie High School drill team performs during Region 9 competition, St. George, Utah. Jan. 19, 2021 | Photo courtesy of Heidi Taggart, St. George News

ST. GEORGE — The Dixie High School Jetettes were the overall winners of the Region 9 drill team competition held earlier this week, with Desert Hills coming in a close second.

The event, staged Tuesday night at Dixie State University, featured teams from the six Region 9 high schools that participate in drill, with each team performing choreographed routines in each of three categories: dance, military and show.

Dixie was judged the winner of both the military and dance categories, but Desert Hills’ “Tempest Line” took top honors in the show division with their Rio Carnival themed number, complete with colorful and elaborate costumes. Dixie’s Mardi Gras-themed routine was also an eye-popping spectacle that included twirling umbrellas and numerous dancers moving around on stilts.

Dixie head coach Laurel Peterson said all six Region 9 schools are eligible to take part in the upcoming state 4A championships, which are scheduled for Feb. 9-10 at Utah Valley University in Orem. The Jetettes will be looking to repeat as state champions, while Desert Hills, last year’s runner-up, won its first state title in 2018.

Desert Hills High School drill team performs during Region 9 competition, St. George, Utah. Jan. 19, 2021 | Photo courtesy of Jacqui Knighton, St. George News

Peterson said unlike last year, the statewide RPI rankings are not being used this season. Instead, the state competition will be an “all comers” event, with the 16 4A teams competing in seeded pods on the first day, after which the top eight teams will advance to the finals on Feb. 10, starting at 4 p.m.

Click here for a link to the full three-hour YouTube video of Tuesday’s region competition, courtesy of Crimson Cliffs High School. To see photos of the various teams at the competition and at recent performances at the halftime of basketball games, see the gallery below.

Region 9 drill team competition results, Jan. 19

Overall

  1. Dixie
  2. Desert Hills
  3. Canyon View
  4. Snow Canyon
  5. Crimson Cliffs
  6. Cedar

Dance

  1. Dixie 
  2. Desert Hills
  3. Canyon View
  4. Snow Canyon
  5. Crimson Cliffs
  6. Cedar

Military

  1. Dixie
  2. Desert Hills
  3. Snow Canyon
  4. Canyon View
  5. Crimson Cliffs
  6. Cedar

Show

  1. Desert Hills
  2. Dixie
  3. Canyon View
  4. Snow Canyon
  5. Crimson Cliffs
  6. Cedar

Click on photo to enlarge it, then use your left-right arrow keys to cycle through the gallery.

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2021, all rights reserved.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jeff Richards, a native of Salt Lake City with family roots in Panguitch, lived in Moab for 20 years before joining St. George News in 2017. Jeff is a longtime journalist and secondary school teacher. He and his wife Penny are the parents of five daughters. They also have two young grandsons. Jeff and his family enjoy swimming, camping, sightseeing, reading, and taking pictures.

Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @stgnews@moabjeff@stgnewssports

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