Game Details - Football

When No. 7 Brighton visits No. 2 Fremont in Friday's 5A quarterfinal matchup, the Bengals will look to continue their late-season uptick against the high-powered Silverwolves. Brighton (6-5) dominated Granger 49-8 in the second round, with Palepoi throwing for three touchdowns and Valle adding two rushing scores in the victory. The improved form has seen them win four of six games since a humbling 56-14 loss to Corner Canyon in September. The Bengals tied for the Region 6 championship and enter the quarterfinals with momentum despite their up-and-down season. Fremont (9-2) held off a determined Alta squad 31-27 in their second-round matchup, powered by Tuatagaloa's 278 passing yards and three touchdown throws to Moa, including the game-winning strike to Slade Parker in the fourth quarter. The victory continued their perfect season against 5A competition. The Silverwolves' only losses came to 6A programs Corner Canyon and Farmington, and they captured the Region 5 title with an unblemished 6-0 record. The Bengals' offense features a balanced attack led by quarterback Ryce Palepoi, who has thrown for 1,661 yards and 16 touchdowns this season. His favorite target is receiver Jayce Evans (23 receptions, 575 yards, seven TDs). On the ground, Brighton employs a committee approach with Staton Gutierrez (531 yards, seven TDs), Cole Heemeyer (463 yards, five TDs) and Judah Valle (339 yards, five TDs) sharing the workload. Fremont counters with dual-threat quarterback Manase Tuatagaloa, who has accumulated 2,622 passing yards and 30 touchdowns while adding 620 rushing yards and five scores on the ground. His primary weapons are big-play receiver Salesi Moa (57 catches, 1,188 yards, 15 TDs) and Slade Parker (51 receptions, 685 yards, 14 TDs). Running back Cade Hadley has rushed for 745 yards and 10 touchdowns. Defensively, the Bengals are led by linebacker William Little (87 tackles) and defensive back Jackson Thomson (61 tackles). Fremont's defense features linebacker Landon Palmer (86 tackles) and defensive back Aisa Tuatagaloa (67 tackles), while Jak Masters has recorded 71 tackles and four sacks. The teams last met in 2020, when Brighton claimed a 56-42 victory in a high-scoring season opener. A Brighton win on Friday would earn the Bengals a second-straight semifinal appearance. Fremont's last semifinal appearance came back in 2016. The winner advances to the semifinals at Rice-Eccles Stadium next week against either Box Elder or Springville.