Sports

San Juan volleyball team rallies for strong finish at state tourney

by Rhett Sifford Sports Editor The San Juan High School volleyball team played in their first genuine state tournament match in two seasons this past Friday, October 28 when they met #6-ranked Millard at the Sevier Valley Center in Richfield in the 2A second round. It was a tough start to the...

Whitehorse, Monument Valley XC teams finish strong at state meet

by Jessica Walker Contributing Writer Despite an unexpected cold front and storms that left the grass course at the Regional Athletic Complex in Rose Park damp, weather conditions for the 1A Utah State Cross Country Championships October 25 were surprisingly pleasant. The temperature was ideal for...

Nic Lundell (70) falls into the end zone for Monticello's first score of the game without one of his shoes. Anna Fredericks photo

Bucks move ahead in 8-player state playoffs, Whitehorse and Monument Valley seasons come to an end

San Juan teams went 1-2 in the inaugural 8-player quarterfinal matchups last week. MONTICELLO The Monticello Buckaroos advanced to the state semi-finals in a 56-14 win over the Altamont Longhorns on October 28. The Buckaroos will face the Rich Rebels in the semi-finals at Southern Utah University...

San Juan defensive back Garrett Young breaks up a South Sevier pass as teammate Jerzy Nieves covers in the 2A state quarterfinals in Blanding October 28. The Broncos cruised to a 54-7 victory in the game, advancing to the state semifinals for the second straight year. They’ll face #3 Emery this Friday at 7 p.m. at SUU. Richard Kaer photo

Broncos cruise to quarterfinal win over South Sevier, advance to state semifinals for second straight year

by Rhett Sifford Sports Editor Following a bye week to get rested and geared up for the 2A Utah State Football Tournament the San Juan Broncos welcomed the South Sevier Rams to Blanding for a quarterfinal matchup this past Friday, October 28. It was impressive that the Rams even made the trip from...

Bucks finish fifth with stellar performance at 1A volleyball tourney

by Rhett Sifford Sports Editor The Monticello High School volleyball team was underrated this season. They put that fact on display at the 1A Utah State Volleyball Tournament this past weekend, October 28-29 at the Sevier Valley Center in Richfield. The folks at the Deseret News knew the Buckaroos...

The Monticello cross country team cruises up Forrest Gump Hill in a fun photo opportunity. Both the boys and girls teams won second-place state trophies this past week. Pictured: (left to right) Soren Welch, Carter Harrod, Jacob Johnson, Aaron Gillette, Josh Wheeler, Kaden Pehrson, (obscured: Shayla Pehrson, Amy Lewis, Marah Long), Jesse Pettit, Alexis Bailey, Curtis Bunker, David Francom, Ayla Carling, Kooper Nielson, and Lilli Burton. Brad Bunker photo

Buckaroo boys and girls both snag runner-up trophies at 1A Utah State Cross Country meet

by Haley Burton Contributing Writer The 2022 1A Utah State Cross Country Championship at the Regional Sports Complex in Rose Park October 25 was one for the history books for both Monticello teams. A grim forecast of rain and cool temperatures gave way to a perfect day of running as 1,389 runners...

All four county football teams set for state quarterfinals this Friday

by Rhett Sifford Sports Editor High school football state tournament time is always a fun time of year, and this weekend we’ll get into it in earnest in San Juan County. For the first time in a long while all four of the teams in San Juan County will be in action as state quarterfinals get underway...

San Juan hitter Jaci Su’esu’e sails through the air before crushing the ball against Merit Prep in the 2A state first round October 22. Teammates (left to right) Serina Yanito, Kaeah Howard, Kinley Noyes, and Avina Cordova cover Su’esu’e on the play. The Broncos swept the Knights and will play #6 Millard in the second round this Friday. Richard Kaer photo

Three county volleyball teams advance to state second round, continue play this Friday

by Rhett Sifford Sports Editor It’s been a pretty solid past two weeks for high school volleyball teams representing San Juan County. Three of the four teams advanced to the second round of their respective state tournaments with play set to resume this Friday, October 28. 1A #9 Monticello The...

Raiders and Cougars qualify for state cross country at region meet

by Jessica Walker Contributing Writer The Whitehorse Raiders and Monument Valley Cougars joined region foes Monticello, Green River, and Pinnacle on October 19 to compete in the Region 23 Championships at Monument Valley High. With solid performances at the meet, the Raiders and Cougars qualified...

Region 23 titles for Buckaroo XC teams

by Haley Burton Contributing Writer The Region 23 Cross Country Championship proved to be a great success for the Buckaroos of Monticello. The race was held October 19 at Monument Valley High School. At the end of the day, four region titles were awarded to the runners in orange. Both the boys and...