No. 8 Highland's season ended on Nov. 6 following a 50-24 loss to unbeaten No. 1 Ridgeline in the 4A quarterfinals. The RiverHawks established control early by scoring 22 points in the first quarter, according to a Yahoo Sports/Deseret News recap published Nov. 7.
Ridgeline's early advantage was driven by Noah Fiefia, who scored two rushing touchdowns, and quarterback Crew Cox, who connected with Owen Leishman for two scores in the opening period. Fiefia added another touchdown before halftime to help the RiverHawks build a 50-7 lead.
Highland's Viliamu Ripley scored two touchdowns during the game, but the Rams were unable to overcome the deficit. Highland finished the season with an 8-3 record.
The loss marked the first time the Rams reached the quarterfinals since a second-round exit against Hurricane in 2025. This season, the offense led by head coach Kautai Olevao averaged 42.4 points per game, which ranked second in 4A. Quarterback Will Bauman recorded 1,921 yards and 29 touchdowns during the year.
Ripley had entered the quarterfinals following a high-scoring performance on Oct. 30 against Bear River. In that 70-42 victory, Ripley scored five touchdowns, including a 76-yard catch. That game set a new school scoring record, surpassing the previous mark of 67 points established in 1997, according to a Deseret News preview published Nov. 5.
Ridgeline entered the matchup as the defending 4A champion, averaging 46.5 points per game and leading the classification in scoring. Noah Fiefia entered the game having set a Utah high school record with 41 rushing touchdowns this season, totaling 2,385 rushing yards and 47 total touchdowns.
Ridgeline advances to face No. 5 Crimson Cliffs at Rice-Eccles Stadium on Thursday, Nov. 12, with kickoff scheduled for 6 p.m., according to KSL.
In other results from Nov. 6, Skyridge defeated American Fork 28-21 in the 6A quarterfinals. Skyridge (11-1) is scheduled to play No. 4 Herriman at Rice-Eccles Stadium on Thursday, Nov. 12, at 11 a.m. Meanwhile, Lone Peak's season ended with a 42-3 loss to No. 2 Mountain Ridge, finishing at 6-6.
