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West Jordan Journal

West Jordan headed to state football playoffs

Nov 03, 2022 08:09PM ● By Greg James

By Greg James | [email protected]

West Jordan finished its regular season ranked ninth in the UHSAA’s rating performance index.

“We have had several injuries this season,” Jaguars head football coach Ron Halbert said. “We have had to get some of our kids some playing time just so we have some experience.”

Because of those injuries, several players have played multiple positions.

In its final regular season game, Jaguar senior Porter Hall took the field as the starting quarterback. He had not played quarterback since the ninth grade but looked like a seasoned veteran.

He fired a bullet of a pass to sophomore Jerome Myles cutting across the field. A 62-yard touchdown ensued, and they captured a lead they never relinquished. They cruised to a 34-10 victory over cross-town rival, Copper Hills.

“I think we have had six broken hands, six knees and several concussions. We are low on numbers,” Halbert said.

West Jordan was plagued with four turnovers against the Grizzlies, but their defense was able to contain the wing T-style running game of Copper Hills.

Myles scored three touchdowns in the game and has 10 this season, despite sitting out several games due to injury. The wide receiver stands 6-foot-3 and became the primary target for the Jaguars. Copper Hills coaches asked amongst themselves during the game if they could call up Utah defensive back Clark Phillips to help keep him under wraps.

“He is quite the player and only a sophomore,” Halbert said. “Our wide receivers deserve a lot of credit; they are the real deal.”

Dillon Kuehne, Kyle Curtis, Daitrez Johnson and Ian Matau all have double digit numbers of catches and have contributed six touchdowns.

Sophomore quarterback Dameon Crosby has completed 57% of his passes this season for more than 1,300 yards. He is also the team's second-leading runner with one touchdown and 319 yards. Johnson has carried the ball 100 times for 385 yards.

“Crosby has been our QB1 for most of the season. He has had to miss a couple of games because of injury, too,” Halbert said.

The Jaguars finished the regular season with a 3-2 region record. They defeated Copper Hills, Riverton (34-9) and Herriman (21-15). Their losses came to Bingham and Mountain Ridge. The Miners won the region championship.

In his second season as the school's head coach, Halbert and the Jaguars are scheduled to face the winner of the Hunter vs. West first-round playoff matchup. The game is scheduled for Oct. 28. West Jordan has a 7-14 record against Hunter in school history. They have only faced West twice, splitting the victories.

The state championship game is scheduled for Nov. 18 at the University of Utah. The Jaguars have a 6-24 record in the state playoffs.