Tuesday, TUP looked at some analysis from the Deseret News. Wednesday it is the Salt Lake Tribune’s turn

Class 3A title game
    Juan Diego vs. Hurricane
    The one thing Juan Diego hasn’t seen this year through an undefeated run is a team better than Hurricane. In fact, the Soaring Eagle may not have seen a team as good as the Tigers. Hurricane loves to grind it out. The Tigers are tough, they are big and strong on the lines and they will take Juan Diego to places no team has taken it before. That’s a guarantee. Whether the Soaring Eagle can handle that remains to be seen.
    The prediction: Hurricane 21, Juan Diego 17
    - Tony Jones

CLASS 3A
    Juan Diego vs.
    Hurricane, 10:30 a.m.,
    Friday
    * Hurricane wins if: This just in - The Tigers’ defense is going to have to stop Juan Diego’s running game, for multiple reasons. For one, Hurricane didn’t fare well in the one shootout it got caught up in, a 34-28 loss to Pine View.
    On the upshot for the Tigers, Pine View was a 4A semifinalist, so they know how to beat talented teams. Stopping the Juan Diego run game will be a challenge. The Soaring Eagle only threw the ball seven times in their 27-3 win over Park City in the semifinal. You know Juan Diego is going to run the ball.
    Try stopping it.
    * Juan Diego wins if: The Soaring Eagle offensive line has been moving the meat all season. Jamie Markosian is 6-foot-2 and 275 pounds - very big by 3A standards - and he anchors a unit of big men that has had its way.
    Juan Diego simply has to keep it rolling. It has beaten Logan and Delta, two of the top teams in 3A. The defense has been excellent, allowing no more than 21 points, and that came to a high-powered Logan team. Senior linebacker Jacob Doughty has been a terror all season. He is fast and hits hard, and he finished the semifinal game with 10 tackles, three tackles for a loss and 1 1/2 sacks.
    * The pick: Juan Diego by 7.

Deseret News Article on Tiger Linebackers

photo/Deseret News