NORTH LOGAN – The inaugural awarding of the Cache Valley Media Group High School Player of the Week goes to Green Canyon senior running back Gavin Christiansen for his performance on Friday, September 9.
For the entire season, Green Canyon had scored just two touchdowns and consequently had not only the lowest-scoring output in Region 11 and the 4A classification, but also the least productive offense in all of Utah 11-man high school football.
Christiansen changed that in the Wolves’ region opener at Bear River.
The senior running back rumbled into the end zone four times on Friday on behalf of the Wolves, scoring TDs in each of the four quarters. All of his touchdowns came on runs of five yards or less. His fourth and final touchdown of the evening – a one-yard run with 9:31 left in the game – took the contest from a one-score game (21-14) to a two-possession game (29-14, GC opting to go for two on that TD).
Christiansen carried the ball 24 times in the game for 101 rushing yards. He also added a 12-yard reception, a 27-yard punt return and a 48-yard kick return to give him a total of 188 all-purpose yards.
The two other nominees for the award were Ridgeline freshman quarterback, Nathan Dahle and Logan sophomore running back, Tytan Mason. Dahle completed 13 of 23 passes for 145 yards in the Riverhawks’ 26-6 victory over the Mustangs. Mason carried the ball 39 times for 186 rushing yards and a touchdown in the Grizzlies’ 20-16 win at Sky View (Logan’s first win vs the Bobcats since 2013). Mason also had a 25-yard reception, giving him 211 all-purpose yards.
Candidates for the Player of the Week award were nominated by Cache Valley Media Group broadcast crews at the respective games this week and then voted on by all high school broadcast crew members, including “Hurricane” John Newbold, Rex Davis, Jason Walker, Josh Anderson, Craig Hislop, John Russell, Clint Payne, JarDee Nessen, Dave Simmons, “The Patriot” Nick Zollinger, Jake Ellis, John Olsen and Eric Frandsen.
