No. 5 Corner Canyon travels to No. 13 American Fork on Thursday, Oct. 8, for a Region 3 game that could reshape the playoff picture for both 6-2 squads.

The Chargers carry a 140.2 power rating in Noland Parry's Power Guide, published Tuesday, Oct. 6, making them 19.8-point favorites over the Cavemen (120.4). Both Parry and Deseret News high school sports editor James Edward pick Corner Canyon to win.

Those rankings come from High School on SI's Mountain West Top 25, released Monday, Oct. 5. Corner Canyon is No. 5 after shutting out Cedar Valley 56-0 on Friday, Oct. 2. American Fork sits at No. 13 after a 20-19 loss to Lehi the same night, when Lehi's Zeke Clements caught a 20-yard touchdown pass from Briggs Jensen with 1:01 left.

Both teams sit at 1-1 in region play, one game behind first-place Skyridge (7-1, 2-0). A loss Thursday would drop the loser to 1-2 in region and complicate its path to a top seed.

Corner Canyon first-year head coach Casey Sutera has the Chargers producing big offensive numbers. In the Cedar Valley shutout, quarterback Jaxon Pehrson threw touchdown passes of 72 and 70 yards to Beckham Coon. Running back Jackson Carruth broke a 49-yard scoring run, Josh Harris returned a punt 58 yards for a touchdown, and Will Tenney took an interception 58 yards to the end zone.

After the Chargers' 37-14 Region 3 win over Lone Peak on Sept. 18, Sutera said the offensive line had started playing its best football and praised senior running back Carruth for running hard and earning difficult yards.

American Fork counters with a passing attack led by sophomore quarterback Jake Matsen and junior receiver Cash Taiese, a captain who has started since his freshman year. In the Cavemen's 28-24 win over Lone Peak on Sept. 25, Matsen completed 24-of-36 passes for 285 yards and four touchdowns, the AF Citizen reported. Taiese hauled in 10 catches for 119 yards and three scores that night. Senior tight end Christian Hanshaw, a Michigan commit, adds another weapon.

Veteran head coach Aaron Behm is in his 17th season at American Fork (114-78 career record) and has led the Cavemen to three runner-up finishes. After the Lone Peak win, Behm said sophomore quarterback Matsen "started a little slow, but man, I think we saw him grow up really fast throughout the span of those four quarters."

Juan Diego at Murray

Across town, Juan Diego Catholic (1-7) faces Murray (5-3) on the road Thursday, Oct. 8. Parry's Power Guide gives Murray a 49.0 rating to Juan Diego's 14.4, a 34.6-point spread. Both Parry and Edward pick Murray.

The Soaring Eagles have lost seven straight since beating Cottonwood 48-3 earlier this season. Highland shut them out 62-0 on Friday, Oct. 2, and East beat them 54-6 on Sept. 25. In that East game, Juan Diego's Zach Muirbrook caught a 53-yard touchdown pass from Jacoby Ahlstrom for the team's lone score.

Murray enters off a win over Providence Hall in Week 8 but carries its own scars. Highland rallied past the Spartans 34-29 on Sept. 25 after Will Bauman returned an interception 55 yards for a touchdown with 2:20 remaining.

Thursday's doubleheader gives Draper football fans two games to track. Corner Canyon kicks off at American Fork, and Juan Diego travels to Murray. Kickoff times had not been announced as of Tuesday, Oct. 6.