Brighton and Olympus enter their season openers as heavy favorites, while Skyline draws the toughest Week 1 assignment among the three local programs, according to Noland Parry's 2026 Power Guide published Wednesday in the Deseret News.

The Bengals carry a 102.5 rating against West Field's 62.0, a 40.5-point gap that makes Brighton the most heavily favored of the trio heading into Friday. Olympus isn't far behind at 95.6 versus Cedar Valley's 61.7, a 33.9-point edge for the Titans on the road.

Skyline's opener is a different story.

The Eagles host Stansbury on Thursday at 7 p.m. as underdogs, rated 72.5 to the Stallions' 83.1. Stansbury went 9-3 last season and returns senior quarterback Brighton Reutzel, who threw for 3,014 yards and 42 touchdowns in 2025 and earned 4A all-state second-team honors.

New coaches, new eras

Both Brighton and Olympus open the season under first-year head coaches, as we reported Aug. 6.

Josh Montzingo takes the Brighton sideline after a decade at Park City High, where he compiled an 82-39 record, four regional championships and sent 45 players to college football. He replaces Casey Sutera, who posted a 35-14 record, won three Region 6 titles and was named 2024 5A Coach of the Year before leaving for Corner Canyon. Brighton went 7-6 last season, losing to Springville 30-24 in the 5A semifinals.

"We will be young but talented this season," Montzingo told the Deseret News' Region 6 preview on Aug. 5. "With a tough pre-region schedule, we will have to grow up fast."

He'll need that growth quickly. Brighton returns just four offensive starters, including offensive linemen Shilo Collins and Zion Hunkin, wide receiver Easton Gustafson and tight end Oakley McKnight, plus three on defense. That's the fewest returning starters in Region 6.

At Olympus, alum Casey Evans inherits the Region 6 preseason favorite despite returning only nine starters. The Titans, who went 6-6 in 2025, bring back senior quarterback Preston Ferran, running back Beckham Allred and tight end Sam Ngata on offense, with second-team all-state seniors Sam Brown and Haloti Ngata anchoring the defense.

Evans acknowledged the roster's limitations in the Deseret News' Aug. 5 preview, saying depth is "definitely a question mark" but that fans can expect "a tough, smart, disciplined, well-coached and undersized team."

The numbers at a glance

What to watch Thursday

Skyline's home opener against Stansbury kicks off at 7 p.m. Thursday as part of KSL's Game Night Live broadcast. The Eagles face the steepest climb of the three local squads, but the rating gap is just 10.6 points, well within striking distance for a home team on opening night.

Brighton hosts West Field and Olympus travels to Cedar Valley on Friday.