All three area high school football teams play Thursday, Oct. 8, with first place, playoff positioning and pride on the line.

Skyline at Highland: Region 10's top two collide

Skyline travels to Highland for a showdown between the only two unbeaten teams in 4A Region 10. The Eagles (5-3 overall, 4-0 in region) carry a three-game winning streak into the matchup against the first-place Rams (6-1, 4-0), who have won six straight. Highland shut out Juan Diego Catholic 62-0 on Friday, Oct. 2, with quarterback Will Bauman throwing four touchdown passes.

Despite Highland's 6-1 record, Parry's Power Guide projects Skyline as the road favorite by 8.0 rating points (76.3 to 68.3).

Skyline quarterback Tate Johnson has been the engine. In the Eagles' 49-12 win over East on Friday, Oct. 2, Johnson threw three touchdown passes and added a rushing score. First-year head coach Brandon Matich's squad has not lost a region game this season.

A win gives Skyline sole possession of first place with one regular-season game left.

Olympus vs. Woods Cross: a coin flip at home

Olympus hosts Woods Cross in the tightest projected game of the week. Parry's Power Guide separates the two teams by just 0.3 rating points (90.2 to 89.9).

The Titans (4-4, 2-1 in 5A Region 6) beat Viewmont 34-21 on Friday, Oct. 2, behind 242 rushing yards. Senior running back Easton Zito leads the offense in region play with 529 rushing yards and eight total touchdowns. Senior Beckham Allred anchors the pass rush with six sacks, and senior Sam Brown averages 7.8 tackles per game.

First-year head coach Casey Evans, a former three-time All-Mountain West selection at Utah, has Olympus ranked No. 9 in the state's 5A classification, according to MaxPreps. Woods Cross (3-5) arrives with momentum after its 60-52 shootout win over Brighton on Friday, Oct. 2, a game in which Wildcats quarterback Tage Ita threw four touchdown passes.

Brighton at Bountiful: Bengals face steepest climb

Brighton (1-7, 0-3 in Region 6) heads to Bountiful carrying a seven-game losing streak and the steepest odds of the three area teams. Parry's Power Guide rates Bountiful (5-2) at 100.6, the highest rating of any opponent facing an area school this week. That gives the Redhawks a 13.8-point edge over Brighton's 86.8.

The Bengals have shown fight. In that Friday, Oct. 2, loss to Woods Cross, Brighton held a 35-22 third-quarter lead before Bronson Martin's two quick touchdowns, including a 67-yard run, flipped the game. Quarterback Griffin Matsumori had connected with Easton Gustafson on a 26-yard scoring pass during Brighton's surge, according to the Deseret News.

First-year head coach Josh Montzingo said in a Sept. 3 season preview that "personal player development is paramount." Eight games into a 1-7 season, the Bengals face the highest-rated opponent of any area team this week.

All three games kick off at 7 p.m. Thursday. The regular-season finale follows Wednesday, Oct. 14: Skyline hosts Murray, Olympus hosts Bountiful and Brighton hosts Alta.