5A football playoffs: Brighton runs Granger out of 2nd round with 49-8 win

COTTONWOOD HEIGHTS — There wasn't much rust for the 7th-seeded Brighton Bengals after a first-round bye in the 5A playoffs.

Quarterback Ryce Palepoi threw four touchdown passes and Cole Heemeyer ran in another three for a dominant 49-8 win over the 10th-seed Granger in the second round on Brighton's home field.

"We were running the ball and executing really well up front," Heemeyer said. "And that just allowed the pass game and the run game to open up really well. Defensively, our rush was getting home and we were playing assignment sound."

The Bengals put up 21 points in each of the first two quarters and looked to be headed for a first-half shutout before Granger got its only touchdown of the game on a 75-yard pass from Owen Griffin to Kingston Patolo in the final minute of the second quarter.

The other star on the night for Brighton was two-way secondary player Dax Matheson, who put up a pair of touchdown catches and an interception to limit any chance of a Granger comeback.

"It just feels really good to finally have a complete game," Matheson said. "The trenches are holding us accountable and Ryce Palepoi is out there throwing dimes."

Slade Taylor had the final score of the night on a pass from Palepoi early in the third quarter to maintain a running clock with a lead of at least 35 points.

Granger's season comes to an end after a 35-0 win over Taylorsville in the first round of the playoffs. The Lancers finished 2025 with a final record of 7-5 (5-2 Region 4).

Brighton heads north for the quarterfinals to take on No. 2 Fremont next week after the Silverwolves defeated Alta 31-27 on Friday. The Bengals are trying to make it back to Rice-Eccles Stadium after losing to Bountiful there in the semifinals a year ago.

"Stay consistent, do our jobs every night and we can get there," Matheson said of the state championship.

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