CEDAR CITY, Utah (June 9, 2026) - In the Larry H. Miller Utah Summer Games 7-on-7 Football Varsity Championship, the undefeated Hurricane Tigers downed the Cedar Reds 25-3, earning the gold title. The final matchup in Southern Utah University's Eccles Coliseum wrapped up the LHM USG 7-on-7 Tournament, presented by the Las Vegas Raiders, which stretched from June 8-9.

Lockdown defense was the story of the game for Hurricane. In addition to holding Cedar to only three points, the Tigers racked up four interceptions — each worth three points — to make up nearly half of their final score.

Hurricane reigned undefeated throughout the entirety of the tournament, garnering a 5-0 record in pool play before pushing their way past North Sanpete in the quarterfinals and Canyon View in the semifinals to earn a spot in the championship.

Meanwhile, the Reds pulled off a series of upsets on their side of the bracket. Despite exiting pool play as the sixth seed with a 2-3 record, Cedar slid past No. 3 South Sevier in the quarterfinals and defeated No. 2 Dixie High in the semifinals. However, their magic ran out in the gold medal game, leaving them with silver for the second year in a row.

Post-Game Press Conference



Game Recap

With the first possession of the game, Cedar managed an early conversion on their first set of downs. Hurricane's Drake Gines quickly snatched the momentum with a solid interception, shifting the ball into his quarterback's hands.

Slowing the pace a bit, both teams failed to convert during their next drives. Tigers' quarterback Kannon Cowan took advantage of Hurricane's second opportunity, picking apart the field in a series of chunk plays. He capped off the drive with a touchdown to RJ Allred, before Carter Wardle sealed a 10-0 lead by receiving the ensuing 1-point conversion.

Wardle struck again on the defensive side of the ball, making a spectacular interception and extending Hurricane's advantage. Remaining on the field for the offensive drive, Wardle hauled in a deep touchdown from Cowan that sucked the life out of Cedar in a lopsided 19-0 game.

Although the Reds still struggled to jumpstart their offense, their defense began to key in on Hurricane. In the next four possessions, neither offense could get anything moving. Closing the scoring drought, Cedar's Logan Robison picked off the Tigers for his team's first points of the 19-3 game.

The Reds attempted to use the interception to spur a comeback, but Cedar's deep-shot gamble into strong coverage ended in another interception, all but solidifying a Hurricane victory. As the stopwatch ticked down, the Tigers' Bradley Rose added a fourth interception to his team's totals, ending the game in a 25-3 rout.

Up Next

On June 15-16, Eccles Coliseum will host the USG Girls Flag Football Tournament, presented by the Las Vegas Raiders, providing more football fun to fans around Cedar City.

Teams and individuals interested in registering can sign up at utahsummergames.org.

Photos by Shania Hopkins: