Sandy's three high school football programs all open the 2026 season on the road Friday, and none of them are favored.

Noland Parry's Power Guide, published Wednesday, Aug. 12, in the Deseret News, picks the Alta Hawks, Hillcrest Huskies and Jordan Beetdiggers as underdogs in their Aug. 14 openers. The closest matchup belongs to Alta, rated just 5.4 points behind Springville. Hillcrest faces the steepest climb at 47.1 points behind Desert Hills, while Jordan trails Canyon View by 22.2.

Alta at Springville (5A)

The Hawks may be underdogs on paper, but third-year head coach Blake Burdette has a new weapon: quarterback Xavier Cocci, a transfer from Skyline who threw for more than 3,800 yards and accounted for 52 total touchdowns in 2025.

Alta went 4-8 last season, finishing fifth in Region 6 at 1-4, before falling to Fremont 31-27 in the 5A second round of the playoffs. The Hawks return five offensive starters and seven on defense.

Springville reached the 5A semifinals last year before losing to Brighton 30-24 and carries a Parry rating of 101.5, one of the stronger marks in 5A. Alta checks in at 96.1.

"We graduated a significant amount of production from last year's team, which creates opportunities for a new group of players to step into larger roles and prove themselves," Burdette said in the Deseret News' Aug. 5 Region 6 preview.

Alta was picked third in the preseason Region 6 coaches poll behind Olympus and Woods Cross.

Hillcrest at Desert Hills (5A)

Fourth-year head coach Robert Kaelin carries a 5-24 record at Hillcrest, but the Skyline High graduate said in the Deseret News' Aug. 7 Region 4 preview that the Huskies enter 2026 with momentum after what he called their best season in the past decade.

The numbers say Friday will be tough. Desert Hills rates 73.7 in Parry's system to Hillcrest's 26.6.

Kaelin pointed to Region 4's offseason upheaval, including four new head coaches and significant player movement through transfers, as creating both uncertainty and opportunity for his squad. The Huskies are predicted sixth in Region 4 but return experienced players on both sides of the ball.

Jordan at Canyon View (4A)

Third-year head coach Marc Albertson, a former Alta assistant, guided Jordan to a 2-7 record in 2025, finishing fifth in Region 10 at 2-4. The Beetdiggers return four offensive starters and seven defensive starters, including seniors Sterling Ostler and receiver Landon Tibbetts.

Canyon View rates 56.6 in Parry's guide to Jordan's 34.4, a 22.2-point gap.

Albertson said in the Deseret News' Aug. 1 Region 10 preview that the program has overhauled its culture and is more physically prepared heading into the season. Jordan was picked sixth in the Region 10 coaches poll.

All three Sandy teams play Friday, Aug. 14, with game results setting the tone for region races that begin in September.