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West Field's Boston Kap endures Box Elder's Judd Howells during a region football contest on Friday, Oct. 17, 2025, in Taylor.

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West Field's Easton Eilertson, left, hands the ball off to Elijah Woods during a region football contest against Box Elder on Friday, Oct. 17, 2025, in Taylor.

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Box Elder's Kadyn Reyes prepares for the snap during a region football contest at West Field on Friday, Oct. 17, 2025, in Taylor.

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Box Elder's Judd Howells, bottom, lands in the end zone during a region football contest at West Field on Friday, Oct. 17, 2025, in Taylor.

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The West Field sideline watches a pass breakup by Trevyn Thomas, bottom, during a region football contest against Box Elder on Friday, Oct. 17, 2025, in Taylor.

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Box Elder's Kadyn Reyes looks for a coach's signal during a region football contest at West Field on Friday, Oct. 17, 2025, in Taylor.

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West Field's Jaden Fowers watches his field goal attempt soar succesfully during a region football contest against Box Elder on Friday, Oct. 17, 2025, in Taylor.

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Box Elder's Judd Howells, center, takes a handoff from Kadyn Reyes during a region football contest at West Field on Friday, Oct. 17, 2025, in Taylor.

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West Field's Easton Eilertson, left, fumbles during a region football contest against Box Elder on Friday, Oct. 17, 2025, in Taylor.

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West Field's Jaden Fowers swings through the opening kickoff during a region football contest against Box Elder on Friday, Oct. 17, 2025, in Taylor.

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TAYLOR — By now, Box Elder junior Judd Howells hopes you’ve taken notice.

The 6-foot-1, 185-pound running back led a relentless Bees backfield to a 39-12 win at West Field in Friday’s regular-season finale to claim the runner-up position behind Fremont, the Region 5 regular-season champion, on the cusp of the state playoffs.

Howells scored rushing touchdowns at the top of both halves, senior running back Bridger Richards made it a three-score contest before the break, and junior quarterback Kadyn Reyes got a piece of the action late, putting Box Elder up 35-6 early in the fourth quarter.

Save for a few testy penalties on Friday, Box Elder (7-2, 5-1 Region 5) has established itself capable of commandeering ballgames by pounding the rock.

“Hopefully it puts us on the map a little bit more and hopefully teams start to notice us and recognize us as a power, because we’re here to play,” Howells said.

For a second straight week, the Longhorns — finishing the regular season 6-4 (3-3) — produced six or fewer points in the first half, which soon got away from them defensively in the second half.

West Field hardly answered the rush from the kickoff — a solid return by junior kick returner Rhett Richards to the Bees 43-yard line — and it wasn’t long before Howells found himself in the end zone. BE head coach Carson Mund stuck with the ground pound on a two-point conversion, run in by Reyes for an 8-0 lead with plenty of first-half football to go.

Senior wideout-kicker specialist Jaden Fowers salvaged West Field’s first drive with a 43-yard field goal after sophomore quarterback Easton Eilertson fell on his own third-down fumble. WF senior defensive end Brexton White and junior defensive back Trevyn Thomas pressured Reyes for a third-down stop on the next drive, and the Longhorns got ahold of the wheel.

Two first-down grabs by junior wide receiver Kolt Abbott, and another by junior target Phoenix Sandoval, hinted at a go-ahead scoring drive. But a third-down stop led by Bridger Richards forced Fowers back out for a 23-yard chip shot. Opening the game 2 for 2 from the tee is a positive sign for Fowers, but the senior said he could tell it wasn’t enough pushback early.

“It definitely feels good, but we’ve got to keep the energy going after we make it,” Fowers said.

A pass breakup by West Field linebacker Andrew Charlesworth forced another Bees punt with 8:36 left in the second quarter, but Eilertson didn’t get far into the subsequent drive before throwing into the hands of Rhett Richards, coming up with an interception near midfield.

Reyes connected with senior wide receiver Gunner Gunderson (9 yards) after the takeaway, and later, Bridger Richards seized 37 yards of green for a touchdown and a 22-6 lead at the half.

Howells launched into the second half by scoring first with a 3-yard touchdown carry to go up 23 after the Bees’ defense opened the half with a stop.

“They were starting to stack the box a little bit and we were able to find some lanes,” Howells said. “The linemen played amazing. We had a lot of holds, a lot of penalties and we’ve got to clean that up for the playoffs, but all around, the boys played amazing. Our boy (Reyes) threw some dimes, opened up the run game a little bit and it’s overall a really good game for us.”

Senior defensive lineman Judson Yargason, swallowing up Reyes one drive after he’d broken loose for a short-yardage rushing touchdown, handed the Longhorns a breather on third-and-33. A generous punt set West Field up for its first touchdown drive, an 11-yard strike from Eilertson to Fowers for a 36-12 deficit and just 4:58 to go.

Bees freshman kicker Tytan Hupp extended Box Elder’s lead with a late 30-yard field goal, platformed by two first-down runs by junior running back Thomas Morrill, guiding the Bees clear up to the Longhorn 11-yard line with inside a minute remaining.

West Field ends October 1-3 with losses to region frontrunners Fremont and Box Elder in the final two weeks.

“It definitely gives us more hunger to get a win in the playoffs — I mean, that stings because it was senior night,” Fowers said. “They were the better team tonight, but we’re going to come out more hungry next game.”

Complete game stats weren’t immediately available Friday night.

RIDGELINE 69, BEAR RIVER 10

MILLVILLE — Undefeated Ridgeline (10-0, 7-0 Region 11) staged a four-quarter home coronation for its region title, leading 48-3 at halftime and cruising to finish Bear River’s regular season Thursday night.

Glaiden Behrens scored the only touchdown for Bear River (3-7, 2-5), a 95-yard kickoff return TD in the fourth quarter. Stone Higley made a 44-yard field goal.

Connect with reporter Conner Becker via email at cbecker@standard.net and X @ctbecker.