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SALT LAKE CITY — Mountain Ridge is making a lot of noise this year in Region 2 as the No. 7 team in the latest KSL.com Top 20+1 rankings.
The Sentinels' only loss this season came to Corner Canyon, which is not only the best team in Utah, but one of the best high school teams in the nation. Mountain Ridge earned its fifth win of the season last week in a close matchup against Copper Hills, thanks in large part to senior running back Semisi Kinikini.
Kinikini recorded a career-best three rushing touchdowns against the Grizzlies, all of which came in the first half. He set the tone early for the 27-22 win, something that head coach Mikel Meifu says is not uncommon for his experienced player.
"He is no doubt the heartbeat of our team," Meifu said. "What makes him such a special player is his willingness to continue to improve each and every week. His attitude and effort are contagious to everyone that he is surrounded by and makes all of us better because of this."
Kinikini ran for nine touchdowns last season, and is well on his way to topping that with seven scores already in his senior season. He has scored in four of the team's six games, with three opportunities still to come in the regular season.
"I think the season has gone well so far," Kinikini said. "Offensively, we have done good and are striving to do better; and also playing on defense we are continuing to play our game and play how we are coached to play."
In addition to starring as the team's lead running back, Kinikini also plays on defense, where he has eight tackles and two interceptions as a safety this season after recording 31 tackles a season ago.
Weeks 1-4 Highlights!! Starting both ways and Special teams!!! Ready for Region play😤 4-0 @unga45@CoachQWatkins@d_fiefia@mmental7@MooseB90@bradodom@CoachRoderick@Coach_Humeniuk@CoachKoRushISU@CoachClarkJ@PrepRedzoneUTpic.twitter.com/jSHokAOkEj
— Semisi Kinikini (@SemisiKinikini) September 6, 2023
"He is never satisfied with his performance and is always working on his craft," Meifu said. "He is such a selfless person, and is always willing to help others whether it's on the field or off it."
Helping others is a big part of the legacy Kinikini hopes to leave at Mountain Ridge, too. The Sentinels have a young team made up of mostly sophomores, according to Kinikini. He said his goal for the rest of the season is "to play the best (he) can and continue to coach up and help (his) teammates grow to play next year."
Next year will come soon enough, but Kinikini and the Sentinels have a huge opportunity in front of them this season. A big crosstown matchup against Herriman this week is followed by a bit of a break against winless Riverton, before finishing the season at perennial powerhouse Bingham.
Winning out would go a long way in strengthening Mountain Ridge's RPI to set the Sentinels up for a possible surprise postseason run.
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