Methodology & Sources
This page explains what RUS data means, where it comes from and which numbers are original Rural Utah Sports calculations rather than official association statistics.
Historical Scores & Program Records
RUS compiles historical results from available score archives, public reporting, record books and program research. Sources used across the project include historical research associated with George Felt, Deseret News reporting and score data, MaxPreps records, UHSAA materials when applicable, and information supplied by players, coaches and local communities.
Historical sources sometimes conflict. RUS favors the most specific and verifiable game-level record available and accepts documented corrections.
RUS Football Region Championships
Rural Utah Sports credits a region championship to every team tied for the best final region win-loss record. Teams sharing first place each receive one title, including two-way and three-way ties. Head-to-head outcomes and playoff tiebreakers may determine seeding, but they do not remove an RUS co-championship. A team tied below first place receives no championship.
RUS counts a maximum of one region title per team per season, using completed region results. The 8-player classification has no separate regions and is not awarded region championships in this calculation. These are RUS historical-record rules, which may differ from a region's official designation or playoff-seeding policies.
Current Scores, Rosters & Statistics
Current-season pages use the latest data files available to RUS. Scoreboard and game pages may combine RUS-maintained game records with Deseret News game information when available. Player pages and leaderboards are built from the current roster/stat data loaded into the RUS database.
RUS Rankings
Rankings labeled RUS are Rural Utah Sports rankings. They are not official UHSAA rankings unless a page explicitly says otherwise. Current rankings may incorporate results, team strength and RUS analysis.
ELO Ratings
RUS ELO is a power-rating system that changes after games based on the relative strength of the two teams and the result. Higher-rated teams are expected to win more often. ELO is useful for comparing team strength across schedules, but it is a model, not an official ranking.
RUS Line / Projected Margin
The RUS Line converts the model’s projected score difference into a simple projected margin. For example, “Team A -14” means the RUS model projects Team A to win by 14 points.
RUS Lines are analytical projections only. They are not sportsbook odds, wagering advice or betting lines.
RPI / Playoff Picture
Pages labeled provisional or projected use the formula and assumptions described on that page. When RUS recreates an association formula, the page identifies it as a projection and notes any data that is estimated, unavailable or temporarily assigned a default value.
Scorigami
RUS Scorigami means a final score combination that has not previously appeared in the RUS Utah high school football game database. It is based on the games currently contained in that database, so a newly discovered historical game can change a Scorigami result.
Corrections & Transparency
RUS is a living historical database. When a score, player, school name, record or other entry appears wrong, use the Report an Error tool and include a source when possible. Corrections are reviewed against available records before the site data is changed.