Woods Cross solves Highland puzzle

On Friday, Feb. 10, I covered the Highland-Woods Cross boys basketball game. I wrote the following article, which will appear in the Woods Cross 2011-12 basketball yearbook. I'll write a slightly different article for Highland later.

By Bruce Smith
Matchup

There’s no doubt that Jan. 20 was the worst night of the season for the Woods Cross Wildcats.

For days afterward, coach Todd Street admitted all he saw were Highland shots filling the basket en route to an 81-42 win over the home team.

Three weeks later, the Wildcats turned the tables.

Hayden Grant and Luke Jowers had the best games of their careers Friday as Woods Cross went to Highland and earned a 59-57 overtime decision in a Region 6 game.

It was the same Ram team that had dominated them earlier. But these weren’t the same Wildcats, who won their fourth straight and moved into a three-way tie for second place with two games remaining.

“A 40-point turnaround,” said Street, with a big smile on his face. “We changed our defensive scheme from last time. We didn’t play any zone, and this time we played zone 95 percent of the time. We just made plays.”

Grant made the most. He had seven points at halftime, but finished with 23, including a long three-pointer that doused the home crowd’s excitement and sent the game into overtime. He also started the extra session with a three-pointer and his steal led to a pair of free throws that ended up being the deciding points.

Jowers, a sophomore who got more playing time on this night than he had all season, scored 15 points. He was almost automatic from the free-throw line (9-of-10) and likely will remember this game as being his best all season.

“He earned it the way he has played in practice,” Street said. “I put him in and he had the hot hand. I rolled the dice and let him stay in there and he just kept making plays. He had a couple of big buckets for us.”

Grant, Jowers and Mike Jacobson also made a huge effort on defense, hustling along the perimeter to prevent a repeat of the earlier game.

Last time, Highland guard David Divver was on fire. He made four three-point shots and the Rams finished with 14 from beyond the arc. Highland led 33-8 after the first quarter and it only got worse.

On this night, the Rams made just 2-of-14 three-pointers. The Wildcats’ defense blocked attempts out there than the Rams made.

Still, the game could have gone either way. Woods Cross led most of the game, and had a six-point advantage late. But Divver made his only three-pointer of the game and added a couple of free throws with 16 seconds left for a 49-46 lead.

Woods Cross almost lost the ball on the ensuing possession, but was awarded a timeout. Grant quickly took a pass and nailed a trey from well beyond the three-point line to tie the game.

The Wildcats kept the momentum into overtime and Skyler Farnes’ free throw gave them a 59-57 lead with 32 seconds left. Highland looked for a good shot but couldn’t find an open three-pointer, so the Rams fed Todd Connolly for an 18-footer from the top of the key.

The shot looked on target, but was six inches short, and Woods Cross players flooded the court in celebration.

As bad as those memories of Jan. 20 have been for the Wildcats, the night of Feb. 10 was just as good.

GAME SUMMARY
Woods Cross 15 9 12 13 10 - 59
Highland 12 11 8 18 8 - 57

WOODS CROSS (59) – Filipo Mokofisi 1-8 0-2 2, Skyler Farnes 3-5 4-5 10, Brady Cowley 0-1 0-0 0, Mike Jacobson 1-3 4-6 6, Hayden Grant 8-14 4-4 23, Luke Jowers 3-6 9-10 15, Luke Hansen 0-0 0-0 0, Nick Elg 1-1 1-2 3, Seth Jackson 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 17-40 22-29 59.
HIGHLAND (57) – Liam Thomas 5-11 6-7 16, Lennon Betonney 3-5 1-2 8, Max Bradshaw 4-6 1-2 9, Todd Connolly 1-5 2-2 4, David Divver 4-16 4-4 13, Riley Tucker 2-2 3-5 7, Matt Barker 0-0 0-0 0, Hayes Hicken 0-0 0-1 0. Totals 18-46 17-23 57.
Total fouls: Woods Cross 23, Highland 19. Fouled out: None. Technical fouls: None.
Three-point shooting: Woods Cross 3-12 (Grant 3), Highland 2-14 (Divver, Betonney).
Rebounds: Woods Cross 27 (Farnes 7), Highland 30 (Bradshaw 10).
Turnovers: Woods Cross 13, Highland 15.

I'm finishing last year's Skyline baseball yearbook and recently completed a feature article on one of its players - Mike Pell. Take a look.

Mike Pell:
Known for his great athletic ability,
he helped two teams to fine seasons

By Bruce Smith
Matchup

Growing up, Mike Pell was a standout athlete. Whatever team he was on, he was the guy in the middle.

At Skyline High School, he was the quarterback on the football team. He also was a key member on the Eagles’ baseball squad, where he pitched, played third base and was an outfielder.

That’s how he remembers high school. Wherever he went, success followed … on the field and in the classroom. He was a good student (barely missing the all-academic team his senior year), but athletics was his highlight.

It wasn’t surprising he went out a champion.

“The best part (of baseball) was beating Cottonwood … both times,” he said. “From football, they were a big rival. They beat us in football my senior year, so it was good to beat them twice.”

The two wins, of course, were important and paved the way for the Skyline baseball team to win its first region title since 2004.

Most people, however, will remember Pell for football. At Skyline, football was king in 2010-11 and a lot was expected from its quarterback. Pell earned the starting QB position and ended up guiding the Eagles to a 6-5 record. They finished fourth in Region 2, but accomplished a lot.

One of Pell’s highlights was when the team traveled to Hawaii to play Keleakehe and won 30-16. Afterward, Pell said assistant coach Steve Marlowe said it was the first time any team had come from the Mainland and won at Hawaii. The Eagles also reached the 5A playoffs and defeated Kearns in the first round.

“When we beat Kearns, that was a big deal,” Pell recalled. “I rushed for a season high and threw a touchdown pass and it was an all-around good game. It meant a lot that Skyline had never lost a home playoff game.”

Pell expected a lot from himself when baseball began a few months later. He was a big part of the team the previous year, when the Eagles finished 17-6 overall, but finished second in the region to Cottonwood, which beat them twice.

“My junior year, we actually made it further in the post season (beating Davis and American Fork) and I felt more involved,” Pell said.

Pell played in almost every game as a senior, but was used primarily on defense. Skyline coach Erik Hansen said he liked having Pell in the lineup. However, he had more hitters and needed to find ways to get them in the lineup.

“I really didn’t hit at all my senior year,” Pell recalled. “I had problems with the coach on that subject. When I did hit, it was at the bottom of the lineup.”
Pell was a decent hitter prior to his senior season, and he went on to excel everywhere else. Pell, in fact, was on the mound when Skyline officially clinched the region title with a 15-7 victory at Murray.

“That was my best game,” Pell said. “I don’t remember much of a celebration afterward. I don’t really know why, but it happens.”

That game was actually full of big hits and Skyline had a big lead most of the way. Pell, in fact, smacked a home run, and Mike Staes and Josh Stephens did, too.

After the season ended, Pell stayed in the area and attended the University of Utah, where he majored in Mechanical Engineering. He said he relished his athletic career at Skyline and stayed in touch with friends like Sam Trout, Carter Allen, Devan Gomez and Mike Staes. He planned to follow the football and baseball teams in the future.

Viewmont gains repect in beating Granger

On Friday, Feb. 3, I attended the Viewmont at Granger boys basketball game. The purpose was to write an article for this year's Viewmont basketball yearbook. You can see the story below.


By Bruce Smith
Matchup

It’s about time someone said it. The Viewmont Vikings are on a roll.

Coming into their game with Granger with a 7-9 overall record, the Vikings were 5-0 but not getting much respect. Friday night, they earned it.

Haden Heath scored 14 points and McKay Butler came off the bench and provided an essential spark as the Vikings whipped Granger 69-39 and remained on top of the Region 2 standings.

The win should turn a few heads. Viewmont may not have the athletic ability of some of 5A’s best, but the Vikings played better as a team than anybody.

“Thanks. It’s good to hear that,” said Viewmont coach Jeff Emery. “We had a good game, but we have to get better defensively. We are starting to stop people. We held them (the Lancers) to 35 percent. I can live with that.”

The Vikings aren’t necessarily tall, and perhaps not as athletic as a top team should be, but they make up for it with exuberance and spirited play. That was noticeable from the start. Viewmont never trailed. Heath scored six of the Vikings’ first eight points, but the real difference occurred when Butler came onto the court.

Butler, 6-foot sophomore, scored all 13 of his points in a short span in the second quarter. In fact, he had a highlight reel starting with about 5:20 left in the second quarter. In a short span, he smothered a shot by Granger’s Nick Wetenkamp, raced after the loose ball, corralled it and dribbled downcourt, where he made a beautiful, twisting layup and was fouled.

Less than 30 seconds later, he scored on another amazing play that even impressed the Granger fans.

“We have a lot of players stepping up,” said Emery nonchalantly. “Butler is starting to come around. He’s starting to learn to play at this level.”

Butler had another great game in Viewmont’s home win over Granger earlier this season. This time, on the Lancers’ home court, the Vikings were more dominant. A sign of improvement?

“We’re playing well right now,” said Emery. “We have a long ways to go if we want to play with the best, and people are expecting us now that we’re on top of our region.”

The Vikings played without junior McKay Richins, who suffered an appendicitis a few days before the game and is likely out at least two weeks. Granger was without seniorguard Mo Valladolid, the team’s second-leading scorer, and sophomore point guard Israel Tademy.

The Lancers’ offense was centered around senior Isaiah Tademy, who scored 19 points but Viewmont harassed him with various zone and box-and one defenses. Taylor Pili added nine points.

What hurt Granger was its 24 turnovers. Most were courtesy of Viewmont’s active defense, which smothered Kearns, Taylorsville and West in previous games.

None of that will matter next Tuesday, when the Vikings play host to Hunter in a game that will likely decide the region title.

“It’s a big one, that’s for sure,” Emery said. “We’ll see what happens.”

GAME SUMMARY

Viewmont 15 27 14 13 - 69
Granger 10 14 7 8 - 39

VIEWMONT (69) – Travis Tilner 2-5 0-0 5, Tanner Gamble 3-5 0-0 9, Brody Bagshaw 0-6 0-0 0, Jarom Tye 3-6 0-0 7, Haden Heath 7-10 0-0 14, McKay Butler 5-7 1-1 13, Trent Anderson 4-9 2-2 10, Aaron Dalton 2-2 0-0 4, Aaron Hewlett 1-1 0-0 2, Brody Howell 0-0 0-0 0, Spencer Nash 0-1 0-0 0, Michael Steinicke 0-2 0-0 0, Doug Hintze 0-0 0-0 0, David Black 1-1 -0 2, Jordan Alldredge 1-1 1-1 4, Brad Stafford 0-0 0-1 0, McKay Johnson 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 27-56 4-5 69.
GRANGER (39) – Arob Mandang 1-4 0-0 3, Isaiah Tademy 6-20 3-4 19, Taylor Pili 3-3 3-3 9, Nick Wetenkamp 1-6 0-0 2, Zack Ashman 1-2 0-2 2, Makol Mawien 1-1 0-1 2, Alonso Delatorre 0-0 1-2 1, Davion Jones 0-0 1-2 1, Gabe Reyes 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 13-36 8-14 39.
Total fouls: Viewmont 19, Granger 12. Fouled out: Pili. Technical fouls: None.
Three-point shooting: Viewmont 7-15 (Gamble 3, Butler 2, Tiner, Tye). Granger 5-16 (Tademy 4, Mandang).
Rebounds: Viewmont 30 (Anderson 5), Granger 26 (Tademy 6).
Turnovers: Viewmont 13, Granger 24.

Orem whips rival Provo in mock title game

On Tuesday, Jan. 31, I went to Orem to cover the Orem-Provo boys basketball game. Normally, I try to avoid games that the local media covers, but they were all there on this night - with photographers, too. My story - for Orem's yearbook - appears below.

To read the other articles, click on these links: Deseret News, Salt Lake Tribune, Provo Herald.

By Bruce Smith
Matchup

Coming into the season, the Orem Tigers felt they might have a special team. But if the Tigers were going to have the success they hoped, one thing had to happen.

Step aside, Provo.

On Tuesday night, the Tigers took another step toward that goal.

Josh Pollard scored 21 points, Dalton Nixon added 18 and Cooper Holt game off the bench to ignite a first-quarter flurry as the Orem downed Provo for the second time this season, 82-65. The win improved the Tigers to 14-1 overall and 8-0 in Region 8.

It was the fourth straight win over the Bulldogs, meaning second-year coach Golden Holt has never lost to his main rival - which has 18 state titles in its history (the most of any Utah school) and has been a constant thorn to the Tigers.

“My speech before the game was this was for the (region) championship,” Holt said. “Provo hadn’t lost since the last time we played them and the game had a championship feel to it.

“I said let’s go play for a championship and see if we’re ready for state.”

Only time will tell, of course. But unlike most of Orem’s previous region games, Provo didn’t try to dictate the tempo. So, Orem did. The Tigers never trailed. They shot nearly 70 percent from the field in the first half and took a 48-26 lead.

“We just told the kids to go out there and ‘man up,’” Coach Holt said. “We got ahead and there wasn’t anything they could do about the tempo.”

Cooper Holt entered only a few minutes into the game and scored 10 points in a span of just a couple of minutes. In fact, just as Provo’s fans started singing, “Daddy’s boy,” Holt nailed four baskets, including a couple of treys.

Provo coach Craig Drury noted the difference in the game immediately.

“Holt just killed us,” he said. “He came in there and hit those shots from everywhere. I thought we were a good defensive team, but we didn’t show it.”

Holt’s play got the Tigers on a roll and, for long stretches, Orem could do no wrong. They shot 63 percent through the third quarter before Coach Holt started substituting. The Tigers’ largest lead was 75-50 with 4:50 remaining in the game.

Drury said the Bulldogs’ 52-50 win over another rival – Timpview – just four days earlier might have affected his team. Playing on Orem’s home floor without Christopher Moore, who was out with a sprained ankle, also didn’t help.

Regardless, the real difference seemed to be the usual factors – Orem’s length, depth, shooting ability, rebounding, etc…

Provo didn’t go down without a fight. Dallin Bosco, the son of the legendary BYU quarterback, had 25 points and nailed four three-pointers to keep the Bulldogs close until he grew tired near the end. Center Jonny Flake was a thorn inside and finished with 12 points and six rebounds. Adam Finch added 11 points.

Provo, however, couldn’t stay with Orem at that pace. They came closer – 60-49 – three weeks ago and other Region opponents followed Drury’s idea to slow the pace. On team – Springville - even stalled profusely to get Orem out of its element.

Drury, who has won more state titles than any other Utah coach, didn’t have any coaching magic tonight.

“There are still six games left and they (the Tigers) still have to perform, but we’re going to have a tough time getting that No. 1 seed (in the 4A state tournament).”

The 82 points Provo gave up was a season high (to date). The Bulldogs narrowed the gap in the third quarter, but Pollard. Nixon and Zach Hunsaker kept them from getting too close.




GAME SUMMARY

Provo 11 15 20 19 - 65
Orem 23 25 15 19 - 82

PROVO (65) – Adam Finch 5-10 0-0 11, Dallin Bosco 10-18 1-2 25, Wesley Bosco 2-7 3-3 7, Cole Gordon 0-1 0-0 0, Jonny Flake 3-6 6-7 12, Russell Isom 0-1 2-2 2, Kameron Hamilton 0-0 2-2 2, Jordan Tanner 0-0 0-0 0, Brian Carter 0-0 2-2 2, Bryson Hunter 0-1 0-0 0, Robert Dean 1-1 2-2 4. Totals 21-45 18-20 65;
OREM (82) – Zach Hunsaker 6-9 2-4 16, Quinn Peters 0-3 4-4 4, Jordan Darger 1-4 2-3 4, Josh Pollard 8-9 5-8 21, Dalton Nixon 7-10 2-2 18, Cooper Holt 5-8 0-0 12, Christian Clark 1-3 0-0 2, Cole Payne 0-1 0-0 0, David Runyan 1-1 0-0 2, Jago De Piano 1-2 0-0 3, Ethen Chatterly 0-0 0-0 0, Parker Overly 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 30-50 15-21 82.
Total fouls: Orem 20, Provo 19. Fouled out: Darger. Technical fouls: None.
Three-point shooting: Provo 5-18 (D. Bosco 4, Finch). Orem 3-14 (Hunsaker 2, Nixon 2, Holt 2, De Piano).
Rebounds: Provo 17 (Finch, Flake 5). Orem 28 (Darger 6).
Turnovers: Provo 16, Orem 15.

Bingham football yearbook: Tuifua profile

Here is my feature article on Bingham senior running back Tisi Tuifua. This article is being published in Bingham's 2011 football yearbook.

Tisi
Tuifua:

His run got Bingham to a good start,
but football was just part of fine year

By Bruce Smith
Matchup

Tisi Tuifua admitted he was looking forward to his senior season for a long time.

Tuifua, a 6-foot-1, 210-pound running back, was part of Bingham’s two state championships. As a junior, he carried the ball sparingly but moved into the starting lineup in the Miners’ title-game victory over Fremont at Rice-Eccles Stadium.

Bingham’s depth at fullback and his own shyness put him on the bench to start 2011. Tuifua said he wanted to showcase his skills. It didn’t take long.

On Bingham’s third play, Tuifua entered the game, took a handoff from quarterback Brady Lail, found a hole and sprinted 80 yards for a touchdown.

“I had never scored a (varsity) touchdown until then,” Tuifua said. “The best part was I was able to see my dad’s reaction. The play was ’31-zone.’ My tailback (Daniel Palepoi) blocked for me and he had a wonderful block. I’m sure anyone could have scored, but I ran fast.

“I used my speed for the weight I didn’t have,” he added.

The quick score gave Bingham a 7-0 lead. It was one of four touchdowns Tuifua had during the season. The Miners were deep at fullback, and Tuifua split time with two other players, including his good friend, Shinji Ishigaki. He finished with 238 yards on just 19 carries, but that set the school’s season record for highest average yards per carry.

He also caught three passes for six yards. But what made him the most proud was his grades, scoring well on the ACT exam and being named to the Region 4 All-Academic team.

“Getting good grades has always been important,” he said. “I want to get an academic scholarship (into college.”

He set himself apart doing both.

His quick touchdown was important for the Miners, who were wondering what kind of success they would have after dominating the previous two years. Tuifua’s 4.4 speed (in the 40-yard dash) made a big difference.

That play also put a damper on West Jordan’s upset hopes. The Jaguars, the Miners’ neighborhood rival, believed they had one of their best teams ever but quickly found themselves behind 20-0.

Bingham coach Dave Peck admitted afterward how happy he was to see the Miners came out and play well after losing so many talented players the year before.

“I don’t think these guys know they aren’t as good as previous Bingham teams,” Peck said. “They think they’re the next great Bingham squad.”

Overall, the season didn’t go as well as the previous two years, but Tuifua wasn’t disappointed. He said there were too many great accomplishments, including some of his own.

“Obviously, it had a disappointing end,” he said. “We did get better through the season; we just didn’t get good enough. It was still a good year, and I developed a lot of friendships, especially with the younger kids.”

Tuifua played a big role – on and off the field. Tuifua admitted he has a good singing voice and was part of the school’s Glee Club. In addition, he served as a Student Body Officer as Vice President of Records. It’s a role he relished and kept him busy throughout the year. When he wasn’t at the many Bingham workout sessions and practices, he was representing the SBOs at other school events.

Truth this, Tuifua accomplished quite a bit since moving over from Riverton when he was 14 years old.

Tuifua said his favorite memory was the bus ride home from Rice-Eccles Stadium after beating Fremont his junior year. He also appreciated the relationship the Bingham football and volleyball teams had as they supported each other at games.

When the football season ended, Tuifua’s great experiences continued. As an SBO, he continued to be active in every school event. He planned to attend college. He may not have had the statistics to get a football scholarship, but he had too much going for him to continue to find success.

Skyline girls top Oly in region rivalry game

On Jan. 27, I watched the Skyline girls beat Olympus in a battle for supremacy in Region 7. It was a pleasure to watch these teams. I know the coaches well and understand all the effort they put into their teams. Here's the article I wrote for their basketball yearbooks.

Tuinei, Aberton spark Eagles to rivalry win

By Bruce Smith
Matchup

It was rivalry night at Skyline and Olympus high schools. While most of the fans likely jammed Oly’s gym to watch the boys game, it was a busy night at Skyline where the girls decided first place in the Region 7 race.

Miquelle Askew scored 15 points and Ashley Aberton had 13 as the Eagles downed the Titans to take a two-game lead in the region standings. At least, that’s how the media reported it.

If you were there, you had to see it much differently.

Ta’a Tuinei had just two points. That was well below her 7.8 points per game average, but she and Aberton seemed to be all over the court. Together, they created havoc on both ends of the floor as Skyline won its ninth straight game.

Tuinei had 14 rebounds as Skyline held a 36-18 advantage in that department. She also lunged out the perimeter in the Eagles’ zone defense and blocked four shots.

“She was the key,” said Skyline coach Deb Bennett. “She’ll probably leave here as the career leader.”

Aberton, meanwhile, used her superior speed and quickness to break Oly’s press and pass the ball to open teammates. The Titans had far more depth, but no defender could catch up to her.

She was credited with just one assist, but what she meant on the court was far more.

“She has an extra gear that nobody else has,” Bennett said.

The win improved Skyline to 11-5 overall and 5-0 in region. The Eagles have a two-game lead in the standings with just five to play. Olympus had its chance, but fell to 8-7 overall and 3-2.

Oly coach Kael Ashton said he was feeling pretty good early because the Titans got the shots they wanted. Oly had a couple of nice scoring runs early in the game and actually had a four-point lead at one point. Ashton, however, noted that Skyline got transition baskets off blocks, missed shots and 18 Titan turnovers to put the Eagles back in front.

Skyline led 23-19 at halftime, and held Oly scoreless for the first four minutes of the second half. The Eagles slowly built the lead behind the scoring of Askew, who also snared 11 rebounds, Aberton and sophomore Sydnee Taylor (nine points).

“Other teams have double-teamed and thrown a box-and-one on Miquelle, but other players are stepping up,” Bennett said. “It all starts at the point, though, where Ashley has that leadership role, and she wants it.”

Oly’s superior depth (the Titans used 11 players) wasn’t much of a factor. Rachel VanderToolen had a fine performance, with 17 points, but she was the only player who consistently tried to go to the basket.

That fact surprised Ashton, especially after they had done it so many times in recent games.

“We had a lot of missed opportunities,” he said. “We are a senior-laden team and are used to playing in big games. We were jittery.”


GAME SUMMARY

Olympus 9 10 7 6 - 32
Skyline 10 13 10 11 - 44

OLYMPUS (32) – Janie Egan 1-3 0-0 2, Rachel VanderToolen 4-5 7-13 17, Kenzie Droubay 3-8 0-1 6, Lily Besler 0-2 0-0 0, Jen Nichols 1-5 0-0 2, Kristan Smith 0-3 0-0 0, Morgan Oliphant 1-4 0-0 2, Lizzie Egan 1-2 0-0 3, Ellie Gillet 0-0 0-0 0, Jessie Mahas 0-1 0-0 0, Alyssa Meredith 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 11-35 7-14 32.
SKYLINE (44) – Ashley Aberton 3-7 7-9 13, Ta’a Tuinei 1-6 0-0 2, Miquelle Askew 7-15 1-2 15, India Phidnis 1-1 0-1 2, Sydnee Taylor 3-9 3-8 9, Mia Mortensen 1-1 1-1 3, Caroline Li 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 16-39 12-21 44.
Total fouls: Olympus 16, Skyline 13. Fouled out: J. Egan. Technical fouls: Li.
Three-point shooting: Olympus 3-9 (VanderToolen 2, L. Egan). Skyline 0-4.
Rebounds: Olympus 18 (VanderToolen 5), Skyline 36 (Tuinei 14).
Turnovers: Olympus 18, Skyline 16.

Bingham 2011 football recap

Here's the article I wrote for the Bingham 2011 football yearbook, which looked back on the Miners' season.

You can’t win them all
Miners fell short in bid for third title
but the program is still at its peak,
and continued to play at a high level

By Bruce Smith
Matchup

These days, a lot is expected from the Bingham Miners football team.

Coming into the 2011 season, they were the two-time defending 5A state champions. They had won 24 straight games and were nationally ranked. The local media suggested coach Dave Peck’s 2010 squad was the best Utah high school football team ever.

“We had a lot to live up to,” admitted Peck. “And we won’t back down from any challenge. The kids know this is big-time football and they are part of it.”

The Miners didn’t quite make it to a third straight title, but it wasn’t without trying. Bingham finished with a 9-3 overall record and second place in Region 4. Its winning streak eventually reached a school record 26 games. Bingham lost to a quality Southern California school and the two teams that eventually met for the state title – Lone Peak and Fremont.

“If you would have asked me at the start of the season, I’d say, ‘9-3 is good,” Peck said. “But at the end, I felt like we could have been in that state championship game. Losing to Fremont was a letdown and the kids wanted another shot at Lone Peak.”

Bingham lost 15 Division I players from last year’s team, and a lot of younger players were asked to step up. The Miners also got big plays from guys like Jared Afalava, Brady Lail, Daniel Palepoi, Hayden Weichers, Will Nasilai, Poasi Taukeiaho and others.

“We played a lot of kids,” Peck said. “We had 13 sophomores and some freshmen come up. That should pay dividends.”

Bingham won its opener 45-28 over West Jordan, but it was costly. The Miners were immediately hampered by injuries. They lost wide receiver Josh Davis, offensive lineman Thomas Hippler and linebacker Taylor Hansen. An injury (concussion) to Palepoi midway through the Lone Peak game played a key role in that outcome.

Running backs like Tonga Manu, Tisi Tuifua and others stepped up, and the strong-armed Lail provided a more precise passing attack. Peck said Bingham won’t accept any kind of dropoff. Bingham will lose 34 seniors, but everything is in place these days for the Miners to simply reload.

The future looks bright. The Miners’ junior varsity and sophomore teams each finished with 7-1 records. With Lone Peak and Fremont being senior-laden, Bingham should again be a candidate to win it all in 2012.

Peck said there were many highlights of 2011. Bingham had its share of local media attention. The Miners played before huge home crowds and were usually the primary game on every opponent’s schedule. Bingham played on a local television a couple of times, defeated rival Alta for the fourth straight time at Rice-Eccles Stadium, visited sunny Southern California over Labor Day weekend, thrilled its home fans with a thrashing of Cottonwood at homecoming and made it to the 5A quarterfinals.

Three players – Afalava, Palepoi and Taukeiaho – made the all-state team. At press time, Afalava proved to be the lone Division I recruit, signing a letter-of-intent to play at Nebraska. He anchored a defense that will go down in history as one of the school’s best ever.

While the offense had its bright points, the defense gave up an average of less than 16 points per game. If you don’t count the night Lone Peak put up 45 with its MVP quarterback – Chase Hansen – that statistic is even more impressive.

After the Lone Peak loss, the defense gave up just seven points – a single touchdown – in wins over American Fork, Pleasant Grove and Lehi, plus its first-round playoff opponent, Kearns. Three straight shutouts tied a school record.

“What impressed me the most was how we came back from the Lone Peak game,” Peck said. “The kids were disappointed, but they played their guts out after that.”

There were no region or state championships this year, but Bingham football is still at its peak. After over 100 years, the football program is a driving force in the student’s tradition and confidence. It continues to make everyone associated proud to be a Miner and – for that – there is no end in sight.