Bingham wins Region 3

It’s mid-October and, surprisingly, the weather isn’t too cold tonight. It’s also nice to be at Bingham High School because it plays on artificial surface, which isn’t as cold as the grass was last week at West Jordan.

Tonight’s game was between Riverton and Bingham. It’s also Bingham’s homecoming. I’ve grown tired of watching homecoming activities at halftime, so I made sure to duck out during that time.

This was my first time at Bingham’s stadium, although I feel like I know it so well. I published Bingham’s preseason football guide, so I know more about Bingham’s football program than most. I’m glad the Deseret News asked me to cover this game, though, because I was anxious to see Riverton play, and I wanted to see what the atmosphere was like at this stadium.

First, the atmosphere. The stadium was packed. Perhaps it was just homecoming, but Bingham fans were involved. At halftime, I left the field and grabbed something to eat. There were plenty of different options (hamburgers, hot dogs, popcorn, even carmel apples). I was impressed. I could smell the barbecue all night from the field.

Parking wasn’t bad, even though the place was packed. The stadium has a nice setting, with the mountains providing a nice backdrop and the nearby temple looked nice. This time of year, it gets dark at about 7 p.m. I was told by a local photographer that Bingham’s stadium lighting is better than most.

On the sidelines, I didn’t see any other reporters. Afterward, I saw a lady from Channel 5 (I forget her name, but she’s very attractive), and Comcast was there. I don’t understand Comcast. It’s a cable TV company, and they have a representative there interviewing coaches and players after the game.

As for the game, Bingham won 35-7. The outcome was never in doubt. Bingham is so much better than any other team in Region 3 that it’s not even funny. Riverton’s offense had trouble moving the football. The Silverwolves will earn a playoff berth, and even a first-round home game. But they’ve never won a playoff contest, and it’s unlikely it will happen this year.

This was the only time I’ve seen them play, and they lost, so it’s likely that I didn’t see them at their best. I would like to see Riverton win, but they’re going to open the post-season against the third-place team from Region 4 (Lone Peak, Pleasant Grove or Alta) and will probably get crunched again.

This wasn’t one of Bingham’s best games. RB Harvey Langi had 122 yards rushing and two touchdowns, including a nice one with just a few minutes left in the game. Still, I was impressed with Bingham’s defense. Riverton only moved the football once.

Bingham led 21-0 at halftime, but the third quarter belonged to Riverton. There were so many personal foul penalties in that quarter that it was tough to keep track of them all. Riverton scored in the third quarter and – briefly – it was a game again. But it didn’t last long.

Bingham’s Braden Anderson was on the bench. He injured his hamstring the week before against West Jordan, and won’t play until the post-season. That kid’s a stud and worth at least seven points each game.

What do I remember most of this game? Afterward, I interviewed Bingham coach Dave Peck, but Riverton left the stadium quickly, so I never got a chance to talk to Riverton coach Mike Miller. That disappointed me. It’s not his fault; it’s mine. I blew it, and it affected my game story.

I did keep statistics from the game. Here they are:

Riverton 0 0 7 0 – 7
Bingham 14 7 0 14 – 35

B - Baker Pritchard 7 pass from Ty Hannay (Derek Loveless kick)
B – Kamron Coon 26 interception return (Loveless kick)
B – Josh Smith 10 pass from Hannay (Loveless kick)
R – Dillon Draper 1 run (Matt Sullivan kick)
B – Harvey Langi 2 run (Loveless kick)
B – Langi 40 run (Loveless kick)

TEAM STATISTICS

First downs – Bingham 20, Riverton 9
Rushes-yards – Bingham 35-198, Riverton 25-58
Passing yards – Bingham 133, Riverton 77
Passes – Bingham 10-14-0, Riverton 8-14-2
Fumbles lost – Bingham 0-0, Riverton 4-0
Penalties – Bingham 7-89, Riverton 4-37
Punts – Bingham 2-31.0, Riverton 6-29.5

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING – Riverton Luau 8-50, Draper 8-6, Zymola 3-3, Evans 4-17, Thoreson 2-(-18). Bingham – Langi 18-122, Vakapuna 4-33, Hannay 6-20, Cantwell 6-16, Stephens 1-7.

PASSING – Riverton, Thoreson 8-14-2-77, Bingham, Hannay 9-13-0-112, Peck 1-1-0-21.

RECEIVING – Riverton, Bowman 4-52, Draper 3-10, Hansen 1-15. Bingham, Copier 2-49, Smith 2-22, Afalava 1-21, Vakapuna 1-16, Fackrell 1-13, Pritchard 1-7, Langi 1-3, Cantwell 1-1.

MISSED FIELD GOALS: Bingham (2) – Loveless (46, 45)