Bingham football: 2012 season preview

In early August, I interviewed Bingham (Utah) football coach Dave Peck and we talked about the upcoming 2012 season. Here is the article that appears in his team's football program, which I also put together and will be sold at all of Bingham's home games this season.

Prime time Miners hope for more

Another talented squad

as Bingham aiming to be
Utah’s best in 5A

By Bruce Smith

Matchup
 
            This is the “golden era” of Bingham High School football.
            It’s the second one … really. From 1939-46, the Miners won four state championships during that eight-year span.
            These days, coach Dave Peck’s team has won three titles in in the last six seasons. In 2011, Bingham finished with a 9-3 mark, took second place in Region 4 and reached the quarterfinals of the 5A state playoffs.
            A good year for most teams, but disappointing by Bingham standards. Are the Miners using it as a motivational tool?
            “You could say that fact has been mentioned a few times,” Peck said.
            In reality, the team had nowhere to go but down after winning state in 2010 with a roster that could at least rival a good junior college team. Peck said that club was probably an anomaly and, these days, there is too much parity among Utah high schools for one team to become too dominant.
            Still, he figures this year’s Bingham team should again challenge for the title.
            “It’s hard to say how we’ll do,” he said. “But, so far, I like what I’m seeing.”
            This year’s team has a lot of strengths – on the offensive and defensive lines, wide receiver, running backs, linebackers, kicking, etc … What it doesn’t have is a returning quarterback. In early August, senior Coleman Stout had an early edge over Jordan Evans and Jantzen Bowles.
            It has been a while since Bingham has lost a varsity QB to injury. Stout suffered a knee injury in a junior varsity game last season but recovered in time to play baseball last spring and is 100 percent again.
            If the QB situation settles, Bingham will be hard to beat, even though the Miners again have another difficult schedule. The good news is there are five home games, including a late-season homecoming contest against American Fork Oct. 5.
            The non-region season begins with rivals West Jordan and Alta (the “Black and Blue” Classic again at Rice-Eccles Stadium), and then something new called the “Beehive Classic.”
            “That third week, we always like to do something special, and this year we got a chance to host a big event,” said Peck.
            That event is a home game Labor Day weekend against Valor Christian, a private Denver-area school that has won three consecutive state championships and enters this year with a 24-game winning streak. The matchup will be the finale of a three-game set played that day (Sept. 1) at Bingham’s field, and includes East and Jordan playing out-of-state powers.
            “It’s a big game for us,” said Peck. “Valor Christian has a lot of Denver Broncos connections. It’s going to be a big day of football and might become an annual thing.”
            Bingham will certainly be tested early, and could be threatened again in Region 4 play. The Miners have Cottonwood and defending champion Lone Peak on the road.
            Bingham will also be featured prominently on TV. The Alta game will be televised on Channel 2, KJZZ is set to broadcast all three Beehive Classic contests and KJZZ will have the Miners rematch at Lone Peak, too.
            What viewers will likely see is another talented squad anchored by its line. Led by guys like 285-pound Keegan Hicks on offense and 300-pounder Lowell Lotulelei on defense, each group averages about 270 pounds per man and should be among the state’s best.
            Behind them will be the quarterback, as well as Tonga Manu, who rushed for 445 yards and averaged almost six yards per carry last year. He will be helped by fullback Leki Finefeuiaki, an athletic former lineman who moved from Kearns and has been retooled to help the Miners at a new position.
            Hayden Weichers is a threat to score every time he catches the ball, and Kalan Cantwell will be on the other side of the field capable of doing the same thing. Dalton Schultz, a 6-foot-6 tight end, is also a nice target.
            On defense, Durrant Miles will help Lotulelei on the line. Drake Miller will anchor the linebackers and Koa Wilson and Sky Manu make the backfield a strength.
            Kicking chores will be handled by Jaron Maxfield, who will double as the team’s punter. He already has the confidence of the coaching staff.
            Will it be enough to win another title?
            “I hear that question all the time … where is Bingham right now?” said Peck. “If we want this season to be something special, it’s going to have to be more.”