Bingham and East each capped an undefeated season with a state title while Desert Hills earned its second crown in four years.
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Take a quick trip around the Beehive State.
Nothing encapsulates dominance better than a perfect season. Both Bingham and East achieved that feat with their latest state championship runs. The two schools have combined for 30 state titles in their respective histories and show no signs of losing their spots atop Utah high school football.
Bingham (14-0) finished undefeated for the second time in four years. The Miners also claimed their third Class 5A title in four years after edging Lone Peak 17-10 in the Class 5A championship game. Bingham is currently ranked 17th in the MaxPreps Top 25 high school football national rankings.
The Miners became a state champion behind a defense that allowed just 11.6 points per game. It made Bingham's high-powered offense and its 42.8 points per game that much more difficult to contain. Lone Peak found out how tough Bingham's defense could be in the title game. The Miners rallied ahead from a 10-0 deficit behind a 22-yard touchdown catch from Brayden Cosper and a 8-yard scoring run from Daniel Loua. Fourth-quarter interceptions by Tongi Langi and Cole Moody sealed the victory.
East (14-0) completed its first undefeated season in 20 years and won at least 10 games for the fifth time in six seasons. The Leopards claimed their second consecutive Class 4A title with a 48-20 victory over previously undefeated Springville in the Class 4A championship game. East is currently ranked 22nd in the MaxPreps Top 25 high school national football rankings.
The Leopards featured a fearsome rushing attack led by senior running back Jaylen Warren that mauled one opponent after another. Warren set new single-season state records for rushing yards (3,099), 100-yard rushing games (14) and rushing touchdowns (39). East became the first high school team in Utah to rush for more than 6,000 yards and total more than 7,000 yards on offense in a single season.
Desert Hills (10-2) offered signs of a dynasty in the making. The Thunder claimed their second Class 3AA title in four seasons after rallying to beat Pine View 28-27 in the Class 3AA championship game. It was the third 10-win season in four years for Desert Hills, which has only been playing football for nine seasons.
Desert Hills rallied from a 27-14 fourth-quarter deficit and scored the winning touchdown on a 1-yard catch by Gavin Young on the game's final play. Nephi Sewell rushed for 243 yards to lead the rally.
Most Utah State Championships among current 5A, 4A and 3AA schools
Class 5AWest (Salt Lake City)State Championships: 21
Most recent: 1992
Jordan (Sandy)State Championships: 12
Most recent: 2012
Bingham (South Jordan)State Championships: 11
Most recent: 2016
Davis (Kaysville) State Championships: 7
Most recent: 2004
Class 4A East (Salt Lake City) State Championships: 19
Most recent: 2016
Skyline (Salt Lake City)State Championships: 14
Most recent: 2005
Timpview (Provo) State Championships: 11
Most recent: 2014
Timpview is one of the most successful Class 4A schools in Utah football history.
Photo by Steve Carnahan
8
Most recent: 1995
Class 3AA Judge Memorial (Salt Lake City)State Championships: 11
Most recent: 2014
LoganState Championships: 8
Most recent: 2015
Dixie (St. George)State Championships: 8
Most recent: 2014
Tooele State Championships: 5
Most recent: 2002
John Coon covers Utah high school sports for MaxPreps. You can contact him at john_coon@hotmail.com and follow him on Twitter at @johncoonsports
