2008 All-State Football Team: Deseret News MVPs delivered in the clutch
Whether their team needed a big block, key run or fourth-quarter rally, the 2008 Deseret News state football MVPs always delivered in clutch situations.
But that's only part of their story.
Alta's Ammon Olsen, Timpview's Xavier Su'a-Filo, Juan Diego's Jamie Markosian, North Summit's Deven Holmes and North Sevier's Wyatt Mason drove their teams to success with their intangibles. They were leaders both on and off the field, great students and always willing to go the extra mile for their teammates.
Each of the five players helped lead his respective team to a state championship. A closer look at each of them:
5AMVP
Ammon Olsen, AltaThe Hawks, no matter the score or how much momentum their opponent had, knew they were never out of a game with Olsen as their triggerman. Olsen engineered four second-half comebacks during the 2008 season. One of his clutch rallies gave Alta a Region 2 championship; another sent the Hawks to the turf at Rice-Eccles Stadium.
"He's the whole package," said Alta coach Les Hamilton. "He's a great football player and a great young man. He just had a way, all year, when we needed big plays, he made them."
Olsen quickly drove the Hawks down the field and into field-goal position in their dramatic win over Jordan in the Sandy City Showdown, a contest that determined the Region 2 champion. And he'll never forget putting the Hawks on his shoulders and beating Bingham twice in the same year.
But the game that probably says the most about Olsen was his effort against Davis in the 5A quarterfinals. He threw four interceptions against the Darts' defense, and his mistakes had his team on the ropes. Olsen, however, sucked it up, and he put two second-half scoring drives together. He dove into the end zone to score on a 4-yard run in the third quarter, then delivered the game-winning touchdown pass to Drake Eckholdt in the fourth quarter of Alta's 21-20 victory.
"It wasn't just his performance on the field (that meant a lot to the Hawks)," Hamilton said. "Everyone rallied around his leadership. The kids fed off of it, and they believed they were never out of it with Ammon in there."
4AMVP
Xavier Su'a-Filo, TimpviewRecent comments
just to be nominated is an honor as there are others who strived all...
be happy don't worry | Dec. 5, 2008 at 3:11 p.m.
to see who the "other paper's" MVP's and 1st team will be. There are...
It will be interesting | Dec. 5, 2008 at 1:02 p.m.
Where will these kids be going to college?
Qwestion | Dec. 5, 2008 at 10:36 a.m.
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