Alta-Bingham rivalry only getting bigger — and better

Manoa Pikula stood in the middle of his Bingham teammates in the small, stuffy room and hollered.

"This is Alta!" the senior linebacker shouted at halftime of Saturday's Bingham-Alta game at Rice-Eccles Stadium. "Alta! They shouldn't be getting yards on us!"

The rest of the Miner defense rushed toward him and cheered in agreement as they broke the huddle and prepared to head back onto the field for the second half of the state's most anticipated high school football game.

The boys who struggle against each other on the field are only part of what makes the games between Bingham and Alta so intriguing. The rivalry has become so popular coaches and administrators from both schools began looking for a bigger venue for the annual preseason meeting between the two football powers. They found a home, at least for two years, at Rice-Eccles Stadium — which is the same field that has seen the two squads meet in the playoffs in either the semifinals or finals the last four years. Estimates on attendance ranged from 17,000 to 25,000, but final numbers should be out in about a week.

"I think this is bigger than our state games," said Bingham head coach Dave Peck. It is definitely the best-attended prep game in the state — every time they play.

That's because the rivalry isn't just a clash of two potential state champions. It involves the communities that support each school and is drenched with emotion and energy but, unlike a lot of rivalries, not venom.

While there are few teams that the Miners would rather beat than the Hawks, there are also few teams they respect more.

"Hey, keep your mind on the game," Vliseni Fauonuku, a senior defensive lineman, barks at a group of younger players who gathered around a window to watch the defending state champion Minerettes' halftime performance as Bingham holds a 15-6 lead. "This is Alta. They thrive on close games."

Fans are dressed in school colors, some have painted their bodies and faces.. Even for those with no connection to either school it's more than a game — it's an event.

"It's pride between two schools," said Dillon Papenfuss, a senior at Bingham. "The winner has come from this game the last four years to win the state tournament. This game is bigger than just us. This is an East vs. West pride."