High school football: Mighty Miners eye 5A state crown

When you look at Bingham's national ranking, points scored per game, average margin of victory and number of Division I players on its roster, it's fairly easy to handicap the 5A playoff field.

It's the Miners — and then everyone else.

Bingham has been historically good this season, and deservedly earned a No. 4 national ranking by USA Today. The Miners are within striking distance of a state record for scoring. They are averaging 52.1 points per game and the record is 52.2, set by Dixie High in 1972.

The closest any team has come of beating Bingham is 23 points, and the Miners are winning by an average of 43.2 points per game.

"They're awfully good," said Alta coach Les Hamilton, whose team came the closest to hanging with Bingham in a 49-26 loss back in Week 2. "They can run the ball and they can throw the ball. They've got guys they don't even use that could be all-staters on other teams."

There are 15 other teams hoping to dethrone the Miners, and Hunter gets the first shot at them in the first round on Saturday. But is it possible for anyone to beat Bingham?

"Bingham will have to make a lot of mistakes for someone to beat them," Hamilton said. "It could happen — it's high school football. But I don't think anybody can beat Bingham but Bingham."

Kearns coach Bill Cosper saw his team stay with the Miners for a half. The Cougars only trailed Bingham by two touchdowns at halftime before the wheels fell off in the second half and they lost, 52-7.

"Bingham is a tough team to beat," Cosper said. "It's almost like the stars have to align for you. They're very talented. You have to be able to move the ball on them."

Skyline coach Roger DuPaix is the last coach to bring such a heavily favored team into the playoffs, and that was when his Eagles dominated the '90s. His Eagles didn't play against Bingham during the regular season, but he knows how good the Miners are.

"I believe like the newspapers do — they're unbeatable," DuPaix said with a hint of sarcasm in his voice. "They're in a class by themselves right now."

Bingham coach Dave Peck understands that everyone expects his team to steamroll every opponent it faces in the postseason. All the pressure is on the Miners to win the tournament, and there's nothing Bingham can do to change that.