4A high school football championship: Highland defense led by relentless linemen

SALT LAKE CITY — It is a shirt Nate Fakahafua cherishes above any other article of clothing he wears.

When Fakahafua dons his black shirt — as do several of his Highland teammates — before football practice, it is a reminder of what he has earned through hard work and making a commitment to play his best.

"You feel good about earning it," Fakahafua said. "That means you showed up in the game and done your best. You want the team to do that every game and come out in practice and show that as well."

It is worth noting that Fakahafua and all of his fellow defensive linemen have earned black shirts this season. Such a token is appropriate since it is that group that has given the Ram defense an added dimension of ruggedness all year long.

Highland allows a modest 20.62 points per game, in part because it boasts a group of defensive linemen not afraid to go out and hit someone.

Fakahafua is second statewide in sacks with 15.5. Desmond Collins has a team-leading 77 tackles and ranks seventh statewide in sacks with 10.5. Their efforts have helped contribute to Highland reaching the 4A championship game, where it will face Mountain Crest on Friday evening to decide a state title.

Rams coach Brody Benson said his defensive line plays with relentless energy.

"Those guys just don't slow down," Benson said. "They keep going. I'd hate to block any of them."

Fakahafua said the defensive line works to hit teams hard for 48 minutes. He said they gain a mental edge once teams see the Rams still pounding them as the fourth quarter winds down.

"We're tough kids," Fakahafua said. "A lot of us go both ways. We have to be tough physically and mentally. I think that separates us from a lot of teams in this state."

Guys like Collins, Fakahafua and Fihi Kaufusi can fill up a defensive stat sheet in a hurry. But they take their greatest pleasure in setting things up for teammates to get a little individual glory.

Collins, for example, loves pressuring a quarterback into throwing errant passes that open the door for someone in the secondary to make a timely interception.

"We try to make an impact for the other players," Collins said. "Every once in a while, we'll get the big stats. But it's mainly just making an impact for other players."

Although all of Highland's starting defensive linemen also play positions on offense, fatigue has not been a major issue up front. The Rams have worked hard to build up depth in the trenches. It is typical to see several players rotate in and out during the course of a game.

"It makes us a lot stronger — especially going against offensive linemen that only go one way," Fakahafua said. "We have to stay fresh as much as we can."

e-mail: jcoon@desnews.com