High school football 5A preview: Kearns at Syracuse

Kearns (6-4) at Syracuse (8-2)

5A state tournament first round

Friday, 2 p.m.

Parry's Power Guide: Syracuse by 2 points

All-time series: 0-0

Last meeting: First meeting

The Kearns High football program has made tremendous strides the last couple of years. In 2007, the Cougars won five games for the first time in 14 years. This season, Kearns finished with a winning record at 6-4.

All that's missing from Kearns' turnaround is a playoff win, and the Cougars are hoping that comes against upstart Syracuse when the two teams clash on the Titans' home field on Friday afternoon.

Syracuse, in its second season, has made a remarkable turnaround of its own, going from 0-10 last year to 8-2 and a second-place finish in Region 1 this season. The Titans are considered the favorites in this game, and deservedly so after knocking off traditional powers such as Northridge and Davis.

"I think they're a good football team," said Kearns coach Bill Cosper. "They've got good size, and their sound. But playoffs are playoffs and anything can happen on a given day. We're just happy to be in them."

The Cougars are making their second straight playoff appearance after overcoming some mediocre seasons in football. Cosper started rebuilding the program when he took over prior to the 2006 season. He immediately went with youth, giving nine sophomores the chance to start.

Those nine players — Alamoti Vaenuku, Sione Angilau, Fatu Moala, Toa Afatasi, Ryan Tialavea, Hernan Brown, Jake Vallieres, Oleni Anitoni and Kauasi Lomu — are seniors now and hoping to cap Kearns' rebuilding project with a playoff victory.

"I told them when they were sophomores that they were the ones who were going to turn this program around," Cosper said. "They are the ones who have made the difference."

The Titans took their lumps while playing without seniors during the 2007 season. Now they're delivering their share, and especially on defense. Syracuse has 5A's second stingiest defense, allowing just 7.6 points per game.

Neither team consistently scores a lot of points, so field position and turnovers will be big factors in today's game. The two teams also come from what are probably the two most physical leagues in 5A, so expect a slugfest in Syracuse.