5A high school football playoffs: Bingham uses air attack to blow out Jordan

SOUTH JORDAN — The Bingham football team has a reputation as a grind-it-out, ground-oriented, pound-it-inside offense. Three yards and a cloud of dust.

Yeah ... right.

The Miners exploded with a down-the-field passing game Friday to compliment its tough running. With the two facets of the offense both working, and with a defense that was opportunistic and had five takeaways, Bingham rolled over Jordan in the 5A quarterfinals, 48-20, to advance to the turf of Rice-Eccles Stadium for the third consecutive season.

"We knew that if you want to advance in the playoffs, you have to be balanced," said Miners coach Dave Peck of his team's new aerial attack. "If you look at our games the last few weeks, we have been throwing it more. Our guys have been taking advantage of whatever the defense gives them, and if that means passing the ball, then I think we have proved we can do it."

The Miners could not have asked for a better start. People had predicted the Bingham-Jordan game was going to be one of the better, closer games for the quarterfinals. It took less than five minutes to put that notion to rest. Bingham took the opening kickoff, and on the first play from scrimmage, stud running back Harvey Langi broke a run off-tackle for 72 yards and a touchdown.

On the Beetdiggers' ensuing possession, Vince Giron intercepted a pass and returned it to the Jordan 10-yard line. Three plays later, quarterback Jake Soffe scrambled and made a nifty 9-yard run for the second score. After forcing a Jordan punt, Bingham took only one play to score again, as Soffe found receiver Michael Edmunds for a 73-yard touchdown bomb that gave the Miners a 21-0 lead with still 7:30 remaining in the first quarter.

"It is really nice to come out and get going like that," said Soffe. "You are a little nervous and excited, so to score early like that just really settles you down, let's you relax."

Perhaps Bingham did relax a little after that initial burst because Jordan had the next two scores — both on Alex Hart to Cory Hunt touchdown passes — to close to 21-13 by the end of the first quarter. But then the Bingham defense clamped down for good and the offense continued with its explosive plays.

In shutting out the 'Diggers the rest of the way, Colton Yack had two interceptions, L.T. Filiaga had one and Travis McCrae also picked off a Jordan pass.

Remington Peck had a 45-yard touchdown catch in the second quarter, part of his four-catch, 109-yard day. Langi scored a second touchdown just before the break en route to 178 yards on 16 carries. Edmunds added a second touchdown grab in the third quarter, and Soffe finished 11-of-17 for 290 yards and three throwing scores.

"Our offense can make you forget a little bit about us," said Edmunds, "but then, boom, we hit you for a long one. It is a lot of fun to go out there knowing we have that kind of explosiveness."

The win sets up a rematch for the Miners of an earlier-season loss to Skyline. The two teams meet at Rice-Eccles in the 5A semifinals at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday.

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