High school football: Despite loss, Syracuse should be proud of 2nd-year success

For Syracuse, taking advantage of opportunities is what the second-year school had done all season. After suffering through a miserable inaugural season playing with only sophomores and juniors, the Titans have been the darlings of the 5A state playoffs, qualifying as the second-place team from Region 1.

If that was a surprise, winning two games to earn a shot at defending champion Alta in the semifinals Thursday afternoon was absolutely unbelievable. So it was the upstart program against a perennial contender for a chance at the championship game. Unfortunately for Syracuse, they were not able to capitalize on the gift-wrapped opportunities the Hawks afforded them early in Alta's 42-14 victory.

First it was a muffed punt by Alta on their own 36-yard line with the game scoreless. After two penalties against the Hawks took Syracuse to the 13-yard line of Alta, the drive stalled and the Titans missed a 30-yard field goal attempt.

Then the Titans blocked a pair of Alta punts in the second quarter but were unable to get any points out of the momentum shifts. After the second block, Syracuse took the ball to the Alta six-yard line before Brandon Weiss made a lunging interception in the end zone securing the Hawks 14-0 halftime lead.

"That was probably the turning point in the game," said Syracuse quarterback Braden Hamblin. "We had the ball in good field position and could've tied it up."

But their good fortune ran out in the second half, and Alta continued to pour it on. For the game, Syracuse had the ball in the Alta red zone four times and was only able to score once, late in the fourth quarter when the game was out of reach.

Although the game did not go as Syracuse had hoped, there were no bad feelings afterward for a team that far surpassed anyone's expectations.

"This has been incredible. ... These guys are like my family," said Hamblin who finished the game with 80 yards rushing and 164 passing with a score on the ground and through the air. "To tell you the truth we didn't know how far we could go (early in the season), but after we made the playoffs, we thought we could go all the way."

And they shockingly almost did.

"That is a fantastic team. A great group of kids who had a great season. They were a hard-fighting team that we just wore down in the second half. They should be real proud of their season," said Alta coach Les Hamilton.

The Titans' triumphs this season helped the school gain an early identity, and the sweet taste of success this year established their program.