5A high school football championship: Untimely penalties hurt Bingham's momentum

The Bingham Miners went from 0-2 to within two minutes of a second state championship in five years. What seemed impossible at the beginning of the season was in their grasp.

Instead, coach Dave Peck's team is left to wonder what might have been after losing to Alta 21-17 in the 5A finals Friday night. For the majority of the game his team looked steady and in control, holding the explosive Alta offense in check with their kamikaze blitzing defense. But the Miners' grip slipped in the fourth quarter, and Alta took advantage to turn the game in its favor.

The Bingham offense was finding room to roam during the opening seconds of the fourth, with Harvey Langi in a rhythm running the football. The team had scored with relative ease on their previous drive to take a 17-6 lead, and looked primed to add another score.

Facing a second-and-11 from their Hawks' 30, the Miners were charged with two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties, a late hit and a personal foul. Second-and-11 became second-and-41, and Alta rode the seized momentum to the eventual comeback win.

The Miners had further opportunities, but were never able to get within striking range as the Alta defense had tightened the screws. The Miners were held to just 36 yards of offense in the quarter, while Alta gained 134.

"That's why everybody comes and wants to watch this game. It could go either way any time the teams meet," Peck said. "I'm not going to place blame anywhere. I do think the two personal foul calls was a real turning point. I think we we're ready to score again, maybe get a field goal. That was a key point, as far as I'm concerned."

While the fans certainly got their money's worth Friday night, the Bingham players were aware of how close they were to winning it all. "That was just the outcome," senior linebacker/running back LT Filiaga said after the game. "I can't explain how it happened, but it just did. They did good."

Bingham finishes its roller-coaster year at 11-3. Considering the disappointment, Peck was pleased with the character his team developed through the year.

"I'm proud of them," he said. "When it's all said and done, this is about creating good young men that are going to go out and treat people right, work hard and work together as a group."