2008 Deseret News MVPs always delivered in clutch situations, displayed great leadership

Whether their team needed a big block, key run or fourth-quarter rally, the 2008 Deseret News state football MVPs always delivered in clutch situations.

But that's only part of their story.

Alta's Ammon Olsen, Timpview's Xavier Su'a-Filo, Juan Diego's Jamie Markosian, North Summit's Deven Holmes and North Sevier's Wyatt Mason drove their teams to success with their intangibles. They were leaders both on and off the field, great students, and always willing to go the extra mile for their teammates.

Each of the five players helped lead their respective teams to state championships. A closer look at each of them:

5A MVP: Ammon Olsen, Alta

The Hawks, no matter the score or how much momentum their opponent had, knew they were never out of a game with Olsen as their triggerman. Olsen engineered four second-half comebacks during the 2008 season. One of his clutch rallies gave Alta a Region 2 championship, another sent the Hawks to the turf at Rice-Eccles Stadium.

His biggest performance came in the 5A state title game, where he helped the Hawks overcome an 11-point deficit in the fourth quarter to defeat rival Bingham, 21-17.

"He's the whole package," said Alta coach Les Hamilton. "He's a great football player and a great young man. He just had a way, all year, when we needed big plays, he made them."

Olsen quickly drove the Hawks down the field and into field-goal position in their dramatic win over Jordan in the Sandy City Showdown, in a showdown that determined the Region 2 champion. And he'll never forget putting the Hawks on his shoulders and beating Bingham twice in the same year.

But the game that probably says the most about Olsen was his effort against Davis in the 5A quarterfinals. He threw four interceptions against the Darts' defense, and his mistakes had his team on the ropes. Olsen, however, sucked it up, and put two second-half scoring drives together. He dove into the end zone to score on a 4-yard run in the third quarter, then delivered the game-winning touchdown pass to Drake Eckholdt in the fourth quarter of Alta's 21-20 victory.

"It wasn't just his performance on the field (that meant a lot to the Hawks)," Hamilton said. "Everyone rallied around his leadership. The kids fed off of it, and they believed they were never out of it with Ammon in there."

4A MVP: Xavier Su'a-Filo, Timpview