High school football: Woods Cross faces 18-game nemesis

Few teams in state history have consistently struggled against an opponent like Woods Cross has against Bountiful.

The Wildcats have been dominated by the Braves, losing 18 straight games to their nearby rivals. While Woods Cross is fielding one of its strongest teams in years, it is facing a Bountiful team Friday that is ranked No. 1 in 4A and has yet to face a serious test.

It's a significant challenge for a team to overcome such a long losing streak against another team, but Woods Cross coach Fred Fernandes says there is no hump or mental hurdle to get over in regards to Bountiful.

"As far as I'm concerned, we're over it," Fernandes said. "This is a whole new team, a whole new year. I don't even look at that. I let everybody else talk about that. You just go year by year."

Fernandes knows he can't control what everybody else says about the series. His players will be reminded of the streak and the team's futility against Bountiful at school and around town. Woods Cross has a 6-25 all-time record against the Braves. The last time Woods Cross beat Bountiful was in 1989, when the Wildcats edged the Braves 28-21 late in the regular season.

"I've downplayed it," Fernandes said. "It seems like that's the big deal around here, and we need to get over that."

A Woods Cross win over the Braves would silence the streak talk, but Bountiful has looked like a powerhouse so far this season.

The Braves outscored their first four opponents by a combined 139-29 and own a ridiculous, positive turnover ratio. Two of the teams Bountiful has defeated — Lone Peak and Spanish Fork — are unbeaten in their other games.

"Nobody has come close to Bountiful," Fernandes said. "They've had four 30-40 something points to one score (in each game). So you can't argue with that. Their turnover ratio is just outstanding. That's what we got to do is take care of the football."

Bountiful's offense has taken advantage of the short fields the team's defense has repeatedly given them. The Braves, as usual, are led by a methodical rushing attack. Fullback Ben Lemon has scored seven rushing touchdowns to lead Bountiful's offense.

The Wildcats have looked solid as well so far this season. Woods Cross is 3-1, and in its three victories, it held opponents to single-digit scoring. The Wildcats dropped a game to Bonneville, 31-14, but rebounded nicely with impressive wins over West (36-3) and Olympus (27-9). Olympus was unbeaten before facing the Wildcats.