5A high school football preview: Syracuse at Bingham

Syracuse (8-2) at Bingham (11-1)

5A state tournament quarterfinal

Friday, 4 p.m.

Parry's Power Guide: Bingham by 18

All-time series: First Meeting

Coach vs. Coach: Bingham's Dave Peck leads Syracuse's Russ Jones, 1-0 (met in 2000 when Jones was at Viewmont)

Last meeting: First Meeting

They've already made significant strides as a young football program, playing on the Rice-Eccles turf in their second year, and eliminating tradition-rich Skyline from the playoffs in their third season.

But no other win would make a statement for the Syracuse Titans quite like beating Bingham in their 5A quarterfinal game on Friday. The Titans know they're the underdogs against the powerful Miners, but they shouldn't be underestimated because of what they've already accomplished as a football program.

"Any Friday night, anything can happen," Syracuse defensive back Alex Swanson said shortly after his team defeated Skyline last week. "We're just excited for the opportunity to play the No. 1 team in the state."

Because they played on different days last week, the two teams got up-close looks at each other. Bingham learned that Syracuse is a hard-nosed team that flies to the ball on defense. The Titans learned that the Miners are big – very big – and strong.

Bingham coach Dave Peck knows his team is in for a difficult game.

"We expect it will be a tough game," Peck said. "It's the playoffs. Everyone knew going in that in the 5A anything can happen and I think we're seeing that."

Both teams were involved in the two surprising 5A results from last week. Syracuse, despite playing on its home field, was a slight underdog against Skyline. The Miners were expected to beat Jordan, but no one foresaw Bingham getting into a shootout and winning 62-42.

The Miners' 62 points last week don't bode well for Syracuse or anyone else in 5A. When Bingham gets its running game going downhill, it's almost unstoppable. The Miners rushed for 352 yards against Jordan with both Harvey Langi (159) and Richie Vakapuna (107) topping 100 yards. Quarterback Ty Hannay can also make plays, as he completed 12 of 20 passes for 169 yards and a touchdown against the Beetdiggers.

"They got a great ground attack and they do some nice things in the air with their receivers," Syracuse coach Russ Jones said of the Miners. "Overall, they're just a heck of a team. It's a heck of a matchup and challenge for us."

The Titans are led by 5A's stingiest defense. Syracuse is the only team in 5A to allow fewer than 10 points per game, and its defense is extremely opportunistic. The Titans turned the tide against Skyline by forcing five turnovers in the second half, transforming a four-point halftime deficit into a 31-7 win.