"We're still climbing, we haven't peaked yet," said Plank, "We're in good shape. We're looking good going into the tournament and the region championship doesn't mean anything to us."

A month later, Plank's composure seems merited as Bountiful silenced its skeptics and charged through the state tournament field to claim its second title in as many years with a 1-0 win against Mountain View in the final.

Bountiful was able to knock off Orem, Mountain Crest and Springville on the way to the final, while outscoring the opponents 8-3 during the run. The final itself worked perfectly with Bountiful's style of play, with possession play and emphasis on defense being the key to a victory, but it took most of the game for their offense to finally click.

The first half had the Braves flowing on offense, throwing up four shots on goal, but poor luck as the half came to a close at 0-0. The second half saw Mountain View ramp up the intensity, but the Braves were fully prepared to trade blows.

Both teams shared decent opportunities until Mountain View broke open on a break away in the 67th minute.

Bountiful goalkeeper Brian Simmons was able to deflect the shot with his elbow, skidding the ball off the post. The ball was actually trickling down the line to nudge the adjacent post before defender Josh Budge cleared it.

Then, in the 67th minute, Bountiful got a corner kick that made it a champion.

Michael Knight served the ball in from the corner flag for Joe Lake, who missed and headed it directly to the ground, but attacking midfielder Mike Hodgens was there to stab it in and put the Braves up, 1-0.

The game ended on a sour note, as a scuffle was the closing image of the game. Two Mountain View players and Braves defender Chris Byers took part in an altercation that resulted in two red cards, one for each team.

With the appearance in the final, the Braves made their third appearance in the state final in a row. They lost to East three years ago.

With star midfielders Hodgens, an all-state first-team selection, and Lake leading the threepeat trail next year, the Braves have reason to be optimistic. Bountiful loses 15 seniors from this year's team, and Lake and Hodgens are the Braves' only returning starters.

The Braves have work to do to live up to the seniors' standards.

"Over three years, we've developed a very strong relationship with these seniors, and to see them go is not easy but I can't think of a better sendoff than having two state championships under their belt," said Plank.

The Bravery

* After a region loss to Bonneville, Bountiful plowed through the state tournament to win another state soccer title.

* The Braves had 15 seniors on this year's team, but return an all-stater in Mike Hodgens.