This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
All afternoon, American Fork kept showing signs of life, and then Bingham would respond forcefully.
That's what the Miners do.
The Class 5A state championship game became just another case of Bingham being Bingham.
The Miners are deep and talented, relentless and dominating. All the standard traits of a dynasty were on display in their 20-3 victory Friday at Rice-Eccles Stadium, and everything American Fork did to reach this stage only reinforced Bingham's power.
"We knew they were going to be very disciplined, very big and fast, and they lived up to that," said AF coach Aaron Behm.
When it comes to the powerful, flagship programs of Utah high school athletics — Lone Peak in basketball, Bingham and Timpview in football — all I ever want is for those teams to genuinely earn their state titles. Having nationally ranked teams is good for Utah, elevating everybody else and bringing attention to the state, but complete domination takes some of the fun out of it.
In that sense, the Cavemen delivered. American Fork became a good story in these playoffs, appearing in the championship game for the first time in 52 years and developing an offense that tested Bingham, after scoring 58 points in each of its last two games.
The Cavemen hit some big pass plays that created scoring opportunities. And then, right on cue, Bingham's defense asserted itself.
The play everybody will be talking about came just before halftime, when AF's Nate Heaps caught a short pass over the middle and headed toward the goal line, only to have Bingham's Simote Lokotui force a fumble. The ball squirted into the end zone and out of bounds for a touchback, preserving Bingham's 10-0 lead.
We'll never know how an AF touchdown may have changed this game. What's clear is that Bingham had an answer, every time things became mildly interesting.
Trailing 17-0 in the third quarter, the Cavemen reached the Bingham 3-yard line, but were pushed back by three consecutive sacks as the Miners' Jay Tufele, Ethan Erickson, Brigham Tuatagaloa and Parker Workman contributed to the rush. American Fork settled for a field goal — its only points of the day, accounting for its one-fourth share of the 12 points the Miners allowed in four playoff games.
So the Miners' second consecutive championship and fifth title in nine years reflected another closely bonded, well-balanced team. "A lot like last year, nobody cares who gets the credit. … I think you can watch us play and you see that," said Bingham coach Dave Peck. "Somehow, we've created a good foundation in the program and the kids buy into it."
Anybody who witnessed the Miners in the semifinals and finals at Rice-Eccles Stadium would conclude that it's almost unfair for them to have so much depth. They could lose quarterback Kyle Gearig to an elbow injury in the second quarter last week against Brighton and practically improve offensively, behind backup QB Ben Boelter.
Bingham also made the most of a gift, with star running back Cameron Smith having moved from Colorado in February. In the absence of Gearig, Smith took on a huge role Friday with 191 yards and two touchdowns on a title-game record 37 carries.
"I knew I had to have a big game today, and the offensive line made it happen," Smith said. "It was tiring, but it's a state championship game."
Bingham's showcase, in other words. Upon arrival in South Jordan, Smith said, "I was aware of the expectations."
In American Fork, Behm succeeded in raising the program's sights in his fifth season. "It takes time, and then it just takes buy-in and commitment," he said. "We've got that. Now, we just need to keep it up."
And like all of the Miners' other victims, the Cavemen should understand exactly what's required to play at Bingham's level.
Twitter: @tribkurt