Titan quarterback Braden Hamblin threw a pass toward the right corner of the end zone. Receiver Kalon Evans waited for a last-chance touchdown, but Alta's Brandon Weiss closed on the receiver, turned toward the ball and made a solid interception before bouncing out of bounds in the end zone with 9.4 seconds remaining.

It was like that all day for the Hawks defense, which sacked, intercepted and generally haunted the Titans in Alta's 42-14 5A semifinal win.

"Our goal every game is to get a shutout, and if that doesn't happen, we're disappointed," Weiss said.

The Hawks' numbers were impressive. They held Syracuse's powerful rushing attack 106 yards and stopped the Titans where it mattered most. Alta kept Syracuse to an average 3.8-yards per rush.

On the passing side of things, the Hawks intercepted two Titan passes and kept the yardage to a minimum. Syracuse tacked some passing yards on late in the fourth quarter and netted a pair of inconsequential touchdowns.

Alta caused four Syracuse fumbles and the Hawks were able to take one of them for their own.

Alta linebacker A'i Ho-Ching played a large role in the success, coming up with seven tackles, two sacks and he forced the fumble the Hawks defense recovered.

"My defense comes through for me and I come through for my defense," Alta's Ho-Ching said. "Without my line pinching the quarterback in, I don't get that [fumble]. That's all there is to it."

Weiss also came in clutch on the interception at the end of the second quarter. Weiss credited the Alta coaching staff for preparing him and the rest of the defense.

"We've been practicing that play all week, we knew they were going to try it, so I was ready for it and on his hip," Weiss said. "Luckily, they threw it a little bit high so I was able to get it."