In their first-round win over Viewmont, the Cottonwood Colts showed they have what to takes to gut out a victory against a tough team in the Class 5A football playoffs.

They will have to do a lot more than show they have what it takes to win if they are to have any hope against their second round opponent.

The Colts will be facing the Alta Hawks on Friday evening, a team that won't be so forgiving of mistakes as Viewmont. Against the Vikings, Cottonwood failed to convert several fourth-and-short situations deep in Viewmont territory that resulted in a much closer game than it really was. In theory, the margin of victory would have been far greater if the Colts would have been able to make a few more game-changing plays. Based on the outcome of those botched plays, the decision to go for it against Alta may already be decided.

"I felt we needed a touchdown," said coach Cecil Thomas. "I didn't think a field goal would do it for us, and I thought we could make the play.

"I don't see it becoming a habit."

If the situation called for it, there is little doubt Thomas feels comfortable enough to go for it. As dangerous as Alta is, though, it should be safe to say Thomas will be a little more conservative if it's a close game.

 

Brighton

After making gigantic strides this season, the Bengals fell flat down the final stretch and fell out of a playoff spot in the closing weeks of the season.

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Much good can be taken from a six-win season, including an upset victory over the heavily favored Hawks. But still, the Bengals failed to do anything with their promising start in coach Ryan Bullett's most successful season as head coach. Regardless of how they team finished, Bullett's defense earned a state-wide reputation for hitting hard and often.

Despite having a 1,000 yard rusher in Sosai TaKai, the offense struggled against tougher opponents. The Bengals were frequently on the losing end of the battle for field position, relying on their defense to come up with the big play.

It was a good run, but with most of the Bengals' playmaking defense set to graduate, Brighton will be hard-pressed on that side of the ball. Last season, the Bengals made the playoffs with a 2-7 record in a much weaker region; now with the realignment, they'll be playing a more competitive schedule that will prepare them better for the future.

 

Skyline

It wasn't hard to see the Eagles' season-ending loss to Syracuse coming.

The signs had been there since the second week of the season, after all.

The loss to longtime rival Olympus in the second game of the season would become a microcosm of the Eagles' season. In the return of the Battle of the Rock game, it was Skyline's most important regular season game against a rivalry once left for dead several years ago because the Titans were no longer competitive enough to keep the game going. This was a game the Eagles had to win; not just for bragging rights but also because losing to Olympus would be losing to a far inferior opponent.

But the Eagles gave hope that the Olympus loss was just a blip in the radar with several strong showings throughout the season. Their offense was dynamic, particularly the running game. Algernon Brown had another successful season with nearly 800 yards and quarterback Chase Dunford regularly kept the offense in sync.

It wasn't a lack of talent that did the Eagles in; they just weren't able to come up with the big wins, starting with Olympus. They didn't give Cottonwood much of a problem, another rivalry game that would have given them a leg up on the Region 2 title. Against Hunter, the Eagles failed to hold onto a one-touchdown lead in the fourth quarter and missed the tying extra point on a late Andy Rounds touchdown reception as they lost 35-34.

And thus the biggest surprise in their 31-7 loss to Syracuse last week was that the offense didn't have a better showing. The Eagles will be able to take the lessons learned from this year and be a much better football team for next season.