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Wasatch WR Aaron Hodges (31) has the ball glance off his hands as Juan Diego's DB Brock Garn defends during a game Nov. 12.

The Class 5A state title game between Bingham and Davis probably won't be close, but could be if the Darts play way above their heads.

Springville and Timpview, the Class 4A championship game, won't be close and there's probably nothing Springville can do about that.

That leaves Juan Diego and Hurricane.

The Class 3A title matchup leaves nothing to be desired in the storyline category. It's a rematch of last year's game, which ended on a winning field goal. It promises to be the most closely contested championship game, and both coaches provide colorful quotes as well.

"Our kids are going to show up and they're going to expect to win," Hurricane's Chris Homer said.

"The revenge factor gets me a little nervous. I'm going to try and steer clear of that," Juan Diego's John Colosimo said.

Both teams run the ball extremely well. Both teams have stout defenses and are quick and athletic. Both teams are extremely confident and both teams have star power.

Tana Vea, the Juan Diego running back, has been impressive in the postseason, powering over opponents and giving his team a dynamic threat when it's been needed most.

For the Tigers, Jacob Pugh, Robert Reeve and Jarom Healy form a tremendous threesome that has proved difficult to stop in every game they've played. While none of the three have exceeded the 1,000-yard mark for the season, they've more than made up for the loss of Gordie Dotson, the leading rusher in the state last season.

"They're a lot more diverse than they were a season ago," Colosimo said. "Last year, all you had to do was stop the fullback. This year they have much more than that. It's difficult to deal with and it's something that we have to work on all week. They have a lot of options."

Still, Juan Diego's been nothing short of dominant this season. In fact, should Springville pull the upset of the ages and win the Class 4A title, the Soaring Eagle would be the only team this season to beat the Red Devils.

Juan Diego can throw the ball as well as run it. Quarterback Cody Stevenson has a cannon arm and a bevy of great receivers. However, Keegan Andersen, a Utah State commit, is done for the season with a broken leg and was the best wideout for the Soaring Eagle.

"It's a tough thing for him to not be able to play the last game of his high school career," Colosimo said. "That definitely hurts us on both sides of the ball."

tjones@sltrib.com

Class 3A championship

Juan Diego vs. Hurricane

Friday, 6:30 p.m., Rice-Eccles Stadium

Juan Diego and Hurricane played for the Class 3A state championship last year.

The Soaring Eagle came out on top last year, winning on a last-second field goal.