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Two Cottonwood football players were suspended this week after they admitted to school and team officials that they drank alcohol at a school dance, sources close to the team said.
Linebackers Anthony Lewis and Luke King, both 17, will miss the team's next two games, coach Josh Lyman said. The Colts host Jordan in a 5A quarterfinal game Thursday. A win would earn them a ticket to play defending champion Bingham in the semifinals the following week at Rice-Eccles Stadium.
The Utah High School Activities Association mandates that if an athlete drinks alcohol during the season, it's an automatic two-game suspension.
The absences of King and Lewis, widely acknowledged as Cottonwood's defensive leaders, make a run to the championship game even tougher.
"We're all trying to be OK because of all the adversity we've been through," senior receiver Jake Cowden said. "But I think we realize that they were our two best players and all of the close games we've won was because of them. It hit us pretty hard but we're trying to look at it positively."
Cottonwood and Bingham are the only remaining undefeated teams in 5A. The Colts launched their unexpected run after the death of first-year coach Teko Johnson the week before practices started.
Lewis started the season with a flash. In the final minutes of the opener against Alta, he returned an interception for a touchdown to secure an improbable comeback upset for the Hawks.
King and Lewis have both been courted by colleges. King has an offer from Weber State. Lewis, according to Rivals.com, has offers from Washington State, Wyoming and Oregon State.
Cottonwood offensive coordinator Scott Cate said he was impressed that both players were honest about what they did wrong, but said it ultimately didn't make a difference in their punishment.
"It's our rules and our kids have got to realize we do it a certain way here," he said, "and we don't care who you are or what you are."
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