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South Jordan • Bingham is no stranger to prime-time matchups. As the premier high school football program in Utah, the Miners have carried the torch in elevating the prominence and national attention the state has garnered in the past decade, with several clashes against out-of-state powerhouses.
The previous games have all been outside the Utah boarder. This time Bingham, ranked No. 7 nationally, is bringing the fight to its own soil when it hosts Bishop Gorman (Nev.) — the consensus top-ranked program in the nation on Friday at 7 p.m.
The Gaels, who currently are riding a 25-game winning streak, have captured seven of the past eight Nevada state championships, including six straight, and last season were awarded the mythical national title by USA Today after finishing 15-0. Bishop Gorman is 112-7 dating back to 2007.
One of those victories occurred against Bingham in 2014. The Miners used tactical gadget plays to keep the Gaels off-guard, including converting three of four called-fake punts, but still fell short, 23-20, in overtime in Las Vegas after overcoming a two-score deficit. Bingham eventually repeated as Class 5A champions later that season.
"We got a chance to get pretty familiar with [Bingham] — we've seen them firsthand," said Bishop Gorman first-year coach Kenny Sanchez, who inherited the program after his brother, Tony, left the Gaels to coach UNLV. "They're a tough, tough group. Good football team, they have a great program. It's going to be a tough game."
Bingham is preparing for max capacity attendance similar to the 20,000-plus crowds that filled the stadium when its rivalry with Alta was at its highest interest before the game was moved to Rice-Eccles Stadium. Tickets are being presold at the school to minimize clutter at the gates, which open at 5 p.m. on Friday.
"We're opening three additional ticket gates and additional parking at Marv Jenson [Recreation Center]," said Bingham athletic director Andee Bouwhuis. "It's a premier game: Two nationally ranked teams going head-to-head in the early season. It's definitely building our publicity as a team and as a state, and bringing more people into the state as well."
Both Bingham coach John Lambourne and Sanchez said the exposure and hype of the game is something both programs are familiar with.
"We'll be ready to go. We've done it before. It never gets old, it's always fun. It's good to be able to play in these big games. I think our kids feed off that environment," Sanchez said. "You can either be freaked out by it, or you can embrace it and enjoy it. We're treating this one like it's the biggest game of the year because it's the only one in front of us right now. We're going to be ready for sure."
Twitter: @trevorphibbs —
No. 1 Bishop Gorman (Nev.) at No. 7 Bingham
O Friday, 7 p.m.
Ticket prices • Students, $4; adults: $6; seniors age 62 and older: Free