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South Jordan
All anyone was asking of the Bingham Miners was to compete with the country's No. 1-ranked team, entertain an overflow crowd and uphold the honor of Utah high school football.
Bishop Gorman just would not cooperate fully with those plans Friday night.
The private school from Las Vegas proved that its program performs at a whole other level in a 38-20 victory that appeared much easier than the Gaels' overtime defeat of Bingham at home last September.
The Miners did not embarrass themselves or the state, hardly appearing overwhelmed at any time. Bingham kept batting to the end, with backup quarterback Matt Degn throwing three touchdown passes in the second half, and the Miners did enough to maintain some degree of national prominence this season — besides competing for a third straight Class 5A state championship in November.
Yet there just was a certain inevitability about this outcome, even when Bingham played the Gaels evenly through one quarter and threatened to get back into the game in the third period.
Soon after Degn's 20-yard touchdown pass to Brayden Cosper cut Bishop Gorman's lead to 17-6, the Gaels struck with Biaggio Ali Walsh's 72-yard scoring run. And then Degn's next pass was intercepted by Damuzhea Bolden, who sprinted 75 yards for another touchdown to make it 31-6.
Just like that, Bingham's upset hopes were gone.
Besides building a Utah dynasty in recent years, Bingham has produced a proud history of competing against national powers. The Miners are accustomed to big stages, like Friday's setting. The home bleachers were filled two hours before the kickoff, temporary bleachers were occupied in the north end zone and fans stood three or four deep on the concourse and lined the fence outside the track.
The atmosphere evoked a celebration of prep football in Utah — especially in the southwest Salt Lake Valley, where Bingham's program is a community fixture. The Miners' high standards have contributed to an environment that produces increasing numbers of college prospects in the state, attracting recruiters from all over the country every year.
Bingham defensive tackle Jay Tufele and linebacker Parker Workman, among others, showed what they could do against an elite opponent. But the Miners just couldn't keep up with Bishop Gorman's three transcendent players — quarterback Tate Martell, receiver Tyjon Lindsey and Ali Walsh. The Gaels also feature some ferocious defensive players, who prevented Bingham's traditionally strong ground game from establishing any consistency.
The Miners extended their defensive shutout to nine quarters to start the season, with the help of Tongi Langi's fumble recovery in the Bingham end zone to stop Bishop Gorman's first drive. Bingham's only scoring opportunity of the first half ended badly, though, following a 9-yard punt into the wind and Elvis Vakapuna's run inside the 10-yard line. Quarterback Keaton Torre was pressured and his up-for-grabs pass was intercepted.
When the teams switched ends of the field, the Gaels took advantage of a strong south wind as the game changed suddenly and completely. Bishop Gorman quarterback Tate Martell hit Tyjon Lindsey with a 56-yard touchdown pass on the first play of the second quarter, and Bingham was never quite the same.
The Gaels led 17-0 at halftime and stayed in control. The consolation for everybody involved is that Bingham's national reputation, built by former coach Dave Peck during his 15-year tenure at the school, enabled the Miners to bring an opponent of this magnitude to South Jordan. Nothing was lost in the process for coach John Lambourne's Bingham program, other than failing to produce a monumental breakthrough for Utah.
Bishop Gorman was simply too powerful to allow that to happen Friday. Then again, the Gaels' greatness was part of the fun.
Twitter: @tribkurt