This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Springville has lost one game in two seasons, and yet it felt as if the Red Devils needed to validate their success against Alta in the Class 4A semifinals at Rice-Eccles Stadium on Friday because of the perceived weakness of Region 8.
Whoa, Nelly, did they ever.
Springville suffocated the Hawks' vaunted offense while physically imposing its will with a flurry of misdirection on offense to pull off a stunningly lopsided 42-14 win.
"We're excited," said Springville coach Willy Child, whose program clinched its first appearance in the state championship since 2009 and is vying for its first title since 1985. "Our kids, they know how to win, they know how to prepare to win. Our motto all year was to finish, and we've got another chance next week to go finish."
The Devils, who have won 24 of their past 25 games, will have an opportunity to avenge the lone loss against East in the 4A state championship on Friday, Nov. 18, at 6:30 p.m. The Leopards beat Springville 42-14 in the 2015 semifinals en route to their first state title since 1996.
"We know we're one of the best teams in state, and this proves it, but we [need] to prove it one more time," said Devils lineman Andrew Slack. "[East] is pretty good, but they're just another team. We can beat them. It will be a tough game; it'd be nice to get that revenge."
En route to building a 28-0 halftime lead, Springville (12-0) forced four punts and corralled an interception on defense. It was only the second time this season Alta (11-2) was held scoreless at intermission.
The majority of the success can be attributed to the Devils' defensive backs blanketing the secondary and allowing the linebackers to focus on stopping Alta running back Josh Davis, who failed to reach the century mark in rushing yards for only the second time this season. Davis finished with 94 yards and on 15 carries to bring his final season total to 2,644 yards, the second-most single-season rushing yards in state history, trailing only East's Jaylen Warren.
Davis wasn't the only player to struggle against Springville's defense, either. The Red Devils held the Hawks to 37 fewer points than their state-leading per-game average, and 176 yards under their rushing average.
"We had a great game plan, and they executed it," Child said of his defense.
Offensively, Springville utilized its massive offensive line and went to work. Payton Kelepolo rushed for 239 yards on 33 carries, with one touchdown, as the Devils piled up 401 yards on the ground. Quarterback Jantsen Thorpe was the beneficiary at the goal line, scoring four 1-yard touchdowns to help provide a 35-0 cushion after the first drive in the third quarter.
"I think that's what we put all of our cards on all year. It's who we are. We're a physical and confident team," Thorpe said of the ground game.
Springville nearly doubled Alta in time of possession, finishing with 31 minutes of clock time compared to 17. The Devils also ran more plays (66-53), and were 6 of 11 on third down and 2 for 2 on fourth down.
"It's amazing. I mean, it's what we've been working for all season long," Thorpe said. "... We knew Alta was a great team, but we had a lot of confidence in our defense and our offense, as well."
Twitter: @trevorphibbs —
Storylines
R Springville builds a 35-point lead en route to its first championship game appearance since 2009.
• The Red Devils will play East, the only team to beat them in their past 25 games, in the Class 4A finale.
• Springville racks up 401 yards on the ground, while holding Alta well below its normal output on offense.
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