Bingham's reign survived the rain and a trip to Bountiful Wednesday. The top-ranked Miners squeaked out a 10-7 non-region victory over the Braves amidst heavy showers and a slippery football.
"We didn't dominate, nobody dominated. It was just bad weather," said Bingham coach Sonny Sudbury. "When you get a wet field like this it's a game of breaks. And we got the breaks."The last such occurrence, with 48 seconds remaining, saved the day for the Miners. After Bountiful marched inside the Bingham 10, the Miners recovered a fumbled snap when the Braves elected not to kick a field goal on a fourth-down-and-inches situtation.
"(A field goal) isn't a given in this type of weather," said Bountiful coach Larry Wall. "So why not lay it on the line right there and see what happens?"
The Braves hoped to put the ball in the hands of talented running back Jon Benson, but he never got the chance. Bingham pounced on the ball leaving Bountiful less than 10 yards away from a possible upset.
"We had a chance to win it late. That's all you can ask," said Wall. "A couple of turnovers was the big difference."
Indeed.
On the first play from scrimmage, Bingham recovered a Bountiful fumble to set up the game's first score. Eight plays after taking possession on the Brave 40, the Miners hit paydirt when quarterback Charlie Peterson connected on a 5-yard strike to Steve Smith. The pass sailed through the arms of a Bountiful defender before being secured by the Bingham senior.
The score remained unchanged until the fourth quarter when kicker John Grande connected on a 21-yard field goal to increase the Miners' lead to 10-0 with nine minutes remaining.
Down but not out, Bountiful came storming back. Quarterback Terry Rose teamed with Benson on a 53-yard touchdown pass to close the deficit to three with 6:49 left to play. Unfortunately for the upstart Braves, Brad Haslam's extra point capped all their scoring on the night.
After forcing the Miners to three plays and a punt, Bountiful marched down field in the final four minutes before the late miscue, which Bingham's defensive unit recovered.
"Our kids believed in themselves," said Sudbury. "They didn't quit."
Speaking of believers, add the Bountiful Braves.
"Until someone beats them, (Bingham) is the No. 1 team," said Wall. "I guess they backed it up right here."