Weber 17, Bountiful 14For the Weber High Warriors, Friday was deja vu. When Weber won its first-ever state football championship in 1985, it used an opportunistic defense to upset a favored Davis County team by a score of 17-14.
Friday, it happened again.
The Warriors surprised the previously unbeaten Bountiful Braves 17-14 to capture the 4A state crown. And as was the case 14 years earlier, it was Weber's defense that led the way.
"It's been our defense all year long," said an elated and somewhat awestruck coach Kory Bosgieter. "It's no secret that our defense is our strength. We were happy when our defense forced a couple of mistakes, and we knew we'd have to take advantage of them."
The Warriors' offense looked strong early on. Weber took first possession and used a no-huddle offense to drive 76 yards in 10 plays, finally settling for a 42-yard field goal from Stephan Minnig that would eventually prove the margin of victory. Quarterback Mike Bailey completed his first four passes of the game for 50 yards, and the Warriors looked like they might be explosive all afternoon. Bountiful also moved the ball well on its first series, until a bad pitchout led to an 11-yard loss that stalled the Braves' opening drive. On the afternoon, it was poor ball handling (five fumbles, one lost, plus one pass interception) that would ruin Bountiful's attempt to complete a second undefeated season (as it did in winning the 1990 3A crown).
The Braves grabbed their only lead midway through the second quarter. Bountiful drove 91 yards in 13 plays before quarterback Seth Patterson, who had left the game with a slight head injury earlier in the quarter, scored on a 15 yard run. The snap for point after was low, but holder Erik Soderberg alertly picked it up and scampered for two points, giving Bountiful an 8-3 lead.
One final Brave drive before halftime stalled at the Weber 25, but a poor snap on a 42-yard field goal attempt led to a blocked kick as the half ended.
Weber's defense set up the Warrior's first touchdown just as the second half began. Bountiful was moving from its 40 into Weber territory when Darin Scott picked off a pass and returned it 44 yards for a touchdown. Bailey then took the snap and ran for two points, giving Weber an 11-8 lead. And that's where the defenses kept it until an eventful fourth quarter.
The Warriors drove deep to the Braves' 28, but Minnig's field goal attempt was just wide to the right, giving Bountiful the ball back at its 20 with 6:23 remaining. On first down, the Braves fumbled, this time losing the ball at their own seven when J.D. Hall pounced on the loose pigskin. Though it was Bountiful's fifth fumble of the game, it was the only one the Braves lost.
Three plays later, Bailey rolled to his right and tossed a floater to Jon Graves in the right corner of the end zone, and though the PAT was blocked, Weber now held a nine-point lead with just 5:24 to go.
"We've been working on that play all season long," Bailey said postgame, with a beaming Graves by his side. "We knew our offense could come through with the big play when we needed it, and we just had to go out and prove it."
But the Braves, who used four different quarterbacks on the afternoon when Patterson went out with a second injury (hip pointer) and Soderberg suffered a compound fracture of a finger on his left hand (both showed incredible fortitude by returning to play by game's end), weren't dead yet.
With Patterson once again leading the way, Bountiful marched 81 yards in nine plays, five of them pass completions by Patterson for 53 yards, including a five-yard toss to Rob Stark with 2:14 remaining for the score. The point-after was again denied due to problems with the snap (Soderberg is the Braves' usual holder but couldn't catch the snaps due to his injury.) The Braves' defense then stopped Weber again, giving Bountiful a final opportunity at its 48-yard line with 1:40 to go.
Weber stopped the first two Bountiful pass plays, nearly intercepting the second. On third down, Cameron Jensen, who had another solid all-around performance for Bountiful, slipped after catching a pass for a one-yard gain. On fourth down near midfield, the slippery turf at Rice-Eccles Stadium tripped up Bountiful's Matt Ramos after he caught a five-yard pass, giving the ball back to Weber on downs. The Warriors then killed the clock for their second-ever state football title.
Both defenses played extremely well, with Bountiful coach Larry Wall stating that "that's been the character of this team all year. I was really proud of how our kids stepped up on 'D'. We overcame a lot of bumps and bruises out there and still had a chance at the end."
Even Bosgieter, who was well aware of Bountiful's injuries at game's end, was impressed.
"They're very well coached. Larry does a great job. They had to overcome a lot from losing two of their quarterbacks and still be there at the finish."
Bountiful enjoyed a big statistical advantage, outrushing Weber 167 yards to 40 and edging the Warriors in passing with 119 yards to 115. Jensen picked up 65 yards and Ramos 61 for the Braves, while Bailey led Weber with 17 yards rushing and 115 yards passing. Weber finished 11-2 on the year, while Bountiful ended the season with a 12-1 mark.