If Tooele's Kyle Brady wanted to change his name to Superman, Clark Kent wouldn't put up a fight.
Brady, a senior, did just about everything in the Tooele's 32-21 Class 3A semifinal victory over Lehi to lead the Buffaloes to their first state championship football appearance since 1962.
"I think he is the best athlete in the state," Tooele coach Tyler Anderson said. "The kid performs each and every week. Everybody knows who they have to stop him, but they can't. He's a player you dream about coaching."
His numbers in Saturday's victory: simply spectacular. He recorded team highs in rushing yards (120); passing yards (2-of-3 for 71 yards) and had three interceptions — one for a touchdown. He now has 13 interceptions on the year and a state-record 29 for his career. He also scored three touchdowns.
In 11 games Brady has scored a classification-best 27 touchdowns.
"He does everything for us," Anderson said. "I can't say enough about him and our team."
The Buffaloes (9-2) will play Wasatch for the state championship Friday at 10 a.m. at Rice-Eccles Stadium. The two teams met in Week 3, and Wasatch squeaked out a 53-46 victory.
Defensively, the Buffaloes allowed Lehi 333 total yards and 21 points, but it forced six turnovers (four interceptions and two fumbles).
"People overlook our defense, but they step up when they need to and finish game," Anderson said.
Lehi tied the score at 21-21 on a four-yard run by Kade Hillstead before Tooele's Benson Palmer nailed a 45-yard field goal to give the Buffaloes the lead for good with 16 seconds left in the third quarter.
Late in the fourth quarter, Brady added his 31-yard interception return to seal the victory.
The Pioneers committed three turnovers in their first four possessions of the second half and had the ball inside the Tooele 30-yard line three times in the second half and only scored one touchdown.
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"Turnovers will kill you and they hurt us tonight," Lehi coach Joe Hayes said.<
"I don't think I called a very good game in the second half," Hayes said. "We had a problem executing. We had our opportunities there but we couldn't capitalize."
For the game, Worthen completed 15 of 31 passes for 226 yards but was intercepted four times. The Pioneers rushed for only 107 yards and Street led with 44 yards. Kade Hillstead was held to just 16 yards on eight carries. Receiver Alan Bailey had five receptions for 82 yards, and Hillstead had three for 23 yards.
Tooele gained 346 yards total offense — 227 rushing and 119 passing.
E-mail: jhinton@desnews.com