For the first time in 65 years, the Tooele Buffaloes are state football champions.
Thanks to a grind-it-out running game and a special defensive plan designed to shut down Wasatch quarterback Kurt McEuen, Tooele took the 3A title with a 28-24 win over the Wasps.
"It's the best feeling in my life," Buffaloes running back Chris Gochis said.
After watching McEuen throw for 333 yards against previously unbeaten North Sanpete last week, Tooele switched from its normal 5-3 defense to a 4-2 with six defensive backs. The result: McEuen threw for 73 yards and Kyle Brady picked off two of his passes.
"It threw their passing game off a lot," Brady said. "If he's not the best quarterback in the state, then he's the best in 3A."
Tooele coach Tyler Anderson said Tooele needed to keep the ball out of McEuen's hands to win the game. His team was successful thanks to two 13-play scoring drives, an eight-play scoring drive and a 13-play drive in the first half that resulted in a punt.
"We knew we had to play a ball-control game and keep the ball away from their potent offense," Anderson said.
Friday's game was much different than Wasatch's 53-46 win over the Buffaloes in September. Tooele's running game chewed up yards and controlled the clock. Brady rushed for 97 yards on 27 carries, Gochis rushed for 82 yards on 16 carries and Matt Holt rushed for 76 yards on 17 carries.
The Buffaloes got the running game going early and took a 7-0 lead after quarterback Easton Nigh scored on a one-yard run. Holt recovered a fumble in the end zone in the second quarter to give Tooele a 14-0 lead.
A fumble by Brady gave the Wasps good field position and some life in the second quarter. Five plays after the fumble, McEuen threaded a 15-yard touchdown pass to Chase Griffiths to cut Tooele's lead to 14-6. The Buffaloes responded with a 74-yard drive and a two-yard touchdown run by Brady as time expired on the first half to take a 21-6 lead.
The Wasps struck first in the second half when Derek Kohler scored on a 35-yard touchdown run. But Tooele responded on its next drive when Holt scored on a one-yard run. Kohler scored again on a 31-yard run and McEuen scored from eight yards out to trim Wasatch's deficit to 28-24 with 5:07 left in the game. But the Wasps couldn't get the ball back again and Tooele ran the clock out.
Responding to Wasatch's scores was nothing compared to the adversity Tooele had been through this season. The Buffaloes could have folded after losing their first two games, having its third game canceled at halftime due to an accident and losing starting quarterback Kyle Pratt to an injury. But Pratt's replacement, Nigh, did an admirable job as a fill-in and went undefeated as a starter.
"All that stuff brought us closer together and actually helped us a lot," Brady said.
Though the win marked Tooele's first state title since 1937, Anderson had already won a title as a player for Orem High in 1987.
"It's even sweeter as a coach," he said. "It's so awesome for the kids."
Wasatch coach Ron Tree said his team had a hard time matching Tooele's intensity after the Wasps upset North Sanpete last week.
"It's always difficult to hit an emotional peak two weeks in a row," Tree said. "Tooele had to do the same thing and they did a better job of it."
E-mail: aaragon@desnews.com