Coming from behind late in the state football championship game is becoming old hat for the Bountiful Braves. These boys just don't panic.
The Braves won the state title last year on a last-minute field goal. This year's 4A crown came compliments of a nine-play 96-yard scoring drive late in the fourth quarter to give Bountiful a 21-13 come-from-behind win over the Logan Grizzlies Friday afternoon at Rice-Eccles Stadium.
"We talked about playing 48 minutes today, and that's what the kids did," Bountiful coach Larry Wall said.
Don't let the final score fool you. This was really a one-point contest. Bountiful's final touchdown, a 45-yard run with under two minutes to play, was a gift from Logan. With the Braves up 14-13 and in possession, the Grizzlies' coaching staff knew the only way to get the ball back was to let Bountiful score.
"It was really a pretty smart play on their part," Wall said.
Following the ensuing kickoff, however, the Grizzlies' season ended on four straight incomplete passes. The state title is Bountiful's fifth. The Braves also won back-to-back crowns in 1990-91.
"There's nothing better than this," said Braves senior quarterback Chase Christensen, who led the game-winning march.
The Grizzlies might have been the team celebrating if not for a little high-school exuberance. With the game tied 7-7 late in the third quarter, Logan cornerback Cameron Nyman made a great defensive play when he picked off a Christensen pass and returned it untouched 35 yards for a touchdown. However, the final few yards came with Nyman flying head first through the air. The officials called the Grizzlies for unsportsmanlike conduct, ruling the dive was unnecessary to score.
"We tell our guys to do everything they can to get into the end zone," Logan coach Mike Favero said.
Instead of a chip-shot point-after attempt, the Grizzlies were left with a 35-yard kick — which sailed wide. Had Logan converted that extra point, the game possibly could have been 14-14 at the end of regulation and possibly decided in overtime.
"It's a tough call in a game like that but I guess those are the rules," Favero said.
All of Bountiful's points came in the second half after trailing 7-0 at intermission. Logan scored first, early in the second quarter, when quarterback Ben Macey took a play out of Bountiful's book and lobbed one to Ryan McComber in the corner of the end zone from 17 yards out, completing an eight-play 88-yard drive. The money play Friday for Logan was Macey finding tight-end Jason Larsen over the middle six times for big yardage.
After taking a punt at Logan's 44-yard line, the Braves tied the game at 7-7 midway through the third quarter when Christensen found Mark Rogers uncovered in the end zone from five yards out. Tailback Sam Chagzoetsang had two big runs in the drive — gains of 29 yards and 13 yards on sweeps. Wall said the Braves started running outside because Logan was focusing so much attention on the trap and dive.
"When they're selling their soul to stop the inside, they've got to be weak somewhere," Wall said.
Still, things looked pretty peachy for Logan following Nyman's interception return. They looked even better after a Logan punt pinned the Braves on their own 4-yard line with 6:49 remaining and the Grizzlies up by six.
But Christensen and company have been there before. Following two pass completions to Mike Wright and a reception and long run by Casey Simmonds, the Braves suddenly found themselves at midfield. From there Christensen did what he's been doing all year, lofting one up long and wide and letting one of his tall receivers go get it. His target this time was the 6-foot-4 Wright, who was being guarded by a defender almost a foot shorter than him.
"I just threw it up and hoped he'd catch it and he did," Christensen said.
After wrestling the ball away from the defender, Wright rambled down to the 3-yard line. Christensen hit Zack Wilson two plays later on a short scoring strike to knot the game 13-13 with only 3:31 remaining. Dave Carroll's extra point was enough for victory.
"My patented play all year has been to jump up and grab it and that's what I did," Wright said of his 47-yard reception.
Favero said the game was decided by one or two big plays and a couple of inches.
"When you're playing for the state championship, you can always expect a dogfight. That's what we had," the Logan coach said.
E-mail: jimr@desnews.com