The West Jordan football team stayed on the Rice-Eccles Stadium turf for several minutes following its 5A semifinal game this past Friday afternoon.
The Jaguars weren't cheering; the Eagles were doing that instead of them. So while Skyline players jumped up and down and did media interviews and hugged cheerleaders for earning a spot in today's championship game, the Jaguars looked out at the stadium, some on knees, some standing, all staying silent.
West Jordan's players, with tears and disappointed looks in their eyes, were simply hanging around, not wanting to let go of a dream season. When the Jaguars finally turned around, they received a hearty cheer from their loyal supporters who thoroughly enjoyed and appreciated the school's first-ever trip to the semifinals.
West Jordan coach Mike Morgan was the last to leave the stadium after the stunning 33-3 loss to vastly improved Skyline. After receiving consolation and congratulations from fellow coaches, he offered a simple evaluation of the game.
"They played harder than we did," he said.
Who knows how different that statement would have been if the Jaguars first-possession drive had ended with a West Jordan touchdown instead of a Skyline interception on the 5-yard line. That — combined with Skyline quarterback Matt Marshall's 82-yard touchdown two plays later — set the tone for the game early on. Sure, the Jaguars only trailed by a touchdown, but momentum clearly shifted to the east-side powerhouse.
Another interception paved the way for a second-quarter Skyline score, and then the Eagles blew the game open with three TDs in the third quarter.
When the sting wears off, though, the Jaguars will have plenty of sweet memories to cherish from this historicseason.
And the squad will always hold a special place on Morgan's heart.
"I'm very proud of these young men. It's the first time they've ever made it to the semifinals," Morgan said. "It's the most hard-working, most hard-nosed group of young men I've ever coached in my life."
The year began with a three-game winning streak for the Jaguars. They kicked off the 2005 campaign by topping then-defending 5A champion Davis in a 27-21 overtime thriller. They followed that with a rout of Hillcrest and a convincing win over a high-scoring Jordan team that only managed 10 points against them.
West Jordan had some up-and-down times in the next three weeks, smashing rival Riverton 48-0 but losing to top-five 5A teams Lone Peak and Hunter. They then picked up some steam heading into the playoffs, blowing out Copper Hills, Kearns and Taylorsville while giving undefeated and No. 1-ranked Bingham its biggest scare of the regular season before finally falling.
The Jaguars picked up a pair of playoff victories, only allowing a touchdown in each game, to earn a spot in the final four for the first time in the school's 25 years.
Some will remember this team for being a tough defensive club. The Jags pitched two shutouts, held three teams to seven points and had one of the lowest points-against averages (16.46) in Class 5A.
What really made this squad stand out, though, was an eye-popping running attack, which helped West Jordan score an average of 30.2 points. Leading the way were two 1,000-yard rushers, powerful Mike Meifu and speedy Anthony Tincher. Meifu was third in 5A rushing with 1,309 yards on 221 carries (5.92 yards per carry) and 22 touchdowns. Tincher rushed for 1,046 yards, while gaining 8.57 yards a carry. He added 17 TDS and 213 yards receiving.
Scott Leach gave the Jaguars a third running back threat, gaining 605 yards at 7.38 yards a pop, while quarterback Ryan Wilson scrambled for 467 yards and accounted for 15 TDs.
Tincher and Wilson were also the Jaguars' top tacklers, while Cody Brems, Alex Pederson, Leach, Meifu, Eric Richardson, Justin Blackmore, Regan Bushnell, Jeff Job and Dustin Littlefield also bolstered the Jaguars' steady defense.
West Jordan football results
(Record: 9-4; state semifinalist)
Aug. 19 — West Jordan 27,
Davis 21 (OT)
Aug. 26 — West Jordan 51,
Hillcrest 20
Sept. 1 — West Jordan 21,
Jordan 10
Sept. 9 — Lone Peak 17,
West Jordan 6
Sept. 16 — Jordan 48,
Riverton 0
Sept. 23 — Hunter 34,
West Jordan 17
Sept. 29 — West Jordan
49, Copper Hills 0
Oct. 7 — West Jordan 49,
Kearns 7
Oct. 14 — Bingham 31,
West Jordan 21
Oct. 19 — West Jordan 53,
Taylorsville 27
5A first round
Oct. 28 — West Jordan 14,
Viewmont 7
5A quarterfinal
Nov. 4 — West Jordan 34,
Pleasant Grove 7
5A semifinal
Nov. 11 — Skyline 33,
West Jordan 3
E-mail: jody@desnews.com