1. Realignment
Nothing was more talked about or had a bigger impact on the landscape of high school sports in Utah than realignment.
From January to July the impending realignment changed the way schools prepared for the upcoming seasons, and in the past five months those changes became a reality. In the end, 21 high schools changed classifications beginning in 2009.
The changes altered regions throughout the state not to mention the competitive balance of most classifications. Realignment increased 5A and 4A to 29 teams. Class 3A shrunk a bit to 21 teams, while 2A shrank to 17 teams and 1A increased to 29 teams.
In the fall sports season, almost every school that jumped up a classification struggled, adding more credibility to people who were outwardly opposed to realignment in its current form.
With three and a half more years to go in the current alignment, talk about the new regions will inevitably die down, but it will surely pick in 2012 when new realignment proposals become public.
2. West upsets invincible Provo
Virtually nobody gave West a chance against No. 1 Provo in the 4A boys basketball championship game at the E Center last March, and understandably so. The Panthers hadn't won a state championship since 1975, whereas Provo had won 11 titles during that span including two straight — not to mention an impressive 40-game winning streak.
West never let the history become intimidating. Despite Provo's talented duo of Kyle Collinsworth and Kyle Davies, West built a double-digit lead in the first half. Provo battled back to tie the game in the third quarter, but led by Chris Barnes and Tyrell Corbin the Panthers very methodically pulled away in the fourth quarter for the improbable state championship.
3. Kings of 4A mountain
In a season when Timpview's 36-game winning streak came to an end, it lost to a pair of 5A teams, and it lost Bronson Kaufusi to a season-ending knee injury, there were plenty of reasons to believe the T-Birds' dominance of 4A was in jeopardy.
Hogwash.
Timpview plowed through the state tournament with lopsided victories over Olympus, Spanish Fork, Mountain Crest and Springville to claim its fourth straight championship by ending the season on a 10-game winning streak.
4. Banner recruiting year/p>
It's not every year that a high school offensive lineman from Utah announces his college decision on ESPN, but it was for Timpview lineman Xavier Su'a-Filo who donned a UCLA cap on TV on National Signing Day last February.
He was one of over 30 in-state football recruits who signed letters of intent to play college football for Division I programs.
Among the colleges that local kids pledged allegiances to were USC, UCLA, BYU, Utah, California, Utah State, Wyoming and Washington State.
5. National recognition
When it came to her craft — scoring goals — nobody did it better than Alta's Kealia Ohai — anywhere.
After leading the Hawks to their fourth straight state championship this fall, Ohai was recognized by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America as the 2009 National Player of the Year.
Ohai and the rest of the All-American selections will be honored as part of the 2010 NSCAA Convention in Philadelphia on Jan. 16.
Ohai, who will continue her career at NCAA power North Carolina, finished her high school career with a staggering 126 career goals.
6. West Jordan denies a 3-peat
The script had basically already been written for Lone Peak's boys basketball team. Led by Tyler Haws, one of the state's best high school players ever, the Knights were the overwhelming favorite to claim the 5A state championship last March at the E Center.
After taking care of business in the first three rounds, the only thing left standing in Lone Peak's way of a third-straight state championship was West Jordan.
Led by its own superstar, Rayes Gallegos, West Jordan outscored Lone Peak 37-20 in the second half to pull away for the 63-52 upset just hours after West had upset Provo in the 4A championship.
7. Swine flu scare for Park City
Park City's boys soccer team was the overwhelming favorite to win the 3A state tournament when the brackets were finalized last spring, but that all changed when an HINI virus scare in Park City forced the Park City School District to close all of its schools.
The timing of the closure was awful for Park City's soccer team in its quest for back-to-back state titles. It forced the UHSAA to postpone Park City's first-round game to the following week, but with the school still closed after the weekend it appeared the Miners would have to forfeit their first-round soccer game.
Just before the UHSAA began a press conference to announce that all 3A state tournaments would proceed as scheduled, the Summit County Heath Department faxed a letter to the UHSAA indicating it was recommending that Park City High School reopen on Tuesday.
That paved the way for Park City's soccer team to participate in the playoffs, and it won four games over the next five days to claim the 3A state championship.
8. Lofty accomplishments
Mountain Crest wrestler Ethen Lofthouse joined some elite company last February.
By pinning Springville's Bryan Beardall in the 171 lb. final at the McKay Events Center in February, he became one of a handful of wrestlers to finish his high school career as a four-time state champion. He finished his high school career with a 192-7 career record.
Lofthouse also placed second at the NHSCAA national championships in 2009 after winning national titles his sophomore and junior years. He was also an all-state football player and graduated first in his class with a 4.0 GPA. He now wrestles for the University of Iowa.
9. A new standard
Mountain Crest swimmer Jake Taylor turned in a performance for the ages at the 4A swimming meet last February.
He broke state records in the 200 IM, 100 back and 100 free to claim the 4A boys Swimmer of the Meet award narrowly edging Snow Canyon's Joe Beutler, who had a dominant state tournament performance in his own right.
The IM record Taylor broke on Friday of the two-day event had stood for 30 years. In the 100 back he shattered the previous record by racing sub-50 seconds at 49.87.
10. A new home
For years soccer players dreamed of having a big-time venue to play their championship games in like most of the other high school sports in Utah.
Those dreams finally came true at Rio Tinto Stadium during 2009.
In the first-ever championship games played at Real Salt Lake's stadium, 5A's Brighton and 4A's Mountain View claimed boys soccer state championships last spring. Several months later, all four girls soccer championship games were played at Rio Tinto Stadium, with 5A's Alta, 4A's Timpanogos, 3A's Juan Diego and 2A's Waterford all prevailing.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
American Fork sweeps boys and girls cross country titles
Mountain Crest beats Dixie twice on championship day to claim 4A baseball title
Pink games spread to basketball and football
Springville upsets 23-0 Sky View in 4A semifinals of girls basketball state tournament
Viewmont wrestling wins second straight title, five of last six
Rob Cuff takes over as executive director of UHSAA
Rich volleyball coach Cindy Stuart retires after 23 years
Evan Excell inducted into National High School Hall of Fame
Morgan volleyball coach Liz Wiscombe wins National Coach of the Year
The opening of Maple Mountain, Westlake and Stansbury High Schools