Many coaches will tell you that hard work and execution is what drives a team to success. What they don't always say, but know to be true, is that you need really good players to compete for the ultimate prize of a championship.
It's no different when it comes to high school football. Teams' stars need to shine in the brightest moments for their team to succeed.
Here are five players that will need to stand out above the rest if their teams are to move on to the semifinals at Rice-Eccles Stadium.
Spencer Curtis — Jordan Beetdiggers wide receiver
Jordan's high-powered offense has led them to the quarterfinals and will need to be on point as they take on a very solid Lone Peak squad. Curtis will need to play a big part in the receiving game. Curtis leads the state in receiving yards per game at 135. Only twice this season was Curtis held to under 80 yards receiving, and they both ended with him catching just one ball each game. Expect the Lone Peak defense to double team Curtis and make life difficult for him. But Curtis will try to find a way to lead his team to an upset victory.
Cammon Cooper — Lehi Pioneers quarterback
If the Pioneers have any shot of defeating the Bingham Miners, Cooper will need to take care of the football. He is one of the most prolific passers in the state. Cooper has thrown for 462 yards more than the second place quarterback. But at times, especially in Lehi's losses, Cooper gets careless and throws interceptions. He's thrown just 11 interceptions this season, but in all three of the Pioneers' losses, Cooper threw seven combined interceptions. Cooper can't make those kind of mistakes against a Bingham team that's going to be hard to stop.
James Pembroke — Highland Rams quarterback
It hasn't been the dominant kind of season that the Rams expected out of Pembroke, but he's done enough to get them this far. As a quarterback, he's one of the state leaders in rushing touchdowns with 13 and he has yet to throw an interception this season. But Pembroke does rely more on his legs than his arm. The Rams will need Pembroke to be accurate through the air because of Alta's prolific offense that will put up points.
Chaz Ah You — Timpview Thunderbirds defensive back
Ah You is one of the most highly recruited football players ever in Utah and he'll need to show why against the unpredictable East offense. Ah You is second on the team in interceptions with two and one of the team leaders in tackles with 41. His job will be to contain the East's option attack from making any big plays. He wasn't part of the demoralizing defeat to the Leopards in the state championship last year, but he will need to play with the same kind of edge that his teammates will have, looking for revenge.
Levani Damuni — Ridgeline Riverhawks linebacker
In Ridgeline's first year as a school, they've lived up to expectations. But a win against Desert Hills will solidify them as a school to watch out for for years to come. Senior leader Damuni is establishing a culture of hard work and success for this first-year team. He leads the team with nine sacks and is third on the team with 53 tackles. Damuni will need to get to the quarterback and contain the running game against a solid Thunder offense. But it might be more important for Damuni to play well on the offensive side of the ball. He leads the team with 12 total touchdowns on the season and is second in rushing yards with 725. Expect Damuni to be featured often on both sides for the Riverhawks.
Nathan Harker is a sports writing intern currently enrolled at Brigham Young University majoring in broadcast journalism. Nathan can be reached at nathan.harker32@gmail.com or via Twitter @n8_harker.