Regardless of how the final two weeks of the 3A high school football season plays out, someone will be dusting out the trophy case for the first time in a very long time.
Two of this Saturday’s semifinalists, Juab and North Sanpete, have never won a football state championship in 168 combined seasons, while Grantsville and Morgan each last won a title in 1997 when they were in separate classifications.
Without either a private or charter school in the semifinals for the first time in six years, a rural school is set to claim a football title in the state’s second-smallest classification for the first time since 2012 when Manti won the 2A crown.
“It’s going to be someone that hasn’t won one for a while so it’s kind of intriguing,” said Morgan coach Kovi Christiansen.
Both semifinals will take place at Mountain View High School this Saturday, with Morgan-North Sanpete kicking off first at 11 a.m. followed by Grantsville-Juab at 1:30 p.m.
The first game is a rematch of last year’s semifinal won by North Sanpete, 22-15, while Grantsville and Juab are squaring off for the first time since 2016.
“It’s exciting to play someone new and someone we haven’t played in a while,” said Juab coach Mike Bowring.
Of the four semifinalists, Juab is the only team without a loss to a fellow 3A program this year. Its lone loss came to 5A’s Salem Hills back in week 3.
In Juab’s nine games against 3A teams this season its defense has dominated by allowing only 9.1 ppg, which includes a 28-5 win over North Sanpete in week 7.
Grantsville’s defense has been stout as well all season allowing only 13.5 ppg as the program is in the semifinals for the first time since 2005.
It’s Grantsville’s offense that has paved the way for the atypical success. A dominant rushing team a year ago, after a slow 1-2 start to the season it has emerged as an outstanding passing team as Jackson Sandberg has passed for 2,158 yards and 26 TDs, while receiver Ammon Bartley has 1,026 yards and 11 TDs.
“We had to have a new identity on offense and it took a little time to sink in,” said Grantsville coach Kody Byrd.
A year ago, North Sanpete was the surprise runner-up in 3A after an 0-10 season in 2017, but there’s nothing surprising about the Hawks’ fantastic season this year.
Coach Rhett Bird said his players were motivated to prove last year was no fluke and this year “was more of a statement season.”
In North Sanpete’s surprisingly semifinal win last year over Morgan it forced five turnovers, a key storyline again as both teams have strong, athletic defenses.
“One team is going to have the advantage over the other in some categories, but like last year whatever team comes in and executes that day and wants it more than the other team will win,” said Bird.