Manoa Pikula stood in the middle of his Bingham teammates in the small, stuffy room and hollered.
"This is Alta!" the senior linebacker shouted at halftime of Saturday's Bingham-Alta game at Rice-Eccles Stadium. "Alta! They shouldn't be getting yards on us!"
The rest of the Miner defense rushed toward him and cheered in agreement as they broke the huddle and prepared to head back onto the field for the second half of the state's most anticipated high school football game.
The boys who struggle against each other on the field are only part of what makes the games between Bingham and Alta so intriguing. The rivalry has become so popular coaches and administrators from both schools began looking for a bigger venue for the annual preseason meeting between the two football powers. They found a home, at least for two years, at Rice-Eccles Stadium — which is the same field that has seen the two squads meet in the playoffs in either the semifinals or finals the last four years. Estimates on attendance ranged from 17,000 to 25,000, but final numbers should be out in about a week.
"I think this is bigger than our state games," said Bingham head coach Dave Peck. It is definitely the best-attended prep game in the state — every time they play.
That's because the rivalry isn't just a clash of two potential state champions. It involves the communities that support each school and is drenched with emotion and energy but, unlike a lot of rivalries, not venom.
While there are few teams that the Miners would rather beat than the Hawks, there are also few teams they respect more.
"Hey, keep your mind on the game," Vliseni Fauonuku, a senior defensive lineman, barks at a group of younger players who gathered around a window to watch the defending state champion Minerettes' halftime performance as Bingham holds a 15-6 lead. "This is Alta. They thrive on close games."
Fans are dressed in school colors, some have painted their bodies and faces.. Even for those with no connection to either school it's more than a game — it's an event.
"It's pride between two schools," said Dillon Papenfuss, a senior at Bingham. "The winner has come from this game the last four years to win the state tournament. This game is bigger than just us. This is an East vs. West pride."
The bit of east-west animosity that exists was exacerbated when voters chose to split the old Jordan District into two smaller districts — the Canyons (east side and home of Alta) and the new Jordan (west side and home of Bingham).
West-side residents felt slighted and abandoned by east-side residents, who'd expressed displeasure in public meetings about the need to support the growth and building efforts on the west side of the old Jordan District.
It is interesting to note that the Canyons District voters just approved a bond to build a new high school in Draper, which will draw students away from Alta. If the school's population drops significantly, it could impact the rivalry between Alta and Bingham.
But for now, these two teams are powers. They are contenders. And on Saturday night, they are opponents that want nothing more than to dominate the other.
"Play like this is your last game," Fauonuku advises the defense. "Just because you don't play doesn't mean just sit on the sideline. Step it up! It shouldn't be close!"
In the end, it is not. Bingham, with 13 Division I recruits, pulls away and wins 49-26. The defense earned two interceptions that led to two of those touchdowns.
As Bingham's team gathered for a trophy presentation and pictures, one of the players yells, "West-side pride!" To which his teammates respond with whoops and yelps.
But both coaches and players will tell you that at the heart of the rivalry, which has developed in the last few years as one of the best in the country, is respect. The teens grow up playing little league against each other and they are friends off the field.
On the field Saturday night, the hits are brutal but after every play, the boys help each other up, regardless of the color of the jersey. There aren't any fights or unsportsmanlike calls.
Last year, Alta head coach Les Hamilton nominated the game for the Great American Rivalry Series sponsored by the U.S. Airforce. Ryan Mosser, who presented the Rivalry Series trophy to Bingham after the game, said Utah enjoys one of the country's best in the Bingham-Alta contest.
"This is as good as it gets," he said. "Excellent crowds, good people and a great game."
The selection committee considers 250 to 300 games per year, and chooses about 15. Mosser has seen 20 games in 15 states and said Utah should relish this rivalry.
"I'll be back next year," he says after shaking Peck's hand.
Peck walks to the 50-year-line after the game and takes the outstretched hand of Les Hamilton. Then the two coaches lead their teams through handshakes that include a lot of hugs for two teams that battled so hard in just the second game of the season.
"I think rivalries are great," said Peck. "Playing a team like Alta early is a lot of fun, and it helps both programs find out what we're about."
e-mail: adonaldson@desnews.com