Bingham dominates Alta with defense

By Tony Jones

The Salt Lake Tribune

On a large scale, Bingham’s 49-26 win over Alta on Saturday night will be remembered for Harvey Langi’s unforgettable performance, running roughshod all over Rice-Eccles Stadium.

But for those who watched the Miners defensively? It would be hard to erase that from the brain as well. Especially for Alta.

If there’s a better defense in Utah than Bingham’s, it must be awfully good. The Miners’ front seven dominated the line of scrimmage. Bingham’s linebackers ran free, making plays all over the field. The defensive backs cleaned it all up at the end, picking Hawks quarterback Boston Handley off twice in the fourth quarter, with Logan Parker’s interception going for a touchdown and Jared Afalava’s pick leading to another score.

“We have a defense that can make plays,” Bingham coach Dave Peck said. “We came into this game with a goal of not giving up more than 14 points. 26 was too much, but Alta’s so good that we knew they were going to score.”

When the Miners weren’t forcing turnovers, they were forcing Handley out of the pocket, flushing him into mistakes and making life miserable for the new starter. It was a treat to see Bingham systematically take Alta’s offense apart.

Yes, the Hawks had some big plays. Yes, Alta scored 26 points. But this was a mismatch from the start, and the margin of victory just proved how dominant Bingham was on the defensive side.

Moses Kaumatule, a defensive end, and Lowell Lotulelei were instrumental in generating pressure on Handley. With those two doing their thing, it was impossible for Alta to run the ball. The fact that the Hawks are one of the most explosive offensive teams in the state traditionally made Bingham’s defensive performance even more impressive.

“They have a great defensive line,” Alta running back Taylor Eyring said. “They pursue, they don’t give up on plays; they have a lot of talent.”

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