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SLIDESHOW: Davis vs. Bingham, 5-A football championship
SALT LAKE CITY -- The ability to make big plays when you need them is what defines championship-caliber teams. The Darts and Miners were each able to produce big plays Friday when they needed them most.
But Region 3 champion Bingham had a few more game-changers in its 35-24 state 5-A championship game victory over Region 1 champion Davis in the University of Utah's Rice-Eccles Stadium.
After Mike Jewkes' 39-yard field goal with no time remaining gave the Darts a 17-7 halftime lead, the Miners' Brady Measom returned the second-half kickoff 56 yards, setting up junior tailback Harvey Langi's 4-yard touchdown run at 10:51 of the third quarter.
Bingham trimmed Davis' lead to 17-14, but the Darts -- aided by a Miners' personal foul penalty on a third-down incompletion -- answered the bell and surged ahead 24-14 at 5:54 of the quarter on tailback Tanner Hinds' 7-yard scoring burst -- his 24th rushing touchdown this season.
But Davis never scored again -- the Darts got outscored 28-7 during the second half -- and Miners junior quarterback Stefan Cantwell pounded in three second-half touchdowns.
Cantwell, who replaces starter Ty Hannay in running situations, ran for a game-high 173 yards and four touchdowns on 18 carries. Bingham (13-1 overall) finished with 294 yards rushing on 52 attempts, and had 344 total net yards on 58 offensive plays.
The Miners, who did not lose to a Utah team this year, fumbled four times but did not turn the ball over.
"We stopped tackling in the second half," Davis defensive coordinator Tyler Gladwell said. "We were not getting off the ball as well, and they were playing faster. It's hard to account for Cantwell. They have so many weapons, and when they bring him in that just adds one more to the mix. He's a good player.
"Special teams can be a factor," Gladwell said. "Our offense came down and scored after they did (in the third quarter). We didn't give up, and Bingham is a good team; the best team we've played all year, by far."
With the Miners stacking the line of scrimmage to try and negate the speedy Hinds, Darts junior quarterback Gavin Fowler responded with a career game. He completed 15-of-25 passes for a season-high 231 yards and two touchdowns with one interception.
Davis junior wideout Daniel Moffett had seven receptions for a game-high 133 yards and a touchdown.
"Gavin does two things very well," Davis coach Ryan Bishop said. "He protects the ball and manages the game. On that (interception) play, we were trying to make something happen."
Trailing 28-24 with 8:36 remaining after Cantwell's third touchdown, Fowler was picked off by Bingham defensive back Travis McRae at the Miners' 44-yard line.
Fowler was trying to hit tight end Landon Horne, who had four catches for 75 yards and a touchdown, over the middle.
"Our guys made blocks and we were able to get open on our routes," Fowler said. "They were stacking the box to stop Tanner. I made a misread on the pick and their guy made a great play."
The Darts finished with 314 total net yards, running just four fewer offensive plays than the Miners. But Davis (10-3) only had 83 yards rushing on 29 attempts after averaging 215.3 yards per game over its previous 12 games.
"That second-half runback got them energized and gave them field position," Bishop said. "Give Bingham credit. They play tough and physical, and we stood up to them. They just made a few more plays than we did.
"We're proud of the success we had," he said. "It was a fun year; an awesome season. For me, it's not focusing on just the wins. We had no divisions within our locker room, so having success and winning games is icing on the cake."
Bingham 35, Davis 24
Friday at Salt Lake City's Rice-Eccles Stadium
Bingham 0 7 14 14 -- 35
Davis 7 10 7 0 -- 24
Davis--Moffett 23 pass from Fowler (Jewkes kick).
Bingham--Cantwell 1 run (Loveless kick).
Davis--L. Horne 10 pass from Fowler (Jewkes kick).
Davis--Jewkes 39 field goal.
Bingham--H. Langi 4 run (Loveless kick).
Davis--Tanner Hinds 7 run (Jewkes kick).
Bingham--Cantwell 13 run (Loveless kick).
Bingham--Cantwell 2 run (Loveless kick).
Bingham--Cantwell 7 run (Loveless kick).
