SALT LAKE CITY — Bountiful High’s football team trailed Alta 19-14 late in the teams’ 5A state semifinal Thursday night at Rice-Eccles Stadium.

One week ago, Bountiful drove 62 yards to tie its quarterfinal at Springville in the final minute, then trailed in overtime before scoring and converting a game-winning two-point conversion.

That got the No. 10 Redhawks to Rice-Eccles on Thursday, where they had 93 yards to go with 3:23 left and needed a touchdown against No. 11 Alta.

In the type of high-pressure moment a team prepares for all offseason, Bountiful went 10 plays and 93 yards down the field to score the game-winner when Emerson Geilman lobbed a pass to Faletau Satuala for a jump-ball touchdown.

A fourth-down pass breakup by Britton Tidwell on Alta’s next possession prompted a wild celebration to mark Bountiful’s 20-19 win over Alta.

The Redhawks’ (10-4) last state semifinal appearance was in 2011. The last championship game appearance was when it completed a back-to-back title in 2003, 20 years ago.

“I’m so excited. This is our dream since the beginning of the season,” Satuala said. “Playing with these kids for the last 10 years, me and the other captains, we’ve all just grown up together since like second grade, been playing football, it’s always been our dream it just means so much.

The Redhawks got to this year’s title game by running for 113 yards, simultaneously holding Alta to 40 rushing yards on 24 carries and keeping Alta out of the end zone the entire second half.

Siaki Fekitoa’s short TD run brought Bountiful to a 7-7 tie in the second quarter. Tidwell turned a screen pass into a 45-yard TD for a 14-13 halftime lead.

Alta kicked two third-quarter field goals to take a 19-14 lead into the fourth quarter. The Redhawks forced two punts but took over at their own 7-yard line with 3:23 left in the game to start the drive that would be the game-winner.

“It means the world. We come from a program that we talk a lot about tradition and we play on our tradition and what’s come before us,” Bountiful coach Jason Freckleton said. “And it’s been a long time since we’ve been here, and we’re making our tradition and building on it, and so it’s a great moment, it’s a sweet moment. We’re gonna enjoy it and go win the thing.”

On the final march, Bountiful got a 9-yard pass to Brandon Wilkinson, a 10-yard screen to Fekitoa, a 13-yard pass to Brooks, and another 10-yard screen to Fekitoa with a 15-yard facemask that put the ball at the Alta 34-yard line.

Geilman ran for 5 yards, Fekitoa caught another 10-yard screen and Geilman ran for 14 yards to get to the 5. Two plays later, Bountiful lined up in a jumbo formation, but with the 6-foot-5 Satuala on the outside in single coverage.

Everyone in the stadium knew where the ball was going. Sataula still jumped up for it, made the catch and stared down the defender afterward.

“We rep it every day at practice, so it kind of comes second nature, me and Emerson have a really good connection. It was a perfectly thrown ball, so when it comes with the pressure, I don’t even really think about it. We kind of just do it,” Satuala said.

Alta got the ball back with 1:02 left and went almost nowhere. Brooks made a second-down pass breakup on what would’ve been a huge gain for Bryant Weber. The next play, Brooks made a 7-yard sack to force a fourth-and-17.

“It was great to make that play, great win for the team,” Brooks said. “You don’t get many opportunities in a football game, so when you do get the opportunity, you really gotta capitalize on it and make the most, get your name on the map, do what’s best for the team.”

Tidwell made a pass breakup on the ensuing fourth down in front of the Bountiful sideline, clinching the Redhawks’ fourth playoff win and second straight by one point.

Fekitoa had 82 rushing yards and 47 receiving yards. Satuala had 17 tackles on top of the game-winning TD. Brooks had eight tackles, two tackles for loss and 29 receiving yards.

The Redhawks face No. 1 Timpview at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 17, for the 5A title. The Thunderbirds, once one of the most dominant programs in Utah, have been to the 5A title game three of the last four years and lost each time. They haven’t won a state title since beating Roy in 2014 and advanced to this year’s final on a short field goal as time expired to top Olympus.

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