Felt’s Facts – 2017 Wrap-up

Lehi’s Playoff Domination

En route to its third state title, Lehi scored 173 points in the playoffs, the 17th most in state tournament history. In the championship game, the Pioneers amassed 469 total yards, the 21st most in a title contest.

Individual Championship-Game Records in 2017

• Passing Touchdowns – 5, Cammon Cooper, Lehi (tied with Alex Cate, Cottonwood, 2004)
• TDs-Responsible-For – 7, Cammon Cooper, Lehi (tied with Riley Nelson, Logan, 2005)

Other Notable Championship-Game Performances

• Skyridge’s Eli Pulu returned a kickoff for a 91-yard touchdown, the 11th longest in title-game history.
• Cooper’s 262 passing yards ranks 23rd most in a championship contest. His 19 completions and 36 attempts both rank tied for 17th.
• Lehi’s Dallin Cooper caught nine passes, tied for the fifth most all-time in a title game.

Initial State Titles

Lehi’s Ed Larson, Millard’s Thayne Marshall and Orem’s Jeremy Hill each earned their first state football championship; 153 coaches have now won a state title.

Undefeated Seasons

Bingham and South Summit celebrated state championships and unbeaten seasons, making 109 teams from 48 schools that have enjoyed undefeated, untied seasons. It’s South Summit first and Bingham’s fourth. Only West (nine perfect seasons), East (eight), Millard (five) and Skyline (five) have more than the Miners.

Season Offensive Output

Lehi established a state record for Passing Yards (4,800). Orem racked up the fourth most (4,164) and Lone Peak, the 19th most (3,590).

In the Rushing Yards category, East accumulated 5,580, the second most on record only to the 2016 Leopards and their 6,900 rushing yards.

Orem amassed the fourth most Total Offense Yards all-time (6,892), Lehi, the eighth most (6,558) and East, the 11th most (6,170). Those schools all played 14 games. But South Summit, with a 12-game schedule, totaled 5,866 yards of offense, the 21st most in state history.

Season Offense, Margin and Defense Winners

South Summit led the state in average points scored per-game (45.3) and average winning margin (35.2). Bingham was first in fewest average points allowed per-game (9.8).

Most Improved

Millard and Mountain Crest enjoyed the biggest turnarounds in the state, improving 6.5 games. (The NCAA calculates this by taking the difference in victories and the difference in losses, adding the two numbers and dividing by 2.) Millard moved from 0-10 last year to 7-4 this season. Mountain Crest went from 3-6 in 2016, and missed the playoffs, to 12-2 and a championship-game appearance in 2017. Orem was next, improving 6.0 games from 5-7 to 12-2 – and a state championship – followed by Weber, which improved 5.5 games from 3-7 to 9-2.

Looking Ahead

The 2018 season welcomes one more gridiron program: the Farmington Phoenix in Davis County. The Phoenix are slated to join Bountiful, Box Elder, Roy, Viewmont and Woods Cross in Region 5 in Class 5A. With that alignment, each region in 5A will have six teams.

Winning Streaks

Bingham looks forward to the 2018 season with a current state-high 13-game winning streak. South Summit has claimed 12 straight victories, Lehi and Orem, 10 in a row, Milford, seven and Juan Diego, four.

Seven teams won their final game of the regular season, but failed to make the playoffs, so each enters the 2018 season on a one-game winning “streak.” They include Clearfield, Green Canyon, Logan, Murray, Taylorsville, Timpanogos and West.

State Records

This year, 17 individual state records were set or tied. Lehi’s Cammon Cooper set or tied 11 himself, including the championship-game state records mentioned above. Here are the 17, listed by school:

• Dixie: Tyson Fisher – Season Punting Average – 49.5 yards
• Green Canyon: Chad Yorgason – Season Reception Yards-Per-Game – 143.3
• Lehi: Cammon Cooper – Single-Game Passing Yards – 648 (on Aug. 18)
•     – Single-Game Touchdown Passes – 10 (on Aug. 18)
•     – Single-Game Passing Attempts (tied state record) – 74 (on Aug. 18)
•     – Single-Game Completions – 45 (on Aug. 18)
•     – Season Passing Yards – 4,726
•     – Season Touchdown Passes – 58
•     – Season Completions – 331
•     – Career Touchdown Passes – 118
•     – Career Completions – 876
•     – Championship-Game Passing Touchdowns (tied state record) – 5
•     – Championship-Game TDs-Responsible-For (tied state record) – 7
• Lehi: Dallin Holker – Single-Game Receiving Yards – 315 (on Aug. 18)
•         – Single-Game Touchdown Receptions (tied state record) – 5 (on Aug. 18)
• North Sevier: Brooks Mickelsen – Single-Game Receiving Yards (tied state record) – 5 (on Sept. 8)
• Orem: Puka Nakua – Season Touchdown Receptions (tied state record) – 24

Two other current players hold state records, but set them last year. Jordan’s Crew Wakley owns the state record for Single-Game Total Offense Yards, 738, set on Sept. 9, 2016. Wakley and Taylorsville’s Dane Leituala share the state record for Single-Game Touchdowns-Responsible-For, 11, set on Sept. 9, 2016.

Player Stat Update

For the 2017 season, here’s a list of gridders who rank in the top-20 in all-time state records in selected game, season and career categories – and those who were close enough to warrant mentioning. Listed by school with new state records in bold face:

Alta: Will Dana – Career (2014-17): Passing Yards, 17th (6,719); Touchdown Passes, 11th (74).

Zach Engstrom – Career (2014-17): Receiving Yards, seventh (2,984); Touchdown Receptions, tied for 24th (37); Receptions, eighth (175).

Jett Sollis – Game: Extra Points, tied for 11th (9 on Aug. 18 and Sept. 22); Career: Extra Points, tied for 10th (142).

Donovan Spillers – Game: Touchdown Receptions, tied for eighth (4 on Oct. 18).

American Fork: Bronson Barron – Game: Touchdown Passes, tied for fifth (7 on Sept. 15); Average Passing Yards-Per-Game, 20th (293.5); Touchdown Passes, tied for sixth (44); Career (2014-17): Passing Yards, 21st (6,457); Touchdown Passes, tied for 12th (73); Passing Attempts, tied for 16th (834); Completions, 15th (467).

Chase Roberts – Game: Touchdown Receptions, tied for eighth (4 on Sept. 29).

Bingham: Brandon Lopez – Season: Field Goals, tied for seventh (15).

Box Elder: Jeremiah Petersen – Game: Interceptions Returned For Touchdowns, tied for second (2 on Sept. 8).

Corner Canyon: Conner Ebeling – Career (2015-17): Field Goals, tied for third (25); Extra Points, tied for 18th (126).

Colton Lawson – Career (2015-17): Receiving Yards, 15th (2,572).

Zach Wilson – Season: Passing Yards-Per-Game, 17th (297.6); Career (2015-17): Total Offense Yards, 15th (7,843); Passing Yards, 19th (6,651).

Delta: Dawson Dutson – Game: Interceptions, tied for third (4 on Sept. 15).

Dixie: Jacob Barben – Game: Passing Yards, tied for 10th (501 on Sept. 1); Passing Touchdowns, tied for 16th (6 on Aug. 25 and on Sept. 1).

Tyson Fisher – Season: Punting Average, state record (49.5 yards).

Hobbs Nyberg – Game: Touchdown Receptions, tied for eighth (4 on Sept. 1); Career (2015-17): Receiving Yards, eighth (2,907); Touchdown Receptions, tied for 14th (31); Receptions, tied for 14th (157).

East: Sione Molisi – Season: Consecutive 100-Yard Games, tied for 15th (9).

Viliami Pulu Tausinga – Season: Solo Tackles, 13th (114).

Granger: Mosese Sonasi – Game: Net Rushing Yards, seventh (388 on Aug. 25), tied for 12th (360 on Sept. 29); Carries, tied for ninth (41 on Sept. 1); Season: Net Rushing Yards, 12th (2,150); Average Rushing Yards-Per-Game, fourth (215.0).

Green Canyon: Chad Yorgason – Season: Receiving Yards, 15th (1,433); Reception Yards-Per-Game, state record (143.3); Touchdown Receptions, tied for 16th (18).

Jordan: Crew Wakley – Game: Total Offense Yards, fourth (674 on Oct. 6), Season: Total Offense Yards, ninth (4,431); Average Total Offense Yards-Per-Game, 12th (369.3); Career (2016-17): Total Offense Yards, ninth (9,352); Passing Yards, 20th (6,543); Touchdowns-Responsible-For, seventh (106).

Juan Diego: Alexander Saunders– Game: Extra Points, tied for 11th (9 on Oct. 18).

Kearns: Sese Filila – Career (2015-17): Net Rushing Yards, 16th (4,469); Rushing Touchdowns, tied for seventh (59); Rushes, seventh (642); 100-Yard Games, tied for sixth (23); Points Scored, 14th (360); Touchdowns Scored, 10th (60).

Lehi: Cammon Cooper – Game: Total Offense Yards, seventh (656 on Aug. 18); Passing Yards, state record (648 on Aug. 18); Touchdown Passes, state record (10 on Aug. 18); Attempts, tied state record (74 on Aug. 18); Completions, state record (45 on Aug. 18); Touchdowns-Responsible-For, tied for third (10 on Aug. 18); Season: Total Offense Yards, seventh (4,882); Average Total Offense Yards-Per-Game, 21st (348.7); Passing Yards, state record (4,726); Average Passing Yards-Per-Game, fifth (337.6); Touchdown Passes, state record (58); Passing Attempts, second (522); Completions, state-record (331); Touchdowns-Responsible-For, third (65); Career (2014-17): Total Offense Yards, third (11,376); Passing Yards, second (11,372); Touchdown Passes, state record (118); Passing Attempts, second (1,411); Completions, state record (876); Touchdowns-Responsible-For, fourth (129).

Dallin Holker – Game: Receiving Yards, state record (315 on Aug. 18); Touchdown Receptions, tied state record (5 on Aug. 18); Receptions, tied for third (17 on Aug. 18); Season: Receiving Yards, second (1,766); Reception Yards-Per-Game, 17th (126.1); Touchdown Receptions, fifth (22); Receptions, fourth (97); Career (2016-17): Receiving Yards, sixth (3,061); Touchdown Receptions, tied for eighth (33); Receptions, fifth (202).

Kade Moore – Game: Receiving Yards, tied for sixth (279 on Sept. 15); Season: Touchdown Receptions, tied for eighth (20); Receptions, 13th (90); Career (2014-17): Receiving Yards, seventh (2,529); Touchdown Receptions, tied for eighth (33); Receptions, tied for ninth (169).

Wyatt Mosher– Game: Extra Points, tied for 11th (9 on Aug. 18).

Lone Peak: Brock Jones – Game: Attempts, seventh (64 on Aug. 18); Season: Passing Yards, 16th (3,531); Average Passing Yards-Per-Game, 19th (294.3).

Milford: Isaiah Montoya– Game: Extra Points, tied for 11th (9 on Aug. 26).

Trae Williamson – Season: Tackles, ninth (193); Solo Tackles, second (137).

Mountain Crest: Nicholas Nethercott – Game: Touchdown Receptions, tied for eighth (4 on Oct. 27).

Mountain View: Noah Jensen – Game: Receptions, tied for sixth (16 on Oct. 12).

North Sevier: Brooks Mickelsen – Game: Receiving Yards, tied state record (5 on Sept. 8).

Orem: Chris Daley – Game: Extra Points, tied for 11th (9 on on Sept. 2).

Canyon Esplin– Game: Extra Points, tied for 11th (9 on Oct. 13).

Cooper Legas – Game: Passing Touchdowns, tied for 16th (6 on Sept. 2); Season: Total Offense Yards, fourth (5,005); Average Total Offense Yards-Per-Game, 17th (357.5); Passing Yards, sixth (3,991); Passing Touchdowns, sixth (45); Completions, 17th (235); Touchdowns-Responsible-For, 14th (52).

Puka Nakua – Game: Receiving Yards, tied for ninth (270 on Nov. 3); Season: Receiving Yards, third (1,691); Reception Yards-Per-Game, fourth (140.9); Touchdown Receptions, tied state record (24); Receptions, 14th (87); Career (2015-17): Receiving Yards, 12th (2,697); Touchdown Receptions, tied for 11th (32); Receptions, 17th (147).

Pine View: Connor Brooksby – Game: Extra Points, tied for 11th (9 on Aug. 18 and Oct, 27); Career (2015-17): Field Goals, tied for 10th (23); Extra Points, 14th (139).

Riverton: Cole Candalot– Season: Punting Average, 20th (44.4 yards).

Skyline: Taylor Larson – Season: Receiving Yards, 20th (1,401); Reception Yards-Per-Game, fifth (140.1); Career (2014-17): Receiving Yards, 22nd (2,284); Receptions, tied for 21st (137).

Tommy McGrath – Game: Passing Yards, tied for 19th (492 on Oct. 18); Passing Touchdowns, tied for 16th (6 on Oct. 13); Season: Average Passing Yards-Per-Game, 10th (309.9).

Skyridge: Connor Harris – Season: Extra Points, tied for 17th (65).

South Summit: Kael Atkinson – Game: Passing Touchdowns, tied for 16th (6 on Aug. 25 and Sept. 29); Completions, tied for 19th (33 on Aug. 25); Season: Touchdown Passes, tied for eighth (42); Touchdown Receptions, tied for 22nd (28).

Keegan Stracher – Season: Receiving Yards, 12th (1,492); Reception Yards-Per-Game, 19th (124.3); Touchdown Receptions, tied for 16th (18); Receptions, tied for 11th (91); Career (2016-17): Receiving Yards, 20th (2,360); Receptions, 15th (155).

Springville: Griffan Slavens – Season: Kickoff Return Average, 18th (37.2 yards).

Taylorsville: Ma’a Hall – Game: Kickoffs Returned for TDs, tied for second (2 on Sept. 22).

Dane Leituala – Game: Total Offense Yards, second (704, Sept 9, 2016); ninth (608 on Oct. 13), 14th (582 on Oct. 18); Touchdowns Responsible For, tied for ninth (8 on Oct. 13); Season: Total Offense Yards, 20th (4,196); Average Total Offense Yards-Per-Game, fourth (419.6); Average Yards-Per-Carry, 13th (11.1); 100-Yard Games, tied for 14th (10); Consecutive 100-Yard Games, tied for eighth (10); Career (2015-17): Total Offense Yards, fourth (11,368); Net Rushing Yards, 15th (4,485); 100-Yard Games, tied for 15th (20); Passing Yards, 15th (6,883); Passing Attempts, 20th (799); Touchdowns-Responsible-For, sixth (107).

Timpview: Luke Simpson – Game: Field Goals, tied for third (4 on Sept. 29).

Viewmont: Preston Pitt – Season: Punting Average, tied for 10th (46.4 yards).

Weber: Austin Bartholomew – Game: Passing Touchdowns, tied for 16th (6 on Oct. 13).

Happy Offseason!

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