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SOUTH JORDAN — Bingham senior cornerback Dominieke Jones knew his team needed a spark, clinging to a 3-0 lead after the first quarter of Friday’s Class 5A high school football playoff game at home.
Weber had just held on a goal-line stand, stuffing Bingham’s Matt Larson and Kyle Gearig on four straight attempts to punch the ball in from inside the 5-yard line on the opening series of the second quarter. After the Warriors took over, Jones saw an opening and pulled down an interception on the first play of Weber's drive, taking the ball the remaining two yards into the end zone for the game’s opening touchdown as the Miners (10-1) rolled to a 30-0 shutout win over the Warriors (4-7).
“I just saw an opportunity and it came,” said Jones, who has offers from Army and Air Force, as well as interest from Wyoming. “I tried to jump the route, and I’m glad I got it.
“It’s the playoffs. I know it’s one-and-done, and any team can win or go home," he said. "We looked a little flat, and we needed a spark. I wanted to bring as much energy as I could.”
Chayden Johnston booted a 39-yard field goal to open the scoring for both teams with 5:46 left in the opening quarter. The senior place-kicker would come up big all night, adding field goals of 35 and 37 yards to his scoring tally for the evening.
I'm going to turn around and give Weber credit. That's what they can do, and they did it. They took us out of our rhythm, and I thought they did well.
–Bingham coach Dave Peck
It would be a good thing. The Miners scored two offensive touchdowns against a stout Weber defense. Gearig completed 9-of-18 passes for 159 yards and a score, and Larson would finished with 42 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries.
“I’m going to turn around and give Weber credit,” Bingham coach Dave Peck said. “That’s what they can do, and they did it. They took us out of our rhythm, and I thought they did well.
“I think (Weber coach) Matt Hammer has done a great job at Weber. He’s the former offensive coordinator at Weber State and I’ve gotten to know Matt really well. I think he’s got the program going in the right direction.”
After Jones gave Bingham a 10-0 lead in the second quarter, the Miner defense forced a 3-and-out and the offense would find the end zone with a 33-yard pass from Gearig to Aaron Marsh with 5:07 to play before halftime. Marsh finished with 59 yards on 13 carries, as well as the one catch for 33 yards.
Johnston’s second field goal with 12 seconds remaining gave Bingham a 20-0 advantage going into the locker room, and Larson added a 2-yard touchdown plunge as time expired in the third quarter for his team’s second offensive score.
“I give it a medium,” said Jones when asked to rate his team’s performance. “You can always do better.”
Cole Dean was 10-of-24 passing for 86 yards and three interceptions, and Hunter Bell added 27 yards on nine carries for the Warriors.
The Miners will face Herriman next week in a rematch of an Aug. 29 meeting between the two schools. Bingham won that night, 31-7.
Contributing: Jeremiah Jensen
