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SALT LAKE CITY — South Summit has been close several times since 1988. The Wildcats have reached the 2A championship five times since their last title — most recently in 2009 and 2010 — but have come up short each time.
The Wildcats have earned another chance, and this time they are ranked No. 1 and favored to win.
The difference this year for South Summit has been size. They have been dominant on the line of scrimmage, which has allowed their speedy backfield to wreak havoc on opposing defenses.
Colby Averett leads the Wildcats in rushing with 1,257 yards and 18 touchdowns. Quarterback Ty Jones has 12 rushing touchdowns and seven through the air for an offense that averages 38 points per game.
The Wildcats have been just as good defensively, giving up an average of just 7 points per game and have shutout three opponents. Brad Richins has been a force with 11 sacks this season.
Grand has reached the state championship for the first time since 2005 when Zane Taylor led the Red Devils to their only state championship.
Grand's only loss this season was a 12-7 defeat to Beaver in week 5. They have won six straight games since that time and crushed North Summit in the semifinals 34-13, a team that beat South Summit.
Like South Summit, Grand wants to establish the run game and features 1,000-yard rusher Koi Cook. The multi-sport athlete has rushed for 1,198 yards this season with 16 touchdowns. He has four straight games with 100+ yards rushing. He logged 130 yards and three touchdowns in their semifinal win over North Summit.
Cook has also been their best defensive player leading the team with 91 tackles, three sacks and is second in interceptions with 4.
This game will likely come down to which team can establish the run and which team can stop it. Both teams have proven the ability to do both during the season.
KSL prediction: South Summit 28, Grand 21
