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SOUTH JORDAN — Bingham High football is off to a scintillating 3-0 start to the season, ranked No. 1 in Class 5A and beating its first three opponents, 129-30.
What’s the secret to its success? Is it quarterback Matt Degn, who has completed 62 percent of his passes for 1,419 yards and 15 touchdowns? Or maybe it’s a defense that shut out defending 5A state champion Herriman and cruised past reigning state runner-up Lone Peak.
Those players are good. But it’s hard to match the passion of the Bingham student section.
As Bingham opened Region 3 play Friday night against fellow unbeaten West Jordan, we took a look at one of the Miners’ big home field advantages: the student section, self-titled the Pit Crew.
We started by trying to find the biggest blue-clad fan in the stands. And you could make a case for senior Tyler Whitt — you might recognize him as the student in the blue regalia, blue makeup and frizzy blue wig on the front row.
But getting into character isn’t as strenuous of a task as you might think.
“It’s not very long, actually,” Tyler said. “This (the face) took the longest, and it was only like a minute.”
Cough drops and herbal remedies aren’t a concern for the loud screams of senior Evan Thomas.
“I do (lose his voice after the first quarter), but you’ve got to do it anyway,” he said in a raspy tone. “You do it because you love Bingham.”
The purpose of the crowd, of course, is motivation.
“We have some sweet chants you’ll hear today,” senior Preston Fowlks said before leading his cohorts in a few cheers. “We just like to pump up our guys and have fun.”
