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SANDY — Saturday's 2A final was going to end in the first state soccer title for either program, but it was a little more special for Lindon's Maeser Prep.
The Lions followed up American Heritage's opening goal with three unanswered scores to come away with a 3-1 win and the first UHSAA state title in any sport for the 18-year-old charter school.
Dustin Simmons, who has been the head coach of the Lions for the last 15 years, said Friday before the team's last practice, he showed a slide show of all of the previous Maeser teams that built up to this moment at the peak of soccer in the state of Utah at America First Field.
"Six years ago was our first winning season," Simmons said as he looked back on those previous teams. "Last year, we lost to American Heritage in the semifinals, and the year before that, we lost to St. Joseph's in the championship here. And so it means everything to these guys."
The three goals came from three unlikely sources, especially in the case of freshman Denzel "Ko-Jo" Sono-Koree, who scored his second goal of his high school career, both in these playoffs, to tie the game at 1-1 just before halftime.
"Super sub" Jaden Garner, as Simmons referred to him, played just 15 minutes in the game but came up with its most important play with 19 minutes remaining in the second half.
Sono-Koree got the ball at the edge of the box but took too heavy a touch. Luckily, the touch went right to Garner. The senior super sub spun around with his back to the goal and delivered a slicing shot into the bottom far corner.
Noah Johnson, a junior, sealed the win with 2:28 remaining on a fast break to get just his fifth goal of the year. The lone goal for American Heritage came from senior striker Cael Tillman.
"We've got our motto: 'with it or on it,'" Simmons said. "The ancient Spartans, before they went into battle, their moms would give them their shields to come home 'with it or dead on it.' And this is the first time that we've come back with it."
