- Alta QB Tucker Brown injured during a game against West Jordan.
- Running back Treven Cooke excelled with two touchdowns leading Alta to a 30-0 win.
- Alta's defense shut out West Jordan with strong performance from the defensive front.
SANDY — Tucker Brown had the end zone in his sights.
The Alta senior quarterback had broken into the secondary during the second quarter and had just one more player to beat before he was free. That long run, though, would be his last of the night.
Brown was injured as he was tackled and didn't return.
"With our quarterback going out, we had to have our defense step up and our running game," Alta coach Blake Burdette said.
And step up, they did.
Running back Treven Cooke ran like a man possessed, bouncing off would-be tacklers all game en route to two touchdowns, and the Alta defense pitched a shutout as the Hawks routed West Jordan 30-0 Friday at Alta High.
"We just had to rally around each other," Burdette said. "And that's the biggest thing, making sure that we're rallying around each other and that we got our running game going. We had to do something different, because we didn't have our guy in there."
That something different was to feed Cooke.
The junior converted from safety in the offseason and is playing halfback for the first time. After his performance on Friday, that move looks like it was a stroke of genius.
He started the night with a 64-yard touchdown run in the first quarter, where he slid through the defensive line and then outraced everyone to the end zone.
Then, after Brown went out, he showed he was more than capable of carrying the offensive load. He carried defenders for first downs, spun off tacklers to extend runs, and his short fourth-quarter touchdown (which he set up himself following two big rushes) sealed the deal for Alta.
"He's never played running back before, and he's getting better at it," Burdette said. "He's getting better about reading what the defense is giving him, and our offense line is doing a better job this year."
As the offense found its footing with an adapted game plan, Alta's defense shut down West Jordan.
The Hawks' defensive front lived in the backfield, forcing West Jordan quarterback Ayden Dunn to be on the move much of the night. The Jaguars rarely crossed midfield on Friday.
"Our defense played an outstanding game," Burdette said. "Our coaches called it great, and I'm super proud of them."
As for Brown's status moving forward, Burdette said he didn't have much of an update. He said the quarterback will be evaluated this weekend to find out the extent of the injury.
