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SANDY, Utah, Jan. 20, 2009 - The Alta High School football team has finished No. 31 nationally for the 2008 season. The announcement was made by MaxPreps, a California-based company that ranks more than 15,000 high school varsity football teams.
For the second straight season Alta posted a 13-1 record. The Hawks battled back from a 17-6 deficit with eight minutes remaining to beat Bingham, 21-17, on Nov. 21 to capture the Utah 5A state championship. Senior quarterback Ammon Olsen scored with 33 seconds left to give the Hawks the win. Alta also won the earlier season meeting between the schools, 27-17. Alta is one of 30 high schools nationwide being honored on the fourth season of the MaxPreps Tour of Champions presented by the Army National Guard.
"The MaxPreps Tour of Champions presented by the Army National Guard salutes a group of very talented young athletes across the country, who along with their coaches and families, are committed to being the very best they can be." said Andy Beal, MaxPrep's president. "We're happy to be a part of that dedication."
"It's an honor to be nationally ranked by MaxPreps and it's a great way to end a special season," said Alta head football coach Les Hamilton, who finished his fourth season at the school.
The 6-foot-4 Olsen passed for 3,201 yards and 36 touchdowns and ran for 860 yards and 11 scores to lead the high-flying Hawks. Senior Parker Webster was the team's leading receiver with 58 catches for 1,150 yards and 13 TDs. Parker Erickson anchored Alta's offensive line.
A pair of seniors - Dan Adams and Brady Davies - got some push on the defensive line. Adams registered 66 tackles, 16 for loss and 8 ½ quarterback sacks while Davies made 67 tackles, 14 for loss and three sacks. Linebacker Toloa'i Ho-Ching led the team with 74 tackles and 16 ½ sacks. Defensive back Trey Phillips was in on 79 tackles and picked off four passes.
Utah Army National Guard Lieutenant Colonel Adam Robinson presented Coach Hamilton and the team the national ranking trophy during halftime of the boys' varsity basketball game Tuesday night.
"The Army National Guard honors the players and coaches of Alta High School because they are champions. And like National Guard Soldiers, they stand united as champions of their community," said Major Michael Baptista, National Guard Bureau. "That is why we are proud to be a partner of the Tour of Champions. The Guard applauds and congratulates them, champion to champion."
MaxPreps uses a sophisticated computer program to determine team rank. The system utilizes the huge number of game results stored in the MaxPreps database. Generally, the more a team wins the higher the ranking, but the system takes into account quality wins (against other highly ranked opponents), margin of victory, and strength of schedule.
