SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah high school state football championships conclude Friday when titles will be crowned in Classs 5A, 4A and 3AA at Rice-Eccles Stadium.

All games will be streamed live on ksl.com.

In 3AA, Desert Hills returns to the championship game against Pine View after losing in last year’s quarterfinals.

One key player with the Thunder wasn’t around to help his team advance to last year’s quarterfinal, though. And he's making the most of a chance he wasn't sure he would get.

Desert Hills leading rusher Nephi Sewell was sidelined all of last season with a broken neck suffered in the first game of the year.

He thought his career might be over. But with one more game, he could be a state champion.

“A year ago, I saw my team in the quarterfinals, and we lost at home,” Sewell said after leading the Thunder to a 49-14 win over Stansbury in the state semifinals. “I promised myself I wouldn’t let them be that way again.”

Sewell kept his promise, undergoing surgery to repair two fractured vertebrae. He spent six months in a neck brace, hours of physical therapy and nearly lived on the sideline, cheering on his teammates and brothers at Desret Hills.

Football was his life, and his life was gone.

“Every time I went to the doctors, I was disappointed by the outcome,” Sewell said. “I wanted to play with my team, because I knew I could help.”

Inspired by Sewell’s recovery, the Thunder have marched to a 9-2 record, a runner-up finish to 3AA South champion Dixie, and a shot at a championship.

“He just kept fighting through all that adversity in all that time, and it wasn’t easy by no means,” Desert Hills coach Carl Franke said. “That’s a lonely place to be in, and he had enough grit and grind to fight through all those things and get back.”

Since being cleared to play during the season, Sewell has gained 1,000 yards and 12 touchdowns on the ground, including 148 yards and three scores against the Stallions in the semifinals.

After the game, the emotions of the moment were too much for him to keep inside.

“I never saw myself being back playing again,” Sewell said through tears of joy. “All glory to God because without him, I wouldn’t be back on the field. And without the doctors doing such a good job, I wouldn’t be back on the field, either.

“I’m just very grateful to be back here and making the most of it with my team and my family.”

Through it all, Sewell relied on his faith, his family and his brotherhood of football players — including little brother Penei Sewell, the Thunder’s 6-foot-4, 320-pound junior offensive lineman.

“He’s the leader of this team, and we feed off him,” Penei Sewell said. “I love him to death. I’d do anything for him. It’s a blessing to play with him.”

CLASS 5A

In the third game of the season, Bingham rolled to a 42-21 win over Lone Peak.

But that win didn’t come close to taking away the sting of Lone Peak’s 26-9 victory in last year’s 5A semifinals, the Miners’ first postseason loss in three years.

A win Friday will do a little more.

“It still hurts,” said Jaylon Vickers, who leads the 13-0 Miners. “But we’ve got a shot at them again. We’re ready this time.”

CLASS 4A

Springville has only lost one game in the past two season, but the undefeated Red Devils can avenge it Friday.

The Red Devils fell to East in last year’s state semifinal, when they gave up 470 yards on the ground to the state champion Leopards. After last week's win over Alta, Friday will be a chance for revenge.

“East is a great team. We want revenge,” Springville quarterback Jantsen Thorpe said. “We think we can do it.”

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