In 2020, Lone Peak lost to Corner Canyon in the 6A state championship football game by a score of 45-7.

There were a lot of sad faces on the Knights sideline than November day, but there was one player who could only think about what he and his teammates could do to get back to the title game the next season.

When junior linebacker Luke Durfey was asked what he was thinking about, he responded like a true champion.

“It starts tomorrow, you know?” Durfey said. “I feel a huge responsibility to get everyone back in the weight room and training. I feel like we could have a special team next year. We had a lot of seniors this year so we’re going to need some players to step up.”

Durfey, a 6-foot, 230-pound senior, is the Daily Herald Utah Valley Player of the Year.

Durfey proved to be a prophet. Not only did Lone Peak end Corner Canyon’s 48-game winning streak during the regular season but the Knights topped the Chargers 49-42 for the 2021 state 6A title on November.

“It was incredible,” Durfey said. “There is nothing like it. I have no words. To beat Corner Canyon twice and coming together like that, those childhood dreams coming true, it was one of the best days of my life.”

Durfey led Lone Peak (10-2) with 122 tackles (41 solo, 81 assists) and posted 11 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, four passes defended, two fumble recoveries and two forced fumbles. He also made key plays on the other side of the ball as the short-yardage/goal line back. Durfey carried the ball 71 times for 269 yards and ten touchdowns, adding two receptions for 114 yards and another score as well.

When the Knights finished off their state championship victory, it was Durfey who led the team in prayer.

“It got to the point where we were a little bit superstitious in the last four games,” Brockbank said. “He gave the prayer before the first Corner Canyon game so we just kept doing it.”

His statistical contributions are considerable, but Durfey’s leadership both on and off the field are special.

“Luke is one of the best leaders I’ve ever coached,” Lone Peak coach Bart Brockbank said. “He leads so much by example. He took the loss to Corner Canyon in 2020 pretty hard. He our middle backer, and (Jaxson) Dart spent a lot of time running on the middle on us. Luke took it personally. After the game, emotions were riding high and he was feeling the responsibility of not letting that happen again. To his credit, Luke was that guy right from he get-go. He really is the heart and soul of the team this year.”

Durfey’s father, Brian, was an all-state running back at American Fork in the 1990s and Luke started playing football in third grade with future teammates such as Connor Kelly and Nick Siri.

“Ever since we were little, this group has had a lot of expectations,” Luke Durfey said. “Back in Pee Wee, we always won championships. We said our senior year, we were going to take state. We always knew that this group was special and as long as we worked hard and focused, we could meet our goals.”

Durfey had to spend extra time to be prepared to play on both sides of the ball.

He had to double dip on film and in meetings to be able to learn the types of things required on offense,” Brockbank said. “He’s the guy that would come in fourth and one and we’d just say, ‘Go get one yard.’ Then down in the red zone, we tell him, ‘You need to go get a touchdown.’ We put him in the toughest situations but when his teammates would see him trotting onto the field, they rallied behind him. They believed he’d find a way to get it done.”

Durfey will leave for a church mission this summer. He’s been talking to Weber State, Dixie State, Utah State, Snow College and Utah. Brockbank said he’s a little bit shorter version of current BYU fullback Masen Wake, a former Lone Peak alum.

The sales job that Durfey is making to any future coach is pretty simple: “I love playing football. I’ll play whatever position they need me to and I’ll work hard. I just tell them I’m a football player.”

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