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Lehi players celebrate with the title trophy after the 5A state championship game against Springville at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City on Friday, Nov. 19, 2021. (Jared Lloyd, Daily Herald)

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Lehi players celebrate with defensive back River Moore after he scored a touchdown after making an interception during the 5A state championship game against Springville at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City on Friday, Nov. 19, 2021. (Jared Lloyd, Daily Herald)

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Lehi players celebrate with the title trophy after the 5A state championship game against Springville at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City on Friday, Nov. 19, 2021. (Jared Lloyd, Daily Herald)

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Lehi running back Carson Gonzalez dives for the end zone during the 5A state championship game against Springville at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City on Friday, Nov. 19, 2021. (Jared Lloyd, Daily Herald)

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Lehi running back Carson Gonzalez runs the ball during the 5A state championship game against Springville at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City on Friday, Nov. 19, 2021. (Jared Lloyd, Daily Herald)

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Springville running back Seth Rigtrup runs the ball up field during the 5A state championship game against Lehi at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City on Friday, Nov. 19, 2021. (Jared Lloyd, Daily Herald)

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Lehi wide receiver Jaxon Christensen makes a tackle during the 5A state championship game against Springville at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City on Friday, Nov. 19, 2021. (Jared Lloyd, Daily Herald)

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Lehi players swarm to make a tackle during the 5A state championship game against Springville at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City on Friday, Nov. 19, 2021. (Jared Lloyd, Daily Herald)

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Lehi quarterback Jackson Brousseau throws a pass during the 5A state championship game against Springville at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City on Friday, Nov. 19, 2021. (Jared Lloyd, Daily Herald)

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Springville wide receiver Cole Clement tries to make a catch during the 5A state championship game against Lehi at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City on Friday, Nov. 19, 2021. (Jared Lloyd, Daily Herald)

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Springville tight end Walker Deede makes a catch during the 5A state championship game against Lehi at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City on Friday, Nov. 19, 2021. (Jared Lloyd, Daily Herald)

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Lehi quarterback Jackson Brousseau gets chased during the 5A state championship game against Springville at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City on Friday, Nov. 19, 2021. (Jared Lloyd, Daily Herald)

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Springville wide receiver Brady Mortensen makes a catch during the 5A state championship game against Lehi at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City on Friday, Nov. 19, 2021. (Jared Lloyd, Daily Herald)

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Lehi defenders make a tackle during the 5A state championship game against Springville at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City on Friday, Nov. 19, 2021. (Jared Lloyd, Daily Herald)

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Lehi players take the field before the 5A state championship game against Springville at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City on Friday, Nov. 19, 2021. (Jared Lloyd, Daily Herald)

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Springville players stand for the national anthem before the 5A state championship game against Lehi at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City on Friday, Nov. 19, 2021. (Jared Lloyd, Daily Herald)

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Lehi players prepare to take the field during the 5A state championship game against Springville at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City on Friday, Nov. 19, 2021. (Jared Lloyd, Daily Herald)

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Springville quarterback Ryder Burton throws a pass during the 5A state championship game against Lehi at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City on Friday, Nov. 19, 2021. (Jared Lloyd, Daily Herald)

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Lehi wide receiver Jaxon Christensen celebrates scoring a touchdown during the 5A state championship game against Springville at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City on Friday, Nov. 19, 2021. (Jared Lloyd, Daily Herald)

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Lehi fans cheer on their team during the 5A state championship game against Springville at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City on Friday, Nov. 19, 2021. (Jared Lloyd, Daily Herald)

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Lehi quarterback Jackson Brousseau throws a pass during the 5A state championship game against Springville at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City on Friday, Nov. 19, 2021. (Jared Lloyd, Daily Herald)

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Lehi wide receiver Steele Cooper catches a touchdown pass during the 5A state championship game against Springville at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City on Friday, Nov. 19, 2021. (Jared Lloyd, Daily Herald)

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Springville head coach Willy Child consoles his players after the 5A state championship game against Lehi at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City on Friday, Nov. 19, 2021. (Jared Lloyd, Daily Herald)

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Lehi players celebrate with the title trophy after the 5A state championship game against Springville at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City on Friday, Nov. 19, 2021. (Jared Lloyd, Daily Herald)

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Lehi players celebrate with the title trophy after the 5A state championship game against Springville at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City on Friday, Nov. 19, 2021. (Jared Lloyd, Daily Herald)

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Lehi players celebrate with the title trophy after the 5A state championship game against Springville at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City on Friday, Nov. 19, 2021. (Jared Lloyd, Daily Herald)

❮ ❯

Before the start of the Class 5A football playoffs, Lehi coach Ed Larson said that the state’s RPI system to determine seeding was “bullcrap.”

On Friday in the state championship game, his Pioneers went out and proved it.

No. 7 Lehi raced past No. 1 seed Springville 35-6 at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, taking advantage of a myriad of Red Devils mistakes and ripping off big plays on offense.

“Disrespect is a good word for it,” said junior linebacker Hema Katoa. “But you know, at the end of the day, I think we liked being the underdog. So we’ll roll with that. It’s just how we roll and we like it. I mean, the numbers show for themselves, 35-6, right? We finished strong and I love my brotherhood, my brothers.”

Katoa and Isaac Terrell had nine tackles each to spearhead a Lehi defense that stole six interceptions – three by River Moore to tie a championship game mark – and sacked Springville quarterbacks nine times, which is a state record.

Lehi head coach Ed Larson said his defense had been “astonishing” all year and the championship game was just another showcase.

“We were just prepared,” Katoa said. “I mean, this is the stuff you dream about, right? We came out hot and we wanted it and that’s how it turned out.”

Lehi junior quarterback Jackson Brousseau threw four touchdown passes and junior running back Carson Gonzalez rushed for 133 yards and scored a receiving touchdown as the Pioneers offense couldn’t be contained after a slow start.

“It means a lot,” Gonzalez said. “I can’t even function right now. But I’m just so proud of this team and all we’ve done. We’ve grown so much. Coach Larson believed in us. We all believed. He told us this team would be player led not by the coaches and that’s exactly what we did to shut down the No. 1 seed like we did.”

Springville (11-2) was its own worst enemy in the first half, playing as if the difficulty setting for the state championship game was on “self destruct.” The Red Devils committed seven false start penalties and one delay of game, surrendered a 15-yard sack on its first good drive of the game and coughed up three interceptions.

Lehi took advantage of the first of those interceptions when Moore stepped in front of a Springville receiver and raced 32 yards for a touchdown for a 7-0 lead at the 5:09 mark of the first quarter.

Early in the second quarter, Gonzales broke loose on a weaving 90-yard run before getting chased down from behind by Red Devil defensive lineman Porter Small (6-foot-4, 250 pounds) at the 2-yard line. Three plays later, Brousseau tossed a 1-yard touchdown pass to Jaxon Christensen for a 14-0 advantage.

Springville managed to get out of its own way and put together a nice scoring drive in the second quarter, with Seth Rigtrup touching the ball the final six plays on the nine-play drive. Rigtrup ripped off runs of 23, 15 and 21 to make it first-and-goal, then reached over the goal line on a 4-yard run for the score. The Red Devils missed the extra point and trailed 14-6 with 5:42 to play in the first half.

Lehi executed a 15-play, 88-yard drive at the close of the second quarter, Brousseau converting a 4th-and-1 with a quarterback sneak to keep the drive alive. He connected with Steele Cooper on a 12-yard touchdown pass in the corner of the end zone with 44 seconds remaining for a 20-6 advantage.

Lehi put the game away late in the third quarter. Pioneers tight end Boston Bingham slipped a tackle and raced 82 yards for a touchdown on a pass from Brousseau, making the score 28-6. On Springville’s next possession, Ryder Burton was sacked twice and a fake punt failed to produce a first down. Lehi took over on downs and on the first play Gonzalez took a screen pass 18 yards for a score, forging a commanding 35-6 advantage that proved to be the final score.

As for the RPI that placed the Pioneers as the No. 7 seed, Larson said he told his players to ignore it.

“We didn’t play that angle with them,” Larson said. “We said, ‘Look, you’ve been given the hardest road to get here.’ Wasatch was a tough trip. Stansbury was a tough game and Orem, too. In my opinion we had the hardest road to get to this place. And then to finish off with the No. 1 team, I’m proud of our kids who stepped up every week and met the challenge that was put in front of them. They had a great week of practice. They just excelled and came up and made plays.”

Rigtrup finished with 103 rushing yards and a touchdown while making nine catches for 64 yards in his final performance in a Red Devil uniform. Springville was attempting to win its first state football final since 1985.

“We have a great team and I feel bad that maybe we didn’t have our kids ready,” Red Devils coach Willy Child said. “We just could really never get it going. Credit Lehi. They took away some of the things we like to do and we were staggered. But I’m proud of the way our kids fought all year. This was a great senior group that love to work together.”

Terrell, William McCleary, Kimball Tamala and Helaman Ofahenague had two sacks apiece for Lehi (11-3). Moore’s three interceptions tied a championship game record while Katoa, Kadyion Sweat and Hank Griffin also had picks for the Pioneers.

Lehi won its fourth state football title, with the last one coming in 2017.

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