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WASHINGTON — The 6A Bingham Miners used a second-half push to defeat the 4A Crimson Cliffs Mustangs 17-7 Friday night.
Just one year removed from their state championship victory, the Mustangs are now 0-2 on the season. But even last season, Crimson Cliffs took just one loss — a 3-point defeat at the hands of the Miners.
Bingham, after their shut-out loss to Lone Peak last week, now sits at 1-1 on the season.
Both offenses were quiet throughout the night, and dead silent in the opening quarter. It wasn't until the Mustangs' first possession of the second quarter that the scoring got started.
The drive took less than a minute and ended with a deep pass from Ryder Sherratt to Malakai Alofipo, who ran it into the end zone to break the tie.
Try as they might, the Mustangs could not hold Bingham at bay before halftime. Miners kicker Riley Whicker drilled a field goal from about 35 yards out to earn his team's first points of the night and of the season, making it a 7-3 game.
Any offensive momentum the Mustangs might have had was left in the locker room when the teams returned to the field. The Bingham defense hardly let Crimson Cliffs make up any ground and held them scoreless for the rest of the game.
"We knew we had to carry the team," senior linebacker Linkin Wilburger said of the defensive players. "Our offense couldn't get it rolling 'till the end, and our defense has been lights out. We came through and we did it for our brothers."
The Miners finally took the lead as the third quarter neared its end with a touchdown pass from Ayden Dunn to John Kulimushi. Earlier in the quarter, Bingham committed a turnover on downs just 5 yards from the goal line after a pass went in and out of Kulimushi's hands.
The score was just what he needed to redeem himself.
"I wasn't really thinking," Kulimushi said. "I just knew that ball was mine."
Following the go-ahead touchdown, scoring again reached an impasse. Crimson Cliffs tried desperately to answer, but their urgency backfired. Sherratt tried for a deep pass, only for it to be snagged by Wilburger and returned for a pick six.
"I saw him come across and knew he was gonna throw it," Wilburger said. "I had to come through for the team. Our offense wasn't doing well so the defense had to step up, and that's what we did."
Bingham fans that made the four-hour trip were rewarded with the victory and celebrated with the players on the Mustangs' turf.
"It shows that they're supporting us in everything we do, and I really appreciate them," Kulimushi said about the student section. "They kept the energy up and they kept us going."
Crimson Cliffs will travel to Springfield next week as they continue the hunt for their first win of the season, while Bingham will look to build off the victory when they face Lehi on the road.
