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SYRACUSE — Friday night's Syracuse-Bingham football game came down to the end.
Syracuse kicker Easton Choate went 3-of-3 on field goals — from 42, 27 and 20 yards out — as the Titans led 9-0 midway through the fourth quarter.
A Bingham touchdown cut the lead to 9-7, and the Miners got the ball back and drove down for the potential game-winning field goal off the foot of Tristen Eden.
The comeback was not to be. The kick missed just left, securing Syracuse a 9-7 win that serves as its third straight win following an 0-2 start.
"All week we just said read your keys, fit your gaps, do your job. … I said, 'Your best is good enough. Your best is good enough to beat a perennial power like this, and it was,'" first-year Syracuse head coach Mitch Tulane said.
Choate praised the offense for driving the ball into field goal range, and the defense for an "amazing game." Ultimately, he said, he was ready when his moments came.
"It's definitely difficult sometimes just preparing for your moment, but if you prepare the right way, have confidence, believe in yourself, believe in your team, I mean, I love playing (kicker) and I'm excited to continue to keep playing," Choate said.
His 42-yarder put Syracuse ahead 3-0 in the first quarter.
Both teams have had second quarter issues so far: The Titans had been outscored 38-13 coming in, while Bingham (1-4) had been outscored 34-13.
Syracuse outscored the Miners 3-0 in Friday's second quarter, but could have had more.
The Titans forced three turnovers — interceptions for Madden Nelson and Xander Garcia, and a fumble recovery off a muffed punt for Kysen Gallegos — in the first half, and had the ball in Miners' territory all three times, but got just three additional points for a 6-0 halftime lead.
The Miners' first-half drives went punt, turnover on downs, interception, interception, punt, turnover on downs.
Syracuse's defense played its best game of the year, and also benefitted from dozens of Bingham miscues in the form of penalties and bad snaps.
"Well, we tackled much better, we fit much better, we trusted each other, much better than we've done all year," Tulane said.
The Titans started the second half and drove to a goal-to-go situation, but were stopped at the 3-yard line. Choate made a 20-yard chip shot for a 9-0 lead.
"(Bingham's) D-front is unbelievable, they're unbelievable, so I knew we'd have a hard time moving the football, but our kicker executed and did what he needed to do and it worked out," Tulane said.
Bingham had shown signs of breaking through on offense, and did so just in time. The Miners scored on a nine-play, 60-yard drive, ending in a seven-yard Lincoln Tahi touchdown run with 7:39 to go.
Tahi had runs of 14 and nine yards leading up the TD as part of a great game for him overall.
Two 15-yard penalties on Bingham moved Syracuse across midfield on the Titans' next drive, but they eventually punted. The Miners took over at their own 14-yard line with 4:49 left in the game and were finding their groove on offense.
The Titans forced Tahi out of bounds on third down short of the first down, setting up the eventual missed field goal, which sparked Syracuse's celebration.
Syracuse opens Region 1 play next week at home against Farmington while Bingham hosts Copper Hills in its Region 2 opener.
