The Bountiful Redhawks are just a game away from playing from a Class 5A state football championship. The Redhawks reached the semifinals by scoring on the final play of their quarterfinals matchup with Springville Nov. 3. 

In a heart-stopping back-and-forth overtime game, at Springville, the Redhawks scored the game-tying touchdown when Faletau Satuala scored on an 11-yard touchdown run, his second TD of the game. Rather than kick an extra point, tie the game at 35-35 and send the contest into a second overtime, Bountiful head coach Jason Freckleton elected to go for a two-point conversion in a bold win-or-go-home move. 

His choice paid off. 

Quarterback Emerson Geilman successfully converted the two-point play on a keeper, sneaking across the goal line to win the game for Bountiful, 36-35. Other than 0-0, there were four ties in the game and four lead changes. Neither team had more than one answered score in the game. In fact, Bountiful’s first lead of the game came when Geilman made the two-point conversion. 

Siaki Fekitoa had three touchdown runs for the Redhawks, scoring on runs of 6, 1 and 6 yards out. He had 72 yards on the night on 16 carries. His third score came with just 1:03 left in the game and erased a 28-21 Springville’s lead to tie things up at 28-28. The Redhawks held Springville off the board for the rest of regulation to send the game into overtime. 

Brigham Morrison added 47 yards on four carries for Bountiful. Geilman had 210 yards passing and 16 yards rushing. Fekitoa had three catches for 54 yards to go with his productive day on the ground. Jacob Brooks also had 54 yards receiving and grabbed a team-high four receptions. Brandon Wilkinson caught a 45-yard pass from Geilman, while Satuala had four catches for 33 yards and a touchdown in the third quarter. Satuala was also a standout on defense, tying Morrison for a team-best 15 tackles. Britton Tidwell had 12 stops and an interception. Four other players – Joshua Liljenquist, Ethan Higginson, Brooks and Caleb Norris – had at least seven tackles. 

At 9-4, the Redhawks are closing in a title-game appearance. But first, they have to get past Alta, a 10-3 team from Region 6. The Hawks were a so-so 3-3 in region play but have turned it on in the playoffs. When the two teams meet Thursday at Rice-Eccles Stadium, Alta is riding a six-game winning streak. Bountiful has won four in a row and seven of eight. 

The winner will face the victorious team from the other semifinal game, Timpview vs. Olympus, on Nov. 17 at Rice-Eccles Stadium.

Bountiful also played in the quarterfinals in 2021 but lost to Orem. This is the farthest Bountiful has advanced in the playoffs since losing to the Logan in the 4A semifinals in 2011. The Redhawks (then the Braves) also reached the 4A semifinals in 2010. Bountiful’s last state title came in 2003, their second in a row after winning one in 2002 as well.