Prep football: All-Tribune Team

This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Britain  Covey

Timpview | Senior | Quarterback

Covey capped his stellar career by leading the Thunderbirds to their third straight 4A title. He had 4,242 yards of total offense, rushed for 26 touchdowns, and was responsible for 56 touchdowns. He completed 164 passes for 2,600 yards and 30 touchdowns and rushed 164 times for 1,566 yards. "He is a do-it-all quarterback who, any time the ball was in his hands, was a threat to score," said Timpview coach Cary Whittingham. "Smart, fast, good decision-maker and a team leader describe Britain Covey. Brit's value to the Timpview football team for the last two seasons could not be overstated."

Joseph  TiaTia

Hunter | Senior | Running back

The Wolverines star had 250 carries for 2,205 yards (8.8 yards per carry) and 18 touchdowns during the season. He also added 176 yards in pass receptions, giving him 2,381 yards from scrimmage on the season. "Joseph is a hard-working, humble athlete," said Hunter coach Scott Henderson. "He also takes care of things in the classroom, maintaining a 3.5 grade point average. Joseph is a great leader on and off the field. It's always a privilege to work with young men like him."

Zach  Katoa

American Fork | Senior | Running back

Katoa was perhaps Utah's most versatile football player in 2014. He was the Cavemen's star on offense, rushing 285 times for 1,655 yards and 25 touchdowns, passing for 90 yards and three touchdowns, and adding 44 receptions for 575 yards and five touchdowns. He also had three punt returns and one kickoff return, and was also the team's punter. He also made an impact on defense, where he recorded 41 tackles, one sack and two interceptions. "Zach is a flat-out football player," said Cavemen coach Aaron Behm. "His agility and explosiveness made him a nightmare in the open field."

Simi  Fehoko

Brighton | Junior | Wide receiver

Fehoko was unquestionably one of the top receivers in the state. The Bengals' star wideout had 63 receptions for 1,644 yards — an average of 26.1 yards per catch. He also scored 24 touchdowns. He also played on Brighton's defense, where he had 26 tackles and four interceptions. "He is tough to cover one-on-one, and he has a gift to get open and catch the ball," said Brighton coach Ryan Bullett. "He is, all-around, a great football player."

Jordan  Espinoza

Timpview | Senior | Wide receiver

Espinoza established himself as one of the state's top receivers, especially in the state tournament. On the season, he had 48 receptions for 982 yards and 14 touchdowns. In the Class 4A semifinals, he set a single-game state record with 240 receiving yards, and added four touchdown catches. "He is a receiver with good speed who helped stretch the field for us," said Timpview coach Cary Whittingham. "He always had good yards after the catch. This is only his second year participating in football. He has a lot of potential."

Cody  Hobbs

Roy | Senior | Tight End

Though tight end is not often considered an impact position, Hobbs certainly made it one. He totaled 53 receptions for 1,160 yards and nine touchdowns. He averaged 22 yards a catch. He also played defense, where he had 76 tackles, five sacks and three interceptions — including one returned for a touchdown. "Cody was usually the best player on the field all the time on offense, defense or special teams," said Roy coach Fred Fernandes. "Offensively, he had the best hands of any player I have ever coached."

James  Empey

American Fork | Senior | Offensive line

Empey was a big reason why American Fork's offense proved so successful, as he protected quarterback Tanner Smith and opened holes for running back Zach Katoa. Meanwhile, he also contributed on defense, totaling 62 tackles, 35 sacks and a fumble recovery. "James is a big, fast, athletic lineman," said American Fork coach Aaron Behm. "He moves like a skill guy with a monster frame. On both sides of the ball, he is absolutely dominating."

Andre  James

Herriman | Senior | Offensive line

James has been one of the state's top college prospects the last several years, and it's not hard to figure out why. James graded out at 90 percent by coaches for his offensive line play the last two years. He gave up one sack in that time. "He is one of the top athletes I have ever coached," said Herriman coach Dustin Pearce. "He is the most explosive player I have ever coached, and a three-year starter. He is a great kid with high character and integrity."

Brandon  Bowen

Corner Canyon | Senior | Offensive line

Bowen started every game for the Chargers as a right tackle and was one of the reasons Corner Canyon featured one of the state's most prolific offenses. After being heavily recruited, the lineman committed to Ohio State. "He was a dominant guy," said Corner Canyon coach Don Eck. "He improved immensely from his junior to senior year through hard work in the weight room. He was a fun kid to be around. He was always smiling and respectful."

Daniel  Gasio

Bingham | Senior | Offensive line

Though the Miners' defense got much of the credit for their run to the state title, the offense did its part, too. And Gasio had a big role in that, protecting QB Kyle Gearig and making life easier for RB Cameron Smith. He also contributed on the defensive line, totaling 74 tackles (averaged 5.3 a game). His statistics included one sack. "He is one of the first two-way starters in a long time in our program," said Bingham coach Dave Peck. "He was the most inspirational player on our team."

Nate  Wadsworth

Fremont | Senior | Offensive line

Wadsworth played both offense and defense for the Region 1 champions. On offensive, he had 15 pancake blocks. Defensively, he had 66 tackles, nine for losses, and 7.5 sacks. "Each week, Nate graded out as our top offensive and defensive lineman," said Fremont coach Kody Bosgeiter. "He is truly an ironman. He seldom left the field. Nate showed a tremendous amount of courage in being able to play as many snaps as possible. He is a three-year starter."

Chayden  Johnston

Bingham | Kicker | Senior

While the Miners' defense was their unquestioned strength, and their offense had its fair share of weapons, Bingham's special teams were big too, in no small part thanks to Johnston. He accounted for 113 points for the state champion Miners. He kicked 16 field goals and 65 extra points. He also averaged 42.4 yards per punt. "Chayden had more impact on our games this year as a punter and a kicker than people would ever know," said Bingham coach Dave Peck. "He is a Utah commit who has a great future ahead of him."

Gabe  Reid

Timpview | Senior | Defensive lineman

While Timpview's prolific offense garnered headlines, a strong Thunderbird defense did its part to keep the team unbeaten., Reid proved an anchor for the T-birds' defense, recording 99 tackles and 16.5 sacks on the season. "He is a dominating defensive player," said Timpview coach Cary Whittingham. "He tilted the playing field in every game with great football instincts. He played a major roll in both leadership and making plays in Timpview's last three state championships."

Tomasi  Giles

Woods Cross | Senior | Defensive lineman

Giles played well on both sides of the ball and was Woods Cross' MVP in perhaps its best season ever. On defense, he had 66 tackles and 19 sacks. On offense, he rushed 105 times for 704 yards and 14 touchdowns. "Tomasi was an integral part of our success this season," said Wildcats coach Justin Spencer. "He led our team in sacks and rushing touchdowns. He was a force to be reckoned with. He has an unusual combination of size, strength and overall power, making him difficult to tackle and block."

Jeff  Martinez

Dixie | Junior | Defensive lineman

The Flyers made an unexpected run through the 3AA state tournament, ultimately prevailing as champions. Martinez's stellar all-around play was a big reason, as he finished with 77 tackles, 24 assisted tackles, 10 tackles for loss, seven sacks, one interception and two fumble recoveries. "Jeff was a leader on our defense," said Dixie coach Blaine Monkres. "He anchored the defensive line. He goes 100 percent on every play and can make the big play when your team needs it the most."

Lausii  Sewell

Desert Hills | Senior | Defensive lineman

"Boogie" Sewell was a leader for the 3AA south division regular-season champions. The Thunder's star defensive tackle ended the season with 82 tackles and three sacks. "Boogie is an athletic and physical defensive tackle who took on double-teams most games," said Desert Hills coach Carl Franke. "That freed up our two middle linebackers to have a total of 268 tackles and over 20 sacks this year.

Osa  Masina

Brighton | Senior | Linebacker

A two-way player, the Bengals star had an impact on offense, with 97 rushes for 650 yards and six touchdowns. But his biggest contributions came defensively, as he recorded 98 tackles, nine sacks, one interception, one safety and nine tackles for loss. "He is the most physical and talented defensive player I have ever coached," Brighton coach Ryan Bullett said about Masina. "He has the ability to run right through any blocker on his way to the ball. He will be a big-time college football player. The kid wants to be coached."

Daniel  Langi

Bingham | Senior | Linebacker

The Miners' defense was unbelievably stingy in 2014, as they allowed just 12 points total in four state tournament games. Langi was a big reason for that, as he had 115 tackles on the season, averaging 8.2 a game. He also intercepted four passes and recorded four sacks. "Daniel is a three-year starter at middle linebacker and one of the best leaders I have ever coached," said Bingham coach Dave Peck. "He is one of the best hitters I have ever coached."

Porter  Gustin

Salem Hills | Senior | Linebacker

Gustin ranked among the best players in the state both defensively and offensively. Playing linebacker, he recorded 152 tackles, 10.5 sacks, two interceptions and a fumble recovery. As a quarterback, he had 212 completions for 2,864 yards and 22 touchdowns. He rushed 92 times for 891 yards and 10 touchdowns and even caught a pass for a score. "Porter Gustin is the best overall football player I have ever watched play at this position," said Salem Hills coach Joel Higginson. "He has so many gifts and can impact his team in so many ways. At 6-foot-5 and 247 pounds, Porter still runs like a deer and possesses athleticism and aggression. Porter has the best work ethic. Most importantly, he is a phenomenal leader."

Max  Barnett

Judge Memorial | Senior | Linebacker

On defense, Barnett had 63 tackles (5.7 per game), recovered two fumbles and caused two fumbles. On offense, he had 145 carries for 1,069 yards and 15 touchdowns. "Max is an incredible athlete and football player," said Judge coach James Cordova. "He has dominated the competition all season and really has grown tremendously throughout his career. Aside from his stats, which are incredible, two of the most important things to know about him are how intelligent he is and how hard he works. … Max understood what his role was, what the team needed from him, and he simply went out there, did the work and got it done."

Bracken  Santos

South Summit | Senior | Defensive back

Santos played both ways for the 2A champions. On defense, he had 60 tackles and six interceptions. Offensively, he accounted for 1,846 total yards and 16 touchdowns. He averaged over nine yards a carry rushing, over 27 yards per reception, over 35 yards per punt return and over 19 yards on kick returns. "Bracken was all-everything for our team," said South Summit coach Jerry Parker. "His football intelligence matched his incredible athletic ability. He was one of our great leaders and a go-to player. He was a coach's dream."

Zayne  Anderson

Stansbury | Senior | Defensive back

Anderson scored seven touchdowns on offense for the Stallions, but also contributed scores on both defense and special teams, as he returned both an interception and a blocked punt for touchdowns. In Stansbury's secondary, he recorded 32 tackles and one sack on the season. "He is ranked number nine in the state as a top recruit," said Stansbury coach Clint Christiansen. "He has offers from BYU and Utah State."

Keaton  Kimball

Riverton | Senior | Defensive back

Kimball played both offense and defense. He recorded 41 tackles and four interceptions, which he returned for an average of 18.3 yards. He caused a fumble and recovered one. One offense, he carried the ball 56 times for 678 yards and scored six touchdowns. He also caught 12 passes for 203 yards. "Keaton is one of the hardest-working young men I have ever coached," said Riverton coach Mike Miller. "He demands 100 percent of himself 100 percent of the time. He always presents himself in a mature and ethical manner, both on and off the field, which has earned the respect of other students, athletes and adults."

Kade  Cloward

Bingham | Senior | Return specialist

Cloward did a little bit of everything for the Miners. He had 443 all-purpose yards, 334 yards in returns, three pass receptions, five interceptions and scored four touchdowns. "Kade is a three-year starter who is basically the quarterback of our defense," said Bingham Coach Dave Peck. "He gets us in and out of our coverages on basically every play. He is no doubt one of the best athletes in the state."