This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Sandy • Alta is a proud program with a reputation as a football powerhouse, but they've struggled throughout their history to maintain success for extended periods of time.
Two losing seasons were sandwiched between championships in 1983 and 1988, which were followed by dark times in the early 1990s. The best 13-year stretch in school history arrived at the beginning of the millennium, where Alta tallied a composite 116-40 record and back-to-back state titles in 2007 and 2008.
But the Hawks slumped in 2013 and imploded in 2014, posting a 2-9 record — the worst since the opening season in 1978. Their 0-7 start that year was the worst in program history, which fueled speculation that Alta would never recover from the enrollment hit it took after the opening of Corner Canyon High School in Draper.
Principal Brian McGill, a proud football alumnus of Alta, knew he needed to make a splashy hire following a 2014 coaching shakeup. Alema Te'o fit that profile. Known for his work at the All-Poly camp, Te'o reinvigorated the Sandy-based school almost immediately.
"You think about Alta, you think about state champions and region champions. You think about outstanding athletes," Te'o said. "All those things came to mind when I applied for this job. I got here and the numbers weren't very strong. There was a talent pool, but they were very, very young. We had to come in and basically build the airplane down the runway."
Offensive coordinator Riley Jensen said the coaching staff embraced the program's history and used the past to re-establish pride amongst the players.
"We're very aware of 1983, 1988, 2007 and 2008. I don't have to look that up," Jensen said. "We know these were really good teams here. We coached at other schools, and when we played Alta we knew we had to bring it. That's what we're trying to install."
Mata Hola, an outside linebacker and defensive end hybrid, started as a sophomore on the 2014 team, and he recognized the change in direction after his early interactions with the new staff.
"It's like night and day," Hola said. "The coaches are a lot more players' coaches. When we have self-mistakes, they're willing to be understanding and learn from it instead of critiquing us and putting us in bad situations because we messed up the first time."
The Hawks reached the Class 4A quarterfinals in the first year under Te'o, falling to eventual state champion East. This year, Alta is ranked No. 5 in the state after averaging 50 points per game in its three wins against Taylorsville, Hillcrest and Dixie.
But are the Hawks back? The collective record of their three opponents is 0-9. So the quickest way to find the answer to that question is Friday night at 7 p.m when Alta hosts third-ranked Timpview, a perennial powerhouse which has won three of the past four state championships. The Thunderbirds won last year's meeting 35-14, but the game was tied in the third quarter.
"We're not talking about what everybody else is saying," Te'o said. "All I know is we have to dial in on the here and now. The important thing for us as a coaching staff is we have to make sure we get our kids mentally, emotionally and physically ready to play. The rest will take care of itself. The critics are going to say whatever they want."
It's the fourth week of the season, but the winner will take an early lead in the race for the Region 7 championship, with Corner Canyon still awaiting both programs.
The luxury of the top seed from Region 7 is avoiding East until the state championship, assuming the Leopards — the favorite to repeat — qualify for the postseason as the No. 1 team from Region 5.
Friday could very well be the ticket to the easier side of the bracket.
"There's no question until somebody knocks Timpview off, this is their region. They own us. They own everything," Jensen said. "We have to make a statement at some point: Why not us, why not now? I think our guys have the right mindset. I think these guys are ready to play."
Twitter: @trevorphibbs —
Friday's schedule
All games at 7 p.m.
Altamont at Milford
American Fork at Westlake
American Leadership at North Sevier
Bear River at Ridgeline
Ben Lomond at Park City
Brighton at Cottonwood
Clearfield at Roy
Copper Hills at Kearns
Davis at Viewmont
Desert Hills at Grantsville
Dixie at Canyon View
Duchesne at Kanab
Gunnison at Grand
Herriman at Box Elder
Highland at Bountiful
Hillcrest at Granger
Hunter at Layton
Hurricane at Carbon
Jordan at Taylorsville
Juab at Cedar
Juan Diego at Morgan
Layton Christian at Diamond Ranch
Lehi at Riverton
Logan at Judge
Lone Peak at Pleasant Grove
Manti at Emery
Millard at Enterprise
Monument Valley at Wayne
Morgan at Delta
Mountain Crest at Fremont
Mountain View at Provo
Navajo Pine (N.M.) at Monument Valley
North Summit at Beaver
Northridge at Olympus
Orem at Corner Canyon
Pine View at Cyprus
Pulaski Academy (Ark.) at East
Rich at Monticello
Richfield at Union
Salem Hills at Spanish Fork
Skyridge at Timpanogos
Snow Canyon at Ogden
South Summit at South Sevier
Springville at at Tooele
Summit Academy at San Juan
Syracuse at West
Timpview at Alta
Uintah at Payson
Wasatch at Skyline
Weber at Sky View
West Jordan at Bingham
Whitehorse at Tohatchi (N.M.)
Woods Cross at Bonnevile