High school football: 5A state championship preview — Roy vs. Bountiful

Region 5′s dominance this season was on full display in the 5A semifinals, setting up an all-region championship showdown as top-seeded Roy (12-1) and second-seeded Bountiful (12-1) meet Thursday at 11 a.m. at Rice-Eccles Stadium in the 5A championship.
The Region 5 rivals meet for the second time this season after Bountiful’s thrilling 42-35 victory in October that ultimately led to a shared Region 5 title. That game came down to a dramatic goal-line stand by the Redhawks’ defense in the final minutes after Emerson Geilman’s 26-yard touchdown run proved to be the difference.
Roy advanced to the title game with a 29-19 victory over defending champion as Timpview kicker Colby Frokjer tied a state playoff record with a 58-yard field goal. He also kicked a 53-yarder as well. Bountiful reached its second straight championship game by dominating Brighton 24-8 as Geilman rushed for 144 yards and a score.
“This is a special team,” said Bountiful coach Jason Freckleton after the semifinal. “Our guys wanted it. They put in all the work in the offseason, and they did a great job of not getting ahead of themselves.”
Roy’s explosive offense averages 39.3 points behind quarterback Dru Gardner (2,429 yards, 25 TDs, 4 INTs) and dynamic backs Logan Cella (1,252 yards, 13 TDs) and Robert Young (1,167 yards, 18 TDs). Young has also caught 50 passes for 787 yards and 12 scores, while Zay Morris leads the receivers with 880 yards and 10 TDs.
Bountiful counters with its own potent ground attack led by Siaki Fekitoa (1,666 yards, 17 TDs) and Geilman (752 yards, 13 TDs). Geilman has also thrown for 2,350 yards and 21 touchdowns, with Britton Tidwell (581 yards, 7 TDs) his top target.
“That’s what makes our offense so dynamic — you can take away one thing, but you can’t take away everything,” Geilman said after the semifinal victory.
Defensively, Roy is anchored by Logan Cella (111 tackles) and Jaxton Scoffield (103 tackles), while Kahekili Eleneke has seven interceptions. Bountiful’s defense, allowing just 17.6 points per game, features Dawson Allsop (103 tackles, 5 sacks) and Connor Mertz (91 tackles).
Roy coach Chris Solomona has engineered a remarkable turnaround in his third season, taking the program from a first-round exit to the brink of its first title in 43 years. “I couldn’t be more proud of these boys, credit to them and our coaching staff, and our community,” Solomona said after the semifinal win.
The championship meeting marks just the fourth time in Roy’s 60-year history that the program has won double-digit games. Bountiful seeks its sixth state title in its 12th championship game appearance, while Roy aims for its second crown and first since defeating Jordan 14-12 in the 1981 title game.
This report was compiled with the assistance of ChatGPT.