Colts ousted early from football playoffs
It was no secret that Cottonwood High’s football team lived and died by the big play this season. That reputation finally caught up with the Colts in the first round of the 5A state championships.
Cottonwood led Northridge by a pair of scores in the second quarter before allowing four consecutive touchdowns by the Knights en route to a 49-35 loss on Oct. 28. The Colts (5-5 overall, 3-2 region) led 26-14 before their defensive weaknesses were exposed.
While offense wasn’t a problem – Cottonwood was the fifth-best scoring team in 5A at 29 points per game – the defense bore the brunt of the damage. The Colts allowed more than 34 points per game this season, trailing only Weber, Lehi and Copper Hills for the worst average in 5A.
Still, Cottonwood put all it had into its game with Northridge. The Colts trailed 14-7 after one quarter before taking the lead and building it. Inoke Lotulelei returned a punt for a touchdown and caught a pass for another score, while Sione Moli caught a score and Charles Hosea ran for another. Cooper Bateman accounted for three touchdowns, including one rushing.
Northridge, though, was just as explosive. The Knights rallied back to take a 28-26 halftime lead and increased the margin to 42-32 after three quarters. Cottonwood came within 42-35 on Jose Perez’s field goal in the fourth quarter before Northridge posted its final touchdown of the game.
Gabe Hosea rushed for 246 yards on 34 carries, while Bateman completed 19 of his 28 passes for 252 yards. Lotulelei had eight catches for 156 yards and Moli had six receptions for 50 yards. Jake Latteier had seven tackles, Dorien Banks had five tackles and 1.5 sacks, and Luke Latteier had five tackles.
Despite the loss, it was a prolific season for the Colts. Hosea finished just shy of 1,400 rushing yards with seven touchdowns, while Bateman ran for 183 yards, threw for 2,484 yards and had 28 total touchdowns. Lotulelei led a stout receiving corps with 74 catches for 1,184 yards and 15 scores.
Hunter Hanks had 23 receptions for 370 yards and four touchdowns, Siale Fakaiolatonga had 22 catches for 292 yards and two scores, Moli had 19 catches for 265 yards and three scores, and Alex Walton grabbed 20 receptions for 271 yards to round out the Colts.
Luke Latteier led the defense with 79 tackles and five sacks, while Banks had 76 tackles and five sacks, and Kingston Liavaa totaled 75 tackles and three sacks. Hanks added 48 tackles and Jake Latteier and Alec Bishop each had 46 tackles on the season.
Volleyball
The Colts went from a 23-3 record and fifth-place finish at the state tournament last season to a 3-19 record this season, due in part to the graduation of its entire starting lineup.
Cottonwood lost its final eight region matches, where it was just 1-8. West Jordan and Alta swept the Colts in their final week of the regular season. Rachel Wyss, who enjoyed a solid individual season, totaled six kills and 14 digs against Alta, while Lini Tipoai had 15 digs.
