September 11, 2009

Dallas Jackson
Rivals High Managing Editor

Dallas Jackson is the high school sports expert for RivalsHigh.com. Send him a question or comment at DallasJ@Yahoo-Inc.com and follow him at twitter.com/rivalshigh.

While known for producing solid college football programs for decades, Utah high school football is gaining stature every year, producing teams that compete on a national scale and dozens of Division I prospects.

Morgan Scalley, Utah's safeties coach and recruiting coordinator - not to mention a former All-American at the school after a stellar Utah high school career - has lived through the growth.

"We have two BCS-bowl wins and one of the longest bowl winning streaks in the country," Scalley said. "It has largely been on the back of Utah players and it will continue that way, if not grow."

Despite having only 97 high schools in the state that play 11-man football, Utah has had three different schools - Alta, Bingham and Timpview - ranked in the RivalsHigh 100 the past two seasons. Last year, the state produced 34 Division I players, up from 20 just five years ago. Many of those players are staying in-state.

Utah has 60 players on their roster from the state and 16 of them are on the two-deep while BYU has 57 home-grown players on their roster with 23 on the two-deep.

There are two reasons for the growth of Utah high school football.

The first is simple math: There are more kids in the state.

According to the U.S Census Bureau, the population of Utah has grown 22.5-percent since 2000 census - far exceeding the 8 percent growth rate of the rest of the country. And it's not just any type of growth. Utah has seen a big growth of its Pacific Islander population, a group that produces an unusually large number of athletes.

"The population in the state is exploding,'' Alta high school football coach Les Hamilton said. "We are getting more people, more Polynesian players, and more and more coaches."

It is those Polynesian players that provide strength and roster flexibility to the Utah teams.

"Polynesian players are some of the most athletic big guys you can find," Hamilton said. "There is a pride in their culture for football. It helps our teams and allows us to slide kids back a spot. Guys who would be undersized as lineman fit in as linebackers. Former linebackers are now safeties. We can play more traditional football or spread it out and not get out-athleted like we would have been in past years."

The second reason is the cycle of success: Success breeds success. Better kids means better teams and more community interest, which helps coaches get better facilities and build better programs.

Rivals.com national recruiting editor Jeremy Crabtree has seen the growth over the years - and is amazed at what he finds when he visits Utah now.

"Facilities and coaching you expect to see in California, Texas and Florida are now popping up all over Utah," he said. "Alta has some of the most impressive facilities in the country let alone the state."

Scalley said these programs - combined with the success of the college teams - makes locals want more.

"Parents see the success that we are having at the college level and they want their kids to be a part of that," Scalley said. "It is now supply and demand. The communities demand a good product, so coaches have to supply it."

At all levels.

"The coaches are more open to youth camps, getting a college-style program going, using little leagues, coaching camps on college campuses and picking the brains of (Utah coach) Kyle (Whittingham) and (BYU coach) Bronco (Mendenhall),'' Scalley said. "Those things have all been opened up to them recently and it is something that has really boomed in the last five years or so."

Crabtree seconds that notion.

"The coaches are building things the right way,'' he said. "Kids are now being put into systems in seventh and eighth grade, facilities are improving, and they are being coached the same way for the majority of their career."

Crabtree isn't the only one who's noticing. Major colleges outside of the state are now coming in, looking to steal talent away.

"There were 30 universities come through Alta last year," Hamilton said. "It was the first time I have seen a USC coach in my ten years here.

"Now we have Michigan State, Wisconsin, and a lot of other schools here very frequently. It is exciting for our kids to know they have a lot of opportunities."

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