By Greg James |  [email protected] 

Despite a lack luster finish to their football season Granger High School seniors can celebrate a third straight playoff appearance.

The Lancers finished fourth in Region 2 and qualified for the state playoffs. They are scheduled to face Weber High School in the first round Oct. 26 (after press deadline). 

“We are who we are and we play the way we play,” Lancer head coach Mike Morgan said before the season. “Our kids worked hard this summer to get to where we are.”

The Lancers won three of their first five games this year. Their 57-24 victory over Hillcrest proved to be an important region victory. In the game senior running back Mosesi Sonasi ran for 367 yards and five touchdowns. It included touchdown runs of 82, 50 and 52 yards. 

“He is one of the best backs in the state, so we really try to use him as much as we can,” Morgan said.

Sonasi carried the ball 75 times for 1,015 yards and 13 touchdowns despite an injury that kept him out of the final contests for the team. The 5-foot-11 senior amassed over 3,500 yards rushing in his career and scored 37 touchdowns. 

“It has been a good season. We won three games,” said Bella Nogales, senior outside linebacker.

Nogales and her family have been instrumental parts of the organization of the Utah Girls Tackle Football League. The organization was founded in 2015 and in 2017 Herriman won the first girls state championship.

The league began with 30 players and last season accounted for over 300 in three playing divisions.

“I have a passion for football. I have played for three years. It has been fun. In my final home game I was a team captain and got to play on defense. It was sad because it was my final home game,” Nogales said. 

In the season’s opening game the Lancers lost to Skyline 47-40. Their second-half comeback fell just short. They continued to fall just short in their second game losing to Olympus 55-6, but their third game was a different story. They rebounded for their first victory 28-21 against Bountiful. The Lancers scored in the final 30 seconds to secure the win.

Since 1970 the Lancers have accounted for 223 wins and made 28 playoff appearances. This season they competed in the Utah High School Activities Associations Region 2 and placed fourth overall behind Kearns, Hunter and Cyprus. The Lancers finished ahead of Hillcrest.

Granger has lost 14 straight games to Hunter. Their last win came in 2001 when they defeated the Wolverines 44-13 (the two teams did not play each other 2005-2008).