Cedar City, Utah — With nearly 10,000 fans cheering them on, the Kahuku Red Raiders battled for three quarters before eventually falling to the Bingham of Salt Lake City, 27-0, last night.

In a game that could only be described as brutally physical, the Red Raiders held the Miners scoreless for three quarters, only to wear down in the fourth, when Bingham scored four touchdowns to pull away.

Sam Langi rushed for 202 yards and two touchdowns, with 75 coming in the final quarter, for Bingham, the defending Utah 5-A (large schools) champion. Kahuku managed only 173 yards of total offense, 143 of those coming on the ground.

"Our guys played their hearts out for three quarters, but didn't have much left for the fourth," Red Raiders coach Reggie Torres said. "It's tough to be out of our environment, but I'm not going to make any excuses. Bingham is a great team."

After a lengthy drive that bridged the end of the third quarter and beginning of the fourth, Langi dived one yard for the first score of the game. On Bingham's ensuing possession, Langi needed just one play to cover 62 yards.

Until that point, neither team was able to gain much ground offensively, but that didn't stop both from continually pounding each other up the middle with relentless runs. Kahuku attempted three passes through the first three quarters, and by the time it threw more the outcome had all but been decided.

Looking for any offense they could muster late in the fourth quarter, the Red Raiders replaced starting quarterback Jray Galeai and began rotating Nalu Carvalho and Siatima Tapusoa, neither of whom was able to create much through the air.

The closest either team got to scoring before the fourth quarter came when the Miners' TJ Ford returned a punt to the Red Raiders' 10, only to see the ball squirt out of his hands and into those of Kahuku's Shiloah Te'o. Bingham would miss a 56-yard field-goal attempt.

"We've got to get better on offense," Torres said. "We'll work on it, and I bet by two weeks we're a much better team."

The defending state champions fell to 0-2, with Kalaheo visiting Saturday.

BINGHAM 0 0 0 27—27

KAHUKU 0 0 0 0 — 0

Bing — Langi 1 run (Sorensen kick).

Bing — Langi 62 run (Sorensen kick).

Bing — Holt 29 pass from Cantwell 29 (Sorensen kick).

Bing — Yack 4 run (kick failed).