If you ask junior midfielder Braden Shields what he felt was the most memorable part of the Bountiful Braves' soccer season, he'll tell you it was the last game, a 3-0 shutout against regional rival Woods Cross.

Making it especially sweet: The Wildcats had handed Bountiful only its second loss of the season a month before.

Since winning the rematch, the Braves won six straight games to claim the region championship.

"They beat us before, so we really wanted to get that win," Shields said. "It was just a perfect day. We worked really hard since the beginning of the year. We kept getting better and better."

Bountiful coach Lou Plank has witnessed that progression but says there is still room to climb.

"They're gelling and developing together," Plank said. "It's remarkable, their ability to communicate. They can anticipate what each other is going to do next. They're moving in the right direction, and I feel we have yet to peak. I think we'll see our finest hour in the tournament."

The biggest threats in the tournament may come from senior captain Taylor Egbert and junior captain Richard Haddock. With 18 goals, Egbert led 4A. With 15 goals, Haddock tied for second. It's a dominating one-two punch.

"Richard just has a great soccer IQ," said Shields. "Taylor is a good leader and an even more amazing passer. He can shoot the ball, and he's fast, just really quick."

Boasting the two top scorers in 4A could be enough to make a serious run at a championship. Throw in goalie David Clark, who is fourth in shutouts, and a defense that holds the opposition to 0.73 goals per game, and Plank believes he has something special.

The Bountiful coach can talk at length about any of his players, from the leadership of senior captain Manuel Duenas down to Duenas' younger brother, Cesar, who was injured in the final game and will sit out the tournament with a broken fibula.

"Cesar is a sophomore and just an amazing little player. Unfortunately we're not going to have him, but we'll just reach into the bag and grab one of our many capable midfielders to try and fill his shoes as best we can," Plank said.

Although the injury will be a tough loss for the Braves, the team's biggest strength may be how it rebounds from disappointment. Just like the run after the defeat to Woods Cross, Plank feels the team's attitude will provide an intangible boost.

"The overall mood of the team is very positive. It's very optimistic," Plank said.

"These guys love to play together. They love coming to training. It varies from year to year, the formula, and this year it's a tremendous amount of talent with a lot of positive vibration." —

Braves at a glance

With 33 goals between them, senior Taylor Egbert and junior Richard Haddock are the highest-scoring tandem in all of 4A.

Bountiful averaged four goals per game, second only to Woods Cross in the playoffs.

The Braves can score in many different ways. Eleven different players have recorded goals, including two defenders.

Coach Lou Plank says their biggest strength is their ability to possess the ball.