Sandy • Thirty-five seconds is all.

Brighton would have escaped to a shootout. Alta might not have won the 5A state soccer championship.

Hawks 3, Bengals 2.

There are expectations for what a soccer game between rivals Brighton and Alta should be. Then, from Thursday evening into forever, there will be the 2011 championship at Rio Tinto Stadium — perhaps the greatest game in what might be Utah's best high school soccer rivalry.

In the 100th minute, with just 35 seconds left in double overtime, Alta senior midfielder Korban Bluth doggedly dribbled past the Brighton defense and lofted a shot into the top corner, where it softly met white twine.

Brighton's dreams fell much harder.

For the Bengals, seeking their third championship in four years, penalty kicks would have been welcome after they twice tied the game. Alta was less eager to let the game drag into the next level — too many variables in a shootout.

"In penalty kicks, it can go either way," Bluth said. "It doesn't really do justice."

Bluth, who was mobbed by his Hawks teammates as soon as he scored the goal, took the thought to its conclusion.

"This was justice," he said.

Alta took a 1-0 lead in the 22nd minute on a goal by senior Derek Boggs. After halftime, though, Brighton was more aggressive. The ball stayed on Alta's end of the field, and the Bengals peppered goalkeeper Chris Lowrimore with hard shots.

"We were kind of caught on our heels a little bit," Boggs said.

James Carrigan finally scored for Brighton in the 46th minute, cleaning up after another save by Lowrimore. Alta answered with a goal by Alex Lawhun in the 68th minute. That was matched by a tap-in by Brighton's Connor Colletti in the 77th.

"It's always a dogfight when it's Brighton-Alta," Boggs said. "You knew it was going to come down to the last second."

Almost.

As a shootout seemed inevitable, Bluth and senior Riley Fehr decided to take a crack with the sideline play they had practiced all year. Fehr threw over the defense to Bluth, who tripped his way into the box and scored. Brighton didn't get a shootout, and Alta happily avoided one.

"Shootouts can go any which way," Hawks coach Lee Mitchell said. "We like to win, and that's what we did."

boram@strib.comTwitter: @orambFacebook: facebook.com/tribpreps —

Highlights

R Alta wins its fifth soccer title, while Brighton fails in its quest for a state-best eighth.

• Alta and Brighton had both won previous tournament games that went to shootouts.

• The Hawks win the second straight championship matchup between the teams. In 2006, the last time they played for a title, was the last time Alta won.