Coaches talk.

And when those in 4A shared information on Mountain Crest, especially before and during the 4A tournament, there was one, simple message: Watch out for Jaycson Yeates.

The senior midfielder was the driving force behind the Mustangs' first state championship, a defensive and offensive standout whose very presence could push the ball toward the goal.

Think we're joking? Only a little. Yeates, The Tribune's 4A MVP, got credit for the game-winner in overtime against Mountain View in the state championship at Rio Tinto, even though photographic evidence suggested he may not have touched the ball at all.

A player like Yeates deserves the benefit of the doubt. He scored five goals against Sky View in a Region 5 rivalry game on May 3, and finished the year with 16 goals — including three in the postseason. In addition to both of the Mustangs' goals in the 2-1 title win, he scored against defending champions Lehi in Mountain Crest's playoff opener.

Lehi at the time was ranked No. 1 in 4A.

"It didn't feel like anybody else could stop us if we already took out the best team," said Yeates, a team captain.

Nobody could. More to the point, they couldn't stop Yeates.

"The attacks started with him," coach Mike Gurney said, "and, oftentimes, ended with him."

Yeates spent time both as an attacking and defensive midfielder. He played all over the field, an indication of how valuable he was for the Mustangs and coach Mike Gurney.

"He had to be out on the field," Gurney said this week, "and if he wasn't out there, I didn't feel like we were getting the ..."

Gurney trailed off, realizing that he didn't quite know what it was like without Yeates, because it so rarely happened.

"I guess we were just worried what was going to happen," he said, finally.

boram@sltrib.com

Twitter: @oramb

facebook.com/tribpreps —

The teams

All-State boys' soccer teams (pdf) • http://bit.ly/jet5Hd

All-State boys' soccer MVPs (pdf) • http://bit.ly/m52R7I

Class 4A first team

MVP: Jaycson Yeates, Sr., Midfielder, Mountain Crest

Midfielder, Manuel Duenas, Sr., Bountiful

Midfielder, Besser Davila, Jr., Mountain View

Midfielder, Manny Akok, Sr., Highland

Midfielder, Luis Calquin, Sr., Woods Cross

Midfielder, Josue Cisneros, Sr., Mountain View

Midfielder, Taylor Egbert, Sr., Bountiful

Forward, Chris Reyes, Jr., Mountain View

Forward, Trenton Truman, Sr., Dixie

Forward, Richard Haddock, Jr., Bountiful

Forward, Christian Cardoso, Soph., Provo

Defender, Jordan Gerfen, Sr., Box Elder

Defender, Geoff Hall, Sr., Dixie

Defender, Jacob Rounds, Sr., Mountain Crest

Defender, Parker Lopp, Sr., Mountain View

Goalkeeper, Tanner Collins, Sr., Mountain Crest

Goalkeeper, Keegan Black, Sr., Mountain View

Class 4A second team

Midfielder, Jason Cook, Jr., East

Midfielder, Dallin Pope, Sr., Springville

Midfielder, Daniel Flores, Soph., Mountain Crest

Midfielder, Luke Kooyman, Sr., Highland

Midfielder, Payden Pemberton, Jr., Salem Hills

Midfielder, Lincoln Salmon, Sr., Provo

Forward, Matt Gay, Jr., Orem

Forward James Barker, Jr., East

Forward, Andres Irvin, Sr., Highland

Forward Kyler Johnson, Sr., Box Elder

Defender, Kade Nordfors, Jr., Bountiful

Defender, Brett Adair, Sr., Mountain Crest

Defender, Mike Pignataro, Sr., Mountain Crest

Defender, Zack Cowan, Sr., Lehi

Goalkeeper, Hayes Hicken, Jr., Highland

Goalkeeper, Gavin Van Minde, Jr., East