High school boys soccer: Bountiful advances to 5A final with three-goal outburst against No. 1 Alta

Bountiful’s Sam Serio (8) celebrates after scoring a penalty kick to take a 3-2 lead over Alta during the 5A boys soccer state semifinals at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman on Monday, May 18, 2026. | Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News For a team down two goals at the half of Monday’s 5A semifinal, the mood on Bountiful’s sideline was surprisingly upbeat. “Felt like we were the better team,” said Bountiful’s Pim DeJonge.

Added Gabe Johnson, “The boys were frustrated, as you can imagine, being down 2-0 is not a great spot to be in ever. But you could feel it, all the boys were excited to go and have another 40 minutes. ” During those 40 minutes, No.

5 seed Bountiful completely flipped the narrative, scoring three goals in a wild six-minute stretch in the second half as it bounced top seed Alta 3-2 to advance to the 5A state championship. “With the momentum, we felt like we could take on the world,” said DeJonge, who scored the tying goal in the chaotic second-half stretch. Alta beat Bountiful twice in region play this season, but both games were close and Bountiful never doubted it could knock off the tournament favorites at Zions Bank Stadium.

A big second-half comeback made it possible, and now Bountiful is one victory away from its first state championship since 2013. “Finals are special. This is really special … everyone at the school wants to be part of it.