Braxton is 95
They kept the practice week routine as close as they could to what the team had done all year. They had a dinner the night before, as is customary.
But that's where the similarities ended, at least for a couple of hours.
The evening included a highlight film from the season, right up through the semifinal victory that put the team in position to make school and state history.
McGeary didn't take up much of the time. His message was pretty straightforward: "We've got to get it done tomorrow; that's the bottom line."
Then he introduced a keynote speaker that no one else in the room knew.
His name was Maynard Barker. He and his son Brit, described by McGeary as one of his best friends, had flown out that day from Hilton Head, So. Car., McGeary's home town, just to attend the championship game.
Barker was McGeary's coach starting when he was 9 years old and he also worked with him in high school. He said, "Pound for pound, I'd put Tony up against anybody."
To illustrate the point, Maynard told what he called his own South Carolina "Deliverance" story.
His team was playing the defending state champions. "We had 15 players, they had 55," the coach said. The chain gang on the sideline was chewing tobacco and definitely gave the impression they thought the game would be a slaughter.
McGeary's team started with the ball at the 35. He broke off a 65-yard touchdown run which was called back on a backfield-in-motion penalty flagged at the 50-yard line - a little "home cooking," the coach called it.
So, the team backed up five yards and tried the same play again. This time, McGeary still scored, on a 70-yard run. Suddenly, everybody there realized this was going to be a game.
The little team that could won 18-6. They later lost to the same team again in the title game 6-0.
"The point is, you may only have one chance at this," Maynard said. "Be there tomorrow. Do your best. No one can ask more of you than that."
The group also heard from some assistant coaches, three of last year's captains, and then finally, running back Conner Humphrey's father.
"Twenty-six years ago tomorrow, I stood on that field as a state champion," he said. His West team "limped" into the playoffs as a fourth seed but ended up beating powerful Ben Lomond 19-6.
He described the emotions of the day, then told how, 20 years later, he ran into the quarterback from that team, and they relived the memories together for 3½ hours.
He told the players that doing it together and the relationships they have is what will endure, and to keep that in mind when they played.
Except for the earlier time, the game-day routine was also followed closely. On the buses going up, even the reserves were quiet and thoughtful.
Warmups drills were businesslike and precise. In the locker room for the final few minutes before kickoff, the coaches ran through assignments and quickly reviewed the main points of preparation.
Then it was time to take the field, and take it they did.
Coaching success: McGeary is 41-9 (.820) in his fourth season as a head coach. He won seven games his first year, nine his second and 11 last year. Under his direction, the Knights have advanced from the first round in his first season, to the quarterfinals in his second and to the semifinals last year. McGeary became the first coach to win a state championship in his first attempt since Ryan Higgs captured the 1A title at North Sevier in 2008.
Peak performance: Knight quarterback Chase Hansen also moved himself into the records lists with his contributions in the title contest. He moved into second place in total individual offense with 475 yards, and tied for second place in total touchdowns responsible for with five. His net rushing of 233 yards places him fifth all-time in championship games, and his team now ranks sixth in total offense with 522 yards.
Winning changes own records: Lone Peak completed its first undefeated season. The Knights' previous best start was in 2006 when they won their first seven games. With 14 victories, they've blitzed their previous most wins in a season, 11 in 2002 and 2010. The football team has now posted its second consecutive double-digit win season and the fourth in school history.
Top state mark matched: Lone Peak and Logan joined an exclusive club with their victories on Friday, bumping to five the number of schools that have won a state-record 14 games in a season. Bingham (2006), Hunter (2003) and Juan Diego (2008) are the others.
History made by unbeatens: Since Lone Peak, Logan and Hurricane all came through unscathed, they joined Duchesne in making 2011 the first year that four teams have celebrated undefeated championship seasons. There have been three unbeaten teams three times before, most recently in 2001 when Millard, Monticello and Northridge pulled off the feat.
Stacking up the hardware: The football team claimed Lone Peak's 28th state title and the second this fall, since the girls tennis team won a championship as well. It's been a very strong start to the sports year for the Knights. Of the seven teams that compete during this season, five earned region trophies and all qualified for the playoffs. The boys golf team was second at state, while girls soccer tied for third, and volleyball and boys cross country were fourth in their respective playoffs.
A Berry good game: Versatile player Brody Berry was just about everywhere in this effort. He only had to punt once, but he averaged 58 yards on seven kickoffs. He had five tackles, made an interception, elevated for a critical deflection - during which he was injured, but he continued to play - and also blocked a PAT and a punt, picking up the ball after the latter and returning it 25 yards.
Extra points: Linebacker Kurtis Taufa was the team's leading tackler with 10, five of them solo. He had a 10-yard sack, three tackles for loss and forced a fumble. ... Linebacker Matt Gowdy added seven tackles and defensive back Andrew Schirmer six. ... Talon Shumway had four tackles, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and an interception. ... Linebacker Spencer Reinstein returned a pick 50 yards, and Josh Buck added another one for 21 yards.
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