CEDAR CITY, Utah - When the Thunderbirds celebrate Cedar City Night on Saturday there will be a special meaning to it for a couple guys on the team, including junior defensive lineman Chance Bearnson.
Bearnson moved to Cedar City when he was six and has a lot of fond memories of growing up in SUU's backyard. He recalls playing sports with friends, sledding, riding four wheelers, playing paintball, going through the Sheep Tunnels, night games, and countless other adventures. More than anything, he said the sense of community is what sticks out to him.
“At my parents house, I can tell you every single neighbor and something good about them, or a story about them,” he said. “I talk to some of my friends in bigger cities and they can't tell me who their neighbor is, but here you pretty much know everybody.”
Bearnson played his high school football career at Cedar High School, and when asked what one of his most memorable moments was he quickly went back to the first game of his senior campaign against American Fork and the first time he recovered a fumble.
“I took off and had about 70 yards to go, and I knew there was this receiver behind me and he was coming up fast,” he said. “I looked back once, and took one step to the right, and he dove and missed, and I was able to run it in for a touchdown.”
Originally, Bearnson was a preferred walk on at SUU. Before leaving on a mission Bearnson was a member of the scout team, and when he got back he was able to work his way up through the ranks for the Thunderbirds and have a huge impact on the defensive side.
In his first year competing, Bearnson was second-string in SUU's season opener against Nevada, which he said brought the nerves out of him to start, but they subsided as he got a few plays under his belt.
“We went three and out, I went off the field and realized there was nothing I couldn't handle,” he said.
When the final seconds ticked off the clock against Northern Arizona in 2015 and the Thunderbirds had claimed their first ever Big Sky Championship, Bearnson was able to win it in front of his home community and in front of so many people that have been a big part of him life.
“It was probably one of the greatest things that's ever happened in my life,” he said reflecting on the victory. “The fact that as a team we could accomplish something and we could say we earned it and deserve it, it just felt great. It was one of the greatest things I've accomplished. I keep my ring nice and shiny.”
The Thunderbirds will play their Cedar City Night game against UC Davis on Saturday with kickoff scheduled for 6 p.m.
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