Dixie gets victory in overtime to grab first win of season
Dixie got its first win of the season in dramatic fashion last Friday, grabbing the win in overtime 35-34 against Cedar.
With seven seconds left in regulation and trailing by seven, Dixie quarterback Robbie Bennett found Riker Muhlestein in the end zone on a short 3-yard pass to force overtime.
In overtime, Muhlestein threw a 20-yard touchdown pass to Jennings Larkin to claim the team’s first win of the season.
Dixie head coach William Leibert could not be prouder of his team and the fight it showed throughout the game.
“It’s a great win for a young team. So proud of them and happy they got a win. They played relentlessly and never gave up. It was a coordinated effort on both sides of the ball. The team had confidence and believed in themselves,” said Leibert.
Dixie performed well in all three phases of the game, and Leibert hopes that now that the team has gotten its first win of the season, it will provide players with the momentum they need to continue to improve as the season goes on.
“We really improved our run game and had a balanced offense. Going forward I want to just keep adding to what we have,” Leibert said. “They have had a few games this year where they could have given up or not played 100% and they didn’t.
“I want that to continue to be the standard, to keep fighting even when you are down.”
Standout performance by Parker Olson gives Snow Canyon narrow victory
Snow Canyon got a thrilling 35-28 victory over Woods Cross, with Issaiah Thompson hauling in a 38-yard touchdown pass from Parker Olson with just 22 seconds remaining to give the Warriors the game-winner.
The late touchdown capped a dramatic finish and helped Snow Canyon improve its record to 2-2 on the season.
The difference in the game was the leadership and experience from Warriors quarterback Parker Olson, who threw four touchdown passes on the night, with two to Brett Bethers and two to Issaiah Thompson.
“I am proud of our boys and the energy they led with. Pulling out a 35-28 dogfight like that proves what kind of heart this group has. We steadied the course in momentum shifts. Defensively we got some huge stops and TO’s- Coach Vea and our Defensive staff had the game plan we needed, and each player repped out 100%,” said Snow Canyon head coach Zachariah Tauteoli.
The main takeaway for Tauteoli in the victory was how his players came together and played for one another, even in the face of adversity and momentum swings.
“Winning what they can control is the key lesson,” he said. “Success and pain tolerance are brothers in this game. Battling through tough things and choosing to win what you can control while trusting your brothers with theirs is where turf meets life.
“Everyone in our brotherhood carries that burden with pride, and that’s what carried us tonight and will in the future.”
American Leadership Academy starts season 4-0 for first time in program history
A fantastic defensive performance secured the win for American Leadership Academy over Ben Lomond 17-13, with all scoring for both teams coming in the first half.
The two teams traded scores throughout the majority of the first half, but two late ones in the half by American Leadership proved to be the difference.
The first with a 60-yard touchdown reception by Asher Hernandez from Cooper DuPaix with three minutes remaining, and then a 43-yard field goal by kicker Wesley Haston that gave the team the cushion needed to secure the win.
“I am super proud of our team on the way they played. We have a young group that is become closer as a team every week. They work so hard in practice, and I love seeing them come away with a win at the end of the game that they definitely deserved,” said American Leadership head coach Joe DuPaix.
American Leadership made some history on the night, as it is 4-0 for the first time in school history. Dupaix knows that while his team is off to a historic start, it could get too far ahead of itself knowing there is still a lot of season left.
“Our guys are learning how to trust the process and focus on rep in front of them as we work to go 1-0 each week,” he said. “We have so much teach tape from the game, and the key for us is to stay humble, work tails off and continue improving each day.”
Big offensive 2 half saves West Field after sluggish start
Another dominant second half performance by West Field pushed it past Roy 30-25.
After failing to score in the first half, West Field outscored Roy 30-13 in the second to claw its way to the finish line.
The key to the victory for West Field was the ability to get back into the game after an underwhelming first half, while also continuing to pound the ball on the ground, which led to two second-half rushing touchdowns.
While he’s happy his team found a way to get the job done, West Field head coach Eric Jones would like to see his group start the game with the same amount of energy and focus it has displayed in the latter halves of games recently.
“We must find a way to start games with the same energy and fight that’s allowed us to have success in the second half of our last three games,” Jones said. “When we play with passion and focus on executing our assignments, we give ourselves a chance to be competitive.
“That’s the lesson we have to learn now if we want to achieve our goal of qualifying for the playoffs.”
Jones really feels like succeeding in a game like Friday’s can prove to be a launching pad and something that his team can look at going forward.
“The positives are that we made plays in crunch time, found a way to fight back when we could’ve folded and hopefully showed the team a blueprint for success going forward if we’re willing to play a full 4-quarter game together.”
Bear River gets emotional win in region play
Offensive fireworks were on full display for Bear River once again in a thrilling 35-32 victory over Sky View in a crucial Region 11 showdown.
With just nine seconds remaining, Eli Braegger hauled in a touchdown pass to put the Bears on top and cap a dramatic finish. Quarterback Preston Wilkinson delivered a standout performance, throwing four touchdown passes, including the game-winning 30-yard strike to Braegger.
Leading 14-10 at half, the Bears never let up and had an answer for everything Sky View threw at them.
“It was a very emotional win. That is a very good football team. I’m just so proud of the boys and their efforts. They responded to adversity and kept positive. Our kids were exhausted at the end of the game because they gave their all,” said Bear River head coach Craig Anhder.
Seeing his team get an exciting and gritty win against a tough region opponent is something Anhder believes will give the group the experience and confidence it needs as the season moves along.
“We play in a tough region and getting this win will help our team continue to grow in confidence,” he said. “We will enjoy this one and get to work as we play a great Stansbury team next week.”