Lehi Sports
Lehi Pioneers handle Herriman at their place
The Lehi High School football team was in command when it counted to defeat the Mustangs 31-7 on the road on Friday(Sept. 13).
The first half was a defensive struggle, but the difference was that the Pioneers were able to take advantage of their opportunities more often than their opponents. The teams initially exchanged the ball with three successive punts when neither could move it very far.
The second Herriman drive ended when senior defensive back Abe Jager intercepted the ball and set his team up at the Mustang 26-yard line. The drive never reached the end zone, so Lehi settled for a 32-yard field goal from senior kicker Gavin Fenn to put the first points on the board.
Herriman was pinned deep again and the Pioneers got a short field after the punt, starting on their own 41-yard line. After moving methodically down the field, senior quarterback Jett Niutossed to senior wide receiver Mays Madsen for a 2-yard score to push the mark to 10-0 after the Fenn PAT.
On their next possession, the Mustangs were finally making some headway with the ball until they fumbled it away, with Lehi recovering on their own 43-yard line.
This possession, it was Herriman coming up with the big defensive play as the Mustangs blocked a Pioneer kick, setting the score to the half.
The home squad got the ball to start the third quarter, but they were soon forced to punt it away and Lehi started on their own 40-yard line.
In the second series, Pioneer junior running back Devaughn Eka broke free for a 46-yard touchdown to extend the lead again early in the period.
The defense continued to stifle Herriman’s offense and the next possession ended in a punt again, with Lehi positioned at their own 32-yard line. The Pioneers marched quickly down the field and Niu took the ball across the endline from four yards out.
Fenn’s PAT made the lead 24-0 with four minutes left in the quarter. A Herriman player was injured a couple of minutes later, which led to a long delay as they waited for an ambulance to arrive.
After play was restarted, the Mustangs tried to convert unsuccessfully on a fourth down and turned the ball over on the Lehi 32. Shortly there after Eka got loose again and took the ball 48 yards to the house to stretch the advantage to 31-0 with most of the fourth period still to play.
Herriman got a late touchdown to finish out the tally for the night.
Lehi will open Region 3 play by hosting American Fork on Friday (Sept. 20) at 7 p.m.
