Lehi Sports
Pioneer football ends season after semifinal OT heartbreaker in Larson’s final game
The No. 4 Lehi football team made a heroic effort in their semifinal clash against defending state champion and top seed Corner Canyon on Thursday (Nov. 14) at the University of Utah’s Rice-Eccles Stadium.
The Pioneers twice overcame deficits in the contest and neutralized three unconverted PATs. They scored on a perfectly-executed trick play.
They were +2 in the turnover category. The defense held the Chargers out of the end zone for nearly two full quarters. Theoffense managed to match Corner Canyon’s overtime touchdown.
In the end though it came down to a single kick – the PAT after the extra-period score.
Lehi senior kicker Gavin Fenn has had a fantastic career, and it was very unfortunate that his final attempt hit the narrower-than-high-school upright and bounced out, allowing the Chargers (12-1) to escape with a 35-34 win and advance to the championship game for the seventh straight season.
The contest did not get off to an auspicious start for the Pioneers. Their first two possessions ended with a punt and a missed long field goal, while Corner Canyon scored on both of theirs to take a 14-0 lead 37 seconds into the second quarter.
However, Lehi responded with a solid drive using a good mix of plays that employed their best offensive weapons, capped by a 30-yard connection between senior quarterback Jett Niu and junior wide receiver Carter Cutler to get Lehi on the board. The PAT was missed so the score stood at 6-14 at the 7:04 mark.
The Chargers deployed a punishing run game that the Pioneers struggled to contain, and they marched right down the field on their next possession. However, the momentum got snuffed out when senior defensive back Ozzie Williams stepped right in front of a receiver for an interception at the 13-yard line.
With the clock continuing to tick down, Niu tossed the ball all over the field, using six receivers to keep the sticks moving interspersed with tough rushes by junior running back Devaughn Eka.
With five seconds left, junior wide receiver Legend Glaskermade a fantastic catch in the end zone for a 3-yard score. This time the PAT was blocked, leaving the score at 12-14 at the break.
Corner Canyon got the ball to start the second half. The Lehi defense held once the Chargers reached the red zone, and they missed a 46-yard field goal.
Niu was in a great groove by this point and the Pioneers moved smartly down the field in short order. Glasker registered his second touchdown of the game with a 10-yarder at the 1:14 mark of the third quarter. Lehi tried a two-point conversion this time but it didn’t work, leaving the lead at 18-14.
Corner Canyon regained the lead 21-18 at the end of their next possession with an 11-yard pass play after a drive lasting nearly five minutes.
The Pioneers had to punt when their next drive sputtered and the Chargers were threatening to score again when junior defensive back Murphy Madsen knocked the ball loose close to the goal line. It bounced into the end zone and was covered there by senior linebacker Carson Wren.
Lehi immediately capitalized on the takeaway, moving quickly down the field and reaching the 3-yard line in less than two minutes.
From there, Niu handed off to senior wide receiver Mays Madsen, who ran right and then pulled up and tossed the ball to a wide-open Glasker in the corner for the score. Fenn’s PAT was good, so the Pioneers were now back in front 25-21 with 6:50 remaining.
Corner Canyon elected to try on a 4th-and 2 but turned the ball over on downs at their own 28-yard line after a tackle for loss by senior linebacker Leonaitasi Esikia.
That short drive ended with a 34-yard Fenn field goal to extend the advantage to 28-21 with 3:28 to play.
The Chargers were able to tie things up with a touchdown at the 19-second mark. They got the ball first in overtime and took a 35-28 lead with another score.
In Lehi’s turn, Niu connected with his brother, junior tight end Bryton Niu, for a first down and then hit Glasker again in the end zone, setting up the final PAT and the tough 34-35 ending.
For more details and photos from this contest, check out the Nov. 21 issue of the Lehi Free Press.
The Pioneers finished Coach Ed Larson’s final season with a 10-2 overall record.
