Lehi Sports
Pioneer football rolls in Idaho
Beky Beaton | Lehi Free Press
The Lehi High School football team bounced back from a tight loss with a big shutout victory over Kuna (ID) 36-0 on the road Friday (Aug. 29).
It took the Pioneers some time to settle in, but once they did, they got good production from their stars on both sides of the ball to build towards the big win over a solid Kaveman program that finished in the Idaho statewide top 10 last season.
The teams traded possessions for most of the first quarter until Lehi broke through in the person of senior running back Devaughn Eka, who started his big night with a 19-yard touchdown run at the 1:15 mark of the period. Senior kicker Bode Hammond converted the PAT for a 7-0 start.
Eka scored twice more in the contest, on a short run just before the halftime break and a short pass for the final points of the night with7:32 left in the fourth quarter. He finished with 11 carries for 97 yards and two touchdowns plus four catches for 24 yards and another score.
Senior wide receiver Vai Kaio had just one reception in the game, but he made it count for a 22-yard touchdown completion from junior quarterback Cash Hollingshead at 6:47 in the second quarter.
Eka made his second rushing touchdown with just 41 seconds left in the period. The Lehi defense held Kuna to a three-and-out to force a punt, and senior Legend Glasker returned the ball 49 yards to set up the Pioneers in the redzone.
Hammond capped the first-half scoring with a 34-yard field goal as time expired to give Lehi a 23-0 advantage heading to the locker room.
Junior wide receiver Cameron Wren widened the margin when he took a toss from Hollingshead 64 yards to the house with 2:05 left in the third period. He picked up 83 yards total with his three catches.
Hollingshead completed 11-of-19 passes for 151 yards and three touchdowns. He also carried four times for 27 yards. Glasker accounted for 159 all-purpose yards, including 96 on four punt returns.
On the other side of the line, senior defensive tackle Penisimani Takitaki had four solo and nine combined tackles, including two for aloss, to lead the pressure on Kuna’s offense.
Junior linebacker Sterling Fillmore had 11 tackles overall and senior defensive lineman Briggs Love had 10 tackles plus a fumble recovery.
Senior linebacker Vince Evans added seven tackles, one pass deflection and two hurries, while senior defensive back Treyson Fabrizio had three solo among six tackles and a kickoff return for 15 yards.
“Some progress was made in this contest,” said Coach Andy Hadfield. “The first quarter was a little slow, maybe understandable after the long same-day bus ride, but as we got going, the kids were making plays.”
The coach said that the team had responded really well after last-week’s unexpected loss and had put in a solid week of practice.
“We leaned on our offensive line, which we need to dominate that side of the ball,” Hadfield said. “They opened holes for Eka and protected the quarterback. The Kavemen throw a lot of blitzes at you and we picked them up. Our tight ends blocked really well.
“Vai made a big-time catch on a really good route,” the coach continued. “Cam had a good catch too and our receivers were blocking downfield. We kept the chains moving a lot. Just to win a football game takes a lot of people and our guys all did their jobs to help us get the win.”
Hadfield noted that the defense has been solid all season. “Our front four pressured the quarterback. Kuna is a running team and we contained them. We haven’t been giving up many first downs. As a group, our defense is rallying to the ball.
“It’s nice have a good defense so you don’t have to rely on the offense to outscore the other team in order to win,” the coach said. “Our defensive coaches have all been on the staff 8+ years and they do a fantastic job.
“Our linebacker corps is one of best we’ve ever had, and that’s saying something,” Hadfield said. “They’re disciplined and they do what they’re coached to do. That pays dividends in not giving up those big chunk yards.
“Kuna is more of a misdirection run team,” the coach went on. “They threw a lot of screen passes and just as they were catching it, a linebacker was right there. They’re flying to the ball, and that’s what we need them to do.
“We got back on track and got the sour taste out of our mouths,” Hadfield added. “We need to continue to make refinements and get better at every position to have a special season.”
The Pioneers have five of their remaining seven regular-seasoncontests in their own stadium. This week Lehi hosts Desert Hills for the home opener on Friday (Sept. 5) at 7 p.m.
