Lehi Sports
Pioneer football exits playoffs with one-point loss
Beky Beaton / Lehi Free Press
The No. 10 Lehi High School football team put points on the board after every one of the four turnovers they got against No. 7 American Fork in the second round of the 6A state tournament on Oct. 31.
The Pioneers had the advantage for more than three quarters, but the Cavemen rallied late and held on for a 21-20 win to end the season for Lehi. The Pioneers finished 6-5 for the year, with four of those losses coming by a combined eight points.
In last Friday’s matchup, American Fork got the ball first and the Cavemen were moving right along on their first drive when the ball was stripped by senior linebacker Vince Evans and recovered by senior defensive lineman Briggs Love at the Lehi 44-yard line.
On the ensuing drive, key catches by senior running back Devaughn Eka and senior wide receiver Jaxton Laddimore plus a line-burst run by Eka kept the ball ahead of the sticks until senior quarterback Wyatt Bingham connected with senior wide receiver Legend Glasker for a 22-yard touchdown.
Senior kicker Bode Hammond converted the PAT and the Pioneers took the 7-0 lead less than five minutes into the contest.
American Fork responded with a long, sustained drive that ended with a one-yard plunge into the endzone to tie the score at 7-7 with 1:09 left in the period.
Lehi was held to a 3-and-out on their next possession and had to punt. However, the Pioneers soon got the ball back when it was intercepted by senior defensive back Trey Fabrizio and returned to the Lehi 46.
On the very first play of the series, Bingham found Glasker wide open on the left sideline, and he sprinted for a 54-yard score to push the Pioneers ahead again at 14-7 with 10:23 showing on the second quarter clock.
Once again the Cavemen answered, this time with a drive that included their own long pass completion with a touchdown-saving tackle by senior defensive back Murph Madsen. American Fork eventually scored on another short run to even the board at 14-all at the 7:03 mark.
A couple of miscues during the next possession forced Lehi to give up the ball once more. During the Cavemen’s subsequent third series, Fabrizio tipped up a pass and junior linebacker Colt Kelley came down with it at the Pioneer 16-yard line.
Lehi then mounted a clock-chewing drive that ended in a Hammond 25-yard field goal with 21 seconds left to send the Pioneers to the locker room with a 17-14 lead.
Both defenses made adjustments during the break that slowed the scoring for the rest of the game.
After American Fork ended Lehi’s second possession of the third period with a turnover on downs, the Pioneers brought pressure on the next play and junior linebacker Brody Downs leapt to collect the resulting errant throw to take the ball right back.
Despite the very short field, the Cavemen were able to hold Lehi out of the endzone and the Pioneers settled for a 26-yard Hammond field goal to extend the lead to 20-14 with 2:17 left in the quarter.
American Fork got its only lead of the game from a third short TD run with 7:24 left to play. The PAT made it 21-20.
Lehi’s next possession ended in the only Pioneer giveaway of the night as the Cavemen got a pick on a tipped pass. Senior defensive back Reed Neilsen broke up a pass to end American Fork’s next drive and give Lehi one more shot.
Starting from the AF 12, the Pioneers marched down the field, including converting on a critical fourth-down play with a pass from Bingham to senior tight end Bryton Niu. A later completion to senior wide receiver Vai Kaio brought Lehi to the AF 37.
However, a second fourth-down attempt from there was unsuccessful with 1:02 left to play and the Cavemen ran out the clock to secure their thrilling victory.
“We warned the kids that when you get in the playoffs, the level of intensity goes way up,” said Coach Andy Hadfield. “We brought it in the first half and did what we needed to do. In the end, it was just little things in assignments that cost us, missing a block here and a route there and so on.
“They’re a good team and they’re well coached,” he added. “We didn’t play disciplined enough to win a close game on the road. I take some of that on me.”
After Eka embarrassed American Fork in the team’s earlier meeting, the Cavemen “sold out to stop him,” the coach said. He still ran hard and showed good effort and toughness, but he never got loose and that changed the offensive dynamics a bit for the Pioneers.
“In games like this, you’ve got to score touchdowns when you get into the red zone,” Hadfield said. If either of Lehi’s two short field goals had been a touchdown, the Pioneers would have won the game.
On the other hand, “the defense played well and we got turnovers, but we had a tough time stopping them in third and long situations. They were able to convert those to sustain drives,” the coach said.
Noting that both teams are really good, high-level teams and the conference is the toughest in the state, the coach said this matchup should not have happened until a later playoff round but that his team’s early close losses are what put them where they ended up in the rankings.
“The mentality of our program is state championship or bust,” Hadfield said. “It stings when you don’t do it, but I’d rather have those lofty goals than be happy with the mediocre.
“We had ups and downs; the boys responded to the downs and the team overall showed grit and came back,” the coach said. “They kept trusting me and trusting each other and doing their jobs.
“We also had a lot of highs,” he continued. “Our regular-season win over Lone Peak was the best ever, and the American Fork win was one of the best. I’m proud of the boys and the work they put in, even the ones who don’t get the recognition. They put their heart and soul into it.
“I’m grateful for the support of the players, parents, coaches, school and community in my first year at the helm,” Hadfield said. “These kids feel like my own. I will always celebrate their successes and be there for them when they need someone to talk to.
“I learned a lot from them and from our season,” the coach said. “Lehi football will be back next year and ready to compete.”
