Lehi Sports
Pioneer football learns lessons in loss
Beky Beaton / Lehi Free Press
The Lehi High School football team returned just two offensive starters this year and that inexperience showed against Mountain Ridge on Friday (Aug. 21) as the visiting Sentinels topped the Pioneers 42-0.
However, the final score doesn’t reflect how well Lehi competed in this game. “Mountain Ridge has proven to be a really, really good team,” said Coach Andy Hadfield. “They are well coached and talented and they played tough.
“We played really well defensively and had a chance to go into the fourth quarter trailing just 14-27,” he continued, noting some narrowly-missed opportunities. “All but two of our guys were playing in their second-ever varsity game and we made mental and physical mistakes that cost us.
“That’s why we play these preseason games, to learn and improve,” the coach added. “The goal was to get better and we definitely did, even though we still have a long way to go.”
The Sentinels got the ball first and took it back to their own 17-yard line after the opening kickoff. They tried a long pass on their first play from scrimmage, and the ball was intercepted by sophomore defensive back Li’i Unga at the 42-yard line.
A bad snap and a nice run negated by a holding call doomed Lehi’s possession and the resulting punt backed Mountain Ridge up to the 29-yard line.
The Sentinels were able to move the ball with shorter plays this possession. After a third-down run was stuffed by senior defensive linemen Sterling Fillmore and Trey Nelson, Mountain Ridge elected to go for it on 4th-and-4 but were forced to turn the ball over on downs at the Lehi 38.
The Pioneer drive was stymied by a dropped pass and timing penalties, so the net result was the Sentinels restarting at their own 30-yard line. This time they were able to move the ball down the field into scoring position.
Senior defensive back Porter Hobbs deflected one pass in the end zone and the defensive line held Mountain Ridge inside the 1-yard line on one down, but the Sentinels eventually got across to post a 7-0 lead with less than a minute left in the first quarter.
The visitors added two more scores in the second period to move ahead 21-0. Lehi prevented Mountain Ridge from adding any more points on their final two possessions of the half, forcing a punt on the first and ending the second with an interception by senior linebacker Colt Kelley.
Working from the 45-yard line with just 47 seconds left to the half, the Pioneers reached deep into the red zone with completions from senior quarterback Briggs Jensen to senior wide receivers Vince Ruelas and Cam Wren followed by a run from senior running back Sam Verbecky.
With one second left, Lehi attempted a 33-yard field goal. The kick had plenty of distance but just barely missed to the right.
The teams traded fruitless possessions to start the third quarter. The Pioneers reached the red zone again on their second drive but had one score wiped out by a penalty and then turned the ball over on downs after a sack.
The Sentinels subsequently scored on a long pass play, but the PAT was blocked. Lehi continued to work hard and make good defensive moves to the final whistle, but Mountain Ridge scored twice more to finish their tally for the night.
Junior running back Cam Bryce had eight carries for 42 yards. Verbecky finished with eight rushing yards plus 30 yards on three catches. Wren added five receptions for 32 yards plus 61 yards on three kickoff returns.
The Pioneer linebackers all had monster nights. Senior Paul Unga led the way with six solo and 15 combined tackles, while senior Brody Downs added four solo and 11 total tackles and Kelley had the interception plus three solo and seven combined tackles. Fillmore led in hurries with four.
Li’i Unga finished with eight total tackles and three deflections plus the pick in an outstanding overall effort. Hobbs added seven combined tackles. On special teams, junior Breken Avina took nine punts with a long of 61 yards and also made a 15-yard punt return.
“We just didn’t get first downs,” Hadfield said. “It’s hard against a good team to make third downs when it’s always 3rd-and-long. We need to make sure we know our assignments and do more thinking and less reacting.
“I don’t think all is lost,” he went on. “Obviously our offensive production was not what it needs to be to win games, but I definitely believe in this team and know we still have to get better. We’ve got to win and lose as a team.”
This week, Lehi is participating in the Panther Classic, a four-game event featuring Utah teams taking on high-profile programs from out-of-state. The Pioneers are scheduled to play the private St. James Performance Academy from Springfield (VA) at 3 p.m. on Saturday (Aug. 29) at West High School.
“At this point, we’d rather play teams that expose your weaknesses rather than teams you should beat,” Hadfield said. “The boys have heart and we’re excited to go compete and see what we can do.”
Photos by Sam Penrod.
