Lone Peak’s Shaun Blanton (19) celebrates his landing with Trey Robinson (10) in opposition to Syracuse within the 6A second spherical playoffs in Syracuse on Friday, Oct. 28, 2022. Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret Information
The defending champs are shifting on.
With 4 minutes left in its 6A second-round sport in opposition to Syracuse, Lone Peak took its first lead of the competition as quarterback Kaden Hodson threw a 7-yard landing move to Shaun Blanton within the nook of the tip zone to present the Knights a 22-17 benefit.
That’s all Lone Peak wanted because the protection got here up with massive stops, together with a purpose line stand with underneath a minute remaining to present the Knights the victory on the highway.
“Our protection performed excellent tonight,” mentioned Lone Peak head coach Bart Brockbank. “Our offense put them in some dangerous spots, and but they rose to the event each time.
“Syracuse is a high-scoring staff, and we knew it might come right down to the tip of the sport, and it did!”
With 30 seconds left, and going through 1st and purpose from the 10-yard line, it appeared Syracuse was destined to win behind the raucous dwelling crowd.
However the Knights had different plans, forcing 4 straight incompletions to finish the come-from-behind victory Friday night time.
“All week in observe our coaches preached that it might be a battle and that we needed to combat till the very finish and that’s precisely what we did,” mentioned Lone Peak security Alex Passey.
“Although we received down early, our staff by no means gave up.”
After Lone Peak scored to take its first lead of the sport late within the fourth quarter, Syracuse got here proper again because the Titans drove down the sector.
With slightly below three minutes to go within the sport, the Titans went for all of it as quarterback Jake Hopkins threw a deep ball down the proper sideline.
The ball was supposed for DJ Mayes, nevertheless it was Passey who made the play of the night time because the senior snagged the ball out of the air for what seemed to be the game-clinching interception on the 1-yard line.
“We knew they have been operating out of time and needed to go deep,” mentioned Passey. “As quickly as I noticed the ball within the air, I knew it was going to be a 50/50 ball to determine the sport. My mentality in that second was ‘that ball is mine’ and I went up and received it. After I got here down with the ball, it was the most effective feeling on the planet.”
“Alex made an awesome play, and I couldn’t be happier for him,” added Brockbank. “He’s been preventing accidents all through the season and to see him make that play was particular for all of us. He’s been due for an interception, and it couldn’t have come at a greater time.”
It was a tricky loss for Syracuse because the Titans managed a lot of the sport. On Lone Peak’s first possession of the sport, Syracuse security Daxton Faddis intercepted the ball and returned it to the 10-yard line to arrange the Titans first rating of the sport as operating again Jake Metcalfe threw a 3-yard landing move to quarterback Jake Hopkins on the designed trick play.
The Titans prolonged the result in 10-0 on a 35-yard area purpose from Rhett Thompson.
Lone Peak answered proper again as Hodson threw the primary of his three landing passes on the day — two of which went to Blanton.
The duo related once more on the final play of the second quarter in what turned out to be an enormous swing in momentum for the Knights.
After being stopped twice on the 1-yard line, with no timeouts left and with simply seconds left on the clock, Lone Peak rapidly scrambled collectively a play as Hodson faked the handoff earlier than dodging a defender and floating a move to Blanton within the nook of the tip zone.
The junior made the seize with no time left to chop the deficit to 17-14 on the half.
“That was an enormous play for us and gave us lots of momentum going into the second half,” mentioned Brockbank. “With out that rating, we might have misplaced tonight.”