The Emery High School 2019 season came to a close with a 42-7 loss to the North Sanpete Hawks in the opening round of the 3A State Tournament back in October. Despite early season signs of success, the Spartans ended the season 1-9 overall.
“I thought against Millard we were physical and I was looking forward to the season,” said Faimalo during his season wrap up interview on KOAL’s Drive Time Sports in October. “We had a brutal preseason and a few injuries. That kind of cost us some of the season and the momentum we had. There were moments of the season where we were working things out.”
Emery’s season was plagued with injuries from the very beginning. Despite finishing with a 1-9 record, the team lost three games by two scores or less.
The brightest note of the season came on Sept. 27 as the team defeated the Carbon Dinos in a 26-21 thriller. The win gave the Spartans control once again of the Coal Bucket rivalry trophy.
The 2019 season provided a learning experience for a rather young Emery squad. Equipped with only four seniors, the Spartans will look to use that experience in 2020.
Below is a recap of each of the 10 games played this past season and also the year recap interview with head coach Jon Faimalo.
August 16- Millard, 20-7, Loss:
The Emery Spartans opened the 2019 football season with a 20-7 loss to the Millard Eagles in Castle Dale.
Holding a 7-6 lead at the end of the first half, the Spartans were unable to find the end zone in the final two quarters. The game remained a one score contest until Millard crossed the goal line in the final minute of the fourth quarter.
“We had missed opportunities. Dropped passes, pre-snap penalties and missed reads,” said head coach Jon Faimalo following the loss. “I told the kids we have to get better in things like that and we’ll be ok.”
Senior Jaymes Bowman scored the lone Emery touchdown on the first offensive play from scrimmage. Starting in Millard territory, Bowman took a jet sweep 44-yards for a score. He also converted the extra point, giving Emery a 7-0 lead.
Forcing three punts and three turnovers during the first six Millard possessions of the game, the Emery defense set the early tempo throughout the first half. As a team the Spartans recorded four turnovers, including a late interception from Stockton Jensen.
The game remained 7-0 until the final play of the first half. Millard senior quarterback Brooks Meyers lobbed a desperation heave from 36-yards out and found receiver Sam Marshall. A missed extra point allowed Emery to keep a one-point advantage at the break.
Trailing by six throughout the fourth quarter, the Spartans had three opportunities to take the lead. The most prominent drive fell short as Emery turned the ball over on downs on the Millard 30-yard line with eight minutes remaining in the contest.
August 23- North Sanpete, 43-6, loss:
A competitive first half turned one-sided as the Emery Spartans fell to 0-2 on the season with a 43-6 loss to the North Sanpete Hawks in Castle Dale.
Faced with a 16-0 deficit entering the second half, the Spartans were unable to move the football with efficiency. North Sanpete pulled away by scoring 21 in the third stanza, making the fourth quarter a formality.
“I thought our kids battled hard and it was just some of the little stuff in that third quarter,” said Faimalo. “That’s a good team over there. They created some turnovers and we struggled offensively throughout the second half.”
Trailing 2-0 at the end of the first quarter, the Spartans continued to make the game interesting with several key plays defensively. Sophomore Jace Curtis recorded two interceptions, one coming on the opening drive inside the five yard line.
Making his first start at quarterback senior Seth Justice logged a solid performance. Connecting on 18-of-30 attempts, he finished with 170 yards. The lone touchdown of the game came on a fly route to Jeremy Brannon, who took the reception 60 yards for a score.
“I thought he did a good job and made the right reads,” said Faimalo. “For the most part he might the right adjustments. Seth is a smart kid and I thought he did a good job managing what we had.”
August 30- American Leadership Academy, 23-20, Loss:
The Emery Spartans are still in search of their first victory of the season after dropping a 23-20 thriller to the American Leadership Academy Eagles Friday night in Spanish Fork.
Locked in a 20-20 tie with only eight seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, American Leadership kicker Ethan Valle split the uprights with a 33-yard field goal. Emery had one last chance, but a down field heave fell incomplete to end the game.
Emery held a 20-12 lead with under eight minutes to play in the fourth quarter. ALA tied the contest as quarterback Jacob Negus found Fielding Morley for a nine yard touchdown pass on fourth down. ALA added a successful two-point conversion moments later to tie the game.
Led by senior Szion Gibson the Emery offense enjoyed its best outing of the season. In his senior campaign debut, Gibson rushed the ball for 62 yards and one score, while also hauling in three passes for 15 yards.
September 6- Juan Diego- Loss
The non-region matchup between the Emery Spartans and Juan Diego Soarin’ Eagles was canceled, resulting in a forfeit for the Spartans.
“I’d love to be playing, but with injuries and other things we have, I felt like it would be in the best interest of our team to get the week off and rest,” said head coach Jon Faimalo. “At the end of the day it’s a canceled game and a forfeit for us, so that’s kind of where we are at.”
The decision to forfeit the game comes following a slew of injuries for the Spartans. Already down two quarterbacks, Emery was hit with other injuries in key positions. The forfeit loss drops the Spartans to 0-4 on the season.
“Safety and health of the kids is most important to me as a coach,” said Faimalo, who was hesitant to call off the game. “You try to do everything you can to avoid injury. Unfortunately for us it seems like they have come more than enough.”
Originally scheduled to meet up with Manti, the Spartans had to search for an opponent after the Templars doubled booked the week. The only viable replacement game happened to be a road contest with Juan Diego.
September 13- Juab, Loss, 51-7:
The Emery Spartans finished the non-region portion of the schedule winless after suffering a 50-7 loss to the Juab Wasps in Castle Dale.
Entering the contest following a week off from action, the Spartans faced a deficit immediately as senior Cade Bowring returned the opening kick 90-yards for a touchdown. Juab would add two touchdowns and a field goal on their next three possessions to open a 24-0 lead.
Emery managed to score its lone touchdown in the second quarter as sophomore Jace Curtis returned a kick 95-yards for a score. Curtis, along with senior Szion Gibson returned multiple kicks beyond the 30 yard line, making the special teams unit the bright spot for the contest.
Sophomore Tyler Stilson started his first game under center for the Spartans, filling in for the injured Ryker Jensen and Seth Justice. While the offense failed to produce any points, the young sophomore showed promise connecting multiple times with wideouts Jeremy Brannon and Jax Madsen.
September 20- Grand, 33-6, Loss:
Five turnovers plagued the Emery Spartans in a 33-6 loss to the Grand Red Devils in the Region 12 opener in Moab.
Entering in search of their first victory of the season, the Spartans were faced with a 14-0 deficit at the end of the first quarter. Despite scoring a touchdown midway through the second quarter, the offense failed to keep pace with a potent Grand rushing attack.
Grand quarterback Bryant Troutt put together a marvelous performance, running for 170 yards and four touchdowns on 32 carries. Averaging over five yards per carry on the ground, Trout completed just two of six passes for 26 yards.
While Troutt led the push offensively for Grand, running back Brayden Troutt provided the perfect second option for balance. Carrying the ball 12 times he averaged six yards per carry for a total of 72 yards and one score.
Offensively the Spartans struggled to get the ground game moving, finishing with just 11 yards on 14 carries from Szion Gibson and Jace Curtis. The majority of the offensive production came through the air as sophomore Tyler Stilson was forced to lead the charge.
Starting for just the second time at the varsity level, Stilson completed 11-of-32 passes for 158 yards, including a 26-yard touchdown pass to Riggs Griffin. Taking advantage of a short field, the Spartans scored on just three plays, moving the ball 43 yards.
Stilson completed his 11 passes to seven different receivers. Griffin hauled in a game high four catches for 49 yards, while Jeremy Brannon had the game’s longest play on a 53 yard reception. Jax Madsen also ended with two catches for 25 yards.
September 27- Carbon, 26-21, Win:
The Emery Spartans regained control of the coveted Coal Bucket with a 26-21 victory over the Carbon Dinos in Castle Dale.
Entering the rivalry contest 0-6 on the season, the Spartans delivered a well rounded performance in all three aspects of the game. In the end, the defense halted a late Carbon rally to preserve the five-point win.
“The second quarter was probably our best quarter of the season,” said head coach Jon Faimalo following the victory. “That was a fun environment. We left a lot of plays out there, but the kids found a way to win and that’s all that counts.”
Playing in his first game since injuring his shoulder against American Leadership Academy on Aug. 30, senior Jaymes Bowman scored two touchdowns to lead the Spartans. Finishing with 61 yards and a score on the ground, Bowman added another touchdown as a wide receiver on a 15-yard touchdown pass.
Sophomore quarterback Tyler Stilson continued to show improvement as he split time with Bowman. Completing 8-of-14 passes Stilson ended with 63 yards and a touchdown through the air with no interceptions.
Scoring all 26 of their points in the second quarter, the Spartans found the end zone on three of their first five drives of the game. Adding one touchdown on defense and another on special teams, Emery did just enough in each aspect to record the win.
Carbon’s momentum faded fast as Emery senior Szion Gibson returned the ensuing kick-off 95-yards for a touchdown. A successful to-point conversion tied the game at 14, and set the stage for Emery to score twice more in the quarter.
“That was huge for us,” said Faimalo about Gibson’s kick return. “Special teams was important for us, including Szion. To have two returns in one season and from two separate guys says a lot about our team and what we can do there.”
October 4- South Sevier, 21-20, Loss:
The Emery Spartans failed on a fourth quarter two-point conversion attempt, leading to a 21-20 loss to the South Sevier Rams in Monroe.
Trailing 21-14 late in the forth quarter, the Spartans chopped the South Sevier lead down to one as Seth Justice connected with Jax Madsen on a nine yard touchdown. A mere three yards away from earning its second straight victory, head coach Jon Faimalo elected to go for two and the win.
A four-wide formation opened the field and Justice found senior Jaymes Bowman near the goal line. Despite making contact with the pylon, officials ruled Bowman was down before breaking the plane. The unsuccessful two-point attempt ended Emery’s chance of picking up its first road victory of the season.
Locked in a back-and-forth battle throughout, the Spartans held a slim 14-7 in the second quarter. South Sevier tied the game before the break and scored the eventual game winning touchdown in the third quarter.
Senior quarterback Seth Justice played in his first game since suffering a concussion on Aug. 30 against American Leadership. Sharp in his return, Justice completed 11-of-17 passes for 132 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.
Justice managed to spread the ball around to several different receivers. Tight end Josh Olsen hauled in three catches for 40 yards. Bowman also caught three passes for 20 yards and one touchdown. Madsen finished with two grabs for 15 yards and a score.
Led by sophomore Jace Curtis, the Spartans produced a well balanced offensive attack that ended with 273 yards of total offense. Curtis finished with 97 yards on 20 carries, while Szion Gibson ended with 44 yards on 11 touches and a touchdown.
October 11- Richfield, 28-7, Loss:
The Emery Spartans football team welcomed the Richfield Wildacats to Castle Dale on Senior Night. Unfortunately the game would go to the Wildcats 28-7.
In a contest that was actually closer than the final score would indicate, both teams were held scoreless in the first quarter. In the second , Richfield would get two quick scores to go up 14-0. Emery would put together a scoring drive that would end with a 43-yard pass from Seth Justice to Szion Gibson for the only Emery score of the night.
In looking at the final statistics of the game, Justice would finish 25/39 for 273 yards passing with one touchdown, Jaymes Bowman would have 12 receptions for 107 yards and would also rush for 34 yards on 9 carries. Turnovers were the difference with Emery giving up the ball four times to just two for Richfield.
October 16- San Juan, 49-0, Loss:
The Emery Spartans were in Blanding for the final game of the regular season. In a game that the Spartans were outgunned early, they would fall 49-0.
The Spartans 1-9 overall and 1-4 in region play, were up against one of the best teams in 3A in San Juan. Tyler Stilson, sophomore quarterback for Emery would go 10/22 for 167 yards and senior Seth Justice would go 2/7 for 20 yards on a night when the Spartans just couldn’t find a rhythm. The tandem of seniors Szion Gibson and Jaymes Bowman would only be able to rush for 52 yards and sophomore Jace Curtis would carry the rock for 24 yards on 9 carries. Receivers Szion Gison would have three catches for 87 yards and sophomore Josh Olsen would collect three for 45.
San Juan was an offensive juggernaut in this game. Shaw Nielson threw for 281 yards and one touchdown, he also ran for two in this game. Nielson is ranked third in the state across all divisions with 2,621 passing yards this season. The ground game was led by Kian Conway who rushed for 193 yards and four scores. Conway like Nielson is also ranked third with 1,252 yards.
The Spartans could never get things going in this game and now the waiting game starts. Emery will now wait for the final RPI will be released and then they will find out where or if they will be playing in the 3A State Championship Tournament.
October 25- North Sanpete, 42-7, Loss:
The Emery Spartans suffered a season ending 42-7 loss to the North Sanpete Hawks in the opening round of the 3A State Tournament in Mount Pleasant.
Entering the state tournament as the No. 16 seed, the Spartans trailed 14-0 at the end of the first quarter. The deficit doubled as the Hawks took a four score lead into the break. The second half worked as a formality as North Sanpete defeated the Spartans for the second time this season.
In an attempt to speed the game up, the Spartans used senior standout Jaymes Bowman as the primary quarterback in the wildcat formation. North Sanpete’s defense, which ranks second in 3A, had little problem slowing the Emery game plan.
Bowman finished with 59 yards on the ground off of 17 carries and added 20 yards through the air on two receptions. Sophomore Jace Curtis scored the team’s only touchdown on a 31-yard run, finishing the game with 39 yards total on five carries.
Emery found moderate success offensively in the second half as sophomore quarterback Tyler Stilson completed 5-9 passes for 72 yards. Stilson’s favorite target became junior Jace Curtis, who hauled in three grabs for 59 yards.
Offensive Leaders
Passing
|
Number |
Name |
Comp./Attempts |
Yards |
TD |
|
7 |
Seth Justice |
61/122 |
670 |
1 |
|
26 |
Tyler Stilson |
39/98 |
548 |
1 |
|
11 |
Ryker Jensen |
8/21 |
61 |
|
|
5 |
Jaymes Bowman |
4/11 |
28 |
Rushing
|
Number |
Name |
Carries |
Yards |
TD |
|
5 |
Jaymes Bowman |
55 |
238 |
4 |
|
87 |
Jace Curtis |
77 |
275 |
|
|
9 |
Szion Gibson |
72 |
178 |
3 |
|
18 |
Jeremy Brannon |
10 |
27 |
Receiving
|
Number |
Name |
Receptions |
Yards |
TD |
|
18 |
Jeremy Brannon |
15 |
293 |
1 |
|
5 |
Jaymes Bowman |
26 |
276 |
1 |
|
20 |
Jax Madsen |
18 |
167 |
|
|
9 |
Szion Gibson |
10 |
159 |
|
|
28 |
Josh Olson |
12 |
155 |