The Emery Spartans began the 2021 campaign with a big win over the rival Carbon Dinos 28-16. Emery finished the regular season 5-6 and posted a 3-2 region record. They also started a new era with the opening of a new field as well.
The Spartans had trouble keeping their starters healthy and on the field. With Ryker Jensen, Jace Curtis and Jace Mangum all missing chunks of time during the year, but it was all about the next man up.
Below is a recap of the season.
August 13- Carbon- Win 28-16
The Carbon and Emery rivalry added another chapter on the football field as the two teams combined for a thrilling season opener that ended in favor of Emery 28-16 Friday night in Price.
Capitalizing on opportunities early in the game, the Spartans captured a 14-0 advantage in the first quarter. Carbon answered by scoring 16 unanswered over the next two quarters to hold a two-point lead in the fourth. The final 12 minutes belonged to Emery as they closed out the game on another 14-0 run to solidify the victory.
“The kids gutted it out and pulled off what we needed them to,” said Emery head coach Jon Faimalo following the win. “Defensively I thought we played well. They got a little bit of momentum and that can carry you a long ways and it did for those guys in the third quarter.”
It took less than two minutes for the Spartans to register the first score of the game. Carbon’s opening possession ended with a blocked punt deep in its own territory that was eventually recovered by Koalton Curtis in the end zone for a touchdown. The Spartans extended the lead to 14 as Ryker Jensen capped off an efficient drive with a quarterback sneak inside the three yard line.
While the Spartans seemed in control of the game the Dinos refused to quit. The first points of the season came for Carbon as a drive stalled out inside the Emery five yard line. Zach Chappell easily converted a 23-yard field goal. The score remained 14-3 heading into the third quarter where the Dinos erupted.
The momentum of the game started to turn as Carbon thwarted a successful Emery drive with an interception in the corner of the end zone. The Dinos quickly made the Spartans pay with an 80-yard drive that ended with senior Davin Moss scoring on a 29-yard run.
Carbon’s defense delivered another successful stand on the ensuing drive. Once again the offense put together a drive and captured the lead for the first time as Keaton Rich scored on a 31-yard quarterback keeper. Chappell’s point after missed left, keeping the Carbon lead at 16-14.
“Our kids just didn’t quit and our defense started hitting a little more,” said Carbon coach Phil Howa. “We took the challenge. Our kids got a little shell shocked. Last year it happened and our kids shutdown, this year that didn’t happen.”
The game once again took a turn as Emery battled from behind in the fourth quarter to take the lead for good. Sophomore Dane Sitterud became the main offensive weapon, putting the ground attack on his shoulders and scoring the go-ahead touchdown from 21-yards out.
Back in control on the scoreboard, the Spartan’s defense forced a three-and-out from Carbon on the ensuing drive. Deep in their own territory, the Dinos elected to punt, but a miss handled snap resulted in Emery taking over at the Carbon six-yard line.
The final blow came from Jensen who walked into the end zone with a quarterback keeper around the left side of the line.
“I think tonight was a great test to see just what we’re made of,” said Faimalo. “The difference of atmosphere on the sideline was night and day from the third and fourth quarter. We tried to tell the kids not to give up and something will happen.”
The final team statistics were nearly even in every major category. Only 11 yards separated the two teams in total yards, while both committed two turnovers. The difference turned out to be plays made on special teams, which heavily benefited the Spartans.
Jensen completed 13-of-24 attempts for 150 yards to lead the Emery offense. On the ground senior Josh Olsen averaged over five yards a carry as he finished with 86 yards on 15 attempts.
Rich was the most potent weapon for Carbon as he accumulated 168 yards through the air and another 126 on the ground. Fellow senior Will Carmichael gathered 114 yards as he hauled in seven catches.
The Dinos will now shift focus to a week two home game against Cottonwood on Friday, Aug. 20. The Spartans will open the home portion of the schedule with a game against North Sanpete.
August 20- North Sanpete- Loss 27-0
The Emery Spartans suffered a shutout loss in the second game of the season, falling to the North Sanpete Hawks 27-0 Friday night in Castle Dale.
A highly competitive first quarter ended with North Sanpete holding a 7-0 advantage. The Hawks created more space with a dominant second quarter that led to a 19-0 score at the break. The lone touchdown of the second half came midway through the third period to round out the 27-0 final.
“They are a good offensive team and they do some things really well,” said head coach Jon Faimalo following Friday’s game. “We talk about how to win a game or lose a game and we had a couple mental breakdowns and that’s on us as coaches.”
The first touchdown of the game came on a 3rd-and-12 as North Sanpete quarterback Landon Bowles connected with Kolby Robinson for a 74-yard touchdown pass. Bowles would toss three more scores throughout the game to finish with four touchdowns on the evening to four different receivers.
Offensively the Spartans were shorthanded as key skill position players Josh Olsen, Jace Curtis and Jace Mangum all missed the contest due to injury. Quarterback Ryker Jensen missed the entire second half after taking a hit that led to a penalty in the second quarter.
With the massive amounts of injuries piling up the Spartans turned to backup senior quarterback Tyler Stilson and sophomore running back Dane Sitterud. The two combined for the majority of the Emery offense, pushing the ball onto North Sanpete’s side of the field multiple times, but never managing to cross the goal line.
“I thought Dane ran the ball well and I thought Tyler came in did some really good things,” said Faimalo. “I thought they did a great job for what they had. We’re a little shorthanded, but that’s football and we have to figure it out.”
Friday’s loss moves Emery to 1-1 on the season after topping the Carbon Dinos in the season opener last Friday. The Spartans will have an opportunity to climb back over the .500 barrier on Friday, Aug. 27 at home against Democracy Prep.
Traveling from Nevada, Democracy Prep was originally slated to meet Judge Memorial. A change in the schedule gave them an opening week, paving the way for a game with the Spartans.
August 27- Democracy Prep- Win 30-6
A week after being shutout by North Sanpete the Emery Spartans returned to the field and delivered a dominating performance in a 30-6 win over the Democracy Prep Academy Blue Knights Friday night in Castle Dale.
Playing against an out of state school for the first time, the Spartans were dominate from beginning to end. The defense kept the Blue Knights off of the scoreboard until the final minutes of regulation, while the offense found its stride in the second half.
“I thought our kids executed well on both sides of the ball even though we left a lot of points out there in the first and second half,” said head coach Jon Faimalo following the win. “They were athletic, and we knew they would be coming in. But I felt good about the way the kids played.”
Holding a 3-0 lead at the end of the opening quarter, the Spartans created more space as sophomore Dane Sitterud scored on a 13-yard run with 6:10 to play in the first half. The lead remained 10 entering the third quarter.
It took only four plays for the Spartans to score in the second half as quarterback Tyler Stilson connected with Colton Jeffs on a 38-yard touchdown pass. Starting under center for the first time since his sophomore season, Stilson continued to show more signs of comfort and confidence as the signal caller.
“You could see more confidence this week because it was just different. He was prepped and the ball looked a little bit different coming out of his hand,” Faimalo said when assessing Stilson’s play. “He’s going to get better as the season goes on. He was prepped and you could see it.”
The 16-point advantage increased just 39 seconds into the fourth quarter as Sitterud found the end zone again, this time on a five yard run to advance the score to 23-0.
Playing a bend-but-don’t-break role, the Emery defense finally allowed points when DPAC quarterback Shamon Warren found Greg Jones in the end zone for a touchdown on fourth and 10. Still in control 23-6, the Spartans answered back with one more score as Koalton Curtis crossed the goal line on a three yard run with 4:23 remaining in regulation.
Friday’s opponent presented a different challenge for Emery. Playing in its first high school football game, the Las Vegas based Democracy Prep squad was loaded with athleticism and speed. With very little information available the game planning aspect was unique throughout the week.
Even with the difficulties in preparing for Friday’s game the Spartans responded to last week’s loss with fire despite dealing with a long list of injuries. Now 2-1 on the season, the possibility of starting the campaign with three wins in four weeks exists heading into next week’s road game with Union.
“I would be ecstatic if we could go into Union and steal one,” said Faimalo when asked about next week’s game. “Having what we’ve dealt with on injuries, I don’t think we could ask for anything more than 3-1. Even at 2-1, I feel good about where we are at because a tough game like last week can set you back, but our kids responded tonight.”
September 3- Union- Loss 51-13
Emery is coming off a win last week over Democracy Prep, sitting a 2-1 they headed to Roosevelt to face the Union Cougars. The Spartans could not contain Union’s quarterback Boone Latham who ran for one touchdown and passed for six in Emery’s 51-13 loss to the Cougars.
Union owned the first quarter scoring three times while pitching a shutout on defense. The second quarter was more of the same with Union putting two more scores on the board, and Emery finding the end zone as Tyler Stilson handed the ball to Josh Olsen for a 2 yard scamper to put the halftime score at 34-7.
Wade Stilson came out in the second half to take over at quarterback for the Spartans, quarterback Ryker Jensen was in uniform tonight and could have played in an injury situation, but most signs point to his possible return next week.
The third quarter had Union putting two more scores on the board, a 66 yard pass from Latham to Tyler Walker and a field goal pushed the score at the end of the third to 44-7.
The Emery defense held tight on first and second downs, the trouble came on third down, they couldn’t get Union to fourth down and when they did, their kicker would pin Emery deep in their own territory, where it seemed both teams struggled to hold on the ball on returns.
Once Union got up by 35 points the mercy rule took effect meaning that the clock wouldn’t stop, making the second half go quickly.
In the fourth Latham wasn’t done, throwing a 53 yard bomb to Lannin Richman. Emery put one more score on the board when Wade Stilson found Creek Sharp in the end zone as time ran out.
The loss to Union puts Emery at 2-2. Things will not get any easier for the Spartans, as they welcome the defending 3A State Champion Juab Wasps to Castle Dale on Friday Sept. 10. Last year the Spartans were blanked 44-0 by the Wasps in the road.
September 10- Juab- Loss 38-6
The Emery Spartans were unable to keep pace with the defending 3A State Champions in a 38-6 loss to the Juab Wasps Friday night in Castle Dale.
The contest was delayed nearly 30 minutes after a lightning strike in the area forced both teams off of the field during warmups. The timing, mixed with wet and slippery conditions did not slow the visiting Wasps who fired on all cylinders throughout the night.
“That’s just a really good football team. They are efficient, they run their stuff really well and they do not miss tackles,” said head coach Jon Faimalo following the loss. “They don’t give up big plays. They make you earn it and somehow we need to get to that point.”
It took just over one minute for the Wasps to score the game’s first touchdown. Quarterback Alex Jackson connected with Payton Park on a 78-yard score. After forcing an Emery punt on the ensuing possession, the Wasps went to work again as they capped an efficient drive with a 16 yard pass from Jackson to Chase Ingram.
While Juab started hot the Spartans proved that they could move the ball effectively. A fumble inside the Juab 30 yard line brought an end to a promising drive. The Wasps responded almost immediately by adding another touchdown in the opening seconds of the second quarter to capture a 21-0 lead.
The hefty advantage grew to 35-0 as Juab scored on its first five possessions of the game. After dominating the first half, the second half clock ran non-stop due to the mercy rule.
Emery managed to get on the scoreboard late in the third quarter as sophomore Dane Sitterud crossed the goal line on a two yard run. The touchdown would be the only score of the game for the Spartans.
“Dane was sick this week, so Tyler (Stilson) stepped up and ran the two,” said Faimalo. “Hopefully we can get Dane in for a full week and we go back to battle next week.”
While the Spartans were forced to maneuver multiple players to new positions, senior quarterback Ryker Jensen returned to the lineup after missing two games. Completing 14-of-30 passes, Jensen finished with 106 through the air.
Creek Sharp hauled in seven catches for 49 yards to lead the Emery offense. Treg Miller caught two passes for 25 yards, while Tyler Stilson gathered 21 yards on eight carries.
Friday’s loss moves Emery to 2-3 overall on the season, while the Wasps improve to 4-1 with the victory. The game also represents the final non-region tilt of the season for both teams.
Emery will immediately shift its attention to next Friday’s game against the South Summit Wildcats in Kamas. The Wildcats eased through the non-region schedule with a 5-0 record, winning four of the five games by two or more scores.
September 17- South Summit- Loss 42-27
Faced with the difficult task of opening region play on the road against No. 2 South Summit, the Emery Spartans fell just short of the upset win falling 42-27 Friday night in Kamas.
Carrying a 21-12 lead into half time, the Spartans allowed 23 unanswered points in the third quarter. Trailing by two scores entering the fourth, the deficit was too much to overcome as Emery slipped to 2-4 on the season.
Sophomore Dane Sitterud led a potent Emery rushing attack as he finished with 83 yards on 21 carries. Sitterud also found the end zone on the first Emery drive of the game, scoring on a three-yard run to cap an efficient start.
Senior quarterback Ryker Jensen rushed for two touchdowns and 24 yards, while also throwing for 154 yards on nine completions and another score. The chunk of the yardage came late in the second quarter as Jensen connected with Colton Jeffs on a 74-yard touchdown pass down the right sideline.
Emery proved to be a game opponent for the unbeaten Wildcats. The first three drives of the second half were halted by costly penalties. Creating extra possessions for South Summit, the Spartans also gave up an interception that was returned for a touchdown in the third period.
After a sluggish first half South Summit quarterback Kyler Sudweeks found his rhythm as he threw two third quarter touchdown passes. For the game he accumulated four scores, three threw the air and one on the ground.
Entering Friday’s game ranked No. 5 in the UHSAA RPI, the Spartans still managed to climb one spot, even in defeat, to No. 4 due to strength of schedule. The win for South Summit moved them to the top of the rankings, passing unbeaten Beaver for the top spot.
Emery will have another opportunity to record its first region win on Friday with a home contest against the Judge Memorial Bulldogs in Castle Dale. With four games remaining on the regular season slate, three will be played at home.
September 24- Judge Memorial- Win 56-7
The Emery Spartans opened their brand new football field in style Friday afternoon, defeating the Judge Memorial Bulldogs 56-7 in a 2A North divisional game in Castle Dale.
Emery’s defense set the tone early by forcing three Judge Memorial turnovers on the first three drives of the game. Taking advantage of the short fields on each occasion, the Spartans gathered a 21-0 lead before the 7:00 minute mark in the first quarter.
“We were able to create turnovers early and that really made a difference in the game,” said head coach Jon Faimalo after the win. “As a coaching staff and head coach, this is a beautiful facility, and you feel a little bit of pressure. But the kids played up to it and played hard. They served home field and that’s what you have to do.”
Senior quarterback Ryker Jensen tossed three touchdown passes as he finished an efficient 18-of-21 for 194 yards. Sophomore backup quarterback Wade Stilson also had an opportunity to play under center and made the most of his reps as he completed three of six attempts for 62 yards and a score.
Junior Treg Miller had his most dynamic game of the season offensively by posting 109 receiving yards and one touchdown on six receptions. The ball was spread around through the air as four different receivers crossed the goal line for the Spartans.
The ground game worked as a perfect compliment for Emery as the team combined for 211 yards on 21 attempts and three scores. Sophomore Dane Sitterud averaged eight yards per touch, finishing with 64 yards and one touchdown. Sean Rogers carried the ball six times for 40 yards. Both Maddex Christman and Boston Huntington also reached the end zone on one attempt each, Huntington’s going for a 64-yard score.
Friday’s stadium opener was billed as a matinee game with kick-off at 4:10 p.m.. The festivities included a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the first contest on the artificial turf.
“We came out here at one o’clock so they could get their first feel of the new field and I worried about them getting a little worn out or too excited,” said Faimalo. “But for the most part the kids came out and took care business and I couldn’t ask for anything more than that.”
Now 3-4 overall and 1-1 in region play, the Spartans are currently ranked No. 5 in the UHSAA RPI. Judge Memorial remains in search of its first win, now 0-6 on the season.
Emery will return to the comfort of the new field on Friday for a highly important divisional game against Providence Hall. Currently ranked No. 6 in the RPI, the Patriots have started the league portion of its schedule 2-0 with wins over American Leadership Academy and Judge Memorial.
October 1- Providence Hall- Win 41-7
The Emery Spartans delivered a statement with dominant 41-7 region win over the Providence Hall Patriots Friday night in Castle Dale.
A highly anticipated game between the No. 5 Spartans and the No. 6 Patriots quickly turned one-sided as the Emery defense set the tone early with multiple turnovers.
“Defensively we a turnover, that was huge, we get a short field and score and then just kept rolling,” said head coach Jon Faimalo. “I feel like we are starting to find an identity in all aspects of the game. It’s nice to have that type of comfort and to get some kids back from injury. It was just good.”
Friday’s win moves Emery to 2-1 in 2A North play and 4-4 overall. Providence Hall was previously unbeaten in league play, but now shares an identical in both region and overall.
“If you would have told me we would be 4-4 at the beginning of the year, with the injuries we’ve had, I’d take it,” Faimalo said. “We’ve had to rely on some kids to step up, and to their credit they have. It’s nice to see these kids settle in and find their position.”
Emery’s defense once again set the tone early as Colton Jeffs recorded his second interception in as many weeks. The return set the Spartans up inside the Providence Hall 40 yard line. Emery capitalized off the turnover as Jace Curtis scored his first touchdown of the season on a six-yard run.
The second Emery possession ended in similar fashion as the offense once again set up inside the Providence Hall 40 following a 60 yard punt return from Sean Rodgers. The drive ended with a five yard touchdown run from Tyler Stilson to make it 14-0 at the end of the open quarter.
The Spartans continued to soar defensively as Treg Miller recorded the team’s second interception midway through the second quarter. The return set Emery up at the Providence Hall 37 yard line. Moments later Curtis reached the end zone again, this time on an 18 yard run untouched to open up a 21-0 lead.
Emery’s defense continued to create offense in the first half. Faced with a fourth and one from the 40, Maddex Christman recovered a fumble to set the Spartans up at the 39. The very next play Ryker Jensen connected with Miller for a 39 yard touchdown pass to increase the lead to 28-0 with 3:26 to play in the second quarter.
A quick three-and-out for the Patriots gave the Spartans plenty of time to add another score. Faced with fourth and six from the 40-yard line, Emery extended the drive with a successful fake punt. Moments later Jensen capped off the drive with a one yard touchdown on a quarterback keeper to extend the lead to 34-0 at the break.
The Spartans put the mercy rule in play with 3:45 remaining in the third quarter as Tyler Stilson scored for the second time as he reached on a one-yard run to increase the lead to 41-0.
Following last week’s blowout Emery has now outscored its opponents 97-14 on the new field.
October 15- Summit Academy- Loss 27-14
The Emery Spartans completed the 2021 regular season with a hard fought 27-14 loss to the Summit Academy Bears Friday night in Castle Dale.
Competing to secure sole possession of second place in the 2A North, the Spartans fought back from a 14-0 deficit to climb within six points in the fourth quarter. An efficient drive to capture the lead stalled out at the four-yard line, eventually leading to the 13 point setback.
“I thought our kids continued to play and worked themselves out of an early hole,” said head coach Jon Faimalo. “I credit our kids for defensively really buckling down to get us in the game. Offensively we had moments, but when we needed it we had too many turnovers.”
Entering Friday’s tilt with a three-game winning streak, the Spartans sputtered offensively in the first quarter, while also giving up a 98-yard touchdown pass on Summit Academy’s first offensive play from scrimmage. Within the first minute of the second quarter the Bears added another score as they threatened to pull away.
Faced with adversity the Spartans began to rally on both sides of the ball. Quarterback Ryker Jensen connected with junior Treg Miller for a 20 yard touchdown pass to chop the deficit to 14-7 entering the third quarter.
Summit Academy held control as quarterback Devin Watson found receiver Russell Oliver for a three-yard touchdown pass with 6:50 remaining in the third. The Spartans immediately answered on the ensuing possession as Jensen finished off an efficient drive with a one-yard quarterback sneak to bring Emery within six.
Nearing the midway point in the fourth quarter and trialing by just six points, the Spartans marched down the field. The go-ahead-drive fell short with back-to-back incomplete passes on third and fourth down from the Summit Academy four-yard line.
The Bears put the game on ice as Watson delivered his fourth touchdown pass of the evening to Chance Arbon with 3:38 remaining in regulation.
“We’ve got to find that key victory for us to get over the hump and I think our kids are looking for that,” said Faimalo. “Today was a perfect time to do that and we gave it our best shot. We are getting there, but we still have a lot of work to do.”
Emery senior running back Jace Curtis continued to dazzle in just his third game of the season as he ran for 103 yards, averaging close to 4 yards per carry. Jensen accumulated 183 yards through the air, connecting with Miller for 97 yards on the evening.
Friday’s loss dips Emery to 5-5 overall and 3-2 in region play, giving the team sole possession of third place in the final division standings. The win improves Summit Academy to 6-4 overall and 4-1 in league play, finishing second to South Summit.
With the regular season now complete the Spartans will await the release of the Utah High School Activities Association’s final RPI. The 12 2A teams will be seeded for the state tournament, with the top four seeds receiving a bye in the opening round.
2A State Playoffs
October 19- Grand- Win by forfeit
It didn’t come by way of the final score or on the football field, but the Emery Spartans officially advanced in the 2A State Football Playoffs following a forfeit by the Grand Red Devils Tuesday afternoon.
Entering the state tournament as the No. 5 seeds, the Spartans were scheduled to meet No. 12 Grand Friday evening in Castle Dale. The Red Devils elected to no play the game, giving Emery a free path to the quarterfinals on Friday, Oct. 29.
The Red Devils completed the regular season without a victory as they finished 0-9. The 2020 season ended in similar fashion as Grand passed on the playoffs after finishing as the last seed in 3A.
The forfeit win places Emery in the quarterfinals against a familiar opponent in the No. 4 ranked Summit Academy Bears. The two teams wrapped up the regular season on Friday as Summit Academy came away with a hard fought 27-14 victory in Castle Dale. The win was enough to propel the Bears to the No. 4 ranking, pushing Emery out of a bye week.
Round two between Emery and Summit Academy will have a venue change as the second meeting will take place in Bluffdale. The Bears earned the right to host their first playoff game by finishing as the higher seed.
October 29- Summit Academy- Loss 37-14
The Emery Spartans were unable to overcome a powerful defensive performance from the Summit Academy Bears, suffering a season-ending 37-14 loss in the quarterfinals of the 2A State Tournament Friday night in Bluffdale.
Entering as the No. 5 seed, the Spartans squared off with the No. 4 Bears for the second time in three weeks. In similar fashion to the first meeting, Emery struggled to find consistency on the offensive side of the ball.
Trailing 20-0 in the closing seconds of the first half the Spartans scored for the first time as Jace Curtis found the end zone on a 28-yard touchdown run. Emery would receive the ball to start the second half and despite an opportunity to cut the lead to one score, the offense was unable to keep the rhythm found in the second quarter.
Back-to-back stalled out drives ended up favoring Summit Academy as quarterback Devin Watson found Chance Arbon on a broken play that went for a 32-yard touchdown. Moments later the Bears pushed the lead to 23 with a 42 yard field goal.
Both teams would cross the goal line one more time in the final quarter. Senior quarterback Ryker Jensen registered one last touchdown as he found fellow senior Jace Mangum on a 14-yard touchdown pass.
Jensen wrapped up his football career at Emery by completing 15-of-30 passes for 166 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Colton Jeffs hauled in three passes for 45 yards to lead all Emery receivers, while Jace Curtis caught three passes for 44 yards.
Curtis turned in a well rounded game statistically as he finished with 89 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Josh Olsen carried the ball three times in his return from injury for a total of 12 net yards.
Summit Academy was fairly one dimensional offensively as Watson completed 24-of-45 passes for 283 yards, five touchdowns and one interception. Arbon led all receivers with 100 yards receiving and two touchdowns on six receptions.
Friday’s loss brings an end to a highly successful season for the Spartans after finishing region play with a winning record. Overcoming several key injuries early in the season, the team won three consecutive games to climb inside the top five of the RPI.
The win for Summit Academy places them one step closer to the 2A State Championship contest. Next will be a meeting with No. 1 San Juan Saturday, Nov. 6 in Cedar City at Southern Utah University.