Emery High School’s senior group had plenty to smile about as the team closed out the home portion of the schedule with a convincing 49-20 win over the Grand Red Devils Thursday night in Castle Dale.
It was a proper home finale for a group that has been part of the revitalization of Emery’s football program. The victory marks the sixth of the campaign, solidifying the fourth straight season with a record above .500.
“Honestly, I think we’ve just been focused on the season, but I think as we wind down towards the end, they realize what can be and the possibilities,” said head coach Jon Faimalo following the win. “You can see it in their eyes. They realize we can really put ourselves on the map and do something special here.”
The Spartans wasted little time giving the home crowd something to cheer about. Forcing a turnover on the opening, it took the offense just two plays from scrimmage to cross the goal line. Trevin Gilbert first connected with Hayden Abrams on a 40-yard pass, and on the ensuing play, he found Porter Hurdsman for a 25-yard touchdown. The score remained 7-0 entering the second quarter.
The upset-minded Red Devils capitalized on a takeaway of their own, marching down a short field and scoring on fourth down from the 12-yard line. Finding new momentum, Grand had the score knotted up at 7-7 with 11:52 to play in the second quarter.
Emery wasted little time stripping the energy from the Grand sideline. On the first play of the ensuing drive, Jaxon Johnson exploded through the line untouched for a 67-yard touchdown run. With the crowd loud and on its feet, the score was a sign of things to come in a powerful second quarter.
“That was a great job from the offensive line on that play,” said Faimalo. “JJ turned on the wheels and that was nice to see a few seniors have really good nights in the way as well.”
Emery increased the lead on their next offensive possession as Gilbert tossed his second touchdown of the half, this time finding Braxton Butler from nine yards out with 5:59 remaining in the half. Though the Spartans held their largest lead of the game, the Red Devils refused to quit.
An explosive kick return from Connor Swasey set the Red Devils up at the Emery 20-yard line. It took just two plays for quarterback Austin Paris to cross the goal line on a two-yard run, shrinking the Emery advantage to 21-14.
The final five minutes of the first half belonged to the Spartans. Hurdsman completed a first half hat trick, scoring two more times on passes from Gilbert 19 and 10 yards out. The quick 14-point burst gave Emery a commanding 35-14 lead entering the break.
Emery continued to impose its will over Grand early in the third quarter, marching the opening drive down the field in under three minutes. Gilbert again worked through the air as he found Deacon Mangum for a 23-yard touchdown, upping the lead to 42-14.
The Spartans put the mercy rule into play on the next offensive possession as senior left tackle Kaleb O’Neil lined up in the backfield, scoring on a two-yard run up the middle. The touchdown was a highlight of the night, dedicated to the talented senior class.
“It’s a thankless job sometimes to play in the trenches,” said Faimalo. “Kaleb has been a big part of our program for a long time. I am not sure how we are going to replace a kid like that at the end of the season. As coaches, we are looking for opportunities to let him shine because he is a phenomenal football player and team leader.”
Thursday’s win moves Emery to 6-2 on the season, setting the stage for an important regular season finale on Friday, Oct. 18, on the road against the Delta Rabbits.