Seeking a win to open 2a South play, the Emery Spartans traveled south to face the Grand Red Devils. A lopsided affair from the start, the Spartans delivered an offensive master class and decisive defensive performance to earn a dominant 69-0 shutout victory.
“That first half, I thought both sides of the ball, offensively and defensively, we executed well,” said Head Coach Jon Fiamalo. “The score ended up what it was, but I think our kids played hard, and it’s how I want us to respond in a game like this.”
Emery outpaced the Red Devils early, scoring a trio of touchdowns offensively and adding a Pick-6 defensively to take an early 28-0 advantage.
The scoring barrage continued in the second frame, with senior lineman Spencer McCandless taking two fumbles into the promised land in the first two minutes of the period. Two more touchdowns from the Spartans built a commanding 55-0 halftime lead.
Emery called off the dogs in the second half, only scoring twice in the remainder of the game while still blanking Grand – creating a final score of 69-0.
Making his second start at quarterback, senior Beau Stilson delivered a gem of a performance, completing five of seven passes for 82 yards, including three touchdown passes. On the ground, he was just as effective, rushing five times for 87 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
“He came in on one week of prep last week, and so he’s had another week, and so I think throwing the ball, he’s getting better,” stated Fiamalo of the quarterback. “It was nice to see him put a little bit of touch on the ball and for some kids to make some catches. And so it was nice to be able to see that out of him.
Sophomore Grady Oveson also got in on the fun, adding two passing touchdowns of his own while rushing for 51 yards, a mark only beat by Stilson.
The win moves Emery to 2-4 on the season and 1-0 in region play. The Spartans now return to Castle Dale for a homecoming showdown against an undefeated South Sevier, who are hot off the heels of a 69-27 throttling of the Delta Rabbits.
Pregame coverage for the contest begins at 6:30 p.m. with the Landon’s Diesel Service Pregame show, followed by kickoff at 7 p.m. Live coverage of the game is hosted on KOAL 107.3 FM and 750 AM, with a video stream available on YouTube at Castle Country Radio – Emery.