Trailing 13-0 midway through the first quarter the Emery Spartans scored 30 unanswered points to earn a 37-27 win over the Delta Rabbits in the final regular season game Friday night in Castle Dale.
“I knew Delta was going to be a good team, because they play a physical brand of football,” said head coach Jon Faimalo. “They came out early and they were ready. We had to battle back, and we did what we needed to do. It’s a good win for this team and I’m proud of the kids.”
Delta struck early as quarterback Hunt Robinson found Kadance Lovell for a 60-yard touchdown pass with 9:40 to play in the opening quarter. After forcing a punt on Emery’s first possession of the game, the Rabbits marched down the field and finished an impressive drive with a one-yard touchdown run from Robinson.
Dazed by the early Delta power, the Spartans settled down and scored for the first time as senior running back Dane Sitterud ran 12 yards between the tackles to bring Emery within seven.
The Emery defense forced the first of four takeaways midway through the second quarter as Luke Justice intercepted a pass from Robinson. The Spartans marched down the field and moments later Justice found the end zone on a five-yard pass from Wade Stilson.
Emery broke the 13-13 tie when Stilson scored on a quarterback bootleg from two yards out in the final minute of the first half. Emery carried a 20-13 lead into the break and never looked back as the team earned its third consecutive win.
Stilson completed 19-of-27 passes for 193 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. Continuing a trend of recent games, Stilson found senior Creek Sharp for two touchdowns and Justice for another. His production was not limited to just the ariel attack, as he also gathered 19 yards on eight rushes, finding the endzone once on the ground.
Sitterud delivered one of his best performances of the season as he ran for 149 yards on 18 carries, finding the endzone twice. As a team the Spartans finished with 194 rushing yards, a season high so far.
The Emery offense was also helped out by special teams as senior Boston Huntington converted an important 38-yard field goal with 7:09 remaining in the third quarter. The field goal extended Emery’s lead to a three score advantage.
The three straight Emery wins have all come in league play, placing the Spartans in the mix for a first-round playoff bye and potentially a second-round home game. The final RPI will be released on Saturday morning, putting the Spartans future on paper.
“This has been good for us, especially after getting beat up by San Juan,” said Faimalo. “If we are fortunate enough to get a home playoff game, we’ll have a week to prepare. If not, we’ll prepare to head out on the road.”