Coming off a dominant 37-14 win over Enterprise and looking for their first 4-0 start since 1995; the Emery High School Spartans set their sights on another 2023 state runner-up in the Manti Templars. This time, however, fortune would not be in favor of the Spartans, falling to Manti 45-7.
Both teams would be held scoreless until under two minutes were left in the first quarter. Manti would strike first out of a hurry-up offensive set when senior quarterback Maison Starkweather connected with fellow senior wide receiver Trevor Fowles on a 39-yard dime into the end zone. A successful kick made it 7-0 Templars.
Manti would be gifted starting position on Emery’s five-yard line following an interception returned 65 yards by senior linebacker Tala Taulapapa, with the only thing stopping him from scoring being an all-out dive by Spartan senior Ty Yost. The Templars would capitalize on this field position with a two-yard quarterback sneak from Starkweather. A failed PAT gave Manti the 13-0 lead.
Manti would add another score to their lead after another interception, this time coming from junior Ty Pringle. Starkweather would first keep the ball on the run for a five-yard gain, and on the next play, he would throw a 28-yard rope to junior wide receiver Carter Mason. Emery would stop the two-point conversion holding the Templar’s lead to 19-0.
The Templars would score once more in the first half, this time on a drive lasting only two plays but starting on their 24-yard line. First was a trick play with Mason receiving a pitch and throwing it downfield to a wide-open junior receiver Stone Mortensen. The next play would be another pass, this time from Starkweather to Mortensen who wove his way into the end zone. The Spartans would again stop the two-point conversion, making it 25-0 Manti.
Emery would finally capitalize on a drive, with the senior-to-senior connection between quarterback Trevin Gilbert and receiver Porter Hurdsman on a 33-yard pass that got the Spartans on the board. A successful kick helped Emery cut into the lead 25-7.
Unfortunately, the rest of the game would be dominated by the Templars, with things getting started with a 71-yard bomb from Starkweather to Taulapapa. Manti would opt to kick the PAT which they did successfully, increasing their lead 32-7.
The Templars added to this lead again, when Starkweather delivered a 27-yard strike to Mortensen. Emery’s special teams defense continued their dominance, shutting down a run off a fake kick from Manti on the two-point conversion, holding the score at 38-7.
Manti struck one last time in the game at the start of the fourth quarter. Mason and Starkweather would connect again, this time on a 25-yard pass 42 seconds into the final frame. Manti would again find success in kicking the ball, creating a 45-7 advantage that they would hold until the final buzzer.
The Spartans (3-1) now look ahead to the highlight of their non-region slate, a game against cross-county rivals the Carbon High School Dinos (3-1), who are coming off a 34-7 win over Union. Coverage for Emery will begin at 6:30 p.m. on KOAL 107.3 FM and 750 AM with the Landon’s diesel pregame show, and kickoff at 7 p.m.