High school football: Picks pace Pine View past Dixie
Villiami Hafoka rushed for 142 yards, including a 66-yard TD run in the third quarter, to pace Pine View. Adam Bangerter and Ty Nelson each intercepted two passes, but it was Anderson's that was the clincher.
In a 21-13 battle with less than five minutes left in the game, Anderson jumped a deep out pass by Dixie quarterback Mike Sharp and sprinted down the sideline untouched.
That score pushed the Pine View lead to 28-13. Dixie added a late TD with a minute left, but could not recover an onside kick and the Panthers were able to run out the clock.
"We didn't try to over-think it tonight," Anderson said. "When we gave up a lot of passing yards to Cottonwood earlier in the year, we were thinking too much. Tonight we just reacted to the ball."
Hafoka had rushed for just eight yards on eight carries in the first half, as the Dixie defense was strong up the middle. But the senior running back opened the second half with back-to-back runs of 13 and 66 yards to change his yards-per-carry line dramatically.
Hafoka's long run put Pine View up 21-7 early in the third quarter. Dixie responded with a drive of 75 yards to pull within 21-13 before Anderson's fourth-quarter heroics put the game away.
"It seemed like every time we got something going, we would make a big mistake," Dixie coach Blaine Monkres said. "You can't keep turning it over against a good team like Pine View. They'll make you pay. But our guys left their hearts out there on the field."
Dixie hasn't beaten Pine View since the new millenium began, but won many of the statistical battles in Friday's game. Dixie had 354 yards and Sharp rushed for a team-high 127 yards on 24 carries.
But the junior signal-caller only hit 13-of-36 passes for 165 yards and those five picks.
"Dixie's a good football team," Esplin said. "I think they'll have a chance to do some damage down the road."
Pine View quarterback Justin Ence rushed for 60 yards in the game, and found the end zone twice more, giving him a state-leading 20 touchdowns this season.
Recent comments
wow all of u who dont even play football for any of these teams..…
jUsT mE!!! | Oct. 23, 2008 at 9:30 a.m.
So Utah is represented every year, in nearly every sport, deep into…
To: THIS IS HS FOOTBALL | Oct. 18, 2008 at 3:14 a.m.
Amen and ditto to Bunk! There is life after football and high school…
dixie fan | Oct. 16, 2008 at 4:06 p.m.
