The name of Hurricane senior Gordie Dotson should be no stranger to Utah high school football fans.

He's been known as an offensive standout the last two seasons, as his name has consistently been among the state's rushing leaders. He entered Hurricane's 26-9 win over Morgan in the 3A semifinals on Thursday night at Rice-Eccles Stadium with 1,659 yards on 229 carries this season.

His biggest play, however, in the Tigers' win over the Trojans came on the defensive side of the ball. Late in the first quarter, he ended a long and promising Morgan drive when he intercepted a pass by Trojans quarterback Matt Largent. He caught it at his own 15, then returned it 41 yards.

Hurricane quickly capitalized, as Joran Langston threw a 17-yard touchdown pass to Jacob Pugh to give the Tigers a 7-0 lead.

Dotson, who played sparingly at outside linebacker for Hurricane, mostly as a red-zone defender prior to Thursday's semifinal game, said he wanted to stay on the field as much as possible to help get his team to the 3A championship game next week.

"I don't usually start, but I worked a lot (at outside linebacker) this week in practice and the week before," Dotson said. "I did a lot of sprints in practice so that I could go both ways."

Dotson seemingly credited everyone else for his production on Thursday night, including his coaches, his offensive line and his team's defensive line. One thing he couldn't deny, though, was that his interception gave the Tigers the game's momentum, and they never relinquished it.

"Anyone who scores the first time has momentum swinging their way," Dotson said.

Dotson's early defensive play gave the Tigers a spark. But he stood out in the second half for what he's known for: tough running that usually wears opponents down.

Dotson rushed for 124 yards and two touchdowns on 24 carries. He gained 93 of his yards in the second half, and he capped Hurricane's opening drive in the third quarter with a 15-yard touchdown run. The extra sprints during the week paid off, as Dotson was able to gain some hard yards against a tough defense.

"He's a stud," said Tigers coach Chris Homer. "He's a hard-running kid. He definitely was playing tired and playing with a lot of heart there in the fourth quarter."

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