SPRINGVILLE — In the words of their coach, it would have been difficult for Spanish Fork to recover if they entered region play with three losses on its record.

Fortunately for coach Matt Christensen, the Dons were able to get back on track in time to leave Springville with a 28-7 win Friday night, benefiting from a three touchdown explosion in the final quarter.

"We needed that," Christensen said. "This was a rivalry game, and you saw it was a battle all the way. We"re excited to get away with the win."

The second half saw the Dons put 28 unanswered points on the board, thanks to some costly mistakes by the home team. Spanish Fork busted out in a big way in the fourth quarter, as Springville committed two costly turnovers deep in their own territory.

"Turnovers in a game like this are huge," Christensen said. "That"s one thing we emphasize in practice, that we have to hold on to the ball."

After Spanish Fork took the lead on a 19-yard run by senior quarterback Griff Robles, the wheels seemed to come off for the Red Devils. On the following possession, Springville put the ball on the ground, and the Dons recovered just 20 yards from the end zone. Two plays later, Utah-bound Robles found Zack Fox for an 18-yard touchdown, effectively putting the game out of reach. Springville then turned the ball over on downs, and Jason Binks put the finishing touch on the night with a two-yard run to paydirt to provide the final score.

A key difference for Spanish Fork in the second half was field position.

Springville punter Casey Valeti repeatedly pinned the Dons deep in their own territory in the first half, averaging over 50 yards a boot. In the second half his leg seemed to tire, however, and Spanish Fork capitalized on the shorter field they were given. Adjustments were also made to limit Springville"s pass rush, which had five sacks in the first half, including three straight by Valeti.

"They were bringing the heat early," Christensen said. "Their linebacker (Valeti) is a stud. We came together at halftime and were able to adjust."

The first half favored Springville, as Ben Doxey opened the scoring on a 24-yard catch from quarterback Nate Fullmer. That six play, 83-yard drive was all the Red Devils could muster, however, as Spanish Fork would shut them out in the second half. They limited Springville's powerful backfield to just six yards rushing on the night as the Red Devils remained winless on the year.