Wolverines cruise without kicking help

WEST VALLEY CITY — The Hunter Wolverines learned a very important lesson about the importance of special teams play in their Region 3 battle with Riverton here Friday.

Hunter failed to convert on all but one of its PAT attempts in the contest, but managed to hold on to beat the Silverwolves 31-21.

"We made a lot of mistakes that I wasn't happy about," said Hunter head coach Wes Wilcken. "But we came up big when we needed to."

The Wolverines botched three kick attempts, while a two-point conversion attempt came up empty as well.

The biggest missed attempt came on Hunter's final score — a 5-yard Fili Vakapuna run with 3:05 remaining in the game — that would have put the Wolverines up by 17 to make it a three-possession game.

Instead, Riverton kept things interesting by blocking Brandon Hoyt's kick to keep the score at 31-15. The Silverwolves then hurried down the field on a 40-yard touchdown drive, only to see a two-point conversion pass fall short of its receiver and then to fail on an onsides kick attempt with under a minute to play.

Wilcken said the rainy conditions made things hard on both teams, but he was glad to see the Wolverines come through, particularly in a game that wasn't decided until the final moments.

"We kind of needed a game like this," Wilcken said, adding a close win can help build character. "We kind of needed a battle and (Riverton) did a good job of battling with us tonight."

After Hunter jumped out to a 6-0 lead late in the first quarter on a Muka Atiga 45-yard run, the PAT snap was babbled and a desperation run failed.

The Silverwolves took advantage and marched down the field on their ensuing drive to take the lead on a Jerris Kaplin 7-yard run with 9:50 to play in the second quarter. Aaron Jaussi's PAT gave Riverton a 7-6 lead.

After forcing a turnover deep in Silverwolves territory, Hunter took the lead just before the half as Vakapuna scored on a 5-yard run. A two-point conversion attempt failed and the Wolverines led 12-7 at the half.

Riverton forced the Wolverines to turn the ball over on downs in the first Hunter drive of the second half and the Silverwolves again engineered a scoring drive — this one 76 yards in seven plays — to take a 13-12 lead on a Joe Schrader 41-yard touchdown run. Schrader then hooked up with Jordan Marshall for the two-point conversion and Riverton led 15-12 with 5:01 to play in the third quarter.

Hunter answered with a 54-yard kickoff return by Muka and a 31-yard scoring drive to take an 18-15 lead on a Vinney Purcell 1-yard run, but again the wet ball slipped out of the holder's hands and a third PAT attempt failed.

Hunter forced a Silverwolves punt and took over at its own 20 early in the fourth quarter. Atiga took off on a 76-yard scamper to set up a Vakapuna 3-yard score and Hoyt's only successful kick of the evening made it 25-15 with 10:00 to play.

Hunter tried to put it away on its next possession, but after going up 31-15 and watching Riverton make a valiant effort at a comeback, the outcome was still in jeopardy until Schrader misfired on his two-point conversion pass attempt.