From Deseret News archives:
High school football: Vaenuku rushes for 226 yards as Kearns earns spot in playoffs
"We finally came out better offensively and we produced," said Kearns coach Bill Cosper. "I think our kids played well and West Jordan played well. It was a big game for us."
Vaenuku was the game's standout as he set the tone early. His 124 yards and two scores in the first quarter proved to be more than the Jaguars' defense could handle.
"He was a 1,500-yard rusher last year," Cosper said of his running back. "He's missed a game and a half this year and we're just getting him back. Our offensive line did a great job."
Vaenuku had touchdown runs of 63 and 45 yards in the first period to give the Cougars a 14-0 lead going into the second. A 22-yard touchdown pass from J.R. Finai to Fatu Moala with 22 seconds left in the second gave Kearns a 21-0 halftime lead.
"With what West Jordan does offensively, you really need to get up on them early," Cosper said.
Kearns extended its lead to begin the second half as the Cougars moved 65 yards in seven plays to go up 28-0 on Toa Afatasi's 33-yard touchdown run.
The Jaguars finally hit paydirt when Damien Maestas, who led West Jordan with 75 yards on 20 carries, capped a 66-yard drive with a nine-yard touchdown run late in the third to cut the lead to 28-6.
Finai gave the Cougars a 35-6 lead with just over 10 minutes to play as he snuck in from a yard out on fourth-and-goal. His run finished a 10-play, 64-yard drive.
West Jordan quarterback Jace Rogers didn't allow his team to roll over as he engineered a scoring drive to end the game. He capped the 80-yard drive with a 15-yard touchdown pass to Tyson Udy with under a minute to play to provide the game's final score.
"I think our defense really played well tonight. Our job now is to win a first-round playoff game," Cosper said. "We're starting to gel and everything is coming together now."
