High school football: Dixie secures win over Cedar on late play

CEDAR CITY — It was the 80th meeting between old rivals Dixie and Cedar and it would be hard to find a game as fun and competitive over the years as Friday night's 35-28 Flyers victory.

"It might have been fun for the fans, but those types are never that fun to coach," Dixie head coach Blaine Monkres said. "It gave me heartburn."

Dixie linebacker Taylor Webster sacked Cedar quarterback Jackson Carter, forcing the only turnover of the game, with 11 seconds to play to preserve the win.

"It was a heck of a hit," Dixie assistant coach Kelly Smith said.

Cedar had driven 37 yards in eight plays in the game's final 1:58 to set things up at the 14-yard line with 20 seconds to go.

Carter ran a pump and go that would have been intended for Jordan Jones, but Webster blindsided the Redmen QB and forced the fumble before Carter could pass it.

Dixie recovered and the Flyers celebrated an exhausting win in a game that featured 829 yards of offense and four plays of 60 yards or more.

It started out looking like a Dixie blowout as the Flyers scored easily and quickly on their first two possessions. John Matuato scored on a 27-yard screen pass and punched it in from five yards out after a 75-yard pass play from Mike Sharp to Dalton Smith.

Dixie then took the ball deep into Cedar territory, threatening to make it a 21-0 runaway.

But the Redmen stuffed a fake kick and Cedar's offense turned the momentum of that play into a score to make it 14-7.

Dixie scored late in the half it make it 21-7, but the Redmen answered with a 50-yard drive in just 20 seconds, set up by a 45-yard kickoff return by Jon Jones to make it 21-14 at the half.

Adam Rice, who rushed for 197 yards for Cedar, opened the second half with a 69-yard TD run to tie the game at 21-21.

Both teams added TDs in the third quarter to set up a dramatic fourth quarter with the score tied at 28-28.

Dixie took the lead for good with 11:18 to play on a 3-yard dive by Sharp that capped a 13-play, 69-yard drive. Matuato carried the bulk of the load on that drive. He finished the game with 147 yards rushing and three touchdowns.

The two teams traded possessions in the fourth quarter until Cedar's do-or-die drive in the final two minutes that ended with the Webster forced fumble.

Dixie, 4-3 overall and 3-1 in Region 9, amassed 425 yards in the game and averaged an impressive eight yards per play. Sharp passed for 208 of those yards.

Cedar (4-3, 1-2) had 325 yards rushing in the game. Dixie now leads the all-time series 46-34.