High school football: Flags fly freely as Knights hold off Beetdiggers

SANDY — The Jordan Beetdiggers and Lone Peak Knights battled not only each other Friday night, but also themselves. In a game fraught with penalties and turnovers, it was the Knights who were able to put their mistakes behind them and pull away to a 38-27 win.

With 20 penalties (plus several that were declined) and nearly 200 resulting lost yards between them, both teams constantly found themselves in long-yardage situations. But Lone Peak quarterback Tannon Pedersen and running back Kyson Flake led an offensive rushing attack that wore down the Diggers' defense, resulting in 21 points in the decisive fourth quarter.

"We knew it was going to be tough because there was a lot on the line for them and for us," Lone Peak coach Tony McGeary said after the game. "We didn't feel like we were composed when we needed to be, but we regrouped and played a little better in the second half."

Flake found the end zone three times in the fourth quarter, twice on runs and another at the receiving end of a Pedersen pass. It was one of three touchdowns the senior quarterback threw to go with 104 rushing yards.

Jordan was led by another strong effort from quarterback Alex Hart, the nation's leading passer. Hart completed 21 of 34 passes for 302 yards and two touchdowns, both to Braden Hammond (seven catches, 135 yards).

Lone Peak entered the fourth with a tenuous 17-14 lead, but was inspired by a long third-down run by Pedersen. The quarterback plowed through one Jordan defender, juked several others and finally leapt entirely over another before being brought down on the seven. Flake punched the ball in on the next play for a 24-14 margin.

Jordan came back with a lengthy drive and a Billy Vavau touchdown run, but any momentum they earned was stunted by an ensuing six-minute scoring drive by the Knights. Down 31-21, Jordan's Ty Spillman turned over the ball on a fumble, the Diggers' third of the night. Flake broke loose for a late touchdown and a 38-21 lead.

Hart needed less than a minute to find Hammond for another touchdown, but Lone Peak recovered an onside kick and proceeded to kneel on the ball.

Both teams spent the first half taking advantage of each other's mistakes. After Junior Malaga fumbled the ball deep in Jordan territory, Pedersen connected with Jacob Hannemann for a touchdown and a 7-0 lead.

Jordan took just one play to respond, as Braden Hammond took a pass from Hart near the sideline, broke a tackle and ran 80 yards to even the score, 7-7. Both teams would trade touchdowns to go into the half with a 14-14 tie.