4A high school football: Springville uses balance to get by Sky View

SPRINGVILLE — The formula of an explosive offense and a stingy defense was the perfect combination for Springville's 35-14 victory over Sky View in the opening round of the 4A state playoffs Friday afternoon.

Running back Alema Key took center stage among the Red Devils' talented backfield, rushing for two touchdowns and picking up another score through the air.

"He's really started to get comfortable with what we're trying to do offensively," Springville coach Scott Mitchell said. "We have three really good backs with him, Marcus (Case) and Mitchell (Paystrup), and he (Key) has really stepped up his play recently."

It was Key who got the Red Devils (9-1) on the scoreboard first, scampering for 13 yards on a 4th-and-2 situation late in the first quarter.

The home team added to the lead when sophomore quarterback Steve Bate connected with Jordan Sumsion on a 16-yard touchdown pass.

Down 21-7, Sky View (6-5) was threatening to climb to within a score of the Red Devils. But a sure touchdown was dropped in the end zone with less than two seconds remaining in the first half, setting up a 30-yard field goal attempt.

But the kick — which would have pulled the Bobcats to within 11 points — was blocked and into the hands of Taylor Baker, who worked his way to the left sideline and all the way to the end zone for an 89-yard score.

"That play was a 10-point swing," Mitchell said. "No question, it was a big momentum swing for us."

For both teams, though, the second half was not a scoring bonanza, with each posting just one touchdown. The difference was that the damage had already been done by Springville — and its defense was the key.

They allowed only a seven-yard run by quarterback Kyler Carlsen in the first half and a 34-yard toss from Carlsen to Tanner Hunt on the Bobcats' first possession of the second half.

The rest of the night, the Red Devils' defense was solid, consistently putting pressure on Carlsen and throwing him off balance. Along the way, they also picked up a pair of interceptions — one each from Raul Delgado and Todd Gillies.

"Our defense has been our strength and the consistent part of our team this season," Mitchell said. "At the end of the game, I was pleasantly surprised to look up at the scoreboard and see that we only gave up 14 points."

Despite all the good things that happened for Springville, Mitchell was reminded after the game that his team had been a little sloppy during the contest, racking up 19 penalties.

But the coach managed to make a positive out of that, too. "Wow, I didn't realize it was that many penalties," he said with a brief laugh. "But I think that's a credit to our team. That we make that many mistakes and still keep our heads up and play a good game. That's a credit to how we've matured."