4A high school football: Dixie loses quarterback, defeats Bonneville

ST. GEORGE — Dixie's offensive stars showed how bright they can shine Friday in compiling more than 400 yards on the way to a 24-14 win over Bonneville in a 4A quarterfinal game at Walt Brooks Stadium.

Unfortunately for Dixie (8-3), the brightest of those stars may not be able to shine on a statewide stage next week, as Flyers quarterback Mike Sharp was ejected after getting in a shoving match at the bottom of a pile during the third quarter.

Late in the third quarter, with Dixie ahead 24-7, Sharp was wrestled down by a pair of Bonneville defenders. In the scrum, Sharp said his wrist was bent backward and he reacted by shoving or punching at the Bonneville defender. After a lengthy discussion, the referees cited the Flyers for unsportsmanlike conduct and ejected the Dixie quarterback from the game. Under UHSAA rules, Sharp will also be forced to serve a one-game suspension, meaning the senior will miss next week's semifinal against Springville at Rice-Eccles Stadium.

Dixie has said it will appeal the suspension, though the UHSAA rarely overturns such calls.

"I'll have to see it on tape and look at the video, but it didn't seem like something that would warrant an ejection. All I know is Mike's a pretty mild-mannered kid," Dixie coach Blaine Monkres said. "We played a pretty good game up to that point. We got a little panicky after that, but we settled down."

Asked what he would do if Sharp, who has started every game the past two seasons in Dixie's spread offense, couldn't play, Monkres answered candidly.

"I don't know," he said. "We may have to use a combination of several different guys. Who knows at this point?"

The game figured to be a great battle of contrasting styles, with the high-flying Dixie squad looking to counter the plodding, defensive-minded Lakers. Both teams moved the ball well early on, but Dixie was able to finish its drives in the first half, while Bonneville's first-half drives ended with two punts, two fourth-down failures and a missed field goal.

Dixie scored the first points of the game in the first minute of the second quarter. Dallen Reber took an end-around into the end zone to cap a 12-play, 80-yard drive.

Bonneville responded on its next possession by driving 73 yards on eight plays to take the ball inside the Dixie five-yard line. But linebacker Taylor Webster and his Flyer teammates stuffed Bonneville's Chase Shaw at the three-yard line on fourth down to give the ball back to Dixie.

On the next play, DHS's John Matuato broke a pair of tackles at his own goal line and blasted off for a 97-yard TD run, putting Dixie ahead 14-0 midway through the second quarter.