5A high school football: Hunter outlasts Lone Peak in epic 4OT thriller

WEST VALLEY CITY — Ekuasi Tavo seemingly had nowhere to go.

The Hunter running back, filling in for hobbled workhorse La'au Tanuvasa, looked like he was stopped in his tracks behind a stalemate of his blockers and Lone Peak defenders.

But Tavo kept his legs moving, broke free, bounced to the outside and made his way to the end zone.

The anatomy of that two-point conversion run was a microcosm of a game in which neither team was ready to concede defeat — and just as Tavo was able to find daylight, the Wolverines prevailed 45-37 over the Knights in Friday night's epic, four-overtime 5A football quarterfinal contest. Hunter faces Davis in next week's 5A semifinal at Rice-Eccles Stadium.

"It was hard to get around two guys," said Tavo of the play while crediting his line and fullbacks.

"(Tavo) ... rose to the occasion," Hunter coach Dustin Pearce said.

Tavo had just given Hunter the lead on a 14-yard touchdown run, his second of the game — both coming in the extra frames.

Lone Peak still had one more chance to tie the game with the ball at the Hunter 5-yard line. But quarterback Tannon Pedersen's pass on fourth-and-goal was broken up by Hunter's Mason Hafen.

The game was riddled with personal foul penalties, with both teams racking up more than 100 yards in infractions. But it will be remembered more for the players who probably would have stuck around to play 40 overtimes if needed.

"Our kids fought hard. They did everything we possibly asked them to do," Lone Peak head coach Tony McGeary said.

Hunter jumped out to a 10-0 lead in the second quarter on a play out of its new "Wolverine" formation. Fausia Tanuvasa took a direct snap, rolled right and tossed a Tim Tebow-esque jump pass that was tipped and ended up in the hands of Tevita Bloomfield, who found the end zone.

The Knights struck back in the third quarter with two short touchdown passes from Pedersen to Fenton and Ryan Savage to take a 17-10 lead.

In the fourth quarter, Lone Peak had the ball in Hunter territory and looked like it was about to ice the game. But Tavo picked off Pedersen and took it all the way to the Lone Peak 45, giving Hunter new life.