3A high school football: Running back Chynoweth helps Miners outrun Rabbits

PARK CITY — Odds are good Delta will not miss facing Park City running back Dylan Chynoweth any time soon.

For the second time this season, the Rabbits could do little to impede Chynoweth from having his way with their defense. The senior back rushed for 283 yards and three touchdowns on 22 carries to help Park City hold off Delta 21-14 on Friday night and advance to the 3A semifinals for a second straight season.

Chynoweth's performance evoked some deja vu from what transpired when the two teams played earlier this season. In that game, a 41-17 Park City victory, he also racked up three touchdowns and gained 247 yards on 16 carries.

Between the two games, Chynoweth tallied an astonishing 530 yards and six touchdowns.

Once Miners coach Brandon Matich saw the Rabbits still had not discovered how to contain his leading rusher, he decided to put the ball in Chynoweth's hands until Delta gave him a reason to do otherwise.

"Sometimes, you out-coach yourself," Matich said. "You try to do too much. If they're not picking up on things, then you stay with what's working. They gave that to us, we stayed with it and Dylan carried us."

Going to Chynoweth helped Park City recover after the Rabbits took control early. Delta took the opening kickoff and marched 70 yards in 12 plays, taking a 7-0 lead on Joey Dutson's 2-yard keeper at the 6:29 mark in the first quarter.

The Miners needed just four plays to answer thanks to Chynoweth. He took the ball on a sweep and raced 71 yards down the right sideline to make it 7-7 with 5:02 remaining in the third quarter.

Chynoweth then punched it in from 3 yards out at the end of a 15 play 75 yard drive to make it 14-7 for Park City with 4:30 left in the third quarter. After the Miners' defense forced the Rabbits to punt, he turned his final score by ripping off an 85 yard jaunt to the end zone to push the lead to 21-7 with 1:56 remaining in the quarter.

Those big third-quarter plays helped Park City survive a disastrous fourth quarter where they fumbled on three straight possessions to spark visions of a comeback on the Delta sideline. The Rabbits cashed in the second fumble, cutting the Miners' lead to 21-14 on a 1-yard run from Dutson with 5:14 left in the game.

"We made mistakes all over the field," Chynoweth said. "It definitely wasn't our most flawless game. But, in the end, our heart took over and we got the game done."