Prep football: Hunter prevails in instant classic

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Hunter's La'au Tanuvasa fights for extra yardage as Lone Peak defenders try to bring him down.Hunter defeated Lone Peak in a quadruple overtime game at Hunter on Friday, November 6, 2009

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West Valley City » Forty-eight minutes of regulation was not enough. Neither were three overtimes.

On Friday night at Ed Mayne Stadium, it took the Hunter Wolverines four overtimes to dispatch the visiting Lone Peak Knights in a 45-37 instant classic.

It was a Class 5A playoff matchup that featured Lone Peak's aerial circus that is the spread offense against the old-school, three-yards-and-a-cloud-of-dust offense that Hunter deploys. And it could not have been a closer game.

In the deciding play, Lone Peak faced a fourth-and-5 from the Wolverine 5-yard line, but Tannon Pederson's pass was batted down by two Hunter defenders in the end zone to give Hunter the thrilling

Hunter's Ekuasi Tavo scored the winning points in the opening stanza of the fourth overtime, taking a pitch 15 yards for a touchdown, and then adding a two-point conversion to give the Wolverines the winning margin. Tavo finished the game with 15 carries for 103 rushing yards and two touchdowns.

"My O-line was telling me that the cutback lanes were there," said Tavo. "When I first got the ball, it looked like there was nothing for me, but I made a move and cut back and got it in."

In a game that will be remembered for years to come by players, coaches and fans, the underdog Wolverines again pulled a shocker against the perceived stronger team.

Hunter's rushing game was not as dominant as games

Leading the way once again was La'au Tanuvasa, who carried the ball 35 times for 147 yards and two touchdowns.

The Wolverines were playing with a heavy heart due to the passing of La'au and Fausia Tanuvasa's grandmother earlier in the week.

Said Tavo, "This game goes out to my brothers on this team and for their grandma who did so much for all us boys." Added La'au Tanuvasa, "I dedicate this game to my grandma, and I know she was looking down on me and Fausia out there today."

Hunter was on the brink of letting the game slip away after back-to-back personal foul penalties led to a quick Lone Peak touchdown that gave the Knights a 17-10 lead to start the fourth quarter.

Hunter was forced to punt on its next possession and Lone Peak quarterback Pederson was driving the Knight offense into Hunter territory with ease.

Backed up into their red zone, the Wolverines needed a big play, and got just that when Ekuasi Tavo intercepted Pederson at the Hunter 10-yard line.