Davis' Blake Gardner, #5, is tackled by Hunter's Trevor Walker, #24, and Richmond Chanthapanya, #80, during the first half of the game at Rice-Eccles Stadium Friday November 13, 2009. Davis is winning the game 21-10. (Photo by Chris Detrick / The Salt Lake Tribune )

The adrenaline distracted Brett Lunceford from focusing on the pain in his right leg. But on Hunter's last drive in its 41-17 loss to Davis in the Class 5A semifinals on Friday, the Wolverines' quarterback couldn't ignore it anymore.

He was hit hard at the beginning of the drive but his loyalty to his teammates wouldn't let him quit. Hunter would go on to score an inconsequential touchdown. The Darts already were so far ahead it didn't matter, but at least Lunceford stuck it out to the end.

"I had to see it through," said Lunceford, a senior. "The pain was so intense but I had to finish out the drive."

Playing with a broken fibula, Lunceford knew the risk was big but he wasn't going to let his dream of playing at Rice Eccles Stadium pass him by.

Lunceford's injury wasn't the only one Hunter had to deal with. Leading rusher Laau Tanuvasa tore his anterior cruciate ligament last week in Hunter's four-overtime win over Lone Peak in the quarterfinals. Right tackle Seleti Leakehe played through a knee injury he sustained earlier in the week.

But the players say its not the injuries that lost the game for them.

"We didn't perform to our ability," said Lunceford, who completed 4 of 12 passing for 78 yards. "We can't blame it on injuries. It's no excuse."

Even though other running backs stepped up in the absence of Tanavasa - Ekuasi Tavo carried the ball 32 times for 171 yards and Tauileva Bloomfield had 49 yards on 10

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carries - it didn't take long for the Wolverines to get worn down.

"We don't platoon," Hunter coach Dustin Pearce said. "Some of our guys don't come off the field. We can't platoon like Bingham or Alta."

But the adversity showed just what his team is made of.

"You want to talk about a team with a never-say-die attitude and always competing," Pearce said. "That's this team. They showed courage and character."

mthach@sltrib.com

Highlights

» Hunter has to play through key injuries against Davis.

» The Wolverines lose their top running back and quarterback Brett Lunceford plays with a fractured fibula in his right leg.

» Ekuasi Tavo steps up and finishes with 171 rushing yards on 32 carries for Hunter.