Sandy • All it took was a halftime talk, a few adjustments and the arm of Tanner Kemp.

And just like that, Hillcrest started the season with two consecutive wins.

Of course it wasn't that easy, but the Huskies sure made it look that way. In what was the first-ever high school football game at Rio Tinto Stadium on Friday night, Hillcrest pulled away in the second half on its way to a 27-7 win over Murray, the team from just down the road.

Much of the Huskies' ability to dominate rested with the arm and feet of Kemp. The senior quarterback tossed a pair of third-quarter touchdowns, two scores that opened up what had been a close game. In many ways, the setup was perfect.

Hillcrest did a masterful job of balancing its offense in the first two quarters, making sure to establish the run and forcing the Spartans to throw eight men in the box.

Handed single coverage in the secondary, the Huskies took full advantage.

Down 7-6, there was a 45-yard strike from Kemp to junior receiver Chris Nemeschy, one where he strolled into the end zone virtually untouched.

Up 13-7, Hillcrest struck with its defense, forcing a safety by tackling Murray senior Kendall Clark in the end zone. On their very next possession, the Huskies put the game away with Kemp rolling out and hitting Alex Thompson for a 6-yard touchdown strike.

The score put Hillcrest up 21-7 and paved the way for Kyle Gashler to score on a 16-yard run to provide the final score and add an additional insurance touchdown.

It was the kind of performance that has to encourage Husky fans. Hillcrest showed off a brilliant defense, one that got better and tighter as the game went on. Against the run, the Huskies slipped once, allowing Christian Jensen to score from five yards out.

Hillcrest started the scoring with Kemp throwing the first of what would turn out to be three touchdown passes, hitting Parker Wettstein from 13 yards out. Indeed it was a great performance for Kemp, who showed the arm strength needed to get the ball down the field and backed that up with quick feet. Time and again, Kemp escaped the pocket and allowed himself the extra time to find a receiver down the field. If that didn't work, he simply ran for first downs himself, never running out of bounds, but barreling Tim Tebow-like into defenders, fighting for extra yardage.

It wasn't until the second half that Murray began to wear down. But once the Spartans did, it became pretty easy for Hillcrest to slice through its defense. The Huskies, on Friday night, proved to be the deeper team, the better conditioned team, and they proved to be the team with the best player.

That allowed Hillcrest to chant "2-0!" as it ran off the field and onto the team bus.

It allowed the Huskies to dominate a game that had once been close.

tjones@sltrib.com