So close and yet so far.

For two quarters winless Cyprus battled 3A powerhouse Juan Diego to a standstill. Leading 10-7 at halftime, the Soaring Eagle pulled away late for a 43-10 victory.

The win didn't come without a fight, though, as Cyprus took its first lead of the season, 7-3, when Jordan Wager connected with T.J. Johnson on a 55-yard bomb.

Unfazed by the deficit, the Soaring Eagle marched right back with a long drive that culminated in a 2-yard plunge from quarterback Nathan Elorreago, giving Juan Diego the halftime lead.

"We didn't have a great week of practice," said Juan Diego coach John Colosimo. "We had some miscues early, and this team is still inexperienced and we need to learn how to start and finish games."

Juan Diego righted the ship in the third quarter with a 12-yard run from Wyatt Wilson.

On their next possession, the Soaring Eagle converted a third-and-long, when Elorreago connected with Oliver Weight on a 44-yard completion. Juan Diego consolidated its third-down conversion with a Cody Berg score that increased the lead to 22-10.

"The coaches called 89 Jet, which is a slant to the corner," said Weight, referring to the conversion catch. "The play usually catches the corner, and tonight it worked perfectly."

Back-to-back interceptions returned for touchdowns on the Pirates' next two possessions by Weight and Eric Heinz sealed the victory.

"Coach Chang told me to watch the slant, and I did," said Weight of his interception return. "When Eric did the same thing on the next possession, that broke the game open."

Juan Diego improves to 2-1 heading into what Colosimo calls a huge game with Springville.

Cyprus falls to 0-3 and will enter region play next week.