The former Riverton tight end held it in as long as he could.

David Christensen, now a senior at Herriman, shuffled off the field at Rice-Eccles Stadium Saturday and, while every else watched his old team take a seven-point overtime lead on his new one, vomited onto the turf.

Six minutes later, after Herriman running back Zach McPherson ran twice for 24 yards and back Francis Bernard punched in a touchdown, Christensen, still queasy, was back on the field. He ran a cross route in the end zone, and pulled in the two-point conversion that lifted the upstart Mustangs to a 29-28 win over their rival.

Christensen played for Riverton last year, including in the Silverwolves 42-0 rout of Herriman.

“I was happy he wasn’t over there with them,” said Bernard. “I was happy he was with us.”

Christensen, who said he felt sick the entire game, was a walking advertisement for the budding rivalry between the schools. Herriman opened last fall and split Riverton’s student population.

“All of our seniors all played sophomore ball with all the seniors over there,” Christensen said.

Herriman overcame a 21-7 first-half deficit by grinding down the Silverwolves, quarterback Tueni Lupeamanu threw just 18 times. A second-quarter fumble recovery led to a quick two-play scoring drive, all by Bernard, who finished with 74 yards and two touchdowns.

Riverton got impressive performances from running backs Joey Jensen, who tallied 130 yards, and BJ Newman, 109 and two touchdowns, but its wing-T offense stalled in the second half.

Herriman, meanwhile, took advantage of good field position. The Mustangs returned a punt to the 38-yard line late in the third quarter, and with 1:31 remaining Lupeamanu broke free for a 25-yard touchdown that tied the game at 21.

When, in overtime, Herriman coach Larry Wilson had to decide whether to go for a one- or two-point conversion, after Newman had powered his way in for Riverton and Bernard did the same for the Mustangs, he didn’t hesitate.

He grabbed Christensen and redirected him to the field.

“We wanted it for him,” Wilson said. “If David had a chance to make that play, we wanted it for him.”