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Despite an overall solid effort by the Hurricane defense, the last few minutes of Friday night's Class 3AA semifinal at Rice-Eccles Stadium were becoming increasingly difficult to watch for the Tigers faithful.

But one huge eye-opening play put an end to the anxiety — and the final Desert Hills drive, as well — as Hurricane beat the Thunder 17-14 to advance to next week's championship game against Dixie.

Desert Hills had already converted one fourth-and-7 at midfield with two minutes left.

On their heels, with the Thunder at their 7-yard-line, the Tigers then got the play of the game when senior linebacker Charlie Sefita popped the ball out of the hands of Desert Hills quarterback Nick Warmsley.

The football flew forward into the hands of Hurricane senior Tyson Yardley at the 5 to end the final threat.

"I just shuffled down, and he [Warmsley] didn't look like he was ready for me," said Sefita of the one-on-one play. "I kind of hit right where the ball was. I knew it was out because the crowd went up and it just went crazy."

Hurricane will face region rival Dixie next Friday at 11 a.m. for the 3AA title.

Desert Hills beat Hurricane 21-3 only three weeks ago.

But the Tigers put the Thunder in trailing position quickly by marching 75 yards for a touchdown, capped by a 2-yard run from Jason Stanworth, on their opening drive.

And that stood up for the rest of the first half. Hurricane added to the lead when Stanworth kicked a 35-yard field goal with 4:47 left in the third for a 10-0 lead.

Senior running back Jeremia Ieremia finished with 65 yards on the ground and was instrumental in keeping Desert Hills on its heels through much of the second half. Although he carried the ball only twice in the first two quarters, he finished with 18 rushes on the night.

"It was the plan to save my energy," Ieremia said. "It worked well, even though I wanted to run the ball all game long."

The Thunder showed some quick-strike ability while behind to finally get untracked offensively. After Stanworth's field goal, the ensuing Desert Hills touchdown drive lasted all of two plays — culminating with a 38-yard pass from Warmsley to Bridger Cowdin.

Hurricane answered with a 76-yard drive, and Ieremia plowed in from the 2 with 24 seconds left in the third for a 17-7 lead.

It didn't take long for Desert Hills to clip the lead to three.

The last touchdown of the game, as it would turn out, came on a spectacular 59-yard run from

Thunder sophomore Nephi Sewell, as the play appeared to be over on at least two occasions before Sewell squirted away each time.

Thefinal come-from-behind heroics from Desert Hills happened when Warmsley kept alive its final drive by scrambling and then finding Cowdin over the middle. It was a 34-yard fourth-down play that immediately preceded the turnover caused by Sefita.

"They were starting to crash inside our tackles. We ran, the kid came up and hit the ball with his helmet and the ball comes flying out," Desert Hills coach Carl Franke said. "That was the safest play we could call." —

Hurricane 17, Desert Hills 14

O Hurricane avenges a 21-3 regular-season loss to Desert Hills.

• Until midway through the third quarter, all of the scoring comes from Hurricane senior Jason Stanworth, who scores on a TD run, then kicks the extra point and a 35-yard field goal.