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Cedar City • The talent disparity was obvious enough in pre-game warmups that it was over before the official tossed the coin.
South Summit continued to prove its superiority against opponents within its own classification, this time on a grander stage in the Class 2A semifinals at Southern Utah University, with its painless 47-23 victory against San Juan on Saturday.
"The kids played very well today. I don't know what else to say," said South Summit coach Aaron Tillett, whose team led 47-7 in the fourth quarter before garbage time.
The Wildcats (11-0) have now won three straight against the Broncos (7-4), including 27-7 in the opening week of the season, illustrating the changing of the guard. San Juan won 30 straight games and two championships from 2009-11. South Summit has now won 21 consecutive outings — the longest active streak in the state — and will have an opportunity to claim its third straight title next week at Weber State.
"Our kids have a lot of confidence. They've earned it," Tillett said. "We don't want to take anything for granted."
The Wildcats marched expeditiously on their second possession, capping an eight-play, 76-yard drive with a 12-yard burst from Isaac Tillett, who bounced the toss sweep and eluded one would-be defender with a hard spin for a 6-0 lead with 6:04 left in the first quarter.
Tillett finished with 205 yards, his second-highest output of the season, with two touchdowns on 17 carries. The Wildcats rushed for 479 yards, piling up 348 yards in the first 24 minutes alone, while averaging 7.6 yards per carry.
South Summit's cushion inflated to 14-0 on the third offensive series after quarterback Nicholis Beasley waltzed into the end zone on a 2-yard speed option.
San Juan squandered an opportunity to keep the score within reason after quarterback Payton Palmer connected with Baylr Eldredge for a 38-yard gain down to South Summit's 2-yard line. Two plays later the Broncos fumbled, allowing Tillett to streak down the barrier for 65 yards and a 20-0 advantage immediately following the turnover.
"That was a huge, huge play," Aaron Tillett said of the fumble recovery. "Also the first series, where they had great field position, and we hold them and get the position back. Those two things let San Juan know we were ready to play."
Field position, particularly the kick return unit, provided the only glimmer of hope for San Juan, which totaled 271 yards on seven returns, including a 94-yard touchdown by Palmer in the third quarter.
"We got to get better at that. There's a silver lining to that, too. We do a lot of kickoffs. When you score 40 points, you kick the ball off a lot," Aaron Tillett said. "We've got to challenge our kids to do better at that because that gives teams life."
Twitter: @trevorphibbs —
South Summit 47, San Juan 23
• South Summit builds a 40-point lead en route to its third straight championship game appearance.
• Isaac Tillett rumbles for 205 yards and two touchdowns, adding to the Wildcats' team rushing total of 479.
• South Summit increases its winning streak to 21 in a row.