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American Fork • No in-state opponent had held No. 5 American Fork to less than 21 points this season heading into Friday night's rivalry game against No. 3 Lone Peak.

The Cavemen, however, hadn't seen a defense like the Knights'.

Lone Peak's front seven overpowered the American Fork line, coming up with three sacks, seven tackles for loss and two forced turnovers on its way to a 27-7 win.

"Our defense — I couldn't have asked more from them," Knights coach Mike Mower said. "My defensive coach, Coach [Jared] Harward, had a great game plan and they executed it with precision."

Despite a slow start for Lone Peak's offense, Jackson McChesney scored the lone points of the first half on a 16-yard touchdown scamper, and the Knights added a Dakota Hansen rushing touchdown on their second possession of the second half.

"AF's just such a big rival for us — we take it personal," Preston Lewis said. "We just wanted to crush them, pretty much."

American Fork responded with 13-play 80-yard drive that ended in a 16-yard touchdown catch by Farrell Dean, who dived to make a sensational grab in the corner of the end zone. But Lone Peak forced a three-and-out the next time the Cavemen had the ball, and the Knights rebuilt their two-score advantage on Hansen's second rushing touchdown.

Lewis came up with the defensive play of the game on American Fork's next drive when he read Cavemen quarterback Bronson Barron's eyes and jumped in front of a short out route to take a 32-yard pick-six to the house. Both he and Mower said that Harward had called for him to drop off into pass coverage after rushing the passer most of the night.

To put a bow on their victory and cement their place alone atop Region 4, the Knights prevented American Fork from reaching the end zone after the hosts had reached the Lone Peak 1-yard line.

"That goal-line stand was about as beautiful of a thing I've seen in high school football," Mower said. "Hats off to the defense. The offense did great, too, but the defense won it for us." —

Storylines

R A pick-six by Preston Lewis and a late goal-line stand highlight the Knights' strong defensive effort.

• Jackson McChesney's 16-yard TD run opens the scoring.

• Farrell Dean's diving TD reception temporarily gets American Fork within a score.