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Sandy • Late into the afternoon on Friday, after 14 touchdowns had been scored, the Alta Hawks finally claimed their spot in the Class 4A semifinals with a 10-point win over Highland.

But, in a 58-48 game where stopping offenses seemed to be a Herculean effort, what this contest might have come down to was one single yard.

Down 51-48 after scoring on a 17-yard pass from James Pembroke to Lilo Clark, the visiting Rams lined up for an onside kick.

Everything about it, with 2:37 left in the game was perfect — from kicker Cameron Keyvani's soft touch of his foot to Pembroke's recovery on the sideline.

But Pembroke, who had turned 180 degrees to grab the ball, may have gotten 10 yards past the spot of the kick, but officials ruled he had touched it before it went the acceptable distance.

"From my angle, and I was right there, it looked like it went ten. He (the official) was telling me he made first contact before so I have to look at film, obviously," Highland coach Brody Benson said. "We know you can't go back and change it, so it's just part of the game."

Alta (12-1) quickly traversed 49 yards in only five plays, finishing with a 1-yard scoring plunge by Tu'u Afu, to extend the lead from three to 10 points with 1:09 on the clock.

The only time either defense had stopped its opposing number in the second half came when Hawks' standout running back Josh Davis was stripped on a carry with just under five minutes to go.

Outside of that, Davis was sterling. Although he didn't hit his rushing average of 218, the Alta senior tallied 140 yards on the ground and scored three touchdowns — one on a 99-yard kickoff return.

"He's the best running back I've ever seen," said Hawks quarterback William Dana, who ran for a touchdown and threw three others. "I don't understand how these colleges in Utah haven't offered, it's crazy."

The option offense of Highland (8-3), meanwhile, was giving an Alta defense, with several sophomores playing on the line, plenty of fits. Pembroke found the end zone three times rushing while also throwing a TD.

In the first half, Rams' junior Trayton Keyes tore loose for a 67-yard run to paydirt.

"You just can't duplicate what they do in practice. We tried over and over again," Alta coach Alema Te'o said. "It just isn't the same, and I'm telling right now Brody Benson is one of the best coaches in the state of Utah.

"And he does it right. His kids play hard, they play clean," Teo added.

But while Benson was consoling each of his players after postgame handshakes, Te'o was able to turn his attention to a 4A semifinal game next week against Springville.

"We know we're facing another great opponent," Teo said. "Right now, we'll enjoy this tonight, but the focus will be on Springville Monday morning." —

Storylines

R Alta three times holds leads of 17 points before Highland eventually cuts the gap to three with 2:37 left in the game.

• Highland is called for an illegal touch on an onside kick, and the Hawks promptly drive 49 yards to extend their lead to 10 points with 1:09 remaining.

• Hawks running back Josh Davis rushes for 140 yards and scores on a 99-yard kickoff return in the first quarter.