Salt Lake City - Hurricane players leap into each others arms as the defeat Park City in their 3A semifinal football game at Rice Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City Friday Nov 13, 2009. (Steve Griffin / The Salt Lake Tribune)

When Jacob Pugh swooped in and snagged the interception to preserve Hurricane's 24-19 victory over Park City, it also eliminated the need for the Tiger defense to come up big on fourth down one more time.

Hurricane probably would have been ready.

Park City went for it five times during Friday morning's 3A semifinal at Rice-Eccles Stadium, and the Hurricane defense responded with four stops -- twice in the red zone and another that actually set up a Tiger touchdown.

"We've got a bunch of tough kids," said Hurricane coach Chris Homer. "They expect to be able to make big plays and I've expected them to make big play every year."

After Hurricane took a 14-12 lead, Park City elected to go for it at its own 40-yard line, but Matt Christensen was stopped for a one-yard loss. Seven plays later, Jarom Healey broke free for a 29-yard run that set up his one-yard score on the next play.

Healey's penetration of the line allowed Ian Gates to make the stop of Christensen.

"The defensive line stepped up and shut things down for us," said Gates, who finished the day with eight tackles and a fumble recovery that killed a late first-half Park City drive. "Guys like Jeff Staples and Daniel Nielson got it done. ... They were taking out two or three guys so I could move around."

Park City got down to the Hurricane 12 on its opening drive, but Dylan Chenoyweth was thrown for a three-yard loss on fourth-and-5. Another Miner scoring

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threat was thwarted when Micah Anderson and Tyler Hinton perfectly snuffed a Park City screen pass.

"I saw three of their linemen pull out and just ran the guy down," said Anderson, who finished with nine tackles. "We knew it was going to be a physical game."

Hurricane got a fourth- down pass breakup and Pugh's pick in the final minute.

"Bend not break has been our theme all year long," Gates said. "I think we did that really well today."

Miners' blues

» Park City attempts to convert on five fourth-down plays in the game, but Hurricane stops the Miners on four of them.

» On Park City's first drive, QB Dylan Chnoyweth gets thrown for a 3-yard loss on a fourth-and-5 at the Hurricane 12-yard line.

» Jacob Pugh's INT seals the win for Hurricane.