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Dixie's offense delivered some quick-strike scoring plays in the first half. The Flyers' defense made a bunch of big stops against Pine View in the second half.
With some help from snow that rarely falls in the St. George area, where these rival schools are located, Dixie took a 38-28 victory in a Class 3AA semifinal game Thursday night at Rice-Eccles Stadium.
The weather conditions affected Pine View quarterback Kody Wilstead. Yet Dixie's defense deserves full credit for intercepting him twice and making two fourth-down stops in the second half.
Dixie linebacker Keanu Faumuina made a critical tackle, coming from behind to stop Pano Tiatia on a fourth-and-goal play from the 1-yard line early in the fourth quarter, with the Flyers leading 35-28. Later, Ryan Wilgar's interception led to McLane Keenan's clinching field goal.
Tiatia rushed for 206 yards and two touchdowns, but Dixie's defense allowed only seven points after halftime, while holding Wilstead to 198 passing yards for the game.
Both coaches were classy afterward. Pine View's Ray Hosner blamed his own play-calling instead of the weather for Wilstead's struggles. Dixie's Blaine Monkres gave an assist to the snow that fell lightly throughout the second half and covered the field in the fourth quarter.
"The ball slipped out of [Wilstead's] hands a couple times, but we had kids in the area and they made the plays," Monkres said.
The schools were willing to bus their players 300 miles and risk adverse conditions, in exchange for the experience of playing in a major college stadium. Friday's other 3AA semifinal game also matches two Washington County schools, Desert Hills and Hurricane.
Wilstead's prolific career ended without a state championship, after the Panthers lost to Desert Hills in last November's title game at Rice-Eccles Stadium. His offense was shut out in Thursday's fourth quarter and he sank to his knees in disappointment after going through the postgame handshake line.
Dixie had taken a 28-21 halftime lead via Ammon Takau's passes of 41, 52 and 13 yards to Bret Barben and Trenton Miller's 98-yard run.
Wilstead led a 93-yard drive to tie the game in the third quarter and Pine View's defense then held, but Dixie's Abel Gutierrez recovered a muffed punt at the PV 8-yard line. Takau ran for a go-ahead score on the next play and the Flyers' defense took care of the rest.
"We all know each other; we've all played against each other since we were little kids," Miller said. "It's a big rivalry."
Twitter: @tribkurt —
Dixie 38, Pine View 28
O Dixie intercepts Pine View's Kody Wilstead three times, after he'd thrown four interceptions in 10 games.
• The Flyers' Keanu Faumuina records a sack and a fourth-down stop and pressures Wilstead, resulting in an interception.
• Dixie's Trenton Miller rushes for 179 yards, including a 98-yard touchdown. -
Dixie 38, Pine View 28
Dixie 7 21 7 3-38
Pine View 14 7 7 0-28
D-Bret Barben 41 pass from Ammon Takau (McLane Keenan kick)
PV-Pano Tiatia 1 run (Ethan Baer kick)
PV-Steve Bangerter 17 pass from Kody Wilstead (Baer kick)
D-Barben 52 pass from Takau (Keenan kick)
D-Trenton Miller 98 run (Keenan kick)
PV-Tiatia 8 run (Baer kick)
D-Barben 13 pass from Takau (Keenan kick)
PV-Wilstead 5 run (Baer kick)
D-Takau 8 run (Keenan kick)
D-FG Keenan 26