In the chaos of the fumble, Lehi’s Dallin Holker turned, saw the ball and fell on it.
The onside kick had gone wrong every step of the way, and yet somehow the ball still ended up in Holker’s hands to start the second half.
“We just felt like if we could do this coming out, let’s put the dagger in them,” Pioneers coach Ed Larson said.
Holker was the hero on the play in the midst of a game in which he continuously made a big difference. He and the Pioneers downed Springville 41-21 in their Class 5A state semifinal to earn a spot against in-town foe Skyridge in the state title game.
Holker missed Lehi’s last bout with Springville, a 18-15 loss Sept. 8, with an ankle injury. He watched from the sideline, itching to get on the field to revenge an overtime loss from the season before that still felt fresh.
“But we got it when it counted, so it was good,” Holker said.
With a berth to the state championship on the line, Holker led the Pioneers with three touchdowns. He caught nine passes for 85 yards.
“They were almost double teaming him the whole game, so it leaves other people open,” Lehi quarterback Cammon Cooper said. “And when they weren’t, he was winning his battles.”
Holker used all of his 6-foot-5, 222-pound frame to do so. The BYU commit already had scored two touchdowns when Lehi lined up on the 6-yard line with just over 4 minutes left in the first half.
“When I came out, nobody was over me,” Holker said. “So me and Cammon just kind of looked at each other, and Cammon said, ‘Hike.’”
Cooper let fly the ball fly, and Holker jumped and rose a head above every other player in the end zone. Springville defensive back Rylan Poulsen leaped with him, but Holker pulled down the ball with a two-handed grab and secured it to give Lehi a two-touchdown lead.
“There’s not anyone else that has his size and speed,” Cooper said.