Cedar Claims Win Over Manti; Canyon View Comes Up Short at North Sanpete |
Coverage of recent 3A football scores |
Friday night lit up Sanpete County as both of Cedar City's 3A football squads hit the road in search of victory.
The Cedar Reds football team carved out a 38-28 win over Manti, rewriting the tone from last season’s bitter championship showdown.
The contest remained fiercely competitive deep into the fourth quarter, stirring excitement among traveling fans.
It was senior quarterback Jackson Mann who set the tone early, launching an electrifying 80-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Kutler Tom on Cedar's opening drive.
Manti quickly answered back, yet the fireworks continued in a whirlwind second quarter as both sides traded scores and the halftime scoreboard read 21-21.
In the third, Cedar nudged ahead after Owen Burton powered in a 29-yard rushing touchdown, but the Templars briefly knotted it up with a sharp drive to open the final frame.
The momentum shifted for good midway through the fourth when Braxton DeMille barreled into the end zone for Cedar, followed by a steady 22-yard field goal from Cody Stevenson.
That cushion held as the final whistle sounded, sending the Reds back to Iron County with both pride and a winning record in their first 3A South region match.
Over in Mount Pleasant, the Canyon View Falcons suffered their first defeat at the hands of North Sanpete, falling 21-13 in a tough-fought game.
The Falcons clawed back from a two-touchdown deficit after a strong first half by North Sanpete, and the tension mounted in the fourth quarter as Canyon View closed within a point.
Ultimately, late-game mistakes cost Canyon View dearly as North Sanpete shut the door with a final scoring run, leaving Falcons players visibly frustrated at the close.
Cedar’s win has energized their upcoming home crowd, with talk swirling about whether the Reds can build on this momentum when North Sanpete comes to town next Friday.
Throughout Southern Utah, Friday’s matchups fueled community pride and sparked anticipation for the heart of the high school football season. |
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Canyon View closing to within one point and still losing hurts. Those late game mistakes have to get cleaned up or this season gets away from them fast.
Greg FarnsworthExactly this. The comeback showed real heart. But you can not give a team like North Sanpete extra possessions and expect to win. They have to be smarter late.
Kutler Tom catching an 80 yard bomb on the first drive of a region game is the kind of thing Cedar fans will be talking about all week.
jill_87My son texted me right after it happened. Said the Cedar sideline went absolutely nuts. Hard not to feed off energy like that.
Owen Burton running in that 29 yarder in the third was huge. That kid has been working hard all offseason and it is showing.
Owen_DadSaw him in the summer workouts and he looked faster than last year. That extra offseason work is definitely paying off.
21-21 at halftime on the road is not exactly dominant. Cedar needs to figure out how to start stronger if they want to go deep in the playoffs.
skeptical_fanFair point but holding Manti to a tie at half on their home field is not terrible either. The fourth quarter is what matters and they got it done.
North Sanpete coming to Cedar next Friday is going to be a great game. Buy your tickets early folks, that stadium fills up fast.
TammyLeeNo kidding. Went to the North Sanpete game last year and could barely find a seat. Get there early if you can.
Cody Stevenson hitting that field goal to ice it is exactly what you want from your kicker in a big road game. Kid earned his moment.
BrettHAbsolutely. Kickers don't get enough credit. A missed field goal there and the whole mood of the drive home is different.
Heartbreaking for the Falcons. They fought back from 14 down and then late mistakes cost them. That one is going to sting for a while.
local_mom_CVComing back from 14 down on the road is not nothing though. That shows some fight. Hopefully they can shake it off before next week.
Cedar barely won last season's rivalry stuff so a 10 point road win over Manti is a big deal. Good sign for the rest of region play.
We drove up to Manti for this one and the fourth quarter had my heart pounding. So glad the Reds pulled it out!
That 80 yard touchdown pass on the opening drive had to set the tone for the whole game. Jackson Mann looks like the real deal this year.
Dave T.He looked really composed for a road region opener. No jitters at all. If he keeps playing like this Cedar could make some noise this year.