The Hive Sports

by James Tate

American Fork Cavemen senior Jacob Eardley rushed for over 100 yards, and the defense held the Roy offense to 231 total yards. Cavemen senior quarterback Dylan Story also played tremendously and passed for four touchdowns in the contest. Eardley was the star, and his burst on long runs were vital in the Cavemen scoring attack. They controlled the line of scrimmage and wore down the Royal’s fronts to secure the win.

First quarter

The Cavemen scored first with a 33-yard touchdown pass from Story to Davis Andrews on their first possession. Story led the opening touchdown drive, an 8-play 62-yard drive that took 3:13.

The Royals responded quickly on their first possession of the game with a 36-yard touchdown pass from Dru Gardner to Kili Eleneke. A 41-yard screen pass from Gardner to Daeqwan Snider set up the touchdown for the Royals. Both teams had drives that stalled because of penalties and mistakes and ended the first quarter tied 7-7.

Second quarter

The Cavemen defensive front of seniors Orion Taikau, Blake Jensen, and Waki Fulilangi used their size to make running inside tough on the Royals. The Royals would counter this quarter and use senior quarterback Joseph Cariaga III on designed runs to move the ball.

photo of American Fork running back Jacob Eardley

With the defense showing its dominance, the offense kept the ball in the hands of Eardley, and he responded with big yards throughout the second quarter. Eardley scored his first touchdown on a 3-yard run with 8:53 left in the second quarter. His touchdown was after he made a spectacular 30-yard run, and the score at that point was 14-7 in favor of the Cavemen.

Penalties plagued the Royals in this quarter, and their offense tried to grind out the clock and get into halftime to regroup. But the Cavemen’s defense held them in check and forced a punt with 3:57 left in the second quarter. Eardley led a drive before halftime that ended with Story tossing a 5-yard touchdown pass to Andrews, their second scoring connection. The halftime score had the Cavemen up 21-7.

Third quarter

The Royals received the kickoff to start the second half and had the opportunity to make the game close. The Cavemen defense was ready, and senior defensive back Wade Stringham intercepted a pass by Cariaga III. The turnover set the Cavemen in Royals territory at the 20-yard line, and Eardley immediately scored his second touchdown on a run. The touchdown gave the Cavemen a 28-7 lead in the third quarter, removing any momentum the Royals wanted to generate.

Both teams had moments of penalties and mistakes that led to stalled drives and inconsistent play. The Cavemen broke through with another touchdown: a four-yard pass to senior Josh Andrus from Story. The touchdown was Story’s third passing touchdown, making the lead a comfortable 35-7 advantage for the Cavemen. The third quarter saw the frustration on the Royals coaches with two unsportsmanlike penalties on a potential fumble recovery.

Fourth quarter

The Cavemen’s defense held in the fourth quarter. Story threw his fourth touchdown pass of the game, this one Jett Nelson, to make the score 42-7. The Royals would add the game’s final score on a great pass from Gardner to sophomore Isaiah Morris. Morris made a fantastic catch over the middle and scored from 30 yards out to make the final score 42-14.

Outstanding performances

American Fork

Story tossed four touchdown passes, and Eardley ran tough with over 100 rushing yards. The offensive line included seniors Carter Connelly, Carson Garrett, Luke Vickers, Andrew Brady, and junior Tayvin Jensen. This group made the game work in favor of the Cavemen.

Roy

Quarterbacks Gardner and Cariaga III had their good moments in the contest. Gardner tossed two touchdown passes, and Cariaga III ran for a team-leading 68 yards. Kili Eleneke was outstanding in all phases as he made five tackles on defense, 53 yards receiving with a touchdown reception, and a 34-yard kickoff return. Junior Jaxton Scoffield led the Roy defense with six tackles.

photo courtesy of Shot By Aaron Photography (pixieset.com)