The Hive Sports

by James Tate

It was homecoming at Weber High School, and the Warriors held on to beat the Lancers in a close battle 28-21. After losing their first three games, the Warriors have now won two straight heading into region play. The Lancers made the game close with a final drive that would have tied the game but came up short on a great defensive stand by the Warriors.

First quarter

Leading the Lancers is senior quarterback and Brigham Young University commit Carson Suesue. Granger started their first drive by calling two timeouts and looked to adjust to Weber’s defensive look. Senior running back Jordan Tu’uao was the featured player on the drive with runs up the middle of the Warrior’s defense.

The game’s first score came on a Tu’uao 2-yard rushing touchdown with 8:05 on the clock. After the first quarter, the Lancers held a 7-0 lead. Suesue set up the score with a 15-yard run up the middle to get the ball inside the five-yard line.

The Warriors would respond on their first drive of the game and get a touchdown from senior running back Nakosi Swain. Swain’s score was a 5-yard run with 4:52 left in the first quarter. The score now stood at 7-7, with the Lancers ready for the kickoff and start of their second offensive series.

The Lancers moved the ball near midfield on their next possession, but a holding penalty stalled the drive. Attempting to punt on fourth down, the Lancer’s kick was blocked by Warriors senior Tyler Payne. The blocked punt set up the Warriors deep in Lancer territory. The Warriors capitalized on the Lancers miscue, with junior kicker Alex Johnson making a 27-yard field goal. The score now was 10-7, with the Warriors in the lead.

Second quarter

The second quarter saw the Lancers attempt long passes, but many were overthrown and fell incomplete. The Lancers successfully moved the ball with Tu’uao and Suesue on designed quarterback runs. The Lancers threatened to take the lead with 8:33 left before halftime and had the ball on the Warrior’s five-yard line. A fumble ended the Lancer’s drive, and the momentum was back on the Warriors’ side.

The Warriors took advantage of the turnover and drove into Lancer territory and scoring position. Warriors quarterback, junior Crew Cacciacarne found a good rhythm by completing passes to senior Tyson Higgs, Ian Elmore, and sophomore Salesi Moa. The running game started to open, with speedy sophomore Dyson Parker gaining yards on inside runs.

The Warriors ended the drive with a 29-yard field goal from Johnson. The Warriors converted on a vital fourth down to keep the drive going. The score now stood at 13-7 in favor of the Warriors.

Warrior’s offensive line

Third quarter

The Warriors took the second-half kickoff, drove down the field with a good mix of run and pass, and scored a touchdown. The touchdown was a 26-yard touchdown pass from Cacciacarne to Moa. Moa got behind the defense and, despite a pass interference call, was able to haul in the pass and give the Warriors a 21-7 lead with 8:46 in the third quarter. The two-point conversion was good from a run by Swain.

Both teams would trade great defensive stops and offenses having stalled drives. The quarter would end with the Warriors ahead 21-7.

Fourth quarter

The Lancers would start the scoring in the fourth quarter on an 18-yard screen pass from Suesue to Tu’uao. The score now stood at 21-14, and the momentum was on the Lancer’s side. After the ensuing Lancer kickoff, the Warriors to control on their 31-yard line. Cacciacarne immediately answered with a spectacular 69-yard touchdown run through the heart of the Lancer defense.

Cacciacarne’s touchdown made the score 28-14 with 9:57 left in the game. The Lancers quickly responded with their next drive, and Tu’uao scored his third touchdown of the game on a 12-yard touchdown catch from Suesue. The Warriors lead now stood at 28-21 with 5:16 remaining and they would have a final defensive stand to seal the win.

Outstanding performances

Suesue had an outstanding game and accounted for two passing and one rushing touchdown. His totals included 203 passing and 137 rushing yards for the game. Tuuao had 148 total yards and one touchdown. Senior wide receiver Landon Figueroa grabbed six catches for 100 yards.

Defensively for the Lancers, Vaka Patetefa led the team with nine tackles and two sacks.

Cacciacarne passed for 243 yards and the touchdown pass to Moa. His 66 rushing yards also led the team. Elmore and Moa both had five receptions to lead the Warriors in receiving.

On defense, senior linebacker Tyler Payne was all over the field and had a game-high 15 tackles. Johnson made two field goals and two extra points and was vital in the scoring when the offensive drives stalled.

photos courtesy of James Tate