The Hive Sports

by AJ Conlin: The Region 8/10 Insider

The Provo Bulldogs marched into Payson to play the Lions. The Lions were feeling good, ready to defend their home site. Although Payson netted more yards than the Bulldogs, they weren’t able to pull off the win, losing the game 26-23.

First Quarter

On the very first play of the game, Payson QB Kade Edwards called his own number on the play and ran 70 yards for a touchdown. On the very next drive, Provo answered with a one yard run into the end zone for a touchdown.

The Bulldogs kicked to the Lions, and just as they were starting to get a drive going, Edwards threw an interception, that ended up being returned 50 yards for the touchdown. The game was back and forth for the last seven minutes of the first quarter, and it ultimately came to an end, the score being 12-7.

Second Quarter

The second quarter was a defensive battle, with the only scores being three Payson field goals from 23, 25, and 35, and another pick-six thrown from Edwards. This put the score at 19-16 with the Bulldogs barely clinging to the lead going into halftime.

Third Quarter

The third quarter was much like the second, in the sense that it was a back-and-forth defensive battle. The Lions were able to put together a touchdown drive, capped off with a one yard push from Edwards, with 7:39 left in the third. This changed the lead and put the score at 19-23 going into the final quarter of play, the Lions finally leading the Bulldogs.

Fourth Quarter

The defenses did not fail to disappoint in the third quarter, but the gassed Lion defense ended up giving up a short touchdown run with just 4:29 left in the game. At that point, Payson just wasn’t quite able to finish the job, and lost the game 26-23.

Keys to the game

The keys to the Provo win here are the defense’s ability to score and make key plays, even when the offense isn’t clicking, and the gunslinger’s curse seen in Edwards.

The Bulldog defense grabbed three interceptions throughout the game, two of which returned for touchdowns. Those three interceptions are almost a side effect from the air-raid Payson offense. Edwards threw the ball 42 times, and the more you throw the ball, the more room for error there is, and the Lions have really been feeling that recently.

Overall, Provo looked pretty good in this game, with the defense saving their bacon. Their next game will be in Spanish Fork against the Dons on Friday at 7 PM.

The Lions were so close, yet so far from winning this game. They’ll need to cut down on their turnovers if they want to start winning some games. They’ll have to face off against a similar gun-slinging offense when they host Timpanogos on Friday at 7 PM.

Featured image credit: Jared Lloyd, Herald Journal