The Hive Sports

by James Tate

The Bonneville Lakers (1-3) get their first win of the season with a final two-minute touchdown drive to complete a come-from-behind 32-29 road victory over the Woods Cross Wildcats (2-2). Senior quarterback Cole Lueders capped off the final drive with a three-yard touchdown pass to Vainga Havili.

“We went into that drive knowing we had no timeouts, and we have worked two minutes in practice and have executed well every time,” Lueders said. “The offensive line on that last drive was amazing and I just trusted my wide receivers to make big plays, and they executed perfectly. We believed we could do it, and we did. Also, shout out to our defense for getting that stop to give us a chance to win the game, and it just came down to us playing as a team and trusting each other’s ability to execute.”

Lueders was excellent throughout the game with pinpoint passing, and the offensive line gave him time to find his playmakers downfield. Both teams battled through numerous penalties that either stalled or extended drives throughout the game, but the Lakers were able to put a final drive together and secure the win.

Isaac Mansaray

First half

The Lakers started the game with a 79-yard play drive that ended with a pass from Lueders finding Isaac Mansaray across the middle of the field for a 52-yard touchdown. The opening scoring drive took 1:16, and the Lakers led 6-0. Key plays on the drive included three offside penalties against the Wildcats that kept the drive going.

On their first offensive possession of the game, the Wildcats moved the ball near midfield before the Lakers’ defense forced them to punt. The Lakers took over possession, and junior running back Noah Chavez broke off a 23-yard run to give the Lakers excellent field position on the Wildcats’ 41-yard line.

The Laker’s drive stalled, and the Wildcats would take over on offense after a punt near their 20-yard line. The Wildcats scored their first touchdown in the second quarter, with quarterback Jesse Simmons scoring on a 1-yard touchdown run. With 8:28 on the clock in the second quarter, the Wildcats took a 7-6 lead on Simmons’ touchdown.

The Lakers would respond on their next possession with a 13-yard touchdown pass from Lueders to receiver Tyler Cole. The 80-yard touchdown drive was keyed by the Wildcats’ roughing the passer penalty, which took away an interception and moved the ball to the Wildcat’s 13-yard line. The penalty gave the Lakers a first down and continued their drive. With 5:52 in the second quarter, the Lakers led 12-7.

Viliami Tapa’atoutai

Ryker Martin took the next kickoff and returned it near mid-field to give the Wildcats’ offense excellent field position for their next possession. Wildcats running back Viliami Tapa’atoutai would score the game’s next touchdown on a 2-yard run with 3:51 on the clock. A key play on the drive was Simmons completing a pass to running back Ryan Miller and a personal foul penalty against the Lakers. The Wildcats regained the lead after the touchdown and a successful 2-point conversion, 15-12. Before the half ended, Lakers defensive back Jet Hirschi intercepted a Simmons’ pass in the end zone to close out the second quarter with the Wildcats ahead 15-12.

Second half

The Wildcats would take their opening drive of the third quarter and score a touchdown on Simmons’ 38-yard run, which saw him break tackles en route to the end zone. The score came with 7:52 on the clock in the third quarter and gave the Wildcats a 22-12 lead.

Bonneville would respond after the kickoff and score on a 27-yard touchdown pass from Mansaray to Cole. The Lakers drive moved quickly down the field, and a long pass completion from Lueders to sophomore receiver Reese Cantwell was an essential play on the touchdown drive. Lakers kicker Ashton Nicholls converted the extra point for a 22-19 score in favor of the Wildcats with 5:57 in the third quarter.

Jayden Hansen (l), Hudson Smith (m), Urban Estes (r)

The third-quarter scoring would end with Mansaray taking a direct snap at quarterback and running in for a 7-yard touchdown along the left sidelines. The score came with 1:28 on the clock, and after Nicholls’ extra point, the Lakers took the lead 26-22 heading into the fourth quarter.

Scoring first in the fourth quarter was Tapa’atoutai, giving the Wildcats the lead again with a 1-yard touchdown run with 8:37 on the clock. After kicker Jace Bills converted on the extra point, the Wildcats were back in front 29-26.

The Lakers had the chance to tie the game with 4:19 on the clock, but a missed 22-yard field goal gave the ball back to the Wildcats at their 20-yard line. The Wildcats’ drive stalled at midfield, and they punted on fourth down, giving the ball back to the Lakers. The punt was a low line drive that Mansaray fielded in an excellent play to prevent the ball from rolling deep inside the Lakers’ territory.

With 2:12 left in the game, the Lakers started on their 41-yard line. Lueders led the Lakers down the field and, with .37 left in the game, found Havili wide-open for a 3-yard touchdown pass. The score gave the Lakers the lead and their first win of the season, 32-29.

Outstanding performers

Lakers

Mansaray generated excitement for the crowd by scoring touchdowns in the game through receiving, rushing, and passing. Cole was on the receiving end of two touchdown receptions. Lueders consistently found his receivers downfield and kept drives alive by moving out of the pocket when needed to avoid the Wildcat’s pass rush. Lueders threw for over 300 yards and three touchdowns.

The Laker’s offensive line of Urban Estes, Tyson Pututua, Gage Canfield, Jayden Hansen, and Hudson Smith led the way for an offense that allowed Lueders time to find his receivers.

Wildcats

Tapa’atoutai was the lead ball carrier for the Wildcats, with 165 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns. Simmons also added two rushing touchdowns for the Wildcats.

Martin was vital on kickoff returns, giving the Wildcats excellent field position and opportunities to score. The offensive line of Hadden Rotz, Braken Borders, Kerry Brown, Okusitino Sa, Preston Carter, and Logan Bailey paved the way for Tapa’atoutai’s big rushing night.

On defense, Hayden Thorne led the Wildcats with nine tackles and Sa was next with seven.

photos courtesy of James Tate