6A Football Playoffs: Skyridge rallies past Pleasant Grove in OT
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- Skyridge linebacker Deshawn Toilolo celebrates a defensive stop in a 6A football quarterfinal game against Pleasant Grove on Friday, Nov. 3, 2023.
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- Skyridge receivers Trent Call (1) and Trevan McClellan celebrate a touchdown against Pleasant Grove in a 6A football quarterfinal game on Friday, Nov. 3, 2023.
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- Pleasant Grove players surround Matt Morris after a touchdown in a 6A football quarterfinal game against Skyridge on Friday, Nov, 3, 2023.
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- Pleasant Grove’s Ryker Mickelson (4) tackles Carter Shefield of Skyridge during a 6A football state quarterfinal game on Friday, Nov. 3, 2023.
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- Skyridge quarterback Jackson Stevens throws a pass against Pleasant Grove in a 6A football quarterfinal game on Friday, Nov. 3, 2023.
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- Pleasant Grove’s Matt Morris falls into the end zone for a touchdown in a 6A football quarterfinal game against Skyridge on Friday, Nov. 3, 2023.
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- Skyridge quarterback Jackson Stevens throws a pass against Pleasant Grove in a 6A state football quarterfinal game on Friday, Nov. 3, 2023.
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- The Pleasant Grove football team takes the field for a 6A state football quarterfinal game against Skyridge on Friday, Nov, 3, 2023.
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- Pleasant Grove’s Matt Morris falls forward for a firs down against Skyridge in a 6A football quarterfinal game on Friday, Nov. 3, 2023.
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- Skyridge offensive lineman Darius Afalava, left, prepares for a 6A state football quarterfinal game with Pleasant Grove on Friday, Nov. 3, 2023.
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- A Skyridge cheerleader stands at attention during the national anthem before the start of a 6A state football quarterfinal game with Pleasant Grove on Friday, Nov, 3, 2023.
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- Chance Peterson of Skyridge, left, reacts with teammate Sam Pollmann after a 6A state football quarterfinal win against Pleasant Grove on Friday, Nov. 4, 2023.
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- Pleasant Grove captains (from left) Makai Peterson, Kael McCoy, Shawn Cottle and Bronco Winterton walk to the middle of the field for the coin toss before a 6A state football quarterfinal game against Skyridge on Friday, Nov. 3, 2023.
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- The Skyridge football team takes the field for a 6A state football quarterfinal game against Pleasant Grove on Friday, Nov. 3, 2023.
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- Pleasant Grove’s Kael McCoy (3) reaches for a pass with a Skyridge defender in tow during a 6A football quarterfinal game on Friday, Nov, 3, 2023.
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- Captains for Pleasant Grove and Skyridge embrace before the start of a 6A state football quarterfinal game on Friday, Nov. 3, 2023.
“Love the challenge.”
That’s one of the mottos often repeated by the Skyridge football team this season, and the Falcons were never more challenged than they were Friday night in the 6A quarterfinals.
A bevvy of turnovers and an inspired Pleasant Grove team made things difficult and Skyridge found itself facing a 30-13 deficit early in the third quarter.
The Falcons found a way.
Skyridge roared back to tie the game at 30-all on a 25-yard Blake Hester field goal with 13 seconds to play. Carter Sheffield scored on a 5-yard run in the overtime for the lead and the Skyridge defense rose up to get the stop on PG’s possession to put an end to a wildly entertaining 37-30 victory.
“We’ve got to love the challenge when things get hard and we have a lot of adversity,” Sheffield said. “The first half things didn’t go our way and at the start of the second half things didn’t go our way. But we we fought through that and came out victorious.”
The Falcons and the Vikings went to overtime four weeks ago as well, with Pleasant Grove pulling out a 34-31 victory.
“At the end of the day, it’s one job and it doesn’t matter if it’s 3-0 or 50-49. A win is a win,” Skyridge coach Justin Hemm said. “We had a lot of tough, adverse situations but the boys stayed in it. The defense kept us in it throughout the game and gave us a chance down the stretch to do what we needed to do.”
Pleasant Grove (9-3) forced four first half turnovers and a bad shotgun snap for a safety to earn a 23-7 lead, keyed by touchdown passes from Carson Rasmussen to Makai Peterson and Bronco Winterton. Thatcher Coon’s second fumble recovery gave the ball to the Vikings at the Skyridge 40 with 43 seconds remaining for what might have been a killing blow.
Noah Bird had other ideas.
The junior flashed in front of a Rasmussen pass and sped 59 yards for a touchdown with three seconds on the clock to trim the deficit to 23-13 at halftime.
“So they ran that play on us on their first drive,” Bird said. “They had a big gain on it. We learned from that play. We didn’t let it bring us down and we executed. That was best feeling I’ve ever had. I saw the green in front of me, I could hear everyone cheering and it was just crazy.”
Skyridge faced a fourth-and-1 on its first possession of the second half but Stevens fumbled on a quarterback sneak and Shawn Cottle picked up the ball. The senior linebacker weaved his way 33 yards for a touchdown and a 30-13 PG lead with 10:07 left in the third period.
It would be the last time the Vikings would score in the game.
“The defense was tremendous tonight,” Hemm said. “They had a lot of short field position and the amount of turnovers we gave them, that was a battle. They did what they needed to do to keep us in the game.”
Stevens got hot and connected with Jack Burke twice for touchdowns in the third to bring Skyridge to within three, 30-27, entering the final frame.
Pleasant Grove fans will never forget the final Skyridge possession leading up to the game-tying field goal, which began with 3:07 left in the game. Clinging to a 30-27 lead, the Vikings picked off Stevens twice — one by Winterton and one by Peterson — but each interception was erased on defensive holding calls. A roughing the passer penalty pushed the Falcons deeper into Vikings territory in the final minute to set up Hester’s kick.
Sheffield broke loose on an 18-yard run to set up his scoring carry for the seven-point lead in the overtime. Pleasant Grove reached the Skyridge 14-yard line but a fourth down throw was incomplete and the Falcons a big win celebrated with the home fans.
“At halftime we got together and told each other we had to pick things up or we were going home,” Sheffield said. “In the overtime, same thing. We didn’t want this to be our last game and we wanted to go out the right way.”
The Falcons (10-2) are in the state semifinals for the fourth straight season and will face fellow Region 3 foe American Fork (11-1) next Friday at Rice-Eccles Stadium. The Falcons only other loss this season was to the Cavemen, also in overtime (34-27) on Oct. 13.
“It means so much get to Rice-Eccles,” Bird said. “It was a huge goal for us this year and we fought for it. We fought so hard every day. We’re ready for American Fork.”
No. 4 Skyridge 37, No. 5 Pleasant Grove 30 OT
Pleasant Grove 7 16 7 0 0 — 30
Skyridge 7 6 14 3 7 — 37
PG-Morris 1 run (Hall kick)
SR-McClellan 56 pass from Stevens (Hester kick)
PG-safety
PG-Peterson 25 pass from Rasmussen (Hall kick)
PG-Winterton 20 pass from Rasmussen (Hall kick)
SR-Bird 59 interception return (kick failed)
PG-Cottle 33 fumble return (Hall kick)
SR-Burke 11 pass from Stevens (Hester kick)
SR-Burke 12 pass from Stevens (Hester kick)
SR-Hester 25 FG
SR-Sheffield 5 run (Hester kick)
