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American Fork quarterback Jake Matsen winds up to throw a pass versus Lone Peak. September 24, 2026

Brandon Gurney, Daily Herald

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American Fork defensive lineman Dalin Afu celebrates a defensive stop vs Lone Peak. September 24, 2026

Brandon Gurney, Daily Herald

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Lone Peak running back Pili Mounga lunges forward for more yardage versus American Fork. September 24, 2026

Brandon Gurney, Daily Herald

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Lone Peak quarterback Marshall Durfey scrambles upfield during his team's loss to American Fork. September 24, 2026

Brandon Gurney, Daily Herald

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American Fork running back Ben Longi looks for a hole to run through versus Lone Peak. September 24, 2026

Brandon Gurney, Daily Herald

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American Fork's Braden Litke celebrates his forced fumble and recovery versus Lone Peak on Thursday. September 24, 2026

Brandon Gurney, Daily Herald

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American Fork receiver Cash Taiese is greeted by teammates following his second touchdown reception versus Lone Peak. September 24, 2026

Brandon Gurney, Daily Herald

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American Fork quarterback Jake Matsen throws a pass to teammate Mason Brooks during his team's win over Lone Peak. September 24, 2026

Brandon Gurney, Daily Herald

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American Fork tight end Christian Hanshaw celebrates his touchdown reception with teammates versus Lone Peak. September 24, 2026

Brandon Gurney, Daily Herald

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American Fork receiver Cash Taiese stretches the ball across the goal line on his game-winning reception versus Lone Peak. September 24, 2026

Brandon Gurney, Daily Herald

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Lone Peak receiver Cash Taiese celebrates his last-minute game-winning touchdown versus Lone Peak. September 24, 2026

Brandon Gurney, Daily Herald

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Teammates celebrate Cash Taiese on his game-winning touchdown versus Lone Peak. September 24, 2026

Brandon Gurney, Daily Herald

❮ ❯

Rare is the occasion when opposing fans both rush the field simultaneously to celebrate a win, but that was exactly the scene during the wild conclusion of American Fork’s 28-24 win over Lone Peak on Thursday.

On the final play of scrimmage, Lone Peak receiver Jaxon Cloward hauled in a 29-yard reception from quarterback Marshall Durfey as time expired. The reception was nothing short of amazing amazing given the situation and the fact that the Cavemen had almost their entire secondary dropped in coverage. But the ultimate problem was that the reception was judged to be just a 29-yard gain and not the 30 yards required for the would-be game-winning touchdown.

The final determination of the officials was protested vigorously by Lone Peak’s coaching staff, as Cloward appeared to have broken the plane with his shoulder hitting the inside of the pylon. But officials determined that Cloward’s foot was out-of-bounds right before the ball broke the plane, spotting the ball at the 1-yard line and thereby giving American Fork the win  with no time remaining on the clock.

“I couldn’t see it. I couldn’t have been much further from that sideline to what happened over there, and all the bodies flying around,” said American Fork coach Aaron Behm. “But I never saw two hands go up. I only saw them spot the ball dead … Hopefully they got it right.”

For Coach Behm’s son and American Fork defensive back and receiver, Noah Behm, he shared his father’s emotions while feeling confident the entire time that his defense would get the stop.

“I knew that we were going to get off that field with the win after we scored that last touchdown,” Noah said. “I didn’t know how, exactly, but I knew we were going to win that game. But it was crazy to go through that.”

The final touchdown for American Fork referred to by Noah Behm, which ultimately proved to be the game winner, came with just 19 second remaining on the clock in the form of a 25-yard touchdown pass from Jake Matsen to Cash Taiese. Down 24-21 after Lone Peak’s Ledger Holmes galloped into the endzone from 34-yards out with just 1:09 remaining, the onus was placed directly on the Caveman offense and sophomore quarterback Jake Matsen to go get the win or at least get the ball within field goal range for the tie to send the game into overtime.

Matsen went to work from the there, displaying a calm and confidence belying his sophomore status. The 6-foot-4 signal-caller, who has already received a lot of college recruiting interest and offers, connected on a 21-yard pass to Cash Taiese to begin the drive and then a 34-yard toss to tight end and Michigan commit Christian Hanshaw to set his team up at Lone Peak’s 25 yard line. Two plays later saw him hit Taiese across the middle of the field with the junior receiver stretching the ball across the goal line for what proved to be the game-winning touchdown.

“I rep that play with Cash all the time, and we do it to prepare for moments like that,” Matsen said of his game-winning touchdown toss. “It was all about staying calm trusting in my teammates and knowing that guys like Cash were going to get it done. That’s my man right there, and I knew we were going to get it done.”

“Cash is the best receiver in the state, in my opinion, and Jake was just so calm and confident at the end there,” Noah Behm added. “To get this win over a team like Lone Peak just feels amazing right now and I’m so proud of all of my teammates for getting it done. We needed everyone.”

Indeed getting to the final dramatics provided by Matsen and Taiese wasn’t easy. Turnovers and a couple of missed conversions on fourth-down opportunities spotted Lone Peak a 10-0 lead that appeared to be on course to hold into the half. But American Fork sophomore defensive back Braden Litke had other plans, and managed to strip the ball from a Lone Peak receiver to give his team possession at midfield with just over a minute remaining until the break. A few plays later saw Matsen hit Taiese with a 27-yard touchdown strike to Taiese to cut the lead to 10-7.

Then it was Mason Peterson, capitalizing on a fumbled Lone Peak snap to recover deep in in Knight territory on the ensuing possession to set up another Matsen to Taiese touchdown connection, this one from just two yards out with 11 seconds remaining in the first half.

“Those were game-changing,” Noah Behm said. “Braden hasn’t received a lot of starts, but he gets it done when he’s in there and definitely made a huge play for us tonight when we needed it.”

The Cavemen appeared to have taken complete control of the outcome after Matsen hit Hanshaw for a 28-yard touchdown toward the end of the third quarter, increasing the lead to 21-10, but a couple of miscues led to Lone Peak touchdowns and a 24-21 deficit with just over a minute remaining.

Enter Matsen, however, and the type of scenario he’s been dreaming of and more importantly preparing for, and the outcome was ultimately flipped back to the Cavemen.

“Like I said, I’ve been preparing for this and having great teammates helped keep me calm and confident,” Matsen said. “But to get it done felt amazing and all the credit goes to my teammates and my coaches for preparing me for this situation and for getting everything done around me. I couldn’t have done any of it without all of them, so I’m super grateful.”

As for the ensuing madness that occurred on Lone Peak’s final drive, it soon won’t be forgotten by anyone in attendance.

“That’s high school football at it’s very best and we were very fortunate to come out on the winning side,” Coach Behm said. “It could have gone either way there at the end. But I’m super proud of our kids. We had some periods where we didn’t play very well, and the other side of the ball picked us up and got some turnovers … We got 39 seniors, and they know this is their senior year. They knew it was goning to be a four-quarter football game, and that’s what it was.”

Lone Peak — (6:20 1Q) Pili Mounga, 9-yard run (kick from Zachary Zolman)

Lone Peak — (8:07 2Q) Zachary Zolman, 27-yard FG

American Fork — (1:25 2Q) Cash Taiese, 27-yard pass from Jake Matsen (kick from Jace Worthington)

American Fork — (:11 2Q) Cash Taiese, 2-yard pass from Jake Matsen (kick from Jace Worthington)

American Fork — (4:04 3Q) Christian Hanshaw, 28-yard pass from Jake Matsen (kick from Jace Worthington)

Lone Peak — (8:05 4Q) Dillon Sykes, 6-yard pass from Marshall Durfey (pass from Dillon Sykes)

Lone Peak — (1:09 4Q) Ledger Holmes, 34-yard run (kick failed)

American Fork — (0:19 4Q) Cash Taiese, 25-yard pass from Jake Matsen (kick from Jace Worthington)