Never give up: Pleasant Grove football overcomes odds to stun Skyridge in OT
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- Pleasant Grove senior Bronco Winterton catches the game-winning touchdown in overtime during the Region 3 game against Skyridge in Lehi on Friday, Oct. 6, 2023.
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- Pleasant Grove players and coaches celebrate after the Region 3 game against Skyridge in Lehi on Friday, Oct. 6, 2023.
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- Skyridge defenders tackle Pleasant Grove junior quarterback Carson Rasmussen during the Region 3 game in Lehi on Friday, Oct. 6, 2023.
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- Skyridge senior running back Brett Buhler gets tackled by a host of Pleasant Grove defenders during the Region 3 game in Lehi on Friday, Oct. 6, 2023.
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- Skyridge senior wide receiver Trent Call goes up for a catch in the end zone during the Region 3 game against Pleasant Grove in Lehi on Friday, Oct. 6, 2023.
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- Skyridge senior quarterback Jackson Stevens throws a pass during the Region 3 game against Pleasant Grove in Lehi on Friday, Oct. 6, 2023.
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- Skyridge senior quarterback Jackson Stevens gets chased by Pleasant Grove senior Thatcher Coon during the Region 3 game in Lehi on Friday, Oct. 6, 2023.
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- Pleasant Grove senior Kael McCoy has a catch broken up by Skyridge senior defensive back Fotu Moeai during the Region 3 game in Lehi on Friday, Oct. 6, 2023.
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- Skyridge senior wide receiver Trevan McClellan runs the ball during the Region 3 game against Pleasant Grove in Lehi on Friday, Oct. 6, 2023.
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- Pleasant Grove senior Makai Peterson gets shoved out of bounds by Skyridge senior defensive back Fotu Moeai during the Region 3 game in Lehi on Friday, Oct. 6, 2023.
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- Pleasant Grove players take the field before the Region 3 game against Skyridge in Lehi on Friday, Oct. 6, 2023.
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- Skyridge players take the field before the Region 3 game against Pleasant Grove in Lehi on Friday, Oct. 6, 2023.
Pleasant Grove junior quarterback Carson Rasmussen did all he could do before the biggest play of Friday night’s Region 3 showdown on the road against undefeated Skyridge.
“I knew their safety was super-aggressive against the fade because I had hit it a couple of times,” Rasmussen said. “I was like, give me a corner-post on that. We checked to that play, then I tried to hold the safety a little bit.”
Rasmussen let the ball fly but never saw what happened because — as he had been so many times throughout the game — he was flat on his back.
“I knew senior Bronco Winterton was going to make a play,” Rasmussen said. “I was on the ground but I knew something happened.”
What happened was Rasmussen had put the ball on the money to where Winterton was wide open in the end zone, scoring the game-winning touchdown in the epic 34-31 Viking upset win over the Falcons in overtime.
“My first reaction was did he catch it?” Pleasant Grove head coach Taylor Walkenhorst said. “The ref didn’t signal immediately. Then when he signaled, it was just celebration. It was awesome.”
The drama of the last play was the culmination of a wild conclusion to a contest Skyridge appeared to be firmly in control of for three quarters.
After surrendering an opening TD on a two-yard Rasmussen run in the first quarter, the Falcons took over on both sides of the ball.
While the Skyridge defense clamped down on Pleasant Grove’s attach, the Falcons tallied a pair of passing touchdowns from senior quarterback Jackson Stevens (one for 75 yards to senior Trent Call and one for six yards to senior Trevan McClellan).
The home team added a 10-yard TD run by junior Lincoln Zinn to start the second half and although Skyridge had an extra point blocked, it still led 20-7.
The Falcon advantage could’ve been more but a TD reception by Call near the end of the second quarter was waved off because he didn’t clearly complete the catch. Instead, the drive resulted in an interception.
Skyridge had another promising drive end with an interception, then made it to the Viking 23-yard line before being forced back and failing to convert on fourth down.
“The defense made some big stops,” Walkenhorst said. “We just didn’t stop executing with great effort and great technique. Give credit to the kids that kept executing with great effort and great technique because that was the key.”
Since the Falcon defense had played so well, it looked like 20 points might be enough — but Rasmussen wasn’t going to let his team go down without a fight.
With under 10 minutes left in the game, he made a beautiful QB draw fake then tossed the ball to senior Tu’alau Wolfgramm who was all alone. He won the footrace to the end zone for the 70-yard TD and suddenly it was a one-score game.
On the next Skyridge drive, the Falcons elected to go for it on a fourth-and-1 from their own 29-yard line. The call was a direct snap to the running back but the snap was high and the play turned into a disaster with the ball being fumbled at the line of scrimmage and Pleasant Grove recovered.
Three plays later on a second-and-7 from the 11-yard line, Rasmussen threw a fade to senior Makai Peterson, who was well covered.
Somehow, however, Peterson managed to get his arm around the back of the defender, secure the catch and clearly get a foot in bounds for a TD catch worthy of being on ESPN’s famous SportsCenter Top 10 plays list.
The extra point was good and with five minutes to go, suddenly the Vikings were in front.
Stevens didn’t panic for Skyridge and led his team back down the field. With just under two minutes left, he got the ball back to McClellan with blockers in front of him and he raced into the end zone from 28 yards out.
Falcon senior running back Brett Buhler bulled his way across the line for the two-point conversion and the home team breathed a sigh of relief with a seven-point lead.
But Rasmussen knew it was Pleasant Grove’s turn and although he had been battered and was limping, he wanted to emulate a quarterback he admires.
“I just thought of (Kansas City Chiefs star) Patrick Mahomes back in the playoffs when he was hurt and kept going,” Rasmussen said. “I was like, he can go so I’m trying to be like him.”
He was confident in what his team was capable of accomplishing in those final minutes.
Using the sideline to preserve the clock, Rasmussen drove the Vikings down the field and set them up with a first-and-goal from the 2-yard line with 30 seconds left.
The play call was perfect as Wolfgramm slipped out around the right side untouched to catch the TD pass to tie the game.
That sent the game into the extra period, where the Falcons had the ball first. Again, the visiting defense stood tall when it had to.
“We know our defense has our backs,” Rasmussen said. “We’ve seen it before and we saw it in this game too.”
Skyridge did have a receiver get open in the end zone but the pass sailed just a bit long and the Falcons had to settle for a 30-yard field goal from junior kicker Foxton Doxey.
As the Vikings got ready, Rasmussen had a message for his guys.
“I told my team we’re going to go win the game right now,” Rasmussen said. “And that’s what we did.”
His pass to Winterton for the win sparked a wild celebration from the Viking faithful and some strong emotions for Walkenhorst.
“I’m just so proud,” Walkenhorst said. “Our seniors were all sophomores my first year when we went 1-10. It would have been really easy to transfer but they didn’t transfer. They stayed. They believed in the program. They just kept battling and getting better. They’re making history now.”
The Pleasant Grove victory ended Skyridge’s 15-game winning streak but Rasmussen and the Vikings plan to take the big win and build on it.
“We want to use this energy going into next week,” Rasmussen said. “We know Lehi is a good team. They have a lot of players who are really good.”
Pleasant Grove (8-1) will close out its season by hosting the Pioneers on Oct. 13, while the Falcons (8-1) will look to start a new winning streak when they play at American Fork the same night.
Both games are scheduled to begin at 7 p.m.
