Worthington’s clutch kick caps wild rivalry win for American Fork football over Lone Peak
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- American Fork head coach Aaron Behm gets drenched with water as part of the celebration after the Region 3 game against Lone Peak at American Fork on Friday, Sept. 26, 2025.
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- American Fork players junior kicker Jace Worthington (left) gets congratulated by his position coach, Justen Naduald, after the Region 3 game against Lone Peak at American Fork on Friday, Sept. 26, 2025.
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- American Fork defenders celebrate making a goal-line stop during the Region 3 game against Lone Peak at American Fork on Friday, Sept. 26, 2025.
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- American Fork senior running back Prince Afu celebrates with senior offensive lineman Carson Thorne after Afu scored a touchdown during the Region 3 game against Lone Peak at American Fork on Friday, Sept. 26, 2025.
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- American Fork players junior kicker Jace Worthington kicks what turned out to be the game-winning field goal during the Region 3 game against Lone Peak at American Fork on Friday, Sept. 26, 2025.
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- American Fork sophomore receiver Ty Holmstead makes a tough catch during the Region 3 game against Lone Peak at American Fork on Friday, Sept. 26, 2025.
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- Lone Peak junior defensive lineman Bridger Dunn chases down American Fork senior quarterback Kapono Manuela during the Region 3 game at American Fork on Friday, Sept. 26, 2025.
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- American Fork head coach Aaron Behm celebrates after the Region 3 game against Lone Peak at American Fork on Friday, Sept. 26, 2025.
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- American Fork senior quarterback Kapono Manuela throws a pass during the Region 3 game against Lone Peak at American Fork on Friday, Sept. 26, 2025.
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- American Fork players celebrate after the Region 3 game against Lone Peak at American Fork on Friday, Sept. 26, 2025.
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- American Fork junior Noah Behm makes an interception during the Region 3 game against Lone Peak at American Fork on Friday, Sept. 26, 2025. He ended up returning it 90 yards for a touchdown.
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- American Fork junior Noah Behm celebrates after scoring a defensive touchdown during the Region 3 game against Lone Peak at American Fork on Friday, Sept. 26, 2025.
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- American Fork junior Noah Behm tackles Lone Peak senior Kennan Pula during the Region 3 game at American Fork on Friday, Sept. 26, 2025.
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- American Fork head coach Aaron Behm watches his team during the Region 3 game against Lone Peak at American Fork on Friday, Sept. 26, 2025.
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- Lone Peak defenders make a tackle during the Region 3 game at American Fork on Friday, Sept. 26, 2025.
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- American Fork players celebrate with junior kicker Jace Worthington (96) after he hit a late field goal during the Region 3 game against Lone Peak at American Fork on Friday, Sept. 26, 2025.
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- Lone Peak senior running back Tate Barney skips out of a tackle during the Region 3 game at American Fork on Friday, Sept. 26, 2025.
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- American Fork senior running back Prince Afu carries the ball up the field during the Region 3 game against Lone Peak at American Fork on Friday, Sept. 26, 2025.
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- Lone Peak junior defensive lineman Bridger Dunn knocks the ball away from American Fork senior quarterback Kapono Manuela during the Region 3 game at American Fork on Friday, Sept. 26, 2025.
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- Lone Peak defenders make a tackle during the Region 3 game at American Fork on Friday, Sept. 26, 2025.
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- American Fork sophomore receiver Cash Taiese tries to make a one-handed catch during the Region 3 game against Lone Peak at American Fork on Friday, Sept. 26, 2025.
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- American Fork senior tight end Dyson Richards scores a touchdown during the Region 3 game against Lone Peak at American Fork on Friday, Sept. 26, 2025.
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- American Fork fans cheer on their team during the Region 3 game against Lone Peak at American Fork on Friday, Sept. 26, 2025.
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- Lone Peak senior receiver Kennan Pula catches a touchdown pass during the Region 3 game at American Fork on Friday, Sept. 26, 2025.
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- Lone Peak junior quarterback Cruz Christensen throws a pass during the Region 3 game at American Fork on Friday, Sept. 26, 2025.
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- Lone Peak junior tight end Cameron Wray carries the ball up the field during the Region 3 game at American Fork on Friday, Sept. 26, 2025.
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- Lone Peak prepares to kick an extra point during the Region 3 game at American Fork on Friday, Sept. 26, 2025.
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- American Fork players take the field before the Region 3 game against Lone Peak at American Fork on Friday, Sept. 26, 2025.
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- Lone Peak players take the field before the Region 3 game at American Fork on Friday, Sept. 26, 2025.
What more could you ask from a classic high school football rivalry showdown?
Friday night’s battle at American Fork between the Cavemen and Lone Peak had it all: Big plays, defensive scores, titanic momentum swings, costly mistakes, clutch moments and drama until the final seconds.
But when the game was on the line with just 23 seconds left, the pressure rested on the shoulders of a first-year football player.
American Fork junior kicker Jace Worthington just got into the sport this year (he’s a soccer player) and had never made a game-winning kick. Not only that, he’d had his only field goal attempt of the game, a 37-yarder, sail wide right.
With the score tied at 28-28 and the spot requiring a 41-yard kick to break the deadlock, he knew it was up to him — but he also knew he wasn’t alone out there.
“After that first one, my punter and the other kicker and my coach, they all came up and they were calming me down, talking to me,” Worthington said. “After they talked to me, I felt really calm. My buddy also prayed for me and that helped a lot.”
As he trotted onto the field for the kick, he said he felt supported and confident.
“I knew I was going to hit it,” Worthington said. “It just like I felt a lot more calm, and I felt more fundamental. It was just a matter of getting in there and doing it.”
American Fork head coach Aaron Behm said he also felt really good about having Worthington in that position, even though the kick before had gone wide.
“Jace has been great all year,” Behm said. “I think that first one was his first miss of the season, and he bounced right back. It’s his first year playing football but he shows up every practice, even though he kicks for about 20 minutes, and he’s still there every practice, working hard, working on the side.”
The big moment came, but the snap and hold were solid. Worthington stepped up and booted it with everyone agonizing as the ball sailed through the air for an endless moment.
“You never know until the hands go up,” Behm said.
But on the field, Worthington said he knew the outcome.
“When it came off my foot and once it made it past the defenders, I saw it flying and like it was going straight down the center,” the junior said. “I knew it had the distance, so I was just waiting for it to go in.”
It only cleared the bar by a few feet but it was enough to give American Fork the lead. Lone Peak got a big play to keep tensions high in the final seconds, but Worthington’s clutch field goal proved to be enough to give American Fork the thrilling 31-28 win.
“It was amazing,” Worthington said. “It all comes from like everyone else fighting. But it’s a great feeling to win like that, and especially against Lone Peak in this rivalry.”
Behm felt like the fight his team showed was the difference in the game.
“It was really fun to just watch our kids battle for four quarters,” Behm said. Lone Peak is a good team. They make plays. To see our kids just battle and stay together and keep their composure be able to move the ball down in our two-minute drill and get a field goal up, what you want to see as a coach is them execute all the things that we’ve worked so hard for. We got to see a lot of those tonight.”
The two squads came into the game on different trajectories, with American Fork trying to bounce back after a disappointing loss to Davis and Lone Peak riding high after a big victory over Corner Canyon.
But it was the Cavemen who seized the momentum from the start, getting a 56-yard touchdown run by senior running back Prince Afu and a 90-yard interception return for a touchdown by junior Noah Behm (Aaron Behm’s son).
Lone Peak responded on a key fourth down play with a 10-yard TD pass from junior quarterback Cruz Christensen to senior wide receiver Kennan Pula, but American Fork again increased the lead on 10-yard fourth down pass of its own from senior Kapono Manuela to senior tight end Dyson Richards.
The Knights then got a defensive touchdown of their own when junior defensive lineman Bridger Dunn stripped the ball from Manuela near the goal line and senior Tony Grimmer jumped on the fumble in the end zone.
The Cavemen responded with a short TD run from Afu to close out the half with a 28-14 lead, but Lone Peak rallied with two more scores after the break (a 15-yard run by Christensen and a second Christensen-to-Pula pass) to tie the game going down the stretch.
Although the visitors appeared to have the momentum after the last TD and there was just two-and-a-half minutes to go, Manuela said he felt like his offense was ready for the moment.
“We knew before that, if they had scored or not, that the game was in our hands,” Manuela said. “We kind of soaked it in and just focused on our drive.”
That drive appeared to be in trouble after a pass on third-and-6 only got four yards, but the Knight defenders were deemed to have been excessively violent in throwing the American Fork receiver to the ground after the whistles had blown. The resulting penalty gave the Cavemen another chance.
“It was a tricky spot because we didn’t want to give the ball back with 1:45 left because they still had two timeouts,” Behm said. “We were about to punt until that penalty happened, and that gave us a second life. We were able to make the most of it.”
There was another heart-stopping moment when a Lone Peak defensive back nearly got an interception, but American Fork got the ball to the Knight 24-yard line before sending Worthington in for his big kick.
Even the end of the game was dramatic as there was a lengthy discussion about whether Lone Peak had time for a last-second Hail Mary from the Caveman 40-yard line. In the end, though, it was ruled the runner had been down in bounds and the clock had run out, which finally allowed American Fork to celebrate it’s big win.
“It was the best feeling, running onto the field with my teammates and high-fiving everyone,” Manuela said.
Worthington said it was great to see all the work pay off by getting the big win.
“It was just amazing because all week I think people came out and they fought for each other,” he said. “It came down to the wire. It was close, but everyone did their part and made sure we got the win.”
Behm, like any coach, wanted his guys to savor the moment but not get too carried away.
“It was a huge win,” he said. “I’m proud and happy for our kids and our school. It means a lot. But we’ve got three more weeks against really, really good football teams, and so we’ll enjoy it tonight but then it’s back to work.”
American Fork (6-1) next plays at Lehi on Oct. 3 while Lone Peak (5-2) plays at Skyridge on Oct. 2. Both games are scheduled to kick off at 7 p.m.
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