Lehi dominates Maple Mountain in season opener
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- Lehi’s Sterling Fillmore (44) leaps in an attempt to block a Maple Mountain punt in a high school football game on Friday, Aug. 14, 2026.
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- Lehi running back Sam Verbecky (30) is lifted into the air by teammate Kacyn Page after scoring a touchdown against Maple Mountain in a high school football game on Friday, Aug. 14, 2026.
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- Lehi’s Jonah Scarbrough (9) celebrates after making a defensive play against Maple Mountain in a high school football game on on Friday, Aug. 14, 2026.
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- Lehi’s Sam Verbecky celebrates after scoring a touchdown against Maple Mountain in a high school football game on Friday, Aug. 14, 2026.
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- Maple Mountain’s Tei Mauga (10) celebrates after recovering a Lehi fumble in a high school football game on Friday, Aug. 14, 2026.
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- Maple Mountain quarterback Joey Imperial throws a pass against Lehi in a high school football game on Friday, Aug. 14, 2026.
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- Maple Mountain’s Uhila Wolfgramm (0) fights off three Lehi blockers in a high school football game on Friday, Aug. 14, 2026.
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- Lehi quarterback Briggs Jensen (11) throws a pass against Maple Mountain in a high school football game on Friday, Aug. 14, 2026.
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- Lehi’s Sterling Fillmore (44), Jax Sweat (2) and Porter Hobbs (7) scramble recover a Maple Mountain fumble in a high school football game on Friday, Aug. 14, 2026.
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- Lehi’s Sam Verbecky turns the corner on a touchdown run against Maple Mountain in a high school football game on Friday, Aug. 14, 2026.
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- Lehi players run onto the field before a high school football game against Maple Mountain on Friday, Aug. 14, 2026.
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- Maple Mountain’s Uhila Wolfgramm (0) prepares to defend a Lehi offensive play in a high school football game on Friday, Aug. 14, 2026.
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- Maple Mountain’s Kyren Jones (1) reaches for a pass against Lehi in a high school football game on Friday, Aug. 14, 2026.
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- Lehi’s Vince Ruelas (front) and Sam Verbecky celebrate in the end zone after a touchdown against Maple Mountain in a high school football game on Friday, Aug. 14, 2026.
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- Lehi’s Sam Verbecky races down the sideline toward the end zone on a long touchdown run against Maple Mountain in a high school football game on Friday, Aug. 14, 2026.
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- Lehi’s Sterling Fillmore (44) leaps in an attempt to block a Maple Mountain punt in a high school football game on Friday, Aug. 14, 2026.
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- Maple Mountain players celebrates after recovering a Lehi fumble in a high school football game on Friday, Aug. 14, 2026.
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- Lehi’s Hendrix Cluff (25) returns a kickoff as Maple Mountain’s Israel Vaenuku moves in for the tackle in a high school football game on Friday, Aug. 14, 2026.
Lehi’s road to success in its season opener against Maple Mountain included big offensive plays and winning on fourth down.
The Pioneers scored 21 first quarter points and stopped the Golden Eagles five times on fourth down in scoring territory, in addition to a blocked field goal, in a 35-13 victory on Friday.
Lehi quarterback Briggs Jensen and top receiver Cam Wren connected twice for touchdowns and running back Sam Verbecky found the end zone for two scores as well. Defensively, Maple Mountain moved the ball behind freshman quarterback Joey Imperial and receiver Kyren Jones but the Pioneers defense rose up on key fourth downs to stay in control of the game.
“You never really know what you have until you actually go play somebody else,” second-year Lehi head coach Andy Hadfield said. “I get asked all the time, ‘How was the Purple and White game?’ Well, it was us against us. So either our defense is good, our offense is good or one was bad. But that was a good Maple Mountain team over there. We knew they were going to bring it. I’m happy assignment-wise and how we played physically, but we’ve got a lot of stuff to fix.”
Verbecky started the scoring on Lehi’s second possession, turning the corner and speeding 67 yards down the sideline for a touchdown and a 7-0 lead. Jensen and Wren combined on a 74-yard touchdown pass moments later and the Pioneers led 14-0. A long Maple Mountain drive ended in a blocked field goal (courtesy of Porter Hobbs) but the Golden Eagles got on the board when Jones got behind the Lehi secondary for a 64-yard scoring play.
Trailing 21-6 at halftime, Maple Mountain earned a break when Tei Mauga recovered a fumbled punt deep in Pioneer territory. But the Lehi defense was up to the task and a botched field goal kept the Golden Eagles from drawing any closer.
Jensen found Wren for a 21-yard touchdown pass for a 28-6 lead with 5:11 to play in the third quarter. After another fourth down stop, and Cam Bryce’s 6-yard touchdown run pushed the home team’s lead to 35-6 entering the fourth quarter.
“I knew our defense was pretty dang good,” Hadfield said. “That front seven just doesn’t get a lot of credit. Brody Downs, he wants to hit our own guys so I had to pull him back a bit. We had to tell him to back off our own guys. We’ve got to stay healthy. It was kind of fun to let him off the leash and just after the other guys. Our front four gave him a lane to get after them.”
Between Jensen’s passing to Wren and the running tandem of Verbecky and Bryce, Lehi was able to move the ball well most of the night.
“We have playmakers all over the field,” Jensen said. “It’s easy when you get the ball into their hands and they just make plays. The coaches are great. We talk together and make a good game plan off of that.”
Last year, Cash Hollingshead and Wyatt Bingham split time at quarterback, but Hollingshead transferred to Salem Hills and Bingham graduated. Hadfield said Jensen, who played quarterback in just three varsity games last season, came to him in the off-season.
“He said, ‘Coach, I got this. I’m going to prove to you that I’m the guy,'” Hadfield said. “He’s put the time in. The team loves and trusts him. He’s just a great, great quarterback and a great leader.”
Jensen added, “I think it’s about leading, showing up every day, working hard in the weight room and just getting guys on your side. You have to prove that you work hard and earn their trust.”
BYU commit Uhila Wolfgramm logged two sacks for Maple Mountain (0-1), which will host Riverton next Friday.
Lehi (1-0) has a key 6A showdown with Mountain Ridge at home next week.
LEHI 35, MAPLE MOUNTAIN 13
Maple Mountain 6 0 0 7 — 13
Lehi 21 0 14 0 — 35
L-Verbecky 67 run (McBride kick)
L-Wren 74 pass from Jensen (McBride kick)
MM-Jones 64 pass from Imperial (kick blocked)
L-Verbecky 13 run (McBride kick)
L-Wren 21 pass from Jensen (McBride kick)
L-Bryce 6 run (McBride kick)
MM-Robinson 3 pass from Imperial (Vaenuku kick)
