In the previous meeting, which took days to complete because of lightning delays, the Vikings fell short losing 28-24.

But the rematch was quite a bit different as Pleasant Grove scored a dominating 34-10 win. Now Pleasant Grove (7-4) will visit another Region 7 rival in No. 2 seed Orem (9-2), who dispatched Timpview in another intra-region playoff contest 55-7.

“I think the guys were hungry, they were ready to go,” Pleasant Grove head coach Jeremy LaPan said. “It always comes down to execution and our guys executed at a high level. We made the catches we needed, the O-line blocked phenomenally.”

In the soggy conditions, the defenses of both teams generally dominated in the early going.

Pleasant Grove did score midway in the first quarter on a 31-yard field goal by Ben Lyman. Spanish Fork countered when Preston Jones booted a 35-yard field goal early in the second quarter.

Pleasant Grove put together another drive but Spanish Fork’s defense stiffened forcing the Vikings to settle for another field goal by Lyman, this time from 32 yards.

Pleasant Grove’s defense remained stout and the Vikings were able to put 14 points on the board when Corbin Robbins scored twice, first on a 5-yard run and then hauling a 8-yard pass from Cannon Jacobson with just 10 seconds left in the half. This put the Vikings ahead 20-3 going into the locker room.

Spanish Fork came out strong to start the second half and quarterback Nixon Warren ran it from four yards. With the successful point after by Jones, Pleasant Grove led 20-10. Then Tayvin Maldonado secured an interception for Spanish Fork near midfield. But during the play, the Dons were penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct which moved the ball back into their territory. The Viking defense rose up and forced a punt. LaPan thought that was a key turning point in the game as Pleasant Grove took total control the rest of the game.

“It was absolutely massive, absolutely massive.” LaPan said of thwarting that Don possession after the pick. “Guys were doing their jobs.”

LaPan noted that Spanish Fork’s Nixon Warren was a special kind of talent that required discipline on his team’s behalf to contain.

“Against a guy like Nixon, if one guy in another gap is trying to do something too much, he’s going to the house. Great discipline by our guys.”

On the eve of Halloween, the final stanza became a House of Horrors for the Dons as Pleasant Grove scored twice.

On a fourth down at the Don 29-yard line Tavake Wolfgramm made a spectacular diving catch of 22 yards which eventually set up a 2-yard scoring connection between Jacobson and Ryder Huntsman.

Then on the next Dons’ drive, Davian Akweyne secured a 55-yard interception return for a touchdown which put the icing on the cake on a dominating Viking performance.

“I saw (the quarterback) rolling out to my side and guys were already jumping the ball, I saw it was a little high and it came to me and I had to take it to the house and finish it,” Akweyne said of his pick six. Jake Bills had an earlier interception for the stellar Viking defense.

Spanish Fork finished its season with a 6-5 mark. The Dons were definitely hampered by some key injuries late in the season including losing quarterback Hawkins Rasmussen. Spanish Fork turned to Warren and Caleb Grant but it limited Warren’s effectiveness as a weapon at wide receiver and even lining up at running back.

Meanwhile, Pleasant Grove is hitting its stride winning four of their last five with their last defeat coming at the hands of Orem 35-10. Now the Vikings are hoping for another shot at redemption when it takes on the defending 5A champs.

PLEASANT GROVE 34, SPANISH FORK 10

Pleasant Grove 3 17 0 14 -34

Spanish Fork 0 3 7 0 -10

PG-Lyman 31 FG

SF-Jones 35 FG

PG-Lyman 32 FGa

PG-Robbins 5 run (Lyman kick)

PG-Robbins 8 pass from Jacobson (Lyman kick)

SF-Warren 5 run (Jones kick)

PG-Huntsman 2 pass from Jacobson (Lyman kick)

PG-Akweyne 55 interception return (Lyman kick)