Three critical turnovers by Millard spelled doom for the defending 2A champions as Hurricane turned the Eagle miscues into scores, with the
Tigers taking a 17-0 first-half lead to a 37-23 semifinal victory at Southern Utah State College.
Hurricane will play San Juan in next week's 2A state championship game.Justin Rowndy put the Tigers on top early with a 20-yard field goal in the second quarter, thanks in part to a Millard field goal. Chris Hurst followed later with a 1-yard dive on another Eagle turnover - a pass interception - and Cal Nielsen then hit Carson Burton with an 18-yard scoring strike. Rowndy's second PAT kick was good, giving the Tigers a 17-0 halftime lead.
Millard opened the second half with a 65-yard march to paydirt, with Rick Robins scoring from 3 yards out and Bill Mace adding the PAT kick.
Dace Goulding counter with a 56-yard scoring scamper, leaving Hurricane on top 23-7. Another Millard turnover late in the third quarter set up a 1-yard TD run by Travis Christiansen, leaving the Eagles behind 30-7.
Tyrell Stephenson bulled into the end zone twice for Millard from five yards out in the fourth quarter, but Hurst's 84-yard kickoff return between the two Stephenson TDs kept the Eagles from mounting a come-from-behind threat. Robins ran a pair of 2-point PATs for Millard in the fourth quarter.
San Juan 49, Manti 22: The Broncos kept their perfect record intact, becoming the only Utah team with an unbeaten record, as San Juan opened up a two-touchdown halftime lead into a lopsided 2A semifinal victory at Carbon High.
The Broncos scored early TDs on a 60-yard pass from Mike Brown to Brent Bowers and a 30-yard run by Brown. Then Bowers ran back the second half's opening kickoff 82 yards for a touchdown and Brown ran an interception back for another Bronco TD as the rout was on for San Juan, now 10-0.
Manti, which ended its year with a 6-4 record, had the David Stevens-to-Tyler Bolli passing combination work for two TDs.
1A semifinals at Snow College
Parowan 23, Duchesne 6: Brandt Stubbs followed a Parowan safety with a 9-yard TD run in the first quarter for what proved to be the the Rams' game-winning score. The Rams also scored in the following two quarters - a 21-yard pass from Brandon Thornton to Chad Betteridge and a 66-yard fumble-recovery return by John Harris.
Duchesne QB Jason Young scored the Eagles' sole TD on a 1-yard run in the second quarter.
"Our defense played tough and won it for us," said Parowan Coach Scott Henderson, with the Rams holding the Eagles to minus rushing yardage.
Parowan advances to the 1A finals with a 9-1 record, while Duchesne ends its season with an 8-3 mark.
North Summit 30, Monticello 0: The top-ranked Braves ran their winning streak to 10 games and their overall record to a 10-1 mark with the semifinal shutout of the Buckaroos.
The triumph was the fifth shutout for North Summit this season and the third in the team's last four games.
Monticello dropped to a 4-6 record with the season-ending loss.