Make no mistake about it, Bountiful is back in the Region 2 race.
The fifth-ranked Braves, who fell to Skyline 12-10 in last week's league opener, forced Highland into five turnovers Friday en route to a surprisingly easy 24-6 victory over the previously unbeaten Rams."I was really happy with our performance," said Bountiful coach Larry Wall. "This game was critical for us. We put a lot of emphasis on it. Now, we're back in the hunt."
And it all began with defense. The Braves limited the Rams to just 177 yards of total offense - intercepting four passes and recovering a fumble.
"I was really proud of the way they played," said Wall. "Anytime you can (force mistakes) and not turn it over in critical situations you have a chance to win."
Bountiful broke a scoreless tie midway through the second quarter after an unsuccessful drive was given a second chance by a roughing the kicker penalty. According to Highland coach Tom Kingsford, the miscue did more than lead to a 15-yard scoring strike from Wes Patterson to Kimball Kjar."That was the whole turnaround in the game," he said. "We gave them new life and you can't give a team like that new life."
Prior to the Highland penalty, Bountiful had punted twice and had just one first down.
Leading 7-0, the Braves reached the end zone again when Patterson teamed with Pat Williams on a 4-yard strike. The 7-play, 39-yard drive followed a wild sequence in which three interceptions (two by Bountiful) were registered in less than two minutes. The final pick, by Jerod Parkinson, led to the touchdown just 18.5 seconds before the half.
Bountiful increased the margin to 21-0 with a sustained drive to open the second half. The Braves marched 80 yards on 10 plays, capped by a 13-yard run by Patterson, who led all rushers with 100 yards on 21 carries, to put the game well out of reach. The lead swelled to 24 points when Dax Rapp connected on a 35-yard field goal with 10:02 remaining in the game.
Highland countered with a 6-yard touchdown pass from Larry Gelwix to Casey Aguirre with 4:46 to play, but it proved too little, too late.