WEST VALLEY CITY — This one was indeed for C.J.
Stung by the preseason death of defensive line/wide receivers coach Curtis Jones one day before two-a-day practices began, the Granger Lancers used emotion, grit and eight turnovers to beat the Cyprus Pirates 28-20 Friday night.
And when the game ended, the tears flowed freely, hugs were exchanged and fingers pointed to the sky in remembrance of their coach, mentor and friend.
"This victory was for Coach Jones, all the way," said Granger head coach Dan Eckert through tears after the game.
"We played it up. We reminded the kids of it every down and told them that he was here with us tonight."
The Lancers started slow on offense, however, spotting the Pirates a 14-point lead five minutes into the game. Cyprus wide receiver Noel Manzanares blocked Granger's first punt, allowing teammate Sean Matagi to scoop the ball up and run untouched for 15 yards into the end zone.
Three minutes later, the Pirates were converting their first offensive series into six more points via a 7-yard touchdown run by halfback Ammaron Wolfgramm.
For a moment, it looked as though the Pirates were continuing their torrid scoring pace that began a week earlier when they put up 61 points against the Kearns Cougars.
Yet it was soon obvious the Lancers had only begun to fight.
Adrian Barcelon took a handoff from Lancer quarterback Jordan Kjar and sprinted 74 yards for Granger's first touchdown. Moments later, Manzanares fumbled, allowing the Lancers to tie the game at 14 on a 41-yard touchdown pass from Jordan Kjar to Ryan Evans.
After Granger defensive back Lance Correa intercepted Cyprus quarterback Kyle Huntsman's pass two plays later, Granger's David Langi went to work, scoring on a 9-yard touchdown run with 48 seconds left in the first quarter. The Lancers would never look back, forcing the Pirates into turnovers on five consecutive plays while building a 28-14 halftime lead.
It was a lead the Pirates would not overcome, despite drawing within 28-20 in the closing minutes of the game.
When it was all over, Granger had forced Cyprus into eight total turnovers, while holding their own on both sides of the line of scrimmage. The Granger defense also held Huntsman to 52 yards passing and four interceptions and limited the Pirates to 270 yards of total offense.
Granger racked up 383 yards of total offense, most of which came on the ground.
It was an effort worthy of their deceased assistant coach.
"(Coach Jones) left a great team behind," said Langi, as tears streamed down his eyes. "My team played its heart out."
"It feels great to win this game," said Kjar. " We put our hearts out there and beat one of the best teams in the state."
E-mail: poyfair@desnews.com