ST. GEORGE — James Lark threw four touchdown passes and intercepted a pass with 21 seconds left in his own end zone to help Pine View beat Las Vegas High 34-28 Friday night at Panther Stadium.
Playing on its new artificial turf for the first time, Pine View avenged one of two losses from last season. Las Vegas, the No. 3-ranked 4A school in Nevada, beat the Panthers last season by the same exact score.
"What a great football game," Pine View assistant coach Todd Shaw said. "Those were two excellent teams out there. I'm so proud of our guys for hanging in there and getting it done."
The Panthers led 20-14 at halftime on the strength of Lark TD passes to Kevin Clements and David Foote and a pair of field goals by Riley Stephenson. The second field goal came on the last play of the half after the Wildcats called time out to force Pine View to punt.
Unfortunately for Las vegas, their punt returner mishandled the Stehphenson punt and Pine View recovered at the LV 3-yard line with three seconds to go until halftime.
The Wildcats were undaunted, however, and scored a pair of touchdowns in the third and early fourth quarter to take a 28-20 lead.
Pine View answered with a 73-yard drive to cut it to 28-26 when Lark found the junior Clements again, this time from 33 yards out, with 9:28 left in the game. The two-point conversion pass for the tie was incomplete.
After the Panthers defense held Las Vegas to a three-and-out, Lark orchestrated another drive. His favorite target on the final drive was senior Carter Mees, who capped the 8-play, 63-yard march with a 33-yard screen pass and run for six.
Lark hit Foote for the two-point conversion, making it 34-28 with 4:32 left.
Las Vegas actually scored with 1:16 to play when Javon Massey caught a TD pass, but Massey, who had been in motion, started up the field a tick too early, prompting an illegal motion penalty.
The Wildcats then tried a fade pass on third down into the end zone from 25 yards out, but Lark read the play all the way and took the easy interception.
Clements and Mees each finished with seven catches for more than 100 yards and Lark completed 20-of-31 passes for 236 yards and the four scores.
Jamal Lomax led the way for the Wildcats with 208 yards rushing on 30 carries.