HOLLADAY — Two close games, two different results. The Payson Lions avoided collapsing late in a game for the second week in a row as a preseason game turned into an epic battle at Olympus High as the Lions beat the Titans 21-20.
"It feels nice. It's always nice to get that first one," said Payson head coach Jared Woolstenhulme.
When it mattered most Payson followed the lead of their two stars, Misi Wolfgramm and Leroy Unga, as the teammates dismantled the Olympus defense late in the game to control the clock and the scoreboard and give the Lions their first win of the season.
"When we needed it they (Wolfgramm and Unga) were there," said Woolstenhulme. "When we needed to run the clock out, when we needed to just move the football and pound it, they were consistent and went for it."
Falling behind late in the third quarter 20-14, Wolfgramm provided the spark the Lions needed to trip the Titans. After a desperate fourth-and-fourteen conversion run by Unga, Wolfgramm ran wild and went for a touchdown from six yards out, solidifying the Lions' victory. He finished the game with 95 yards rushing on 19 carries and two touchdowns, and a touchdown pass in the second quarter.
Combining with Wolfgramm's timely plays, Unga kept the defense on its feet and backs as he mowed over the inept Olympus line, taking over in the fourth quarter. Unga rushed for 138 yards on 22 carries.
"Everybody knew in the fourth quarter where the ball was going, and it didn't matter, he just forced his will," said Woolstenhulme of Unga.
After a stale first half Olympus came out the second half on fire, exploding for two touchdowns in two minutes early in the third quarter, using an electrifying 83-yard touchdown pass from Jordan Price to Danny Christensen to turn the wave of momentum and give Payson reason to panic. Moments later, the Titans added to the Lions' panic when the special teams recovered a fumble in the end zone for another six points, giving Olympus a 20-14 lead.
That's all the Titans would get as the Payson defense stiffened and gave Wolfgramm and Unga a chance to take over.
Woolstenhulme said his team came into Friday's game having learned a lesson from last week's heartbreaking two-point loss—a lesson well learned.
"It's the exact lessons we need," he said. "Last week we lost by two but they never gave up. This week we made a critical fumble. In past years I think we would've folded under that kind of situation. But they didn't this time. The defense made the right plays, the offense pounded out the ball, they let go of their mistakes and kept marching."