MAGNA — Provo's new top receiver didn't take long to have a breakout game.
Maka Unufe, in his first game with the Bulldogs, torched Cyprus for 250 total yards and three touchdowns, and Provo staved off a late Pirate rally to record a 28-14 victory in Friday night's endowment game.
The game was scoreless until midway through the second quarter, and Provo faced third-and-6 at its own 10-yard line. Bulldog quarterback Matt Griner hit Unufe on a screen pass, and the senior flanker broke a tackle and outraced the Cyprus secondary for a 90-yard score.
After Cyprus turned the ball over on downs, Provo reached into its bag of gadgets. Griner threw a backward pass to Seth Rhineer, and Rhineer launched the ball down the sideline to a wide-open Unufe, who took it the rest of the way for a 70-yard TD.
Unufe capped off his night early in the second half, when he tried to field a punt Willie Mays basket-catch-style, dropped the ball, picked it up and scampered 80 yards to the end zone.
"He's a great athlete," said Provo coach Saia Pope of Unufe. "We knew what he could do, and he really helped the team tonight."
Provo's defense did its job helping the team as well, with Likio Pope, Matthias Hinckley and Monte Naoupu leading a unit that held Cyprus scoreless until the last few minutes of the game.
"They're just 11 guys that have pulled together," Pope said of his team's "D."
Griner added a touchdown for Provo on a 1-yard run in the third quarter.
Cyprus' defense did its best to keep the Pirates in the game. Lineman Owen Tauteoli and linebacker Kiti Taufai delivered hard hits as the Pirates' defense forced the Bulldog offense into committing three turnovers. George Thomas and Josh Bennett recorded picks for the Pirates and Taufai forced a late fumble that Cyprus recovered.
"Our defense played great. Take out the big plays ... and we're in the game," said Cyprus coach Brian Jacketta.
As for the Pirates' offense, its new spread scheme struggled against Provo until more than midway through the fourth quarter. Thomas sparked the late-game charge with a 67-yard punt return to set up Cyprus at the Provo 1-yard line. Thomas then took a direct snap into the end zone for the Pirates' first score.
Cyprus then successfully executed an onside kick, and Wager drove the Pirates on a quick march, hitting wideout T.J. Johnson for a 10-yard score with less than a minute to play. Johnson ran for the two-point conversion to bring Cyprus within two touchdowns.
The Pirates tried another onside kick, but Provo recovered and ran out the clock.
"Team speed is our strength. We have to emulate the speed of the game," said Jacketta regarding what the Pirates need to do to improve on offense.
Cyprus juggled quarterbacks throughout the game, with starter David Numan giving way to Wager in the second quarter. Underclassman Erik Valdez also saw some time under center for the Pirates.
e-mail: rtrishman@desnews.com