The Duchesne Eagles continued to soar Friday night with a come from behind win of 20-19 over the Rich Rebels. The Eagles received the opening kickoff but turned the ball over with a fumble on their own 39-yard line. Rich did not waste any time taking advantage of the opportunity by scoring in only four plays with a 14-yard run from Cache Sabey.
The scoreboard read 7-0 early in the first quarter. Duchesne put together a long 14-play drive. Eagle quarterback Trent Roberts kept the drive alive with a five-yard run on a fourth down and three yards to go situation. The Eagles then faced a fourth-and-9 to go, but Roberts used his arm to complete a pass down to the Rebel 5-yard line. Dylan Despain punched in from a yard out, but a failed kick left Rich on top 7-6 early in the second quarter.
The Rich defense forced the Eagles into a punt, and a 15-yard penalty for helmet to helmet contact set the Rebels up on the Duchesne 29-yard line. Two more flags flew on the home team, which put the Rebels inside the 10-yard line. Sabey’s six-yard run pushed the score to 13-6 due to a failed two-point conversion.
Duchesne put the football back into the Rebels' hands thanks to an interception by defensive back Jayden Wallentine. Rich High managed the clock wisely, driving from its own 39-yard line. Fullback Ben Groll became the workhorse with the majority of the carries in the drive. With only eight seconds on the second-quarter clock, quarterback McKay Jarman found Caden Barthlome with a six-yard touchdown pass across the middle of the end zone. The halftime score was Rich 19, Duchesne 6.
The second half belonged to Duchesne. The Eagle defense got a three-play and out possession from the visitors and went to work. The scoring drive, highlighted by a 40-yard run from Dylan Despain, was capped by a short run by Trent Roberts. The Rich lead was quickly cut to six points, 19-13.
Eagle Braxton Spencer made the play of the night when he stepped in the middle of an intended option pitch play and sprinted 66 yards for the touchdown. The lead on the scoreboard changed sides as well as the momentum to give the Eagles their first lead, 20-19 at the end of three quarters.
Duchesne faced a fourth-and-9 to go on the Rebel 12-yard line with under eight minutes to go in the game. An incomplete pass turned the ball over on downs but the Rebel offense was completely shut down in the second half by the Eagle defense.
Duchesne kept the clock running with the running game and left Rich with three minutes on the clock for its last possession on its own 26-yard line. The Rebels made it into Duchesne territory, but that is as close as they could come, and the winning streak will roll on.
Duchesne (8-0) will host Monticello (3-5) on Wednesday, Oct. 16. Rich (5-2) will host Altamont on Thursday, Oct. 17.