PLEASANT GROVE — Crew Wakley threw for three touchdowns and ran for three more to lead Jordan over Pleasant Grove 42-21 Friday night.
Wakley had some big completions, but maybe none more important than a 32-yard pass to Spencer Curtis and a 35-yard pass to Isaiah Jackson right before halftime that led to a one-yard Wakley touchdown run. The touchdown with 11 seconds remaining in the half combined with Emily Bluemel’s PAT broke a 21-21 tie and put the Beetdiggers ahead 28-21, a lead Jordan would not relinquish. The drive had appeared to stall with less than a minute remaining in the half before Wakley’s big completions.
In the second half, both teams came away empty-handed in their first possessions before Jordan capped a 10-play, 74-yard drive with a 10-yard Wakley touchdown run that pushed the lead to 35-21.
Pleasant Grove had several chances to respond but turned the ball over and punted in its next two possessions.
Jordan put the game mostly out of reach with 8:20 left when Wakley found Jackson open for a 64-yard touchdown pass to double the Vikings' score at 42-21. The Vikings couldn’t muster any offense the rest of the way.
Both teams seemed to trade touchdowns through most of the first half.
The Vikings scored first on the second play of the game. Jake Jensen found Braxton Rapp open for a 69-yard touchdown pass. Kainoa Maldonado’s extra point made the score 0-7 for the Vikings.
Jordan answered on its next possession. Wakley hit Jackson on a third down and nine play for a 64-yard touchdown to even the score at 7-7 just 82 seconds into the game.
The Beetdiggers took the lead at 14-7 five minutes later when Wakley scored from seven yards out to cap an eight play, 67-yard drive.
This time Pleasant Grove answered with a 73-yard, six-play drive for a score. Jensen scored on a quarterback keeper up the middle from one yard out to even the score 14-14 with 2:55 left in the first quarter.
Jordan scored on its next possession to recapture the lead at 21-14. The Beetdiggers methodically marched down the field over 12 plays before Wakley found Curtis for the touchdown with 10:40 remaining before halftime.
The Vikings answered on their next possession for their final score of the game. Tai Kauwe caught another Jensen pass, his second TD pass of the game, with 8:37 remaining in the half to knot the score at 21-21.
Both teams had empty possessions before Jordan’s game winning drive just before halftime.
Jordan and Pleasant Grove had both split their first two games of the season. Jordan’s win improved its record to 2-1 while the Vikings dropped to 1-2.
Drew Daniels is a Utah County native and has covered local sporting events for several news organizations including the Deseret News since 1988.