LEHI — The Lehi Pioneers weren’t playing for a Region 7 championship Wednesday, but in the regular-season finale, they played for respect — and earned it.
The Pioneers lost their top wide receivers, so quarterback Creyton Cooper and running back Carsen Manookin put the offense on their backs as Lehi found a way to beat the Orem Tigers, 24-21.
Cooper scored on a 1-yard run late in the third quarter after he was hit hard near the goal line but bounced away from three Orem defenders and somehow turned his body forward, took two steps and fell into the end zone. That proved to be the deciding points in an emotional contest for both teams.
“I knew it was fourth down and I had to make a play,” Cooper said. “We had a lot of guys out (injured). Someone had to step up.”
Cooper, a strong-armed junior, had an off night throwing the ball but never tossed an interception. Coach Ed Larson said he was proud that the Pioneers found a different way to win the game.
“We had to improvise,” Larson said. “Orem’s a good team and I loved how we finished (the regular season) by playing a game that meant something. In the past years, we haven’t had that. This will help us prepare for the playoffs.”
Orem, 5-4 overall and 4-1 in region, had several chances in the fourth quarter to regain the lead, but couldn’t muster any offense. The Tigers played most of the second half without Noah Sewell, who had two touchdowns and appeared frustrated in the final minutes.
They failed on a fourth-down try at their own 28-yard line with 4:06 left and Lehi’s Christian Moody intercepted a pass at the 1:27 mark to seal the win.
Orem was also playing for respect in the RPI rankings and a region title. Instead, the Tigers will have to settle for a first-place tie with Timpview, a team it defeated two weeks ago.
“Now, we all sit back and wait,” said Larson, whose team improved to 7-3 overall and 3-2 in region, which put the Pioneers into a third-place tie. “With the new RPI, we don’t know where we sit until they announce them.”
Lehi should earn some “points” with the win, and the goal will be to be seeded among the top six 5A teams and earn a first-round bye. The Pioneers will need that time to recoup their losses Wednesday, which included Isaia Tauai, who suffered a broken clavicle (collarbone) and is likely out for the season. Also, McKay Wall had to leave the game in the first half due to concussion symptoms.
Wall caught a 35-yard touchdown pass from Cooper in the first couple minutes of the game to give Lehi the early lead. However, Orem rallied behind Sewell’s big plays to take a 21-17 at intermission.