NORTH LOGAN — Unwavering belief.
Each time Pine View head coach Ray Hosner yelled out that particular phrase, he was greeted with a resounding roar, whether it be from his fellow coaches, the Pine View Panthers themselves, or the Panthers’ faithful fans who made the five-and-a-half hour trip from St. George to North Logan.
They made the journey north to watch Pine View battle Green Canyon in the quarterfinals of the 4A state tournament, and early Friday evening the Panthers defeated the Wolves 43-36.
It was game replete with everything you could want in an elimination game.
There were lead changes, ties and rallies.
“Listen. This team has an unwavering belief in each other.” — Pine View coach Ray Hosner
There were multiple interception returns for touchdowns, long ones at that, not to mention power running and Houdini-esque escapes.
“Oh, it was a great game, without a doubt,” Hosner said.
For the Panthers, who twice rallied from two-touchdown deficits, overcoming a four-turnover game that included three interceptions thrown by star quarterback Macloud Crowton, it was more than that, though.
It was confirmation that their unwavering belief in themselves was justified.
Not that they needed it.
“Listen,” Hosner said, above the hubbub of postgame celebration. “This team has an unwavering belief in each other.”
It was on display time and again.
Early in the first quarter, a pair of Macloud interceptions, courtesy of Garrett Herzog and Mckay Yorgason — Yorgason finished with two interceptions in the game — threatened to doom the Panthers, who fell behind 14-0 four minutes in.
With his team reeling, Hosner contemplated on onside kick, if only to keep the Wolves from running away with it.
Crowton, who finished the game with 231 yards passing and two touchdowns, and running back Enoch Takau, who ran for 125 yard and two touchdowns, talked their coach down.
“They came to me and there was no panic,” said Hosner. “They were all excited and said, ‘Coach, I don’t care how much we are down, we will come back and we will win. Don’t onside kick it, our defense will play. Give us a chance and we will do it.’ I did and they did that.”
The Panthers responded with 16 unanswered points, as Crowton found Daylor Rymer for a score, after which Izaiah Moten intercepted Green Canyon quarterback Jacob Lundin and took it nearly the length of the field for a touchdown.
A subsequent safety had the Panthers up 16-14 and riding high.
Their unwavering belief was tested again, however, particularly in the third quarter.
After rallying themselves to take a 21-16 lead into the half, Green Canyon established its rushing attack to great effect in the third period.
Whether it be Brennan Dean, who finished with nearly 100 yards rushing and two touchdowns, Landon Peterson, who had a pair of big runs, or Lundin, who finished with 93 rushing yards himself, the Wolves proved nearly unstoppable on the ground and by the end of the period led 36-22.
Trailing once again by two touchdowns, the Panthers’ unwavering belief in themselves manifested itself once again.
The defense buckled down in the fourth quarter and the offense, led by Crowton, Takua and Moten, scored back-to-back touchdowns to tie the game at 36.
“Our kids stepped up,” said Hosner. “We suspended six kids for this game and three of them start as defensive linemen. It wasn’t very easy, but right is right and wrong is wrong. We took care of what was right, no matter what the consequence was, and our kids stepped up.”
No one more than Crowton in the end.
The signal-caller led the Panthers on one final drive down the field in the final minute, a drive that ended when Crowton carried the ball over the end-line for the game-winning 10-yard touchdown with two seconds remaining.
“This is what championship teams do,” Pine View assistant coach Ben Meier said.
Friday in North Logan, the Panthers looked the part.