WEST JORDAN – The West Panthers’ goal coming into this season was to make it a special one.
The Panthers made it official Friday night. Quarterback Isaiah SueSue scored touchdowns the first two times he handled the ball and the West defense was its normal stingy self, which led to a 45-0 blowout over West Jordan in the second round of the Utah 6A state football playoffs.
“Our quarterback put our team on his back and we didn’t make any mistakes,” said West coach Olosa’a Solovi. “It was a great all-around game and everything went our way.”
With the win, West advanced to the playoff quarterfinals for only the second time in the last 25 years. The Panthers improved their record to 8-2, won their seventh straight game and recorded their fifth shutout.
Next on the horizon, however, is top-seeded Corner Canyon.
“We know they’re going to be good, but this isn’t going to be a ‘David vs. Goliath’ type of game,” Solovi said. “We can take care of ourselves, and our kids know it.”
The Panthers easily won the Region 2 title, and then showed why Friday as SueSue quickly took over the game.
After West stopped West Jordan’s first drive, SueSue took the snap, rolled to his right, then cut back through the line and galloped 76 yards for a score.
Two minutes later, the Panthers got the ball again and SueSue reached the end zone on a 57-yard run.
West Jordan’s chances of a comeback fizzled immediately. Coach Ron Halbert said five starters were suspended earlier in the day for non-football-related causes, and then quarterback Dameon Crosby left the field in the opening minutes after suffering a likely concussion.
“Hats off to West, but we weren’t the same team we were early in the season,” said the second-year coach. “We’re young, and we’re trying to develop a culture here and hold the kids to a higher standard.”
The Jaguars had already lost two other quarterbacks to injury, leaving the job this time to senior Porter Hall, who hadn’t called signals consistently since his freshman year.
Hall still threw for nearly 200 yards, but was constantly harassed by West’s aggressive defense line, led by Kalisoni Malu and Fili Snuka, which led to four turnovers.
West led 21-0 by the end of the first quarter, and kicker Ari Khadjenoury’s 33-yard field goal extended the margin to 31-0 as the second quarter ended.
The Panthers then accepted the second-half kickoff and drove 80 yards in five plays to start a running clock, created by the UHSAA’s 35-point “mercy rule.”
Sesi Vailahi and Louie Hamiloton had second-half touchdowns to add to the rout. West Jordan never threatened to score until the game’s final minute, and then the Panthers’ defense turned away their drive to keep the shutout.
“I think that was mostly for pride,” said Solovi. “I would have preferred to take some kids out and not risk injury, but it turned out all right.”
Eighth-seeded West Jordan finished with a 6-4 record after starting the year 5-1. The Jaguars tied for second place in Region 3.