High school football: Skyridge comes back to beat Pleasant Grove in 6A quarterfinal OT thriller

A 5-yard touchdown run by Carter Sheffield on the first series of overtime, followed by a strong defensive stand, gave the Skyridge Falcons a thrilling 37-30 victory over the Pleasant Grove Vikings in the quarterfinals of the 6A high school football playoffs on Friday.

After a rough first half saw Skyridge trailing 23-13, the Falcons defense only allowed seven points in the second half, giving the offense the necessary help in order to get back into the game.

“At the end of the day it doesn’t matter what the score is, a win is a win. We had a lot of tough adverse situations, but the boys kept their heads in it. The defense kept us in it throughout the game and gave us a chance down the stretch to do what we needed to do,” said Skyridge head coach Justin Hemm.

The momentum, which was controlled for the majority of the first half by Pleasant Grove, shifted in a massive way with just three seconds left before intermission.

With the Falcons trailing by 16, Noah Bird made a key interception and returned it 59 yards to the end zone, swinging the momentum to the home team’s side heading to the break.

After a 33-yard fumble return for a touchdown by Pleasant Grove’s Shawn Cottle made it a 30-13 advantage for the Vikings, Skyridge once again inched its way closer and crawled back into it.

The Falcons took hold of the momentum for good with three minutes left in the third quarter, scoring on an 11-yard touchdown reception by wideout Jack Burke to make the score 30-20.

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The Skyridge defense recovered a fumble on the following Pleasant Grove series, immediately getting the ball back to its offense.

The Falcons took advantage of the Vikings’ mishap, with Burke scoring once again on a 12-yard touchdown reception from quarterback Jackson Stevens.

Trailing by three, Skyridge kicker Blake Hester connected on a 25-yard field goal with 13 seconds left, tying the game and ultimately sending it to overtime.

That is when Sheffield became the hero, scoring the go-ahead touchdown and sending the fans into a frenzy.

The Skyridge defense then denied Pleasant Grove its opportunity and on fourth down watched as a desperate heave by Pleasant Grove quarterback Carson Rasmussen towards the corner of the end zone proved unsuccessful.

With the victory, the Falcons move on to the semifinals and will meet a foe they know all too well in Region 3: rival American Fork, which beat them in overtime on Oct. 13.

“This region is tough and American Fork is a great football team,” Hemm said. “It will be great to see those guys again and it will give us a chance to be able to redeem ourselves.”