PARK CITY — It was just a quarterfinal matchup, but Park City fans are going to remember it for a long time.
And Owen Tabaracci especially will.
As the first half of the Miners’ game Friday against Timpanogos ended, he watched on the sideline as throngs of medical staff ran to the aid of his older brother, Blake, as the senior lay in the end zone after a violent collision (Blake Tabaracci would later be taken away from the field on a stretcher and sent out of the stadium by ambulance).
“When he went down, that’s when I turned it up,” Owen Tabaracci said. “When he got hurt, all that game was for was him.”
With roughly a minute left in the game, and with Timpanogos down inside the Miners’ 5-yard line threatening a go-ahead touchdown, Owen delivered on his goal.
The junior tackled the quarterback, forced a fumble and recovered it at Park City’s 1-yard line to dramatically seal a theatric and emotional win for the No. 4 Miners over the No. 5 Timberwolves, 28-24.
The win punched Park City’s ticket to the 4A state semifinals next Friday at Rice-Eccles Stadium, the Miners’ first trip to the semis since 2019.
The Miners went into halftime up 14-0, and they built the lead to 21-0 early in the third quarter with a 1-yard TD run by Josh Navarro.
A few drives later, however, the Timberwolves finally scored their first TD on a 1-yard run by Easton Bretzing.
Suddenly, what was a fairly dominant affair for the Miners turned into a furious rally by the Timberwolves that ultimately led to them having a chance to score with under 4 minutes remaining on the clock.
When Timpanogos got down inside the 5 with all the momentum in the world, all Park City coach Josh Montzingo thought was “that we have a great defense, and I trust them. They’re going to make a play somehow, someway.”
After the fumble, the final minute of the game involved the Park City offense burning off the clock while the Miners defense began the celebration on the sideline.
“It’s exciting,” Montzingo said. “Playing in Rice-Eccles is like every kid’s dream, and it should be. I’m excited for our guys. Their hard work paid off.”
Timpanogos turned a near blowout into a ballgame in all of 45 seconds of play time. After Bretzing’s touchdown, the Timberwolves strip sacked Park City quarterback Lincoln Jackson to set up another possession at the Miners’ 10-yard line.
Two plays later, senior quarterback Chase Riggs found junior Gabe Graf in the corner of the end zone for his first passing TD to suddenly make it 21-14.
The Timberwolves stalled on a later drive and settled for a fourth-quarter field goal to make it 21-17, and when Park City answered with a long touchdown drive, to make it 28-17, it appeared it might be over.
Less than 30 seconds later, however, Timpanogos senior Luke Livingston caught a long bomb from Riggs and dashed 65 yards, stiff-arming a defender for the last few before scoring a TD.
On the Timberwolves’ final drive, their up tempo offense had the Miners on their heels, as they went seven plays and almost 50 yards in under two minutes.
“At that moment, everything just goes out the door, and you just have to find it within you,” Navarro said. “You just gotta dig. It’s just about how much each team wants it.”
Tabaracci’s fumble recovery was noted by many who watched, even seasoned Park City fans, as the greatest play they had ever seen.
The Miners moved to 11-1 on the season and will face No. 8 Green Canyon in the semifinals.