Hosting the Timpanogos Timberwolves Friday night, not even the triple-digit heat or the excessive number of penalties could keep the Desert Hills Thunder from earning a 29-13 victory.
It looked early on that it would be the Wolves striking first, as they marched down to the Desert Hills 20-yard line before ultimately turning the ball over on downs.
It didn’t take long for the Timpanogos defense to make an impact, however, as Jace Spencer hauled in an interception to give the ball back to the offense.
Just one play later, quarterback Logan Holloway found Spencer to make it 7-0 with just over six minutes to play in the first quarter.
After the Wolves missed a field goal a few possessions later, the Thunder moved their way down the field late in the first quarter thanks to some strong runs by Seth Brown.
The first quarter clock expired, but Brown wasn’t done. Quarterback Deacon Virgin delivered a pass to the junior running back, who took it 46 yards to the house to open the second period.
The ensuing two-point try was successful, putting Desert Hills in front 8-7.
Just moments later, a Wolves turnover led to another Thunder score as Virgin once again made a deep connection, tossing a 30-yard score to Tagg Brinton to make it 15-7 just over two minutes into the second quarter.
It seemed as though Desert Hills might turn the game into a rout from there, but a missed field goal and a turnover on downs inside its own 10-yard line made sure the score stayed 15-7 heading to the halftime break.
The Thunder added another score on the first drive of the second half, as an 8-yard run by Brown pushed the advantage to 22-7.
Both teams traded punches for the rest of the third quarter before Timpanogos finally found the end zone again early in the fourth.
Holloway connected with Zack McCann from eight yards out, but the two-point attempt failed, making it a 22-13 score.
The Wolves would once again force a turnover on the next Desert Hills possession but were unable to come away with points.
An Isaac Hall 31-yard run with two minutes to go would be the final tally, as the Thunder claimed the 29-13 victory to improve to 2-0.
One of the keys to victory for Desert Hills was slowing down the explosive Holloway, who racked up five touchdowns in Week 1 vs. Juan Diego.
Against the Thunder, he had just two.
“We executed it perfectly,” senior defensive tackle Asher Snow said of the game plan to stop Holloway. “Our coaches have harped on us to finish and just be out there and be physical, and I love to see the team like that.”
On the offensive side, Brown led the way, notching both a receiving and rushing score.
“(The Wolves) were very physical up front, so I was just trying my best,” Brown said of his big night.
As the Thunder sit at 2-0, they have already surpassed early expectations. A year ago, they won just two games all season.
“That’s the plan,” Desert Hills first-year head coach Tanner Balderree said of surprising people. “Everything we’ve done is to be what we feel like we can be and what we should be.
“I feel like we’re getting to where we should be with the kids and coaches that we have, and we’re starting to see that potential come out.”
Leave a Comment