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Maple Mountain players and coaches discuss matters after the Region 9 game against Salem Hills in Spanish Fork on Friday, September 24, 2021. (Brian E. Preece, Special to the Daily Herald)
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Maple Mountain and Salem Hills soccer players enjoy playing during Region 9 game in Spanish Fork on Friday September 24, 2021. (Brian E. Preece, Special to the Daily Herald)
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Salem Hills players discuss matters during the Region 9 game against Maple Mountain in Spanish Fork on Friday, September 24, 2021. (Brian E. Preece, Daily Herald Special)
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Maple Mountain players and coaches discuss matters after the Region 9 game against Salem Hills in Spanish Fork on Friday, September 24, 2021. (Brian E. Preece, Special to the Daily Herald)
Maple Mountain and Salem Hills soccer players enjoy playing during Region 9 game in Spanish Fork on Friday September 24, 2021. (Brian E. Preece, Special to the Daily Herald)
Salem Hills players discuss matters during the Region 9 game against Maple Mountain in Spanish Fork on Friday, September 24, 2021. (Brian E. Preece, Daily Herald Special)
With Maple Mountain sticking to a 10-3 lead and playing a game on the grid in Friday Night Region 9 just a minute before the game against Salem Hills, the Golden Eagle took on Cole McCallister for the biggest move of the game score when he got a pass from. intercepted Salem Hills quarterback Zalun Fenn brings the win for the home team.
McCallister actually used some gut instinct to leave his assigned zone to make the critical choice.
“I saw him (Fenn) roll out and I knew he wasn’t going to throw over his shoulder so I ran free across the field from where my zone should be,” said McCallister.
The Golden Eagle Senior actually had two interceptions in play, his first coming in the first quarter to set up a successful 31-yard field goal from Sam Gomez.
Much of the game wouldn’t exactly be called beautiful football, especially on the offensive side of the ball. Both teams played two quarterbacks and struggled to keep the drives going.
Sales, penalty shootouts and sloppy play plagued both sides. It looked like Maple Mountain’s 3-0 lead would stand, especially when Salem Hills coughed up the ball in the first game of the fourth quarter just inside the Maple Mountain 10-yard line.
But Salem Hills got a stop and forced a punt and after a brief return was in the Golden Eagle area. But Salem Hills couldn’t move the ball and tried fourth, but a heavy rush from Chad Pendelton forced an incomplete pass and Maple Mountain took possession of their own 41-yard line.
Here the Maple Mountain offense came alive just enough, while Salem Hills helped the Golden Eagles with two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties. Then second quarterback Banks Jackson scrambled out of nine yards and after a successful point from Gomez, Maple Mountain built a 10-0 lead.
Salem Hills responded when Fenn, who usually plays wide receiver and linebacker, led the Skyhawks onto a scoring drive. And with 4:42 games remaining in the final verse, Bruce Butler’s 28-yard field goal cut Maple Mountain’s lead to 10-3.
Maple Mountain couldn’t move the ball and had to knock it away. Salem Hills brought the ball to the Golden Eagles’ 23-yard line thanks to two pass interference penalties. But it was at this point that McCallister showed his heroics and made the choice that preserved his team’s victory.
“It felt really good,” said McCallister of the victory and the effort of the Golden Eagle defense. “We gave up a lot of points this season, so this week we made a point of being physical.”
His head coach Brad Burtenshaw agreed with the emphasis on defense and football basics.
“We tried to focus on the basics and when things don’t go well we can focus on that,” said Burtenshaw. “That’s blocking and grabbing and trying to straighten the ship with it.”
With the win, Maple Mountain improves to 2-5 overall and 1-2 in Region 9. While Salem Hills drops to 1-6 overall and 0-3 in league play. Maple Mountain will be visiting Springville (6-1, 2-1) next week, while Salem Hills will host Provo (6-1, 2-1).
Remarks: It could be a wild ride for any team to win Region 9 this season. And Maple Mountain, although it has two losses, is not out. The Golden Eagles face Springville and Spanish Fork for consecutive weeks, both teams are one game ahead of them in the table. Springville won a big 45:24 win at Wasatch, while Provo fell back unbeaten 21:14 in the Spanish Fork League.
Salem Hills have struggled offensively in the last few games and remained without goals for almost eleven quarters. Before the three points in the fourth quarter against the Golden Eagles, Salem Hills had scored the last time in the first quarter with a 41:12 loss to Wasatch two games earlier.
Score by quarter
SH 0 0 0 3 – 3
MM 3 0 0 7-10
MM-Sam Gomez 31 FG
MM-Banks Jackson 9 run (Gomez kick)
SH-Bruce Butler 28 FG
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