Hawk decimate Emery 38-6 in second straight win
By Matt Harris
Staff writer
8-27-2020
MT. PLEASANT—The North Sanpete football team took less than a minute to get the home crowd in Mt. Pleasant on their feet.
The Hawks decimated the visiting Emery Spartans for one half of football before turning on the cruise control en route to a 38-6 victory.
Junior quarterback Landon Bowles completed 11 of 17 pass attempts for 160 yards and three touchdowns with one interception. Bowles also rushed seven times for 25 yards.
Senior Trevin Morley led all rushers with 20 carries for 87 yards and a touchdown. Senior Cole Mickel led all receivers with five catches for 78 yards and two touchdowns.
“Cole will be a big part of our offense every week in a variety of ways, whether it be catching or blocking for us in the backfield,” Coach Rhett Bird said. “This week, he was able to take pressure off of other wide receivers and caught a couple of touchdown passes…Landon is more comfortable getting multiple guys involved in the passing game based on what the defense gives him…All of our guys do a great job at being prepared every week and running good routes to give Landon multiple options.”
North Sanpete got off to a hot start as Morley rushed for seven yards on the first play from scrimmage. On the second play, senior Brady Jacobsen beat three defenders in a race to the end zone for a 53-yard touchdown after only 58 seconds of game time. This was Jacobsen’s only catch of the game.
On their next drive, the North Sanpete offense got stopped as Landon was sacked for a loss, but a strong tackle on special teams by junior Xander Shelley forced a fumble, the second one on special teams by Shelley this season.
After a string of short gains, Bowles found Mickel for their first connection of the game, a nine-yard touchdown after the tight end evaded multiple tackles on the way to the left front pylon.
As if the Hawks were ready to get away from Emery’s end zone, North Sanpete capitalized on another miscue by the Spartans’ special teams as senior Andy Mower jumped and caught an errant punt that barely got past the line of scrimmage and took it down to the 2-yard line. Two plays later, Morley took a handoff up the right side of the field for another score and a 21-0 lead in the first quarter.
On the Hawks’ next offensive possession, Bowles was chased out of the pocket on third-and-11 and forced a pass which was picked off for Bowles’ and North Sanpete’s first turnover of 2020. The Hawk defense allowed a first down to Emery for the first time with 20 seconds remaining in the first quarter.
A few plays after North Sanpete’s defense forced a turnover on downs and regained possession, Bowles connected with Mickel again, and Mickel showcased why moving to tight end was a great idea. Mickel caught Bowles’ pass about three yards short of the goal line, then he carried two Emery defenders into the endzone with him for North Sanpete’s 28-0 lead.
On the next possession, Mickel continued to shine on a catch-and-run play, which he took up the left sideline for 28 yards. On the next play, it was senior Laramie Roberts’ turn, and the fullback outran the Emery defense on the left side for a seven-yard score.
“Trevin and Laramie did a phenomenal job at taking care of the ball and getting us positive yards in the run game,” Bird said. “Trevin gives a burst of speed and sees the cut back lanes well, while Laramie is our bulldozer and is tough to take down for a loss.”
Shortly before the first half ended, senior kicker Ranch Christensen put North Sanpete’s last points on the board with a 27-yard field goal for a 38-0 lead.
Due to the officials’ decision to keep the clock going for the whole second half, the game ended quickly after a short second half. Christensen missed a second field goal attempt late in the third quarter, and Emery finally found their way to the scoreboard in the fourth quarter on a 13-yard touchdown pass.
The Hawks begin their season 2-0 for the second straight year after not doing so since 2003. Next Friday, they will be on the road to face South Sevier.
