Manti unable to keep pace with Cedar in 38-28 loss

MANTI—For two quarters, Manti and Cedar traded blows, neither team able to shake the other as touchdowns came in bunches last Friday night.

Then halftime came.

The Templars went scoreless in the third quarter, and Cedar eventually pulled away for a 38-28 victory Friday night in a 3A South matchup at Manti.

Manti trailed 7-0 early after Cedar’s Kutler Tom hauled in an 80-yard touchdown pass from Jackson Mann. The Templars answered with 2:17 left in the first quarter when Isaiah Wright found Hudson Crane for a 10-yard touchdown.

Manti took its first lead early in the second quarter. Stetson Thomson broke loose for a 20-yard touchdown run with 8:55 remaining, putting the Templars ahead 14-7.

Cedar answered with a 9-yard touchdown run by Mann, but Manti regained the lead with 1:12 left in the half when Kingston Wright scored on a 1-yard run.

The lead lasted only 41 seconds.

Mann connected with Hunter Burgess for a 39-yard touchdown, sending the teams into halftime tied at 21.

The momentum shifted after the break.

Cedar’s Owen Burton broke off a 29-yard touchdown run with 3:05 remaining in the third quarter, giving the Reds their first lead since early in the second quarter and putting Manti in a 28-21 hole.

The Templars answered once more early in the fourth.

Wright found Crane for the second time, this time on a 23-yard touchdown with 11:53 remaining. Tyler Steinfeldt’s extra point pulled Manti within 28-27.

But Cedar had the final answer.

Braxton DeMille scored on a 5-yard run with 6:43 remaining, and Cody Stevenson added a 22-yard field goal with 2:43 to play to push the Reds’ lead to 38-28.

Manti’s offense was led by the connection between Isaiah Wright and Crane, who accounted for both of the Templars’ passing touchdowns. Thomson and Kingston Wright each added a rushing touchdown.

Steinfeldt converted all four of Manti’s extra-point attempts.

Mann accounted for two of Cedar’s four touchdowns, throwing scoring passes to Tom and Burgess and adding a 9-yard rushing touchdown. Burton and DeMille supplied the other two Cedar rushing touchdowns, while Stevenson finished the scoring with his field goal.

The loss drops Manti to 1-4 (0-2) on the season, while Cedar improves to 3-2 (1-0).

Manti will travel to Richfield (4-1, 2-0) on Friday night, with kickoff set for 7 p.m.