Strong fourth quarter leads Manti to upset win in 3A state playoffs

By William Cheshire

CEDAR CITY—With their season on the line, the Manti Templars football team had to do one of the hardest things in sports to keep their dreams alive:

They had to beat the team that had just beaten them.

In their regular-season finale Oct. 15, the Templars traveled to Cedar City to face the Canyon View Falcons in what turned out to be a preview of their first-round playoff matchup. Manti lost that game 28-21 after going scoreless in the second half.

Just eight days later, the Templars made the same trip to the same stadium to face the same opponent. This time, however, the result was different. No. 11 Manti upset No. 6 Canyon View 35-17 Friday, scoring 21 fourth-quarter points while holding the Falcons to just seven points in the second half.

The game remained close through the third quarter, with Canyon View leading 17-7 at one point. A 3-yard touchdown run by Ben Taulapapa brought the Templars within three points and set the stage for their biggest quarter of the game. With approximately eight minutes remaining, Taulapapa scored again on a 3-yard run to give Manti a 21-17 lead.

The Templars continued to build their advantage when junior quarterback Kingston Wright scored on a 1-yard run to make it 28-17. An interception return for a touchdown shortly afterward sealed the victory and sent Manti into the state quarterfinals.

Junior running back Stetson Thomson played a key role in the playoff win, rushing for 123 yards on 16 carries. Wright threw for 156 yards and completed 73 percent of his passes.

On defense, junior Hudson Crane led the Templars with 12 tackles, tripling his total from the previous week’s meeting with Canyon View.

The Templars will head north to face No. 3 Logan in the 3A state football quarterfinals Friday, Oct. 30, with kickoff scheduled for 6 p.m.