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Show A14 • WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2009 orts SP Guardian of Your Community Neivs Chad Vest / The Sentinel PUTTING ON A BRAVE FACE: Don wide receiver Chase Loftin attempts to push through the Bountiful defense during Spanish Fork's 35-7 loss to the Braves. Dons humbled by Braves Chad Vest STAFF WRITER Spanish Fork traveled to Bountiful in week two to face off with a talented Braves squad which had their way the previous week versus Lone Peak. After a solid game last week where the Dons nearly hung 50 points on Mtn. View, the red and gray saw this next game as a good test to see where it ranks early amongst the best in 4A. Unfortunately, Spanish Fork's high octane offense was held in check for most of the night. A stingy Braves defense created havoc, shutting down the run game which left SF well in negative yardage for the first two quarters. Bountiful controlled the clock with a solid run game and capitalized on miscues for a comfortable 35-7 victory. A great defense along with some crucial Dons miscues lead to 14 unanswered points early on. But it seemed that SF's misfortune would change after Jordunn Mattinson booted a high punt that a Brave mishandled and the Dons recovered. Being down two scores, SF inserted its Wildcat package with Travis Still under center at the ten. The speedster took the snap, broke a tackle before being dropped by a few Braves. At first, it appeared that Still's knee grazed the turf but the fiery competitor kept his balance, churning his legs for more yards before the pigskin was knocked loose from his grasp. Several officials were inconclusive with the call. However, one of them didn't hesitate and ruled it a fumble which killed the Dons hopes of grabbing some early momentum back. But the SF defense stepped up their game and didn't allow another score by Bountiful for the remainder of the half. Spanish came out after intermission determined to get back in the game. But it seemed as if the wind from their sails was removed after a Brave returned the opening kickoff 90 yards for another score to go up 21 - 0 . Then, to make matters worse, the Dons faced a fourth down and a botched snap over Martinson's head rolled inside the three yard line giving the home team four chances to take it in for yet another score. However, the SF defense stared adversity in the face and delivered. On fourth and short, a swarm of Dons defenders punished a Braves RB who coughed See SPANISH FORK • A9 Christian Thompson / The Sentinel FLYING IN A THUNDER STORM: Golden Eagles' senior receiver Brennen Hyatt is swarmed by a waiting Westlake defense during Maple Mountain's first home game of the season. Maple Mountain Golden Eagles rocked by Thunder Jeril Bills STAFF W R I T E R In a season of firsts, The Maple Mountain Golden Eagles football team experienced another first on Friday, its first home game, but the now 0-2 squad is still waiting for its first win after losing to Westlake 48-8. "We just struggled in every area," said coach Brad Burtenshaw. "You gotta hand it to Westlake," said Burtenshaw. "They're a fast team. They're, you know, an athletic team, and you know, most of the night we just couldn't hang with that. Things went badly for Maple Mountain from the beginning, when Westlake's Bradon Aldsfedt ran the opening kickoff back 97 yards for a touchdown, giving Westlake a 7-0 lead. That was followed by two more touchdowns, both on third down, by the Thunder, who held a 20-0 lead at the end of the first quarter. The second quarter didn't get any better for the Golden Eagles. After the Thunder scored its first touchdown of the quarter, Maple Mountain fumbled on the first play after the kickoff, and Westlake recovered the ball on the Maple Mountain 24 yard-line. With 8:47 left in the first half, the Thunder scored on a 10 yard run by Semi Taeoalii, making it 34-0. A second fumble by the Golden Eagles gave the Thunder even better field position, this time starting from the 9. Again, they scored, and it was 41-0, Westlake, with 5:49 left in the half. The Golden Eagles finally made some progress on their next drive, with the help of four big Westlake penalties, finally landing a first-and-goal situation, their first of the game, from the 7 yard line. But just as the Eagles were threatening to score, Westlake's #25 picked-off a very short Jacob Watson floater, and ran it back to the Maple Mountain 45, where he was finally brought down by Maple Mountain Defensive Back Cameron Carson, who prevented what probably otherwise would have been a touchdown. And it may as well have been - the Thunder scored just three plays later as Quarterback John Ursus rand the ball 30 yards for the 48-0 lead that Westlake carried into the second half. See MAPLE MOUNTAIN • A9 |