As he lined up under center for each snap of the second quarter Friday afternoon, East quarterback Ben Ford could look over his hulking offensive line, past the trees in the distance and see the lights on at Rice-Eccles Stadium to the north.
“I saw it,” he said. “Every single time.”
Ford got his team there in the state tournament a year ago but had to watch the championship game from the sidelines because of a dislocated elbow. And after a four-touchdown performance — three of them coming in the second quarter as he sprinted in the direction of the stadium — Ford and the Leopards are headed back to the University of Utah’s campus for a state semifinal matchup next weekend.
“It means everything,” Ford said after East’s 67-31 win over American Fork to advance in the Class 6A playoffs. “I love these boys with everything I have.”
Ford scored on a 1-yard run in the first quarter before giving East a comfortable lead in the second by running for touchdowns of 28, 45, and 52 yards. The quarterback had amassed more than 200 yards on the ground by halftime.
“He is no question our leader,” East coach Brandon Matich said. “These boys would follow him to hell and back. This is important to him. Being with his boys one more additional week is really important to him. And he really stepped up today.”
The Cavemen fought hard to stay close with East on Friday, betting on the strong arm of senior quarterback Bronson Barron. Barron threw for three touchdowns in the first half, two of them to senior wide receiver Jeff Harris. But Barron was hurt when he was sacked by East’s Tennessee Pututau just before halftime, and he had to play the second half on an injured ankle. He managed just one more passing touchdown in the second half.
“He’s the most impressive quarterback we’ve played all year,” Matich said. “I saw the way his ankle folded. For him to stay out there the entire second half and continue to get hit and complete balls, he has my respect. That’s a gritty young man.”
EAST 67, AMERICAN FORK 31 <br>• East quarterback Ben Ford rushes for four touchdowns and more than 200 yards in the first half. <br>• American Fork quarterback Bronson Barron throws four touchdowns but is hampered by an ankle injury in the second half. <br>• East hopes to get senior running back Sione Molisi healthy and back on the field for next week’s Class 6A state semifinal.
The Leopards once again were without their best running back, senior Sione Molisi, due to injury. But behind arguably the best offensive line in the state, East’s ground attack looked as potent as ever Friday. The Leopards did not complete a single pass on the day but still managed to score nine offensive touchdowns.
“We just had to step up,” junior running back Tutu Spann said. “[Molisi] is a big part of our offense, but we have other parts, too.”
Spann scored twice in the opening quarter, finding the end zone on runs of 36 and 16 yards. He added a third rushing touchdown late in the second quarter. Running back Lame Feletoa also found the end zone three times on the day.
“I knew our line would be good,” Match said. “I had confidence in our backs, but they’re young and inexperienced. It was just a matter of getting them quality reps with that offensive line and getting the timing down. I thought both of those guys performed outstanding, and the sky is the limit for both of them.”
Ford, meanwhile, couldn’t hide his smile as he walked off the field at his high school one last time. At the time, he didn’t know who his next opponent would be — but he knew where he was going.
“I feel good, I feel good,” he said. “We’re going to the U.”