St. George • The game lived up to the hype.
Dixie lost a home playoff game at Walt Brooks Stadium for the first time since 1989 when Mountain Crest rallied for a thrilling 18-17 victory Friday night in the Class 4A state quarterfinals.
Senior kicker Eli Wells drilled a 21-yard field goal late in the fourth quarter for the winning points.
“I love that kid,” Beau Robinson said about Wells’ game-winning field goal. “I’m so happy that he made it. I felt a lot of pressure, and I wasn’t even the one kicking the ball. To see him bounce back and make it was just awesome.”
The Mustangs, which came in having never lost a game to Dixie, kept the streak going when Robinson did his part. The senior running back scored a game-high two touchdowns and had more than 100 all-purpose yards to lead the Mustangs to victory.
“That was one of the most insane games that I’ve ever been a part of,” Robinson said. “We knew it was going to be a hard-fought championship-style game, and our coaches did a great job at preparing us and guys stepped up made big plays all night.”
Both teams came in with high-powered offenses, but it was the defenses that took over. Both teams created a number of turnovers and hard hits.
“Everyone stepped up and played great for us,” Mountain Crest coach Jason Lee said. “Dixie is a really good football team, and we knew we had to play great on defense because they can put up points in a hurry.”
PLAYER OF THE GAME <br>Mountain Crest never has lost a game to Dixie, and senior running back Beau Robinson wasn’t about to let that streak end. He scored a game-high two touchdowns and tallied over 100 all-purpose yards to lead the Mustangs to a thrilling victory over the host Flyers.
The Mustangs, led by linebacker Jace Dart and defensive back Nick Nethercott, stymied the potent Dixie offense that came in averaging nearly 40 points a game.
The Flyers didn’t help themselves. Senior receiver and running back Hobbs Nyberg, one of the most dangerous offensive players in the state, left the game with an arm injury in the first quarter. Things only got worse for Dixie when senior quarterback Jacob Barben broke his collarbone in the second quarter, but he finished the game.
“Those injuries really minimized our playbook,” Dixie assistant coach Wayne Alofipo said. “Those guys are playmakers and to not have them at 100 percent really hurts. But credit Mountain Crest for playing a great game. They are a really good team.”
The last time both teams met also came in the Class 4A quarterfinals, when the Mustangs held on for a 28-26 win.
“I’m not sure what will happen the next time we play them. Maybe a couple overtimes if the trends keep going” Lee said. “But overall I’m just happy for our players. But we are not finished yet. Our goal is a state championship, and this win only gets a closer. We still have work left to do.”
Mountain Crest will take on Stansbury in Thursday’s state semifinal at Rice-Eccles Stadium.