East brought a national reputation and a high Class 6A ranking into Friday’s homecoming game against Herriman.
The Mustangs, on the other hand, came to Salt Lake City with a 1-4 record. Few gave the visitors much of a chance.
But it took a 77-yard run followed by a 4-yard, fourth-down touchdown scamper by Sione Molisi in the final minute to give the Leopards a hard-fought 14-10 win.
“It was a great game,” said Molisi, who scored East’s only other touchdown on a fourth-down play as well.
He said that on the big 77-yard run, he hung back slightly before breaking through for what was the explosive Leopards’ only big play of the night.
“They were playing a six-man goal line defense,” East coach Brandon Matich said. “We weren’t blocking our inside scheme. It was frustrating. I got into them a bit.”
That was evident as the Leopards came out playing inspired and angry to start the second half after trailing 7-0.
PLAYER OF THE GAME <br>Sione Molisi scored East’s two second-half touchdowns, including thegame-winning fourth-down 4-yard score. That one was set up by a 77-yardrun by Molisi as Herriman had East backed up deep in its own territorylate in the game.
Herriman, relying on a stifling defense and playing conservative, got a big 24-yard scoring run by Maeakafa Leakehe late in the first half to stun the Leopards.
And with defenders such as Mana Kula and Tristan Carman recording sacks, the Mustangs looked primed for an upset.
Herriman coach Dustin Pearce said his team, which played perhaps the state’s toughest preseason schedule to go 0-4, is starting to peak.
That was evident.
East came out on a mission the second half, racing 65 yards in a matter of seconds. But it took a scary fourth-and-1 conversion by Molisi to tie the game.
Herriman withstood the early charge, however, as the two teams traded punts. A 45-yard run by Leakehe moved the Mustangs into scoring position, but they had to settle for a 38-yard field goal by Steven Blanco with 6 minutes, 57 seconds to play.
Herriman pinned East on its 10-yard line with less than three minutes to play. That’s when Molisi broke the big 77-yard run.
But Herriman’s defense forced Matich to make a fourth-down decision: Field goal or touchdown?
“I did think about kicking it,” he admitted. “We have a good kicker. But my offensive line said they would get it. So I put it in their hands.”
The result was Molisi’s dramatic fourth-down run that sealed East’s anything-but-easy victory.