The Emery Spartans’ field goal try as time expired sailed to the right, ending what would have been a miraculous comeback, losing the 3A North opener 35-33 to the Judge Memorial Bulldogs.
Three different players scored a touchdown in the game for Emery, with Colton Willson rushing for a score and returning an interception for a TD. Easton Gordon also had two TDs, one receiving and one rushing. Rance Jensen scored the other touchdown for the Spartans.
Emery’s opening play of the game resulted in a fumble that was returned 20 yards for a Bulldog touchdown. Emery responded with a long drive, capped off by a one-yard TD run by Willson to cut the lead to two, 8-6.
Judge came right back to score on its next possession, but the Spartans responded on their next drive on a Jensen touchdown run from a yard out. Willson then stepped in front of a Judge Memorial pass on the next Bulldog offensive set, taking the ball 46 yards to paydirt for the 19-14 lead.
Judge Memorial then scored 21 unanswered the rest of the half to take the 35-19 lead going into the break.
Emery buckled down defensively in the second half, outscoring Judge 14-0. Gordon scored his touchdown at the eight-minute mark of the third on a 19-yard scamper. A two-point conversion on pass from Kyson Stilson to Jared Snow cut the lead to eight, 35-27.
Needing a touchdown to tie the game with an additional two-point conversion, Stilson found Gordon on a play action pass at the 11:53 mark of the fourth for the 26-yard hookup. The two-point conversion slipped out of the hands of Snow, leaving the game at 35-33.
The Bulldogs were one and a half minutes away from victory when sophomore Braxton Young stripped Judge quarterback Parker Edgington on the Emery 17-yard line to give the Spartans one more chance to win the game.
Stilson drove the Spartans down the field, making clutch throws to ready receivers to set up a last-second field goal. After a motion penalty on Emery, Brock Winter set up for the 35-yard field goal, missing the kick wide right as time expired.
Jensen rushed for 170 yards on 25 attempts to lead the Spartans, both career highs.
Emery (0-5, 0-1 3A North) will host Carbon (0-5, 0-1 3A North) on Friday for homecoming. Carbon fell 33-20 to Union on Friday, setting up a showdown with its rival.
Watch highlights of the game below:
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