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There could not have been more riding on the season finale between Emery and Summit Academy. While the Spartans went into the game ahead of the Bears in the RPI standings, Emery needed to win to clinch a first-round bye and a home playoff game.
Friday night’s contest did not get off to a great start as a pair of early touchdowns put the Spartans in a 13-0 hole. Emery needed to put together a quality drive and did just that when Wade Stilson found Creek Sharp for the six-yard score.
Several minutes later, Sharp was back in the end zone to give the Spartans the 14-13 lead. On the ensuing Bears possession, Ridic Potter stripped Summit Academy’s receiver and Sebastian Hennes fell on top of it around midfield. Although the offense stalled with the short field, Emery picked it up by scoring two touchdowns in the final 1:10 of the first half.
The three-touchdown quarter made it 28-13 at the break with all of the momentum with the Spartans. They continued their attack in the second half and ended up scoring a total of 38 unanswered points for the 38-21 victory.
Stilson finished 25-42 with 357 yards in the air to go along with five touchdowns and one interception. His favorite receiver on the night was Sharp, who hauled in 12 catches for 177 yards and three scores. Matt Olsen added another 96 yards and a touchdown on four catches while Koalton Curtis recorded a 45-yard touchdown reception before half. On the ground, Dane Sitterud rushed for 62 yards on 18 carries. He also led the team with two sacks to go along with six tackles.
Kelby Jones ended with a team-high seven tackles and a sack while Kalib Olsen, Derick Jensen and Maddex Behling all recorded a sack as well. Hennes added six tackles and an interception to his fumble recovery while fellow safety Payton Alton also brought down an interception. It was a great night for the Black and Gold as they battled back for a massive victory.
With the win, Emery received the #3 seed and will have a first-round bye this week. The Spartans will then open the playoffs at home on Oct. 28 at 6 p.m. They will take on another team from their division, the winner between #6 Providence Hall and #11 American Leadership Academy.