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WEST JORDAN — In a game where Northridge seemed to be mounting a comeback, West Jordan dug deep and secured a 21-12 victory to earn a spot in the second round of the 5A playoffs.
The night began on a high note for West Jordan as Kyle Curtis showcased his skills when he navigated through the defense for a 10-yard run to reach the end zone. Gabriel Guzman's successful point-after attempt put the Jaguars up 7-0 early. Closing out the first quarter, Tevita Makaafi added to the Jaguars' lead with a 5-yard run for another score.
While the first quarter was all Jaguars with a double-digit lead, the Knights were determined to prove themselves to be a resilient team.
The Knights got into field goal position twice in the second quarter, with Dawson Auger making two field goals to narrow the deficit to a one-score game. And the team was far from finished.
With seven minutes left in the third quarter, the Jaguars turned the ball over on downs and the Knights seized on the opportunity.
In the dying seconds of the quarter, Braxton Barber connected with Jaxon Fresques on a 5-yard pass for a touchdown, reducing the gap to 14-12. But a failed PAT kept the Knights from tying up the game.
Just when those in attendance started to believe the game had shifted in Northridge's favor, the Knights turned the ball over with an interception on their next possession. The Jaguars wasted no time to make Northridge pay.
West Jordan's Kyle Curtis connected with Jaxson Harris on a 23-yard touchdown pass to put the game out of reach.
"Defense wins games, and ours showed up when they needed to," West Jordan head coach Ron Halbert said.
The Jaguars advance to face Olympus in the second round of the playoffs on Oct. 27 at 6 p.m. MDT.
