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SPANISH FORK — Bear River moved on to the second round of the 4A playoffs after an explosive third quarter edged out Spanish Fork just enough for the Bears to come away with a 47-33 win.
Going into the second half, it seemed to be anyone's game with the score tied 10-10 after both teams managed a touchdown and field goal in the first half.
Dons quarterback McKay Smith threw a 27-yard pass to Nixon Warren, which gave Spanish Fork the momentum, but they ultimately settled for a 39-yard field goal by Benji Vargas.
Bear River did not hesitate when it got the ball, and quarterback Owen Olsen completed a 28-yard run and then connected on a 32-yard passing touchdown to wide receiver Talon Marble.
Without a second wasted, Bear River's Brody Miller intercepted the ball on Spanish Fork's first play of the ensuing drive, which landed the Bears on the Dons' 16-yard line.
Olsen connected with Marble again on an 11-yard touchdown pass, and completed the drive with a successful 2-point conversion by Tydon Jones to control a double-digit lead.
Spanish Fork answered back with a 60-yard return by defensive back Ryan Olsen, which set the Dons up perfectly for a 2-yard rushing touchdown by Kyle Topham to keep the game close.
The Bears kept the momentum going, though, and moved the ball down field. Bear River decided to gamble on a fourth-and-2 situation, and it paid off when Olsen connected with Jace Roberts for a 32-yard touchdown to control a double-digit lead again.
The Dons refused to back down, though, and Smith completed a 34-yard pass to Warren, followed by a 39-yard passing touchdown to Warren before the end of the fourth quarter.
Bear River's Tyson Braegger put an end to the back-and-forth battle when he pulled down an interception, and the Bears took the opportunity to score on a 1-yard rushing touchdown by Olsen with another successful 2-point conversion. Gunner Christensen added another score for the Bears on the ensuing possession to end Spanish Fork's hopes of a comeback.
Spanish Fork managed a final touchdown before the end of the night on an 18-yard pass to Tyson Mansfield, but the effort was too late as the Bears finished on top.
"Our kids decided to battle through and push through adversity, so I'm very proud of them," Bear River head coach Trampis Waite said.
Bear River will face No. 1 seed Sky View in the second round of the playoffs next week.
