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ST. GEORGE — The Crimson Cliffs Mustangs played the villain Friday night against Desert Hills and came away with a 28-17 win for their third victory in a row.
Both teams entered the matchup off two straight wins, but only the Mustangs were allowed to keep their streak.
Desert Hills forced Crimson Cliffs into a three-and-out to start the game, only for Utah commit Cyrus Polu to fumble the punt return and put the ball right back with the Mustangs. The offense took advantage of the Thunder's mistake and scored the first touchdown with a McCord Christiansen run.
A Desert Hills punt allowed the Mustang offense to take the field yet again, and they found themselves in a fourth-down situation just outside the red zone. Instead of settling for a field goal, quarterback Ryder Sherratt tried for a touchdown pass that was intercepted by Anyzja Cummings.
It was the Thunder's turn to capitalize off the turnover, and they did just that. A six-minute drive that carried into the second quarter was punctuated by Tytan Mason's first touchdown of the night.
But all spectators could do was blink before the Mustangs reclaimed the lead.
Junior running back Van Dailey, in just his third varsity appearance, carried the ball for a 30-yard touchdown run to add to Crimson Cliffs' total.
As fast as the Mustangs regained the lead, the Thunder evened up the score. Mason showcased his own speed with a 58-yard run for his 10th rushing touchdown of the season. Though the score felt good for Desert Hills, it also marked the start of their penalty trouble.
During the celebration, Trey Hortin was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct, pushing his team back 15 yards for the kickoff. If that wasn't enough, two Thunder players committed personal fouls during the return, and Crimson Cliffs took the field on the Desert Hills 19-yard line.
To coach Solomona Tapasa's relief, his defense drove the Mustangs back to the 28-yard line and forced a turnover on downs.
With the score knotted at 14-14, Desert Hills received to start the second half. It was their only point-bearing drive of the half, and they were held to a field goal, which Hayden Porter drilled from 32 yards out.
"Big plays needed to be made," Christiansen said. "We made little adjustments like what run plays we were doing. We had to be the better team."
It took a few possessions, but Crimson Cliffs, helped downfield by a roughing the passer penalty, managed to put themselves back on top before the third quarter's end. The go-ahead touchdown came by way of Christiansen, who fought through a swarm of Thunder defenders before breaking the plane of the end zone.
"It was fourth down and we needed a big play so I kept going and made it into the end zone," Chrsitiansen said. "It was fun."
From there, it was all Mustangs. On the offensive side, Sherratt connected with Malakai Alofipo for some insurance points, and on the defensive side, they sacked Gerritt Grondel twice and picked off two of his passes.
The first interception, which solidified the Mustangs' control, was tracked down by Austen Benson, while the second was caught by Josh Alvey.
"Everyone up front did their job so (Desert Hills) had to force that throw, and I just ended up getting it," Benson said.
Next week, Crimson Cliffs will host Snow Canyon, a team they beat 41-7 last season. Meanwhile, Desert Hills will have a bye week to sort things out.
