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CEDAR CITY — San Juan earned the 2A championship trophy for another year — their fourth in as many seasons — after a 60-14 finish against Emery, a team the Broncos beat 61-20 in the regular season.
San Juan was in control from start to finish and held Emery scoreless in the first half. The Mustangs never slowed down on offense, either.
San Juan's Jaiten Knight threw his first touchdown pass of the evening to Jagger Nieves, and the Mustangs never looked back. Nieves followed the 8-yard score with a 2-point conversion, and the Broncos boasted an early 8-0 lead.
"(The plan was) go fast and score as many as we can," Knight said. "Keep the ball in the offense's hands, and then go score."
A sack pushed the Spartans back and forced a punt, and the Broncos took over in enemy territory. Nieves didn't need much time to score his second touchdown, finding the end zone on a 12-yard score. But the Mustangs couldn't pull off another 2-point conversion.
The ball changed hands six times before either team reached the end zone again. When it did happen, Nieves had the glory again, completing a hat trick and converting the 2-point try again to put the Broncos up 22-0.
The Spartan defense was unable to find an answer for Nieves. He scored another rushing touchdown just two minutes after the last one, and kicker Tripp Palmer made his first extra point of the night.
But 29 first-half points weren't enough for the Broncos. They converted two successful fourth-down plays, setting up a 7-yard touchdown pass from Knight to Nache Young. Palmer missed his kick to it 35-0 as the intermission approached.
"Absolutely phenomenal (defense). I couldn't be more proud of my guys and all the defensive stands we had," Knight said.
Halftime came and went, and San Juan picked up right where it left off. JD Palmer got in on the action and took the handoff for a 7-yard run. Palmer missed another kick, but it hardly mattered. The Broncos were up 41-0, and they still weren't finished.
The Spartans finally got on the board after a deep pass from Treven Gilbert found Porter Hurdsman for a 46-yard score. They followed it up with an onside kick attempt, but instead the Broncos took over in Spartan territory.
Knight returned to the air, connecting with Javin Montella for a 25-yard score and the senior's third passing touchdown of the game.
"It feels so good," Knight said of the win. "Little emotional, but it feels amazing."
Trailing by 40, Emery did what it could to crawl its way back. Gilbert threw to Hayden Abrams this time, who got ahead of the defense and scored a 47-yard touchdown. Other than tack on another 7 points, all it did was give the ball back to San Juan.
Jake Ivins put salt in the Spartans' wounds and added to the blowout with a score of his own. Though just a 2-yard run, it counted just the same, and the Broncos held a 54-14 lead.
In an attempt for damage control, Gilbert threw an interception into the arms of Owen Adams, letting the San Juan offense take the field yet again.
Knight found the end zone on foot for the last touchdown of his high school career — an 11-yarder — and a missed kick solidified the score at 60-14 and put an end to Emery's misery.
