Ieremia, Sefita help Hurricane hold off Desert Hills for 3AA title berth


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SALT LAKE CITY — Hurricane coach Steve Pearson was up in the Rice-Eccles Tower calling plays as the Tigers battled Region 9 foe Desert Hills in a Class 3AA state semifinal at Rice-Eccles Stadium when it happened.

Thunder quarterback Nick Warmsley had just completed a 28-yard pass to Bridger Cowdin to bring his team inside the 10 with two minutes left and trailing the Tigers 17-14.

On the next play, Charlie Sefita descended on Warmsley as he tried to run the ball in. The senior linebacker wrapped up, poked the ball out and forced the fumble high into the air and into the waiting arms of the Hurricane defense.

The Tigers are going to the 3AA final for the first time in 2011, holding on for a 17-14 win over the Thunder.

“Things were looking a little bit rocky for us there after that big completion,” Pearson said. “We were hoping for something big to happen, and somebody put the hand on the ball carrier, ball popped up, and it was good to see. The emotions in the box were pretty happy. I about jumped out of the box up there.”

Jeremiah Ieremia rushed for a team-high 65 yards on 18 carries, including the game-winning touchdown with 24 seconds remaining in the third quarter in the Hurricane win. The Tigers rushed for 100 yards on 47 carries, and Josh Parker completed 6 of 12 passes for 104 yards.

“I wanted to do it all for my guys. I love my guys, and I did it for them,” Ieremia said. “We stayed together. That was our whole strength this season, just staying together. We played like brothers.”

Desert Hills' Nick Warmsley runs the ball during the 3AA semifinal high school football game in the Rice-Eccles Stadium Friday, Nov. 14, 2014, Salt Lake City. (Photo: Hugh Carey/Deseret News)
Desert Hills' Nick Warmsley runs the ball during the 3AA semifinal high school football game in the Rice-Eccles Stadium Friday, Nov. 14, 2014, Salt Lake City. (Photo: Hugh Carey/Deseret News)

Desert Hills, which defeated Hurricane 21-3 on the final week of the regular season, outgained the Tigers 328 yards to 204, but Hurricane shut out the Thunder offense in the first half, taking a 7-0 lead into the locker room behind JD Stanworth’s 2-yard touchdown plunge.

Stanworth accounted for the first 10 Hurricane points and finished with 11 of his team’s 17 points on the scoreboard.

But it was the defense that saved the day. Sefita led the way with 13 tackles, including 3.5 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles and two pass break-ups. Tyson Yardley and Matt Olsen each added seven tackles and two tackles for loss for the Tigers.

“Holy cow. I was praying for something (after Cowdin’s late catch), so I’m happy,” said Stanworth, the Tigers’ running back and kicker. “It was good to see. Desert Hills defense is beyond amazing, and I was glad to compete with them.

“Our game plan was just to make it to the fourth quarter. We all knew the game was going to be won in the fourth quarter. We knew their defense was outstanding, and we pride ourselves on our defense.”

In the team’s last meeting, the Thunder held the Tigers to a season-low three points — and Pearson knew the postseason rematch would come down to defense as well.

“I expected it to be a grind-it-out game,” Pearson said. “They’ve got a great defense, but coach Chris Harris, our defensive coordinator, does a great job. I think we’ve got a linebacker corps second to none, and great defensive linemen to keep everybody off those linebackers. I’m really proud of our defense.”


I wanted to do it all for my guys. I love my guys, and I did it for them. We stayed together. That was our whole strength this season, just staying together. We played like brothers.

–Hurricane running back Jeremiah Ieremia


Stanworth booted a 35-yard field goal with 4:47 remaining in the third quarter to give Hurricane a 10-0 lead, but Desert Hills responded quickly. The Thunder opened their scoring bout on Nick Warmsley’s 38-yard touchdown pass to Mason Palmer 31 seconds later, pulling Desert Hills within 10-7.

Then Ieremia went to work. The 6-foot-2, 225-pound senior hoisted the rock six straight times, including a 25-yard scamper into the red zone, to finish with a 2-yard touchdown plunge that gave his team a 17-7 lead with 3:52 remaining in the third quarter.

“We try to manage Jeremiah as much as we can,” Pearson said. “He’s a huge part of what we do on defense and a huge part of what we do on offense. He’s probably the best-conditioned player on our team. But when it comes time to need somebody to carry us home, Jeremiah is the guy who carries us. We jumped on his back, played old-school football, ran between the tackles and he and the offensive line got the 10 yards at a time that we needed. That gets us first downs and it gets us going.”

Desert Hills sophomore Nephi Sewell exploded through the line of scrimmage, shredding tacklers and picking up 59 yards en route to the Thunder’s second touchdown of the night, but the Region 9 champs would get no further.

“It was our game,” Ieremia said. “Travis made that tackle, and that’s what we’re taught: make big plays.”

Hurricane will face Dixie in the 3AA state final Friday at 11 a.m. at Rice-Eccles Stadium.

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