Horsley adds name to storied Logan QB list with 3AA title win over Dixie


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SALT LAKE CITY — Hunter Horsley has grown up watching the tradition of quarterbacks at Logan High School.

From Luke Falk to DJ Nelson just a few short years ago, Horsley has dreamed of adding his name to that legacy.

The 5-foot-11 senior accomplished that goal Friday.

Horsley ran for 258 yards and two touchdowns, and threw for 178 yards and another score, to help the Grizzlies win their eighth state championship with a 26-15 win over defending champion Dixie in the Class 3AA state final at Rice-Eccles Stadium.

"I grew up watching the Nelsons and all these state championships with coach Favero," an emotional Horsley said after the game. "I knew we had the best coach in the state, and I'm just excited to get my number up on that wall."

In all, Horsley accounted for 436 of Logan's 459 yards of offense.

Logan (11-2) didn't make things easy on itself early, though. The Grizzlies took just a pair of 25-yard field goals from Josh Young on their first three drives, all ending in the end zone. But the defense kept them in the game, and they finally opened up in the second quarter.

With his offense struggling to finish drives in the red zone, Horsley skipped the final step by running an 82-yard scamper down the right sideline for his first score of the game with 3:41 left in the first half, and Logan took a 13-0 lead into the locker room.

Logan quarterback Hunter Horsley runs 82 yards to score a touchdown with Hartman Rector right behind him during the 3AA state championship football game against Dixie at the Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City on Friday, Nov. 20, 2015. (Photo: Kristin Murphy, Deseret News)
Logan quarterback Hunter Horsley runs 82 yards to score a touchdown with Hartman Rector right behind him during the 3AA state championship football game against Dixie at the Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City on Friday, Nov. 20, 2015. (Photo: Kristin Murphy, Deseret News)

"It's always hard to get stopped in the red zone. It was real loud in this stadium," Horsley said. "But we didn't point any fingers, and we just knew we could come back and get it. My O-line is amazing, and we dropped back and knew we could get them on that draw. Spencer Corbett had a great stock block (downfield) to get me to the sideline."

Corbett finished with 110 yards on seven catches, and added an 8-yard TD grab from Horsley with two seconds on the clock in the third quarter to give Logan a 19-7 lead over a failed two-point conversion.

But the Grizzlies had to rely on their defense at least one more time.

The Flyers (9-3) got on the board with 4:08 left in the third quarter, finishing a nine-play, 85-yard drive with Jaden Harrison's 10-yard TD plunge to pull within 13-7.

But that's when the Grizzlies' defense went to work.

"We just knew that if we didn't let them score, they'd have no chance at winning," said defensive end Troy Murray, a Nevada commit who finished with six tackles, two tackles for loss and a pass breakup. "It pissed us off that they scored, so we buckled down and got it taken care of."

Indeed, the program ended the season on a 10-game winning streak after dropping its only two losses to 5A playoff schools Sky View and Mountain Crest.

The Grizzlies gave up just 13.8 points per game during the final stretch.

"We just all worked so hard, and a lot of us played as juniors last year," Murray said. "Coach Fav prepares us so well, and we know exactly what they are going to do every single play."

Favero heaped praises on Murray, a Division I football talent who the veteran championship contender compared to former Logan High, Utah State and NFL standout Chris Cooley.

"He's a big-time player, and one of the best I've ever had," Favero said of Murray, who recorded tackles for loss on consecutive plays in the fourth quarter to seal the win. "He's a phenomenal player, and he'll be a great collegiate player."

Horsley's 1-yard touchdown plunge iced the game with 2:36 left in the fourth quarter, though Dixie scored on Harrah's 1-yard pass to Brett Barben with just seven seconds remaining on the clock.

Containing the Flyers' team captain Barben was a high priority for Favero. Logan held the wide receiving standout to just 20 yards on two catches, while Harrah completed 13-of-21 passes for 148 yards, a touchdown and an interception.

"He wasn't going to beat us," Favero said of Barben. "My job as coach is to make sure their best players don't beat us, and he wasn't going to."

Logan held Dixie to 216 yards of total offense, with just 68 net yards on the ground and 40 yards on 12 carries from standout back Tre Miller.

Namu Stevenson and Malakai Fakahua had a game-high 10 tackles each to lead the Flyers.

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