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SALT LAKE CITY — Thirty minutes before Lone Peak’s Class 5A semifinal game with Jordan Friday, the Lone Peak student section was chanting, “I believe that we will win.”
The Knights, who lost in the semifinal round last year, were back for some revenge and took care of business in beating the Beetdiggers, 45-41, to advance to the title game where they will face Fremont Friday at 2:30 at Rice-Eccles Stadium.
The momentum was high, and by the cheers of the screaming fans, it was not going to be an ordinary game.
Lone Peak (13-0), which had won every game this year by 20 points, have never had to make a comeback, Friday’s razor-edge victory, showed everybody just how good they really are.
Jordan freshman quarterback Austin Kafentzis, who scored Jordan’s first touchdown game on an 8-yard fumble recovery to give the Diggers the early 6-0 lead, later left the game with a broken collarbone.
The Knights answered with Trevor Rob field goal to cut the lead to 6-3.
With a minute left in the first quarter, Jordan’s Mason Gajkowski scored to increase the Jordan lead to 13-3.
Lone Peak quarterback Chase Hansen whittled the Jordan lead to 13-10 with a 20-yard touchdown pass to Connor Humphrey for the Knights’ first touchdown of the game.
Hansen struck again, hitting Zac Saunders with a 68-yard touchdown to give the Knights their first lead of the game at 17-13.
At the end of the half, Baron Gajkowski, playing for the injured Kafentzis, led the Jordan Beetdiggers to an 80-yard drive, giving Jordan the lead at 20-17.
After another Jordan touchdown and a failed two-point conversion made it 26-17, Saunders returned the kickoff 90 yards for a score to cut the lead to 26-24.
Minutes later, Baron Gajkowski hit his brother Mason Gajkowski for a 40-yard pass, taking it to the Lone Peak 1. One play later, Baron Gajkowski scored to give Jordan 33-24 lead.
After a Brody Berry interception, Hansen broke a tackle and ran 84 yards for yet another Lone Peak touchdown to pull the Knights to within two at 33-31.
Clay Moss scored on a 3-yard touchdown in the final quarter to give the Knights a 38-31 lead, but Baron Gajkowski hit Andrew Wilcox to give the Diggers a 41-38 lead.
With four minutes left in the game, Lone Peak completed an amazing 10-play, 79-yard drive capped by a touchdown by Hansen to lift the Knights to the win.
