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HIGHLAND — Students from American Fork and Lone Peak arrived just moments after school got out. Everybody knew what day it was. Intensity filled the air as the decade-long rivalry was about to take place on the court: the Lone Peak vs. American Fork basketball game.
Before Friday's game, Lone Peak ranked No. 7 in the 5A division; the team prepared for this high-stakes game just like any other match, and it paid off with a 55-40 win for the Knights.
After they missed their first shot, the Knights were off to a rough start. After the ball was stolen multiple times and shots just barely bounced off the rim, a nervous vibe emanated from the Lone Peak side.
"Everyone was kind of nervous at the beginning, but it was fun," said the Knights' Brody Berry.
With shot after shot going through the hoop, American Fork had the lead, but Lone Peak never stayed far behind. In the second quarter, the points were up to 13-14, with American Fork just ahead.
Throughout the third quarter, the rivals were neck and neck. Not one team took the lead for more than a minute; the echoes of the screaming fans were contagious. Everyone was on their feet screaming for their teams.
With an intense game of monkey in the middle played by Austin Waddoups and Quincy Bair that kept T.J. Haws on the tips of his toes, the clock was ticking down to the last minutes of the game. The score was still about even, with American Fork in the lead, 25-29.
That's when BYU-bound Nick Emery's threes started appearing. American Fork began trailing behind, 44-36. Lone Peak gave American Fork no time to recover.
The game ended with a final score of 55-40 in Lone Peak's favor.
"All the guys did a great job; it's fun to have everybody come out to the game," said Lone Peak head coach Quincy Lewis.
Taylor Decker is the editor-in-chief at Lone Peak High School's newspaper.
