Estimated read time: 4-5 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
OREM — In a game full of miscues on both sides of the ball, the Orem Tigers did just enough to pull out a 21-14 win against the visiting Desert Pines Jaguars.
Coming off a tight 22-21 win the week before, the Tigers looked to build on the momentum of that game in a defensive slugfest against the visitors from Las Vegas. Led by wide receiver Roger Saleapaga's three touchdown catches, including the game winner with about five minutes left to play, Orem's offense did just enough to pull out the win.
"I did my part and (quarterback) Lance (Reynolds) did his part, the O-line did its part. You know, all those points are on the team," Saleapaga said. "Thank you to the defense for getting multiple stops. Sadly, we couldn't convert on all of them, but we pulled it out at the end."
Both teams struggled to piece drives together; the two teams combined for approximately 40 penalties throughout the night, which pulled back big plays and stalled drives before they could build any sort of momentum.
The Tigers had their early chances thanks to their defense and some miscues by the Jaguar offense. On the Jaguars' first offensive possession, senior quarterback Marquis Roby had a hard time finding his receivers and was picked off by Orem linebacker Eniasi Matina.
After the Tiger offense couldn't get anything going, the Jaguars got the ball back and, shortly after, fumbled the ball, which was recovered by Matina. With excellent field position, Reynolds hit Saleapaga on consecutive passes leading to Orem's first score.
The teams went back and forth, even trading penalties, long plays and field position before Desert Pines found its way into the end zone for the first time in their season to tie the game before halftime.
The two teams met last year in Las Vegas in a game that could have been described as a shootout. Desert Pines came away with the victory in that one 53-42. It came as a shock to both teams that the game appeared the polar opposite of their last meeting.
"Definitely not what I expected this game to be," Reynolds said. "It kind of was interesting how this turned into a defensive battle."
The Jaguars got the ball to start the second half, which didn't go much differently than the first: holding penalties, pass interferences and turnovers on downs led to more back and forth from the teams. But in the fourth quarter, the Tigers offense put together its first long, sustained drive of the game.
It didn't start out pretty, as back-to-back offensive holding calls put the Tigers on their own 38-yard line and they faced first and 37. But running back Andrew To'a, an unsung hero of the night, broke off a 32-yard run to create a manageable second and 5 the next down.
Reynolds then connected with wide receiver Asher Young for an 18-yard gain, setting up Saleapaga's second touchdown catch of the night on the following play.
However, the Jaguars weren't finished yet. On the ensuing kickoff after Orem's score, Desert Pines returner Trey Jackson returned the kick 99 yards to again tie the game.
"It's tough, because in that situation it's late in the game, most of our starters play special teams," special teams coordinator and defensive line coach Jeremy Main said. "Credit to (Desert Pines) when they scored, but it's on to the next one."
With the score tied yet again, and only about six minutes remaining in the game, Orem's offense rallied with more fireworks from the tandem of Reynolds and Saleapaga. A couple of short runs by To'a, followed by two long completions to Saleapaga, allowed the Tigers to score the touchdown that would eventually decide the game.
As the Jaguars attempted to mount a comeback, the penalties caught up with them again. After multiple holding calls and an intentional grounding penalty, the Jaguars faced a fourth and 40 — the outcome of the next play effectively decided the game.
The Tigers brought the pressure and the perfect deep coverage, which forced Roby to scramble and run out of bounds. The play resulted in a turnover on downs and allowed Orem to run out the clock to seal the victory.
"Like our coach has said, I'd rather win an ugly game than lose a pretty one," Saleapaga said.
Orem stays at home next week to welcome the Pleasant Grove Vikings to town.
