Barben's return sparks Dixie to upset top-rated Crimson Cliffs in regular-season home finale

ST. GEORGE — Call it senior night emotions or regular-season home finale scares, but Dixie didn't look like the team to snap Crimson Cliffs' stranglehold on Region 10 play early Friday night.

If anything, the Flyers might have looked more like the team that gave up 56 points in a loss to Snow Canyon a week prior.

Emotions, hiccups or whatever else they were, they were gone by the end of the second quarter.

Jalen Schultz threw for 269 yards and two touchdowns and ran for another score as the Flyers handed the Mustangs their first loss in region play to improve to 5-3 on the year with a 24-19 win in the KSL.com Game of the Week for Friday night.

No player might have been bigger for the Flyers (3-2 Region 10) than the pass Schultz lobbed to Jaxon Barben in the corner of the end zone near the end of the first half, though.

With the clock ticking down fast in the final minute of the half, the 6-foot, 150-pound junior, who hasn't caught a pass since Sept. 23 in a 25-24 win over Cedar, broke for the end zone and laid out against the arms of a defender to haul in a 25-yard grab in the corner of the end zone that gave the Flyers a 14-13 lead at halftime.

"Getting Jaxon back this week was huge," Dixie coach Blaine Monkres said. "He's not only a great receiver, but he's a spark for our team. I think we kind of lost that spark while he was out.

"That's a dagger when you can get that one. He's made plays like that a couple of times this year, and it's done the same thing, like against Cedar at the end of the game."

Crimson Cliffs (7-2) made it look easy early, capping their 11-play, 80-yard opening drive with McCord Christiansen's dive from 2-yards out to take the lead just four minutes into the game.

The Mustangs held the Flyers to 46 yards of offense in the first quarter, including just 4 yards on the ground. But Dixie's offense came alive in the second quarter, scoring two touchdowns, including Barben's wild 25-yard play under duress in the corner of the end zone to pull Dixie ahead 14-13 with 27 seconds left in the half.

"Jalen threw it up, and I just made a play, I guess. I got lucky," said Barben, who caught five passes for 59 yards and the score. "We've been energetic for this game all week. We knew we had a chance to win this game, and we came out and ended up winning."

That followed Schultz's 58-yard stunner to Blake Watson to open the scoring for the Flyers after a 6-0 first quarter, which was sparked by an interception by Junior Coughlin.

But Barben's grab galvanized the locker room, and when Schultz helped the Flyers capitalize off a muffed punt to open the second half with a 3-yard touchdown run, the momentum was squarely on Dixie's side.

Seth Takau ran for 50 yards on 18 carries, including a 26-yard spurt in the third quarter that helped the Flyers pull away.

"That's the best game we've played so far," Monkres said. "That's a great team with some great athletes, well-coached. But we just executed tonight like I know we can. And having Jaxon back this week was huge."

Steele Barben threw for 233 yards and two touchdowns to lead Crimson Cliffs, including a 25-yard strike to Boston Adamson on a double-reverse pass to pull the Mustangs within 24-19 with 4:16 left in the game.

But the visitors failed not he two-point conversion, and one final attempt at a comeback bid fell short after fumbling the ball with 1:48 to go to help Dixie seal the win.

Luke Child's caught five passes for 111 yards and a touchdown, and Mason Topalian ran for a team-high 55 yards for the Mustangs.

Watson finished the night with a team-high 117 receiving yards to go along with his touchdown, and Mason Kesterson added 80 yards on five catches.

"We've got some guys who can go up and get it," Monkres said. "Now we've got to make sure we're ready and prepared for next week against Hurricane (in Wednesday's regular-season finale)."

Crimson Cliffs closes the regular season next Wednesday at home against Cedar.

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