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WASHINGTON — The Friday night 4A matchup between the Crimson Cliff Mustangs and the Pine View Panthers was an absolute one-sided affair.
It was another huge win, a 63-9 victory, to lift Crimson Cliffs to 8-1 on the season, while Pine View drops to 3-5.
The action was almost immediate, too. The Mustangs put their first points on the board when quarterback Steele Barben and Boston Adamson connected for a touchdown with 9:23 remaining in the first quarter. Kicker Ty Ottenschot then successfully executed an onside kick to keep possession with Crimson Cliffs.
Barben threw a deep pass to Tyler West on the very next play, and West ran it in for a touchdown. With still over nine minutes left on the clock, the Mustangs had amassed a 14-0 lead and never looked back.
The first quarter featured two more Mustangs touchdowns — one rushing score by McCord Christiansen and another receiving touchdown by West. Along with its strong offensive play, Crimson Cliffs held Pine View scoreless in the opening frame.
Barben and Adamson started the second quarter almost identical to the first, connecting for another touchdown, this time with 9:22 left on the clock. West also scored in the quarter, which earned him his third touchdown of the game.
"We had worked on that in practice," West said. "Steele felt comfortable with me and it ended up working out."
The Panthers, though visibly frustrated, insisted on putting themselves on the scoreboard before halftime. Kimball Swift, the Pine View kicker, found himself in the spotlight with less than 10 seconds in the half and drilled a 53-yard field goal to send the teams to the locker rooms with a 42-3 score.
When the two teams returned to the field, the officials called Crimson Cliffs for two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties, which gave the Panthers good field position to start the half. After reaching the edge of the red zone, Pine View failed to convert a fourth-down attempt and gave the ball back to the Mustangs.
Pine View picked up its defense despite the offensive disappointment and allowed just one score in the third quarter, which came off a pass by Panthers quarterback Adam Moore into the arms of Jace Sweeten, who ran it back for a pick-six score.
Comfortable with their lead in the final quarter of play, Crimson Cliffs opted to put in back-up quarterback Darius Strickland, who also capitalized on the opportunity by scoring two rushing touchdowns, the Mustangs' only scoring plays in the quarter.
Still feeling stubborn, the Panthers fought to the end. In the final seconds, Moore threw a short pass to Mohelangi Tonga, who scored the only Pine View touchdown of the night, but Swift missed the PAT.
Crimson Cliffs will look to continue its seven-game winning streak Wednesday when they host Dixie for the final game of the regular season. Pine View will also finish the season Wednesday, playing on the road at Snow Canyon.
