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SYRACUSE — Skyler Orton stepped up for the game-winning 36-yard field goal, about 20 minutes removed from missing a similar length field goal that would've given his Syracuse a late lead against Westlake.
The second time was the charm. Orton drilled the field goal as time expired, sending No. 8 Syracuse past No. 9 Westlake 31-28.
"I feel good," Orton said. "I just needed my redemption from that first kick, missed it a little bit right."
Westlake led 28-21 at halftime on the back of three touchdown passes from scrambling quarterback Bosten Fountaine and a touchdown run from Mason Tapusoa, countering Syracuse touchdowns from Kao Prom, Ryker Van Komen and quarterback Ledger Wight.
But Syracuse held the Thunder to no points in the second half to turn the tide.
"We just played harder, made the plays when it counted and won the football game," Syracuse head coach Mitch Tulane said.
The Titans hadn't played in 22 days since their regular-season finale, a 27-21 loss to Farmington on Oct. 9. But Tulane liked the way his team came out in both the halves, giving the team a chance.
"When we found out we had Westlake, we needed two weeks to prepare for them. … I felt like we stuck to the game plan and executed really well, but (Fountaine's) scrambling around and throwing the ball a million miles down the air, it's hard to prepare for. He's very good," Tulane said.
Van Komen ran for a 1-yard touchdown to tie the game at 28-28 late in the third quarter.
Westlake, which had the ball just three times in the second half, saw its ensuing 13-play drive end on a fourth-and-25 catch that fell way short of the line to gain. Syracuse then drove down the field to set Orton up for a 44-yard field goal, which he left just short and to the right.
Westlake marched down the field and looked certain to score until Kaleb Hall picked off Fountaine, just his third interception of the year, to give the Titans the ball back with 6:07 left.
And the Titans never gave it back.
On fourth-and-1 at the Westlake 27-yard line, with 51 seconds left, Wight ran for 6 yards to let Syracuse run the clock out and set Orton up again for the game-winning field goal.
As the game's plot turned toward a potential game-winning field goal, Orton pictured one thing in his mind.
"Just hit it and celebrate with my boys," Orton said. "The coaches help me a lot, honestly, just giving me so much confidence, so it made me feel way better."
His 36-yarder was good. And with no time left, the Titans mobbed their kicker as they move on to face No. 1 Corner Canyon in the next round.
The win ends a streak of four straight playoff losses for Syracuse, all of which came by double digits. It also ended a curious winning streak for Westlake, which had won its last three odd-year road playoff games in northern Utah (Fremont in 2023, Roy in 2021, Davis in 2019).
