Knights’ hold on in 20-18 district victory

TABOR - Fremont-Mills saved its best for last – its last two possessions of the game, in fact.

Hosting former head coach Jeremy Christiansen and his 2-0 Boyer Valley football team, the Knights went six straight possessions without a point before putting together a nine play, 65-yard touchdown drive on its last offensive drive of the game to take a 20-18 lead with 2:33 to go.

On the ensuing defensive possession, with the Bulldogs driving inside the Knights’ 20-yard line for a potential game-winning score, Paxton Campbell’s interception with :31 to go ended the threat and sealed the District 8 win in Tabor Friday.

“We needed a play, and we had been trying some different coverages on 99,” said Fremont-Mills coach Greg Ernster of his team’s efforts to neutralize Bulldog wide receiver Tristen Burkhart, who snagged a 35-yard touchdown earlier in the frame along with a key first down grab on the final drive.

“We got a good pass rush and he (quarterback Brody Koski) threw it up and Paxton was able to make that play and that was difference. We made plays when we had to and I proud of them,” Ernster said.

The game started with all the makings of a classic Eight-player shootout with both teams marching down the field for touchdowns on their opening offensive possessions.

But then a defensive struggle broke out.

Neither team had much success moving the ball until late in the half when the Knights’ Sawyer Forney connected with J.W. Linkehoker on a 27-yard TD pass. The two-point conversion put Fremont-Mills ahead 14-6.

The score would remain that way into the third quarter.

The Knights picked off Koski for the second time in the game on Boyer Valley’s opening drive of the second half but after picking up one first down the drive stalled and the Bulldogs blocked the punt to set themselves up in plus territory. Six plays later Koski connected with Justice Garvis on a 16-yard TD toss. They would miss the two-point conversion but had the momentum.

After forcing a Knight punt on the ensuing possession, Koski engineered a four play, 79-yard drive capped by Burkhart’s 35-yard TD catch. The point-after one again was unsuccessful but the Bulldogs had their first lead at 18-14 with :04 left in the third quarter.

The Knights struggled to move the ball – and to not shoot themselves in the foot – on their next two possessions. In their eight offensive snaps before their game-winning scoring drive, they punted twice and were flagged for five penalties.

But they never quit.

Taking over at their own 15, Forney connected with Sam Sanchez for 17 yards, Carter Rycroft for 19, Campbell for nine and Linkenhoker for five before going back to Sanchez on a crossing route for the game-winner from nine yards out. Forney added a crucial seven-yard scramble for a first down on the drive.

“That’s Sawyer,” Ernster said of his senior quarterback. “He had some throws early he wishes he could have had back but when we needed it, he came up big and some other guys made plays, (Sam) Sanchez with a big first down catch and then coming to back to him with the touchdown. Every Thursday we work on two-minute drill and those situations, and it paid off.”

Christiansen said there was never a thought to play for a field goal on the final drive. The play for Burkhart was a play they’d had success with.

“We were trying to score, and it was there early, and they did a good job closing the zones quicker than we were ready,” Christiansen said. “My hats off to them. They made the plays.”

For Ernster the game was a big one – in more ways than one.

“It’s big for us because it’s a district win and there’s a few teams at the top in the district and we want to be one of them, so we needed this one. The kids, on both sides, played really hard.”

The meeting between the two schools is the first since Christensen took over the Bulldogs’ football program three years ago. Ernster was on Christensen’s staff for much of his tenure, including the 2012 state championship season.

“We know each other really well so there was that and then he’s such a great coach they made it tough, their game plan was really good and made it hard on us,” Ernster said.

Christiansen called the game a “tough chess match” but one he enjoyed against his friend and former assistant.

“I don’t think it’s hard, I think it’s fun,” Christiansen said. “We talk daily. It’s not like you’re going against somebody you don’t like. It was exciting. We definitely know each other well.”

The Knights finished their night with 284 total yards. Forney was 14-of-27 for 190 yards and two scores with no interceptions. He also added 50 yards rushing and a TD.

After averaging 375 yards rushing in their 2-0 start, the Bulldogs were limited to 118 yards on 42 carries (2.8 per carry) by the Knights’ defense. Koski finished 12-of-14 passing for 172 yards and two touchdowns. He also threw two interceptions.

Scoring Summary
FM    06  08  00  06   20
BV    06  00  12  00   18

Game Summary
FM – Sawyer Forney, 4 run (two-point conversion failed).
BV – Levi Reineke, 8 run (kick failed).
FM – Forney to J.W. Linkenhoker, 27 pass (two-point conversion good).
BV – Brody Koski to Justice Garvis, 16 pass (two-point conversion failed).
BV – Koski to Tristen Burkhart, 35 pass (two-point conversion failed).
FM – Forney to Sam Sanchez, 9 pass (two-point conversion failed).