It took a while to finally get here but the Emery Spartans finally played a home game after having been on the road for three straight and the Spartans gave their own fans plenty to cheer about as they took a non-region contest 34-0 over visiting American Leadership Academy from Spanish Fork.
JT Noyes, an Emery junior wingback, led the Spartans by scoring their first four touchdowns. Noyes scored on the Spartan second possession of the evening on a run of 19 yards. The Emery drive started at the ALA 36-yard line after linebacker Cory Hansen intercepted an Eagle pass.
Noyes ran the ball three straight times picking up all 36 yards and the score. Vern Kofford kicked the extra point.
Noyes would score in Emery’s next possession from 10 yards out on a drive that started at the Eagle 39 yard line. The previous ALA drive was cut short when Emery caused a fumble and linebacker Chance Ariotti recovered the ball.
A pass from Gatlan Huntington to Tanner Procarione covering 23 yards was the big play of the drive. Kofford again kicked the extra point.
Dusty Jensen, an Emery cornerback, intercepted an Eagle pass on their next drive and Emery had the ball back at their own 38-yard line. Eleven plays later, Noyes would score again, this time on a three yard run. A Huntington pass to Cameron Hansen covered 26 yards and another pass to Procarione covered 13 yards. Kofford kicked another extra point.
Emery led at halftime 21-0. Emery gave up 57 yards in that first half and had caused three Eagle turnovers and had come up with ball after a bad snap on a punt that lost over 20 yards. Emery fumbled the opening kickoff and threw an interception just before halftime at the Eagle goal line preventing another score.
Emery would score two more times in the second half. Noyes would catch a Huntington pass for a three yard touchdown and Procarione would catch a Huntington pass for a 16-yard touchdown. Huntington would recover an Eagle fumble and Taylor Behling made a good play from the defensive end position and come up with the loose ball on a pitch by the Eagle quarterback. Clay Collard also recovered a fumble for the Spartans as most players on the bench saw some action.
On Emery’s first scoring drive of the second half, Ariotti had a 22-yard run, Noyes had a 20-yard run and Huntington had a 16-yard run. That drive covered 97-yards.
On Emery’s last scoring drive, the Spartans went to the air and Huntington completed five of six passes. Colby Snow caught a 15-yarder followed by a seven-yarder. Procarione caught an 18-yarder and Hansen caught a two yard pass. Procarione finished off the drive with his touchdown catch.
Emery had 146 yards of offense in the first half and 176 yards of offense in the second half. Huntington was 11 for 15 in passing for 132 yards and two touchdowns. He was four for six in the first half and seven for nine in the second half. Procarione caught four passes for 70 yards. Noyes ran the ball 10 times for 84 yards. Ariotti ran the ball 11 times for 44 yards.
Emery will now host Uintah this Friday night in the homecoming game. Game time is 7 p.m.
Emery wins home opener against ALA 34-0
"JT Noyes heads down field. He scores four touchdowns this evening."