Emery football drops first game of season at Summit Academy

By GARY ARRINGTON staff writer

For the fourth straight season the Emery High football team opened the season with a game against Summit Academy. In the previous three meetings the home team won the contest and as it turned out this season was no different after Emery traveled to Bluffdale and lost to the Bears 20-7.
Unlike the previous three seasons though, the visiting team actually had an opportunity to win. Although the Bears started the game quickly, actually an 80-yard touchdown pass on their first play from scrimmage, the Spartans ended up controlling the second half and it was lack of execution that doomed the Spartans to this loss. After Summit Academy scored quickly, Emery took the ensuing kick-off moved the ball just past midfield where the drive stalled and the Spartans punted. Summit Academy quickly drove again on the Spartans and got near the goal line.
The Bears pass attempt was tipped away by Koby Butler where his brother Kolton picked it off and returned the interception for an Emery score. The interception return covered 96 yards. Ethan Winter, a recruited soccer player, added the extra point and the game was tied at 7-7.
Summit Academy then added a pair of scores in the second quarter and led 20-7 at the half. The second half was to be different.
In the second half, the Spartan defense came into their own as four of seven Summit Academy drives consisted of three plays and a punt. The Bears never got closer than the Emery 25-yard line in that second half.
Emery turned the ball over twice in the second half as they fumbled twice close to midfield. On the Spartan first possession of the second half, Emery drove from their 33-yard line down to around the 15-yard line before the drive stalled on a fourth down play. On the final Spartan possession of the game, a pass from running back Easton Gordon slipped through the hands of an Emery receiver at the Bears 5-yard line on a fourth down play and the Spartans were done.
Logan Cox, a senior running back, ran the ball 12 times for 104 yards to be the leading offensive threat for Emery. Gordon, a junior, carried the ball nine times for 38 yards and Kacey Jones carried the ball five times for 21 yards. Emery gained 170 yards on the ground and 52 yards through the air.
On defense, linebacker Dalton McKee had 9 tackles to lead the defense. Corner Tel Gardner had 7 tackles and he also handled the punting duties for the Spartan team, Gordon and Cox who are both play safety had 6 tackles each. Koby Butler, a defensive end also had 6 tackles but also added at least 3 swatted passes as the tall Bears quarterback could not get his passes over or around him. Logan Labrum, a linebacker, and Ty Mecham, a lineman, each had 5 tackles.
Emery’s season will continue this Friday as the Spartans travel to Payson to face the Lions. Game time is set for 7 pm.