6A football playoffs: Farmington pulls away from Weber to advance to quarterfinals
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- Farmington’s Travis Hoopes (82) runs the football as teammate Brandon Arveseth (68) battles with Weber’s Tyler Payne (45) in a 6A second-round playoff game Friday, Oct. 28, 2022, in Farmington. (BRIAN WOLFER, Special to the Standard-Examiner)
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- Weber’s Tayven Norton (23) stretches out to try and deflect a pass as Farmington’s Ben Stucki (16) attempts a reception in a 6A second-round playoff game Friday, Oct. 28, 2022, in Farmington. (BRIAN WOLFER, Special to the Standard-Examiner)
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- Farmington players Dominic Coats (1) and Ben Stucki (16) celebrate a touchdown against Weber in a 6A second-round playoff game Friday, Oct. 28, 2022, in Farmington. (BRIAN WOLFER, Special to the Standard-Examiner)
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- Weber’s Tavin Nye (2) tries to escape the tackle of Farmington’s Jed Judkins in a 6A second-round playoff game Friday, Oct. 28, 2022, in Farmington. (BRIAN WOLFER, Special to the Standard-Examiner)
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- Farmington players (left) and Weber players (right) watch the coin toss before their 6A second-round playoff game Friday, Oct. 28, 2022, in Farmington. (BRIAN WOLFER, Special to the Standard-Examiner)
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- Weber quarterback Aidan Carter (11) is taken down by a Farmington tackler in a 6A second-round playoff game Friday, Oct. 28, 2022, in Farmington. (BRIAN WOLFER, Special to the Standard-Examiner)
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- Weber’s Corbin Alvord runs with the football in a 6A second-round playoff game against Farmington on Friday, Oct. 28, 2022, in Farmington. (BRIAN WOLFER, Special to the Standard-Examiner)
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- Farmington quarterback Easton Wight throws a pass against Weber in a 6A second-round playoff game Friday, Oct. 28, 2022, in Farmington. (BRIAN WOLFER, Special to the Standard-Examiner)
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- Weber’s Tyce Abbott (17) tries to avoid the oncoming Adam Stucki (20) of Farmington in a 6A second-round playoff game Friday, Oct. 28, 2022, in Farmington. (BRIAN WOLFER, Special to the Standard-Examiner)
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- Weber High quarterbacks Aidan Carter (11) pulls back to throw a pass as teammate Tyson Beus (14) blocks Farmington’s Kainoa Jones (55) in a 6A second-round playoff game Friday, Oct. 28, 2022, in Farmington. (BRIAN WOLFER, Special to the Standard-Examiner)
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- Farmington High’s football team takes the field for a 6A second-round playoff game against Weber on Friday, Oct. 28, 2022, in Farmington. (BRIAN WOLFER, Special to the Standard-Examiner)
FARMINGTON — Having the Halloween spirit, diminutive 5-foot-7, 150-pound Farmington High football sophomore Travis Hoopes was dressed up as a bruising running back.
What Hoopes lacks in size and girth, he made up for with shiftiness and stealth on Friday evening.
Hoopes scored two third-quarter touchdowns, breaking open a tight 6A state playoff game, and No. 5 Farmington advanced to the quarterfinals next week against No. 4 American Fork by beating Weber for the second time this season, this time by a 36-9 count.
“I’ve played (running back) since I was eight; it’s my favorite position,” Hoopes said. “I just love running the ball. I’m not scared of anybody. No one can really handle me. I’ll move, I’ll get out of the way and I’ll get the yards.”
Farmington held a tenuous 14-9 lead at the half by airing the ball out, but a shift in focus to the run coming out of the locker room led to total domination over the final two quarters.
“We looked at the stat sheet; what’s working? Run’s working, run’s working, so let’s stay with the run; we started running the ball” Hoopes said. “Ten yards a carry was moving the ball and that’s how we ended up winning the game.”
Weber had possession to open the third quarter but punted without a first down. Farmington then marched downfield, where Hoopes scored from 2 yards out and expanded the lead to 21-9 with 6:48 left in the period.
Following another Warrior punt, the Phoenix went on an eight-play, 68-yard drive and Hoopes again tallied a touchdown from the 2 as Farmington went up 29-9 at the 1:05 mark.
“Just stick your head in the ground and keep plowing. Get in the endzone; that’s all we teach,” Hoopes said. I love my O-line, I love my boys. They block with all their hearts. They do their best.”
And again in the Halloween tradition, Hoopes dressed up in costume by wearing No. 82 — not a normal number for a running back.
“That’s a funny story. I actually missed jersey day, so I got stuck with number 82. That’s how it happened,” Hoopes said. “Just give me a jersey; I just want to play.”
Hoopes finished the night with 22 rushes for 154 yards, a long of 14 yards and the two touchdowns.
Sophomore running back Lucas Peterson closed the scoring onslaught for the Phoenix on an 8-yard scamper up the middle with 3:20 remaining.
The teams alternated scores in the first half but Farmington put two touchdowns on the scoreboard while Weber managed a TD and a field goal, giving the Phoenix 14-9 lead at the break.
Farmington (9-2) drew first blood on a 33-yard touchdown pass from junior quarterback Easton Wight to senior wideout Ben Stucki, taking a 7-0 edge with 12 seconds left in the initial quarter.
No. 21 Weber (3-9) countered on a 33-yard field goal off the leg of Jayce Jones early in the second stanza, cutting the margin to 7-3.
But the Phoenix started its next possession on the Weber 39 after a 61-yard kickoff return by Jaxson Eastman and capped a short drive when Marcus Miles scored on a 3-yarder from a wildcat formation, making it 14-3 midway through the second quarter.
After an exchange of punts, Weber found paydirt on a 68-yard reception and run by Salesi Moa via quarterback Aidan Carter with 2:42 left in the half, leaving the gap at the 14-9 Phoenix advantage.
“We felt like we were in the game and had given ourselves a chance to be competitive, but it came down to we didn’t make enough plays in key situations,” Weber coach Jayson Anderson said. “Give them credit; they ran the ball very effectively and we just couldn’t stop it. They just beat us tonight, and now they’re still playing.”
