Prep football: Bonneville gets its groove back in big win at Northridge
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- Bonneville quarterback Jaxon Johnson, middle, braces for a tackle from Northridge’s Hudson Heywood, right, as lineman Case Wayman (55) keeps pace during a Region 5 football game Friday, Sept. 30, 2022, in Layton. (BRIAN WOLFER, Special to the Standard-Examiner)
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- Northridge running back AJ Tillman (6) hits a hole as Bonneville defenders Keaton Fuit (20) and Tifaga Havili (32) pursue during a Region 5 football game Friday, Sept. 30, 2022, in Layton. (BRIAN WOLFER, Special to the Standard-Examiner)
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- Bonneville’s Jordan Cutler hauls in an interception during a Region 5 football game against Northridge on Friday, Sept. 30, 2022, in Layton. (BRIAN WOLFER, Special to the Standard-Examiner)
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- Northridge defenders Austin Murphy, top, and AJ Tillman (6) try to drag down Bonneville’s Sime Havili (10) during a Region 5 football game Friday, Sept. 30, 2022, in Layton. (BRIAN WOLFER, Special to the Standard-Examiner)
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- Northridge running back Mason Obray runs the football during a Region 5 football game against Bonneville on Friday, Sept. 30, 2022, in Layton. (BRIAN WOLFER, Special to the Standard-Examiner)
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- Bonneville’s Ashton Archuleta runs with the football during a Region 5 football game against Northridge on Friday, Sept. 30, 2022, in Layton. (BRIAN WOLFER, Special to the Standard-Examiner)
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- Northridge quarterback Porter Olsen looks downfield during a Region 5 football game against Bonneville on Friday, Sept. 30, 2022, in Layton. (BRIAN WOLFER, Special to the Standard-Examiner)
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- Northridge High students yell during a Region 5 football game against Bonneville on Friday, Sept. 30, 2022, in Layton. (BRIAN WOLFER, Special to the Standard-Examiner)
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- Bonneville’s Isaac Mansaray (24) sizes up a Northridge defender during a Region 5 football game Friday, Sept. 30, 2022, in Layton. (BRIAN WOLFER, Special to the Standard-Examiner)
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- Northridge quarterback Porter Olsen lets a pass fly during a Region 5 football game against Bonnevillle on Friday, Sept. 30, 2022, in Layton.
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LAYTON — Bonneville High’s offense needed a good day after scoring a combined 21 points in the last two region games, both of which were losses.
It got back in a groove Friday night at Northridge, but not in the 500-yard variety. Rather, the Lakers (6-2, 2-2 Region 5) cashed in when they had scoring chances in their 42-7 win over the Knights (2-6, 0-4).
Junior quarterback Jaxon Johnson ran for three first-half touchdowns, two of which came immediately after Bonneville picked off Northridge quarterback Porter Olsen to give the Lakers a short field.
“It felt great. We’ve been struggling a little bit the last couple of weeks, it felt good to just get back on pace,” Johnson said.
Johnson’s third TD run of the game came two plays after Isaac Mansaray ran a jet sweep 51 yards to the 9-yard line late in the second quarter.
Tifaga Havili ran for a short touchdown after Case Wayman’s fourth-down sack gave Bonneville the ball at the Northridge 45.
Sophomore quarterback Cole Lueders lofted a TD pass to Max Diaz to finish a short drive and, after a punt snap went over the Northridge punter’s head in the fourth, Lueders found Gavin Pelagio-Williams for a short TD pass and the final 42-7 margin.
It was the Lakers’ best offensive game since a 38-20 win over Weber on Aug. 26. It just took them a while to get rolling against Northridge.
Both teams traded three-and-outs for most of the first quarter until Mansaray picked off Olsen and returned it near the red zone. That led to Johnson’s first TD run, from 7 yards out.
The teams traded three-and-outs again until Jordan Cutler picked off Olsen. Once again, Johnson finished the drive by bulldozing over the goal line from a yard out to make it 13-0.
Ashton Archuleta had a punt return touchdown wiped out due to a flag, but the Lakers went 60 yards down the field in three plays for a touchdown anyway.
Mansaray ran a jet sweep 51 yards and Johnson ran into the end zone from 3 yards out for a 20-0 lead.
Bonneville sought to mix things up on offense this week and did so with more pass plays and less Johnson run plays.
“We made a few adjustments on offense and just kept pounding away at the stuff that makes us successful and the kids really played well tonight, accepted the challenge and we’re starting to ball now,” BHS coach Jantz Afuvai said.
The first half alone was a welcome sight for the Lakers’ offense, which had mustered 21 combined points the last two games and suddenly had 20 in one-plus quarters.
Bonneville’s win also ended its two-game losing streak. A few changes were made at practice recently, including turning off the music.
“We have fun at practice, but we needed to be a little more serious, take practice time more efficiently, do our thing and just execute,” Johnson said.
It was a case of what could’ve been for the Knights, though.
Olsen overthrew a wide-open receiver on the first play of the game and Northridge, which has now lost four straight games, didn’t sniff the end zone until the end of the first half. Jaxon Fresques ran a screen pass in for a 9-yard touchdown to cut Bonneville’s halftime lead to 20-7.
The Knights have had some unforced errors recently, from bad snaps to short punts. Northridge had a few unforced errors throughout Friday’s game, including two interceptions, to a 10-yard punt and numerous penalties.
The Knights also ran into a Bonneville defense that rarely missed tackles and made a handful of sacks and tackles in the backfield.
Northridge had a fourth-and-6 late in the third quarter as it tried to cut into what was a 13-point deficit. Bonneville defensive lineman Case Wayman blew threw the offensive line untouched and sacked Olsen to give the Lakers the ball back.
After the sack, Bonneville went 45 yards in five plays for a Havili touchdown and a 27-7 lead with exactly 3 minutes left in the third quarter.
At some point in the second half, Bonneville started regularly using two quarterbacks with Johnson and sophomore Lueders rotating.
Lueders played QB for the Havili scoring drive, and later threw the lofted TD pass to Diaz in the short corner of the end zone. Johnson ran in the 2-point conversion for a 35-7 score.
A punt snap that sailed over Northridge’s punter’s head gave Bonneville a 9-yard field, and Lueders hit a wide-open Pelagio-Williams.
“I mean,” Johnson said, looking at the scoreboard which still read 42-7 for the Lakers, “I think (the two-QB system) worked great. Great team effort.”
Connect with reporter Patrick Carr via email at pcarr@standard.net, Twitter @patrickcarr_ and Instagram @standardexaminersports.