Shield Game: Weber makes big first-half plays hold up to beat Roy 27-19
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- Weber High’s Eli Swenson (74) and Bracken Day (0) help bring down Roy quarterback Rock Speredon (15) for a sack during The Shield Game on Friday, Aug. 29, 2025, in Pleasant View.
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- Weber High quarterback Carter Payne (2) and receiver Brock Dean (8) celebrate a touchdown pass against Roy during The Shield Game on Friday, Aug. 29, 2025, in Pleasant View.
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- Roy High’s Luke Pebley (3) breaks up a pass intended for Weber’s Brock Dean during The Shield Game on Friday, Aug. 29, 2025, in Pleasant View.
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- Roy High’s Ange Ahui (11) tries to outrun Weber’s Reese Cantwell (9) during The Shield Game on Friday, Aug. 29, 2025, in Pleasant View.
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- Weber High’s Dyson Parker carries the football against Roy during The Shield Game on Friday, Aug. 29, 2025, in Pleasant View.
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- Roy High’s Ryker Cordero, right, tackles Weber ball carrier Dyson Parker during The Shield Game on Friday, Aug. 29, 2025, in Pleasant View.
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- Roy High quarterback Collin Chapman (10) surveys the field for a pass as Weber High’s Lincoln Henry (44) pursues during The Shield Game on Friday, Aug. 29, 2025, in Pleasant View.
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- Weber High quarterback Carter Payne pulls back to pass the ball against Roy during The Shield Game on Friday, Aug. 29, 2025, in Pleasant View.
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- Roy High’s Ryker Cordero signals before a play against Weber during The Shield Game on Friday, Aug. 29, 2025, in Pleasant View.
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- Roy High quarterback Collin Chapman carries the football against Weber during The Shield Game on Friday, Aug. 29, 2025, in Pleasant View.
For long stretches, it seemed that Weber High’s Carter Payne, Brock Dean, Josh Hamblin and Creed DeVries were going to string together an endless number of winning offensive plays and run rival Roy off the field Friday night in Pleasant View for the 60th edition of The Shield Game.
But control turned in the second half, and the fourth quarter became its own wacky game full of flying yellow flags with Weber’s defense unable to get off the field.
In the end, though, Weber’s defense did enough to keep the Royals off the scoreboard and preserved a 27-19 victory to end Roy’s two-year run as Shield owners. The Warriors picked up their first win of the season while denying Roy theirs.
Roy now leads the all-time series 34-26.
When DeVries beat his defender for a 31-yard touchdown pass from Payne with 8:53 left in the third quarter, it gave Weber a 27-13 lead, yet another big-play score for the home team.
But Roy held the Warriors to 33 yards of offense from that point, the final 21 minutes of the game, and the young Royals began to figure out a bit more than it did in losses to Farmington and Syracuse.
A Bryton Ketcham interception of Payne, set up Roy for a 10-play scoring drive capped with Ryker Cordero running free on a play-action, and Rock Speredon completed the 30-yard touchdown pass for a 27-19 score with 1:51 left.
Roy soon had the ball back with 0:07 left in the third quarter, and began a back-and-forth possession that would last approximately 17 plays, feature nine penalties between the two teams, and take 10:27 off the clock.
But the Royals only managed to move from their own 32-yard line to Weber’s 23 in all that time.
The yellow-flag madness hit a new level when Speredon threw up a lollipop prayer to avoid a sack on fourth down at the Weber 28, which landed in Roy receiver Luke Pebley’s arms; he took the ball to the Weber 9. But a post-play flag handed a personal foul assessed to “the coach” of Roy. It was unclear what drew the flag.
Weber recorded seven sacks on the night, one of which from Kelton Tree forced Roy back to the Weber 18. On fourth-and-11 from the 13, Speredon found a crossing Luke Pebley to the Weber 1, but that play was negated by Ryker Cordero being flagged for a pick play and offensive pass interference.
That resulted in Weber blocking a Bo Williams 45-yard field goal attempt, then seeing Williams’ retry from 40 yards (after a Weber running-into-the-kicker flag) sail just left.
After all the plays, flags and time, Roy still trailed 27-19 with only 1:50 left in the ballgame.
The Royals stuffed two Weber runs, however, used two timeouts, and got the ball back after an incomplete pass. A bouncing punt to the Roy 40 saw Synic Harvey burst past a pile of onlookers to nab the ball and return it 21 yards.
Somehow, Roy had 1:16 go to 39 yards and try again. And somehow, Weber got to Speredon two more times with sacks, the second by Cade Judd to force a third-and-21 from the Weber 33 with the clock ticking.
For the second time in the possession, Speredon lined a 23-yarder to Drayden Esplin, this one dropped between three defenders for a first down to the Weber 10. Roy spiked the ball with 2 seconds remaining.
But, after a false start, Weber left Roy empty again when Dean intercepted Speredon’s throw to the end zone, ending the ball game and giving the Warriors their celebration with the coveted stained-glass trophy.
After a 0-0 first quarter, Payne threw a screen to Dyson Parker who scooted around the right end for a 43-yard touchdown. It was surprisingly Parker’s only notable play of the night; Roy seemed intent to bottle up the star senior and make Weber find plays elsewhere.
Other Warriors had plays to make. After a Parker rushing touchdown was called back on a holding penalty, Payne threw to Dean on an 11-yard score to put Weber up 14-0 in the second quarter.
Roy answered with running back Mason Welch, whose 40-yard run helped soften up the Warriors’ defense until the drive reached the Weber 11. On third-and-1 and with the run game working, Roy called a pass play and Weber swarmed Speredon for a sack. Williams put through a 42-yard field goal instead.
One play later, star hurdler Josh Hamblin took a reverse handoff, beat two Royals with angles to the edge, and outran everybody back across the field for an 80-yard touchdown run and a 21-3 lead.
Roy came back with a 10-play drive (one in which Weber’s Reese Cantwell forced a recovered fumble for Weber but Roy still retained possession) that went all the way to the Weber 5-yard line. But the Warriors forced Williams into another field goal attempt; he made a 23-yard field goal with 15 seconds left, resulting in a 21-6 score at halftime.
Two plays into the second half, Speredon found Esplin on a wheel route out of the backfield, curling over the middle, breaking a tackle and racing 71 yards for a touchdown. That made it 21-13 just 58 seconds into the third quarter, and set up Weber’s answer to DeVries that ended the home team’s offense for the night.
Official stats were unavailable Friday night. Payne threw for three touchdowns and connected with DeVries for 62 yards in the second half. Esplin hauled in 123 receiving yards in the second half alone for Roy. Welch rushed for 82 yards for the Royals.
Roy (0-3) moves on to Region 5 play and visits new rival West Field (2-1). Weber (1-2) next hosts Viewmont (3-0), continuing nonregion action.
LINE SCORE
Roy 0 6 13 0 – 19
Weber 0 21 6 0 – 27
SCORING PLAYS
SECOND QUARTER
11:51 — Weber TD: Payne to Parker 43 yards (Weber 7-0)
7:58 — Weber TD: Payne to Dean 11 yards (14-0)
5:11 — Roy FG: Williams 42 yards (14-3)
4:54 — Weber TD: Hamblin 80-yard rush (21-3)
0:15 — Roy FG: Williams 23 yards (21-6)
THIRD QUARTER
11:02 — Roy TD: Speredon to Esplin 71 yards (21-13)
8:53 — Weber TD: Payne to DeVries 31 yards, PAT failed (27-13)
1:51 — Roy TD: Speredon to Cordero 30 yards, PAT failed (27-19)
