The triple-threat play of Bountiful’s Braden Boucha was the real obstacle for the Syracuse Titans.

In a game that was about as entertaining as the preseason gets, the senior caught a touchdown, took a kickoff to the house and then scored what proved to be the game-winner on a pick-six midway through the fourth quarter to give the Redhawks a 36-33 victory over homestanding Syracuse.

“It was one of the funnest games ever,” Boucha said. “Winning with my brothers in a game like that is awesome.”

With the Titans clinging to a 33-28 lead, the Redhawks had a first down at the Syracuse 35 with 10:15 to play in the contest following a 15-yard Titan punt into the wind.

However, the Syracuse defense turned Bountiful over on downs and handed the ball back to the offense with the prospect of another touchdown likely sealing the game.

Whether it was perfect positioning or just dumb luck, the Redhawks made a play when they needed it most. Syracuse quarterback Ledger Wight threw a pass that arrived at the exact same moment as Bountiful defender Mason Tidwell. The ball deflected off the receiver, popped into the air, and Boucha snatched it out of the sky before sprinting 40 yards into the end zone.

“On the defensive touchdown, me and my boy Mason, we had a great switch on that with him tipping it up to me and, well, it was just a good play for both of us,” Boucha said.

Early on, there was little indication of the fireworks that were to come. A blase first period was salvaged by a 30-yard Jed Beutler field goal with 1:45 to play to give the Titans the first lead.

But it was a back-and-forth, 45-point second quarter outburst that revved up the excitement.

Bountiful answered the Titan field goal on its ensuing possession. The drive was capped by Huddy Malmrose stepping up into the pocket and delivering a strike down the middle to Corbin White for a 38-yard TD.

The lead was gone 15 seconds later when Kao Prom hauled in the kickoff on the left side of the field, crossed to the other and raced 88 yards up the right sideline into the end zone to make it 10-7 for Syracuse.

Boucha then made his presence known, taking a short pass from Malmrose and traversing Titan defenders to the opposite side of the field, where he got the edge. He turned the completion into a 63-yard touchdown pass.

Beutler inched the Titans to within a point at 14-13 by drilling a 50-yard field goal on Syracuse’s next possession, which halted the scoring for nearly 6 minutes.

A 21-point flurry in the final 1:21 of the first half put Syracuse on top 27-21 at the break.

The Titans regained the lead at 20-14 as Wight went play action before connecting with a wide-open Bo Metcalfe for a 15-yard score. Then, following a Bryson Hall interception at the goal line with Bountiful threatening, Jack Benoit took a dump-off pass from Wight 42 yards and scored with 1 second left on the clock.

That was just enough time for Boucha.

The Titans kicked it deep and, 99 yards later, Boucha found himself in the opposite end zone.

“I thought they were going to squib it,” Boucha said. “Then I saw it coming to me and I was like, ‘I got to get it to get us back in the game.’ I saw an opening and there it was.”

The Redhawk momentum was temporarily short-lived as the two squads emerged from the locker room.

On Bountiful’s first snap, Kaleb Hall intercepted Malmrose. Two plays later, with Wight scrambling, he tossed a ball into traffic in the end zone but teammate Parker Moffat came down with it to extend the Syracuse lead to 33-21 at the 9:24 mark of the third quarter. It proved to be the last meaningful offense the Titans would generate.

The Redhawks continued to trail by two scores into the early stages of the fourth period until, at the 10:35 mark, Max Feller made a leaping, 35-yard circus catch TD to narrow Bountiful’s deficit to 33-28.

Following Boucha’s go-ahead interception, Bountiful forced Syracuse to punt with 6:33 to play. The Titans never saw the ball again, as sturdy running from Viliami Vunipola out of the wildcat formation allowed the Redhawks to move the chains and extinguish the clock.