Bountiful • Luck often can be a funny thing, especially in a football game.
And that luck often can be the difference between winning and losing.
The Viewmont Vikings found that out first hand Friday night in 14-7 win at Region 5 rival Bountiful. The win gives Viewmont the outright region title.
The Vikings were facing a fourth-and-long situation from their own 20 while clinging to a 14-7 lead midway through the final quarter. A bad snap to Viewmont punter Preston Pitt allowed Bountiful Cameron Hansen to block the punt, giving the Braves the break they desperately needed.
However, Pitt was able to scoop up the ball and complete a pass to teammate Tyson Handley, which allowed the Vikings to avoid disaster.
While the completed pass was short of the first down, it served the same purpose as a punt. Bountiful was forced to take over near midfield rather than inside the Vikings 20.
“I was thinking that I didn’t want to get hit,” Pitt said. “So I threw it.”
Pitt saw Handley break open and knew exactly where he was throwing the ball when he released it.
“Preston Pitt is a heck of an athlete,” Viewmont coach Scott Ditty said. “That is the second time he has done that this year.”
Bountiful took possession of the ball needing to go half the field for the game-tying touchdown. However, the drive ended when the Braves missed on a 35-yard field goal on fourth-and-4 with less than five minutes remaining in the game. The Vikings ran out the clock.
Viewmont caught another key break inside its own territory earlier in the game.
Bountiful was driving for the game-tying score in the closing seconds of the first half, but a fumble at the Viewmont 3-yard line ended the drive.
“I knew our defense would stop them,” Viewmont senior running back Cameron Brown said.
PLAYER OF THE GAME <br>Viewmont’s Cameron Brown scored on a pair of 1-yard runs to help lead the Vikings to the region title.
Brown accounted for both of Viewmont’s touchdowns — a pair of 1-yard runs in the first half. Brown rushed four times for 20 yards on the second scoring drive, including a 15-yard run.
He also had a 49-yard run late in the first half.
For all of his contributions offensively, it was a mistake on special teams that was most on Brown’s mind following the game.
Brown was supposed to be on the field as part of the wall on the blocked punt, but he came off.
He said he was talking to the the line, and the referee told him to come off.
“I forgot to get back out on the field,” he said.
But once the defense held and the Vikings took over on the missed field goal, he felt relieved about the miscue.
And as he walked off the field, his thoughts on winning the Region 5 title were put in simple words.
“Well deserved,” he said.