St. George • Desert Hills and Snow Canyon were locked in a four-way tie for second-place in Region 9 entering their showdown Thursday.
Dixie already clinched the region championship last week, so only three playoff spots remained in a must-win game for both sides.
Desert Hills running back Brock Parry made sure it wasn’t going to be his last as the senior rushed for 188 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Thunder to a 28-21 road victory over the Warriors. Snow Canyon saw its season end.
With the game tied at 21-21 with just under three minutes to go, Parry took the handoff from quarterback Noah Sewell and raced untouched up the middle for a 47-yard score, what turned out to be the game winner.
“The coaches made a great call and the offensive line executed it perfectly, and I just ran as fast as I could toward the end zone,” Parry said. “Snow Canyon is a good team and it was a tough game, but we came in with the mindset that it wasn’t going to be our last game and everyone came out and had a great game.”
The Desert Hills defense stepped up to put the Thunder on the board first in the second quarter. A 74-yard punt by Desert Hills’ Logan Callister pinned the Warriors on the 1-yard line, but Snow Canyon answered with a 74-yard pass from Austin Staheli to Jase Mendenhall. The Thunder defense made a big stand and forced the Warriors to a field-goal attempt.
Snow Canyon’s 43-yard attempt by Andy Day was blocked by Desert Hills star defensive end Carter Reynolds, who broke into the backfield. As the ball bounced high in the air, senior linebacker Peyton Pace tracked down the ball, picked it up on the hop and raced untouched into the end zone for a 7-0 lead.
“It was awesome scoring the first touchdown of the game,” Pace said. “Carter got a great block and the ball flew high in the air, and the ball bounced perfectly into my arms, and I just ran as fast as I could.”
PLAYER OF THE GAME <br>With a playoff spot on the line, Desert Hills senior running back Brock Parry came up with his best game of the season. He rushed for 188 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Thunder back to the playoffs.
Desert Hills was looking for a two-score lead after Snow Canyon was stopped on fourth down near midfield with just over a minute left in the half. That plan backfired when a hard hit by the Warriors defense popped loose the ball, which was picked up by senior AJ Wilcox. He returned it to the 33-yard line. Staheli found Day over the middle for the 33-yard score on the next play to tie the score at 7-7 at the half.
After big runs by Sewell and Parry, both players took a turn scoring to increase the lead to 21-7 in the third quarter.
The Warriors wouldn’t go quietly. Day and running back Toshfatafehi Wright both scored to tie the game late in the fourth quarter.
But the Warriors left too much time on the clock and the Thunder pulled away for the win on Parry’s game-winning touchdown run.
Sewell finished with 100 yards on the ground and a rushing touchdown and added 85 yards through the air for the Thunder.
Staheli threw for 198 yards and two touchdowns in the loss, with both touchdown passes going to Day, who finished with 83 yards receiving.