Broncos get back into win column with hard-fought 46-32 victory over Kanab on home turf

by Rhett Sifford
Sports Editor
The San Juan High School football team hasn’t gotten used to playing in close games over the course of the past year. For the third week in a row, that’s where they found themselves this past Friday, August 29 in Blanding.
The 1A #2 Kanab Cowboys came to town looking to do what the 1A #1 Beaver Beavers had done a week earlier – upset San Juan on their own turf.
But this time the Broncos outlasted their opponent in a hard-fought 46-32 win that was much closer than the final score indicated.
San Juan wasted no time getting the evening started when running back Jagger Nieves took the handoff on the first play from scrimmage and took it 82 yards to the house to give the home team a 6-0 lead.
The Bronco defense kept Kanab from getting anything going on their first possession, then the teams traded interceptions on the next two possessions.
The Cowboys took most of the remaining time in the first quarter driving deep into San Juan territory before Cole Duke intercepted a deflected pass from Brogun Virostko at his own five and ran it back to midfield.
It took San Juan just 1:24 to punch in their second touchdown of the game, a ten-yard run from Nieves to stretch their lead to 14-0 after a successful two-point try.
Kanab answered just two minutes later to get on the board when running back Hayden Gubler streaked down the sideline for a 51-yard touchdown, making the score 14-7.
The Broncos were driving on their next possession, but a Beau Yeomans pass was intercepted by Grady Anderson, giving the Cowboys the ball at their own 20.
Kanab continued to establish momentum as they built another strong, steady drive into San Juan territory. But the Bronco defense held, forcing a turnover on downs at the 30 yard line.
That’s when the offensive line helped Nieves go to work. On just three runs he took the ball all the way down to the Kanab 26.
Yeomans kept handing the ball to Nieves and just three plays later the Broncos were in the end zone again when he tumbled over a Kanab defender to score his third rushing touchdown of the night.
San Juan increased their lead to 19 points when Yeomans hit Tripp Palmer with a 26-yard touchdown pass just over two minutes into the third quarter, making the score 26-7.
The Cowboys kept themselves in the game on their next possession with a nice 73-yard drive that took about five minutes.
It concluded with Gubler running for his second touchdown from two yards out, cutting the San Juan lead to 26-14.
The Broncos were looking to reestablish the momentum, but were forced to punt the ball away when they were unable to drive it out of their own territory.
Then Kanab pulled to within one touchdown when they capped a very strong 52-yard drive with a beautiful 30-yard touchdown run, again from Gubler, to make the score 26-20.
Sensing the urgency, San Juan bore down and answered immediately with a one-play, 55-yard drive. Nieves had returned the kickoff to the San Juan 30, but a Kanab sideline penalty moved the ball to the 45.
From there Yeomans handed to who else but Jagger Nieves again. He took it the distance right up the middle for his fourth touchdown of the game, stretching the Bronco lead to 32-20.
The San Juan defense bowed up to force a punt on Kanab’s ensuing possession, and then the Broncos took full control of the game.
Starting at their own 34 the home team engineered a 66-yard drive that took the game nearly to the end of the third quarter.
Nieves earned his fifth rushing touchdown with another strong run up the middle, from 34 yards out, increasing San Juan’s lead to 18 points at 38-20.
Kanab wasn’t about to roll over for the Broncos though. They put together another scoring drive right when they needed it to pull to within 12 points when Gubler stayed in bounds, tucking the ball inside the pylon for his fourth TD with 9:12 left in the game.
The visitors scored on their next possession as well, cutting the San Juan lead to just six points on a two-and-a-half minute, 76-yard drive. But a lot happened in those two-and-a-half minutes.
On Kanab’s third play of the drive, Virostko threw over the middle to senior wide receiver Ozzy Williams who was leveled by San Juan’s Tripp Palmer. Palmer was called for hitting a defenseless receiver as Williams ran to the sideline.
Then Williams collapsed on the sideline and was ultimately removed from the field by ambulance, causing a lengthy delay in the game. Following the game it was reported that he was okay.
When play resumed the Cowboys were emotionally charged, and proceeded to drive the remaining 64 yards to the end zone.
Starting at their own 23 with 5:30 left in the game, the Broncos needed a touchdown to reestablish the momentum and possibly close out the game. That’s what they got.
It was a beautiful 77-yard drive that took nearly four minutes and was capped off by a five-yard Beau Yeomans run. It also featured Yeomans’s longest run of the year, a 32-yarder that got them across midfield on the way to the TD.
With just 1:34 left in the game, Kanab was able to drive into San Juan territory, but the Bronco defense stifled them and kept them out of the end zone as time expired on a 46-32 final.
The win was truly a team effort for San Juan, a team that is still trying to find their comfort zone early in the season. It’s the guys on the line who make it possible for the star players to get recognition for their success.
And the line helped Jagger Nieves run for 351 yards in the game, scoring five rushing touchdowns along the way. The line protected Beau Yeomans as he threw for 131 yards and a touchdown.
Tripp Palmer caught three of those passes for 54 yards and the TD. Cole Duke also caught three passes, for 35 yards. And Brigg Palmer caught one pass for 31 yards.
Thomas Hardin had a very impressive 17 tackles in the win. Cole Duke collected ten. Tripp Palmer, Jagger Nieves, and Brigg Palmer all had nine stops apiece. George McNaughtan got the only sack in the game.
Following the win San Juan Head Coach Barkley Christensen spoke on the Friday Night Lights postgame show. One of the main things he sees that his team needs to sharpen is their consistency.
“There are moments we look like the greatest team on earth, but other times we don’t,” he explained. “We’re excited about this win, but we’re capable of so much more. We have to find whatever it is we’re missing to play a complete four quarters, every drive.”
“The kids are playing their hearts out,” Christensen continued. “It’s us coaches that have to figure out how we can get to where we need to be.”
The Broncos will go back to work this week against a team that will be looking to get back in the win column after a couple losses.
It’s a trip to Bluffdale to take on the Summit Academy Bears in a 2A crossover. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. this Friday, September 5 and you can catch all the action live on Redrock 92 Radio with video on StreamUtah.Live.