SALT LAKE CITY – Semi-finals for the 3A Utah state high school football championships were underway at Rice-Eccles Stadium Thursday, and the Pine View Panthers pulled out a last-minute win over the previously undefeated Juan Diego Soaring Eagles.
The Soaring Eagles were 11-0 coming in to the game against the 8-2 Panthers, and Juan Diego jumped out to a quick lead on the second play of the game, when Jessie Springer went down the sideline 68 yards for a touchdown. Juan Diego finished the quarter leading 14-0.
Pine View cut the lead to seven in the second quarter, but Juan Diego scored again on a 60-yard pass from Cole Nelson to Chase Williams. The Panthers gained a 34-28 lead by the fourth quarter, and Juan Diego responded with 14 straight points to make the game 42-34.
With 13 seconds left the Panthers needed a miracle, and they got it on a pass from Kody Wilstead to Tristan Duran—who caught the ball amid three defenders to score on the 51-yard play. Pine View completed the 2-point conversion to take the game to overtime.
Juan Diego was shut down during their first OT possession, and Pine View followed up with a score from a 14-yard pass from Wilstead to Colton Miller to end the game 48-42 for Pine View.
