Wildcats tear apart Wolverines

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    By Bryce Porter

    The Wasatch Wildcats defeated the Metropolitan Wolverines 40-6 in the first round of the Minor League Football Association playoffs Saturday night, August 7, at the Bruin Bowl in Orem.

    It was the third meeting for the two teams this season in a match-up the Wildcats have dominated, winning by a combined score of 144-31.

    The playoffs continue this Saturday as the Wildcats head to Denver to face the Foothill Division Champion Titans. It will be the first meeting between the teams since July 10 when the Titans won with a late touchdown. After that game, Wildcat defensive line coach Setema Gali Jr. guaranteed a victory in the next meeting between the two teams and reiterated that statement Saturday night.

    “We”re going to win next week,” Gali said. “Discipline is the key. If we do what we are capable of doing, nobody can beat us.”

    In one of the more balanced offensive attacks this year, the Wildcats had 177 yards rushing and 197 yards passing for 374 total yards. Perry Laulu led all backs with a game-high 75 yards and two touchdowns on 10 carries.

    Quarterbacks Stan Parrish and Jeff Wissler threw to nine different players. Darek Giles led the Wildcat receivers with three receptions for 27 yards.

    Wasatch jumped ahead early in the game with two interceptions on the Wolverines” first two possessions. Chris Carter and Mike Devoe both picked off Wolverine quarterback Jason Lechuga to set up the game”s first two scores. Halfback Sim Tiatia finished a short drive with a two-yard touchdown run and Gary Nye kicked a 29-yard field goal. In the second quarter, the defense provided another spark when Bryan Hammond blocked a punt. Laulu then put the Wildcats up 17-0 on a two-yard touchdown run.

    The longest play of the game came with 2:43 before halftime when receiver Joby Bratcher got behind the secondary and Parrish found him over the middle for a 65-yard touchdown to put the Wildcats up 24-0 at the end of the half.

    Consistently strong the entire season, the Wildcat defense pressured Metropolitan quarterbacks Lechuga and Vonne Davis all night, and neither quarterback could settle down. The Wolverine quarterbacks were sacked four times for 52 yards and threw four interceptions. Wasatch”s defense also recovered one Wolverine fumble.

    Assistant coach Everestt Matagi had mixed feelings after the game.

    “I though we played well, but we”ll definitely need to play better to win next week,” he said.

    With 2:49 left in the third quarter, the referees suspended the game after a series of late hits and continued taunting between the two teams. Wildcats head coach Eric Drage spoke with the officials and, after further deliberation, play resumed.

    “There was a lot of chippiness, talking between the guys, and fighting,” Drage said. “We would have lost almost two quarters of play if they cancelled it. I just told the ref to let us talk to our guys and we”ll settle things down.”

    In the second half, the Wildcats added two more touchdowns and one field goal. The lone Metropolitan score came on a 47-yard touchdown pass from Lechuga to Dave Smith early in the fourth quarter.

    The winner of Saturday”s game in Denver will play either the Colorado Springs Flames or the Denver Pirates for the Colorado Football Conference Championship. This year”s CFC championship game will be held at the Bruin Bowl at Mountain View High School in Orem.

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