Lions scratch out victory
PLEASANT GROVE -- In a defensive battle, the Briarwood Christian School football team went into Pleasant Grove and came away with a hard-fought, 10-6 win over the Spartans.
The Lions (2-0, 1-0 in Class 5A, Region 4) relied mostly on their ground game, with senior quarterback JR Tran-Reno rushing 23 times for 121 yards and what proved to be the game-winning touchdown with 11 minutes left.
Tran-Reno also threw for 53 yards with one interception. Missing from Friday night’s game was junior running back Luke Prewett, who was replaced by senior running back Alex Key. Key ran for 66 yards on 15 carries.
Tran-Reno and the Lions offense were given excellent field position after the Spartans shanked a punt inside their own 5-yard line, setting up an immediate first-and-goal for Briarwood early in the fourth quarter.
After a six-yard carry, Tran-Reno, a Vanderbilt commit, put the Lions back on top after the Spartans had scored earlier to go up 6-3.
Pleasant Grove quarterback Zyquez Perryman connected with receiver JaMaryon Furlow four times for 93 yards, with three of those four catches going more than 15 yards. Perryman threw for 114 yards and ran for 38 more, adding a touchdown on the ground.
In the third quarter, Perryman and the Spartans offense mixed run and pass plays, moving the ball down the field after starting the drive at their own 30-yard line. The Spartans were helped by a few penalties committed by Briarwood.
On third and 12 from their own 28, the Spartans threw an incomplete pass, but Briarwood was called for defensive pass interference, giving Pleasant Grove the first down. Later on, facing fourth and inches, the Spartans were granted five yards, giving them a first down, after the Lions jumped offsides.
A few plays later, Perryman took it in from five yards out to put the Spartans in the lead, but a blocked PAT kept the score at 6-3.
Just before halftime, Briarwood took a 3-0 lead after Noah Nall hit a field goal as time expired in the first half.
Both teams struggled to put points on the board. In the first quarter, Tran-Reno and the Lions were inside Spartans territory before Tran-Reno’s pass was intercepted by Pleasant Grove’s Joe Jones.
In the second quarter, the Spartans returned a punt sent deep in their own territory to the Briarwood 35-yard line, and had a chance inside the Lions 10-yard line. However, Perryman missed an open receiver on third down, and the Spartans were unable to score on a fourth-down attempt.
Pleasant Grove had one final chance after it took over with just under four minutes to play. Perryman hit Xavier Hill for 23 yards, and, after two offsides penalties by Briarwood, hit Furlow for another 24 yards.
Inside the Briarwood 30-yard line, however, the Spartans were unable to get another first down, and the Lions took over and ran the clock out for a key region victory.
“It’s a region win against a real good team, so we’re thankful to get it,” Briarwood head coach Fred Yancey said. “Both teams played their hearts out.”
To purchase photos from the game, click here.