Game Summary/Box Score – 2008 AAA CHAMPIONSHIP
June 28, 2008 Cache Valley Bears vs. Utah Wolverines @ Juan Diego Catholic High School

CACHE VALLEY BEARS “GRINDS”THEIR WAY TO RMFL CHAMPIONSHIP; DEFENSIVE BIG PLAYS AND GAME MVP, JOHNNY GRAY KEY TO FIRST CHAMPIONSHIP

    VS.

AAA Championship Photo Gallery

SALT LAKE CITY – Johnny Gray just wanted it too badly.

Scoring two touchdowns and rushing for more than 125 yards was not enough. With the Bears poised at third and goal on the Wolverine 1-yard line in an unprecedented 3rd overtime of the Championship game of the RMFL, the Bears needed to score. Gray took the handoff from quarterback, Ryan Harris and leapt up and over the pile of players pinched in near the goal line and as Gray broke the plane, the Bears were one defensive stop from pulling off the first championship victory by a #5 seed in RMFL history.

Which they did.

The Cache Valley Bears, behind the legs of Gray (24 rushes, 128 yards and 3 touchdowns) who was unanimously named the game’s MVP by broadcasters present and an opportunistic defense that returned two Wolverine turnovers for touchdowns, “gutted out” the most incredible Championship victory in league history 34-28 in triple overtime.

Both teams came into the game with diametrically opposite game plans… and both worked.

The Bears came into the game planning on featuring Gray who handled the rock 24 times and had big runs including the games first touchdown early in the second quarter to put the Bears up 7-0.  Gray also had the final score in regulation, to pull the Bears even at 28-28.  The Wolverines came in to pass. Wolverine quarterback, Charlie Peterson, tossed up 49 passes, completing 26 of them for 291 yards and 3 touchdowns… rather successful day for any quarterback.  However, after Johnny Gray leaped across for the first score in three overtimes, Peterson and the Wolverine passing attack let them down.  After 4 straight incomplete passes, the Bears had captured the RMFL championship in only their third season.

Other game stars included Wolverine all-star receiver, Joe Mapson, who caught 8 passed for 93 yards and a score… and would have been the game MVP had the Wolverines pulled out the victory.

Cache Valley’s Ben Moa, was a “man among boys” , catching 5 passes for 91 yards, including a nifty 27-yard reception, that including leaping the tackle of would-be Wolverine tackler, Shawn Kelly, and getting 20 yards beyond.

Wolverine tailback, Mike Culpepper, also had a solid day, rushing 10 times for 69 yards and contributed well from the Wolverine ground attack.

But ultimately, the Bears defense stepped up; shutting out the Utah Wolverines for 3 straight overtime periods to capture the RMFL title.

Who better to lead that defensive charge than team GM and all-star defensive tackle, Vaea Fiefia.  Fiefia, was active all over the field and even lead the Bears with 5 tackles. Joining Fiefia in the defensive leadership department were veteran ex-Rhino-Raider mates, Levine and Jay Tupe.  Levine also had 5 tackles and Jay had 4 tackles, including a sack.  But perhaps the biggest defensive story were two defensive scores by the Bear defense.

The first came midway through the second quarter, when Charlie Peterson overthrew his intended target, Joe Mapson, and Tuitagaloa pulled the ball down and turned on the afterburners past charging Wolverines all the way for a 53-yard touchdown return.  The second, and even more exciting, was a play in which, Wolverine receiver, Rich Garden caught a first down pass on a crossing route from Peterson and lost control of the ball on a tackle deep inside Bear territory.  Lawrence Lovelace was “Johnny on the spot (no pun intended)” and scooped up the football and raced 76-yards along the Bears sideline as many Wolverines seemed to believe the play to be dead.

The Wolverines did display their own version of dynamic star players as well,  proving that they do, in fact have the best linebacker trio in the league.  Brady Nielson, lead all with 9 tackles, while Matt Shoda and Roger Shulze were active and aggressive with 7 and 6 tackles respectively.

Gray’s 3 touchdown runs and two Bear defensive scores trumped a strong day by Peterson, Mapson and company and the Bears bring back the RMFL title to Logan, Utah,

 

Cache Valley Bears

0

14

7

13

34

Utah Wolverines

0

14

14

0

28

 

 
Scoring Summary:


Second Quarter:

Cache Valley: Gray 19-yard run (Frokjer kick) 10:59

Utah Wolverines: Peterson 1-yard run (Whetman kick) 7:21

Cache Valley: Tuitagaloa 53-yard interception return (Frokjer kick) 5:12
Utah Wolverines: Ofengaue 15-yard pass from Peterson (Whetman kick) 2:06


Third Quarter:

Cache Valley: Lovelace 76-yard fumble return (Frokjer kick) 4:14

Utah Wolverines: Seely 5-yard pass from Peterson (Whetman kick) 0:24

Utah Wolverines: Mapson 27-yard pass from Peterson (Whetman kick) 0:06


Fourth Quarter:

Cache Valley: Gray 17-yard run (Frokjer kick) 9:06

 


3rd Overtime:

Cache Valley: Gray 1yard run (pass failed)

 

 

CACHE VALLEY

WOLVERINES

 

First Downs

13

19

 

Rushes-Yds

37

182

21

91

 

Passing

14--24--1

26-49-2

 

Passing Yds.

169

291

 

Sacked-Yds

2

13

1

12

 

Net Passing Yds.

156

279

 

Total Yds.

338

370

 

Punts - Avg.

2-33.0

2-36.0

 

Penalties -Yds

6

55

9

65

 

Fumbles - Lost

3

2

3

2

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Individual Stats:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rushing:

 

 

 

 

 

Player -Team

Tot. Att.

Tot. Yds

TD's

2 pts.

 

Johnny Gray - Cache Valley

24

128

3

0

 

Pete Shields - Cache Valley

7

27

0

0

 

Ryan Harrios - Cache Valley

5

25

0

0

 

Nate Jackson - Cache Valley

1

2

0

0

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mike Culpepper - Wolverines

10

69

0

0

 

Tavita Makalo - Wolverines

3

14

0

0

 

Charlie Peterson - Wolverines

6

9

1

0

 

Jace Wilson - Wolverines

1

0

0

0

 

Jon Jensen - Wolverines

1

-1

0

0

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Passing:

 

 

 

 

 

Player

Comp.

Att.

Yds

TD's

Int.

Ryan Harris - Cache Valley

14

24

169

0

1

 

 

 

 

 

 

Charlie Peterson - Wolverines

26

49

291

3

2

 

 

 

 

 

 

Receiving:

 

 

 

 

 

Player

Recepts.

Yards

Td's

2 pts.

 

Ben Moa - Cache Valley

5

91

0

0

 

Billy Case - Cache Valley

6

46

0

0

 

Norvel Young - Cache Valley

3

32

0

0

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Joe Mapson - Wolverines

8

93

1

0

 

Tevita Ofengaue - Wolverines

2

35

1

0

 

Dean Fountaine - Wolverines

3

38

0

0

 

Rich Garden - Wolverines

4

42

0

0

 

Ryan Seely - Wolverines

2

20

1

0

 

Jon Jensen - Wolverines

1

13

0

0

 

Tony Saunders - Wolverines

4

34

0

0

 

Tavita Makalo - Wolverines

1

10

0

0

 

Damon Greenberry - Wolverines

1

6

0

0

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Defense:

 

 

 

 

 

Player

Tackles

Sacks

Intercepts

TD's

 

Vaea Fiefia - Cache Valley

5

0

0

0

 

Levine Tupe - Cache Valley

5

0

0

0

 

Jay Tupe - Cache Valley

4

1

0

0

 

Eric Sobolewski - Cache Valley

3.5

0

0

0

 

Lawrence Lovelace - Cache Valley

3

0

0

1

 

Dan Sundstrom - Cache Valley

3

0

0

0

 

Nate Tuitagaloa - Cache Valley

2.5

0

1

1

 

Mike Pierce – Cache Valley

2

0

0

0

 

Jeremy Crookston - Cache Valley

1.5

0

0

0

 

Rasheed Smith - Cache Valley

1.5

0

0

0

 

Nate Jackson - Cache Valley

1

0

0

0

 

Walter Fiefia - Cache Valley

1

0

0

0

 

Carlos Nuno - Cache Valley

1

0

0

0

 

Josh Miller - Cache Valley

1

0

0

0

 

Kerry Sheperd - Cache Valley

1

0

0

0

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Brady Nielsen - Wolverines

9

0

0

0

 

Matt Shoda - Wolverines

7

0

0

0

 

Roger Shulze - Wolverines

6

1

0

0