Tiger Football 3-peats

The Tiger Football team made its third consecutive State Championship Game appearance this year. Let’s recap how the Tigers got there and how they performed under the lights at Rice-Eccles Stadium.

Orem came into the 5A Tournament as the 12th seed out of 25. They received this rank from the new UHSAA RPI Playoff selection algorithm after going 5-4, 4-1 in Region VII play.

[/media-credit] Cayden Viertel carries the ball during the 1st Round Football Game vs Viewmont. 10/25/19.

In the 1st Round, Orem dominated the Viewmont Vikings 66-6 at Tiger Stadium. It was also the 1st time we saw Micah Fe’a start as quarterback since the Bishop Gorman game. This game was over at halftime with the score 56-0. Highlight plays included a 43-yard TD pass from Micah Fe’a to Jakob Robinson and two pick-sixes: one by Buju Tuisavura and another by Noah Sewell just before the half.

The next week featured a “jungle throwdown” between the Brighton Bengals and the Tigers up in Cottonwood Heights. Cayden Viertel started off the scoring with an 8 yard TD-run and continued to run over the Bengals finishing with 79 yards on 12 carries and a TD. Jakob Robinson picked off the Bengals on their first drive and Orem’s defense continued to dominate the game holding Brighton to 3 points in the first half. A Noah Sewell rushing TD added to Orem’s lead 14-3 in the third. A big 60-yard scoop and score fumble recovery touchdown by Sewell sealed the deal as the defensive showdown ended 21-6.

The quarterfinal posed Orem against the Olympus Titans. This was by far the closest game on the road to the State Championship. At the half Orem trailed 14-10 after multiple punts. They scored on a Noah Sewell rushing TD and a Moses Ruiz field goal. The Tigers went off in the 3rd quarter scoring 21 unanswered points. A big Buju Tuisavura rushing TD gave Orem the lead 17-14. Then a 34-yard TD reception by Jaxon Williams pushed the lead to 24-14. Following a Jakob Robinson interception, Orem capitalized with an 80-yard TD pass to Cayden Viertel from Fe’a, 31-14. Those 31 points would hold up against an Olympus comeback attempt that fell short 31-28. In the final 2 minutes, Orem fumbled and gave Olympus one last drive which stalled inside the 10-yard line as the Titans fumbled back. QB Micah Fe’a had a great game and ended up with 242 yards and 2 TDs while maintaining an 80% completion rate.

[/media-credit] The Orem Student Section at the Semi-Final Game vs Salem Hills. 11/14/19.

The semifinal was the first Tiger game at Rice-Eccles Stadium this year. Orem faced a former Region X foe, Salem Hills. The Skyhawks couldn’t contain the explosive Tiger offense on the ground or in the air. The effort was led by Noah Sewell’s 3 rushing TDs and Micah Fe’a’s 3 passing TDs. Both Jakob Robinson and Buju Tuisavura had an interception. The final score was 51-14 as Orem beat Salem Hills for the third year in a row, the first time in the playoffs.

Looking for the three-peat State Championship Orem went into Rice-Eccles for the 6th game in 3 years, their record there 5-0. Coach Hill called Rice-Eccles the Tiger’s “second home” and had confidence in his team leading into the rematch against the Timpview Thunderbirds whom they had beat earlier in the season, 28-10 at home.

The State Championship game started off with a bang as Timpview marched their way down to Orem’s 24-yard line. The Thunderbirds went for it on 4th down but the Tigers forced a turnover on downs and then capitalized with a touchdown on the ensuing drive via a 70-yard Jaxon Williams receiving touchdown. The rest of the 1st half was a defensive struggle featuring two turnovers by both teams. Joe Smith made a huge interception in the endzone preventing a Thunderbird touchdown and preserving Orem’s 7-0 lead at the half. In the third quarter, both teams fumbled once, but it led to no scoring by either team. The Timpview fumble was recovered by Tauhi Tupola. Orem got their final two touchdowns on the ground, the first by Noah Sewell and the second by Cayden Viertel which capitalized on a Brody Monson interception. The Tigers allowed one score by Timpview in the fourth, but a second Monson interception finished the game as Orem was able to run out the clock.

Congratulations to the 5A State Champion Orem Golden Tigers from The Tiger Times!