HOLLADAY – The Spanish Fork football team celebrated like it had just won the 5A state championship.
The Dons, who opened the 2024 season with a 24-20 win over Olympus on Friday, jumped and cheered after the game clock expired. They took photos on the sidelines. They shared the idea that nobody believes in us.
“We were the big underdogs this year,” said Dons senior running back Kaden Vest. “We were considered losers. We like it that way. We like being overlooked.”
It’s understandable why Spanish Fork is so excited about the win in the first game of a long season. Olympus was ranked No. 11 in the KSL.com 20+1 preseason rankings and No. 10 according to MaxPreps.
Spanish Fork finished last season on a five-game losing streak. And to make matters worse, they lost their 2023 opening game to the Titans by three touchdowns.
But the Dons did something on Friday night that they haven’t done in a long time: they defended when it mattered.
Spanish Fork was trailing 20-10 with 7:23 minutes left in the game. Until then, Olympus had everything under control.
Despite giving up a pick six to Spanish Fork in the first quarter, the Titans scored on most of their drives after that. Dillon McAllister converted a 27-yard field goal, Luke Espersen threw a 27-yard touchdown pass to Caden Lloyd and McAllister made a 42-yard field goal before the Dons scored again.
Veteran kicker Breakir Killpack made a 37-yard field goal to cut Olympus’ lead to three, but the Titans answered on the next drive with Espersen’s 20-yard touchdown pass to Max Rice.
From then on, things began to change.
Spanish Fork managed a 12-play, nearly four-minute offensive drive that ended with McKay Smith’s 7-yard touchdown pass to Ammon Giles. That drive also included two Olympus penalties – a personal foul and pass interference – that gave the Dons first downs and prime field position.
“In the second half, we had a couple of breaks and they had a couple of losing streaks,” Spanish Fork coach Dustin Smith said. “So the change in momentum and the way the teams responded to that was the real game today.”
It looked like the Dons were going to attempt an onside kick, but instead they sent the ball to the left. Olympus scooped up the ball, but Spanish Fork forced a fumble and recovered it with 3:45 left and just 30 yards from the end zone.
Five plays later, senior Brock Jacobson, who had put the Dons on the scoreboard with his previous pick six, put his team ahead with a 1-yard rushing touchdown.
However, Olympus still had a chance to win.
James Schlendorf returned the ensuing kickoff to the 41-yard line. Spanish Fork was later assessed a pass interference penalty, which put the Titans at the Dons’ 19-yard line.
Espersen passed into the end zone with less than 30 seconds left in the game, but Bronson Kalauli intercepted the pass and secured the win for Spanish Fork.
“The change in defense was really a pure cultural change from top to bottom,” Smith said.
During the celebration, Vest said that a win against Olympus could pay huge dividends for the rest of the season.
“I think this can really help us,” Vest said. “This is a big win. This is a big team. If we play like we did tonight, I think we can beat anyone.”
