MAGNA — It was a big night all around for the Pine View offense as the Panthers blasted past the home-standing Cyprus Pirates 49-12 Friday night in the western part of Salt Lake Valley. PV gained 502 yards and scored on four different plays of 37 yards or longer in the game.
It is difficult to top the performance put in by first-year Panther quarterback Ryan Javines against Cyprus. Javines completed 67 percent of his passes for 153 yards, threw for two touchdowns and ran for a third.
Difficult, but not impossible. Teammate and Panther running back Jacob Mpungi complemented Javines’s numbers with mind-boggling stats of his own. Mpungi gained 193 yards rushing on 19 carries. He matched Javines with three touchdowns of his own.
Pine View scored on five of its first seven possessions. The score was quickly 14-0 on a Javines 5-yard keeper and later a touchdown pass from Javines to Michael Moten. Cyprus got a glimmer of hope when Soujah Gasu returned a kickoff for 97 yards to end the first quarter down 14-6.
But Pine View would score twice more in the first two minutes of the second. The first came on a Mpungi run from 29-yards out. After recovering a loose ball on the ensuing kickoff, Javines found Lance Mandrigues with a 46-yard touchdown strike.
Cyprus got another touchdown to pull within 28-12, but Mpungi scored on the next play from scrimmage with a 95-yard run to break the Pirates’ backs going into intermission.
Mpungi scored again on the Panthers first possession after halftime on a 13-yard run. Pine View had their subs in by the end of the third quarter.
Backup running back Kyson Certonio added a touchdown for Pine View in the fourth to round out the scoring.
Pine View outgained the Pirates 503-159. The Panther defense allowed only one score as the other Cyprus touchdown came on special teams. The Pirates had just eight first downs.
Linebacker Zach Spendlove led the Panthers with five solo tackles. Fellow LB Christian Reis and lineman Brooks Maile soloed or assisted on seven tackles apiece.
Pine View, 4-0, will return home to host Dixie next Friday night in the 3AA South Region-opener. The Flyers beat the Panthers twice last season, including a 28-23 Dixie win in the state quarterfinals.
Stats: pvcyp9916
For more on this game and the rest of the 3AA South Friday night lights, including photos, quotes, stats and insight, go to Saturday Breakdown on St. George News.
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @oldschoolag
Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2016, all rights reserved.