ST. GEORGE – Jacob Barben passed for four touchdowns and Ammon Ah Quin rushed for three as Dixie defeated Snow Canyon 48-21 in Class 3AA South football action on Friday.
“We thought Jacob Barben could have a big game,” said Dixie coach Andy Stokes. “When they took him away, Ammon Ah Quin stepped up.”
Barben was 25 for 34 for 281 yards. Ah Quin had 28 carries for 181 yards.
With the win, Dixie clinched at least a share of the 3AA South title and the No. 1 seed into the state playoffs later this month.
Dixie (4-0, 5-3) started fast, scoring twice in the first eight minutes of play. Ah Quin had a 2-yard run to cap a five-play, 28-yard drive with 9:06 left in the first quarter after a Snow Canyon turnover. Barben threw a 23-yard pass to Josh Topham to complete a a 10-play, 80-yard drive with 4:02 left in that period. Malakai Fakahua set up the first score when he intercepted Snow Canyon’s Matt Kitchen and returned it to the Warrior 28.
Barben’s other scores went for 35 yards to Topham, for 29 yards to Hobbs Nyberg and for 2 yards to Nate Mahi. Ah Quin’s other scoring runs were for 16 and 8 yards.
Dixie had 519 yards of total offense to 383 for Snow Canyon (1-3, 3-5).
Snow Canyon kept things interesting as Matt Kitchen passed 50 yards to Tyson Deland to make it 14-7 before the first quarter was over. Topham and Nyberg had second quarter scores for the Flyers while Britton Webster and Deland scored to the Warriors to make it 35-21 at the half.
After a scoreless third quarter Dixie pulled away in the fourth, scoring on Nate Mahi’s 2-yard run and Ah Quin’s 8-yarder. Payton Wilgar set up that score by returning an interception to the Warrior 29. Ah Quin rushed three straight times to take the ball into the end zone.
Nyberg was Dixie’s leading receiver with six catches for 68 yards. Topham had five catches for 95 yards and Mahi had five for 41. Payden Harrah had four for 37.
Kitchen passed for 300 yards and had two TDs, but also had three interceptions. Deland had five catches for 149 yards and the two scores. Webster led SC on defense with 11.5 tackles, including 1.5 tackles for loss.
Stats: dixsc10716
For more on this game and the rest of the 3AA South Friday night lights, including video, photos, quotes, stats and insight, go to Saturday Breakdown on St. George News Saturday morning.
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