ST. GEORGE — Friday night’s 4A football state semifinal matchup featured the Dixie Flyers and the Sky View Bobcats at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. Following is the frequently updated article that was written as the livestream was being broadcast by KSL on the WATCHit network.

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Updated Nov. 16, 8 a.m. with a gallery of photos from the game, courtesy of Cache Valley Daily.

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First quarter

Dixie’s Tyler Walden receives opening kickoff, but the Flyers start from their own 4-yard line after a blocking penalty moves them back. Walden snags a 10-yard reception from Reggie Graff to give the Flyers a bit more breathing room. Dixie continues moving the ball upfield, getting past midfield on yet another pass reception for a first down. Walden with another first-down catch that brings Flyers to the Bobcat 32-yard line. There’s 8:21 left in first quarter. Walden with another reception to Sky View 21. First down and Dixie’s in the red zone.

Preston Moore runs with the ball, reaches 9 yard line. Moore then takes it inside the 1, just shy of the goal line. Moore tries again, but Bobcat defenders stop him.

Then, on third and 1, Graff fakes a handoff to Moore and punches it in himself. for a TD. PAT kick good with 5:50 left in first quarter, Flyers ahead 7-0.

Sky View starts at their own 20, gets a reception for a first down.

Sky View faced 3rd and 7 but were aided by a 5-yard penalty and ended up getting the first down. Bobcats have nearly reached the 50 yard line.

Trick reverse play results in a 50-yard pass from Mason Falslev to receiver Scout Morris, taking Bobcats to Dixie’s 5-yard line with first and goal. On second and 9, Sky View quarterback Kason Carlsen runs it into the end zone for a TD, with ensuing PAT tying up the score 7-7 with under 2:00 left in first quarter.

Graff, under pressure, threw an interception, after which Sky View strikes with yet another halfback pass from Mason Falslev, this one to Brigham Lewis into the end zone for a 16-yard TD, putting Flyers up 14-7 with 11 seconds left in first quarter.

Second quarter

Graff connects with Keaton Schweitzer for a 39-yard reception down the right side of the field. Dixie enters the red zone again. A couple plays later, Graff finds Walden in the end zone for a 20-yard TD catch, despite double coverage. PAT kick ties up the score 14-14 early in second quarter.

Methodical Bobcats continue to move the ball offensively, again reaching past midfield and into Dixie territory. The drive stalls at that point, and Bobcats make first punt of the game, which rolls down to the 1-yard line. Dixie takes over with 99 yards to go.

Under pressure in end zone, southpaw Graff connects with Schweitzer to get the first down. Another catch by Treyce Simmons gets Flyers to the 29-yard line.

Flyers got the first down, then picked up another one on a pass-interference penalty to reach the 50. However, Graff is sacked for a loss on the next play.

On 3rd and 21, Walden pulls in another catch for a first down, as Dixie’s drive continues with 4:20 left in first half.

Two short gains and it’s 3rd and 7 on Sky View’s 32-yard line. Sky View is whistled for pass interference on the ensuing pass play, giving Flyers the first down on the Bobcat 17.

Alex Maycock with a reception to the 6-yard line. Preston Moore then scores on a rushing TD, assisted by teammates who appeared to carry and/or push him into the end zone. PAT kick puts Dixie up 21-14 with just over 2 minutes left in second quarter.

Bobcats promptly advance past midfield again, aided by a personal-foul penalty on a pass defense play. Bobcats now at Dixie’s 35 with just over a minute remaining.Walden breaks up a pass, and Sky View calls time out with 59 seconds left, 3rd down and 10. The Bobcats picked up the first down. Ball on 24 yard line. Now second and 1 with 44 seconds left, and Sky View uses their last timeout of the first half.

Sky View advances to the 14, then to the 2 on successive plays, then Carlsen punches it the final 2 yards into the end zone for the tying score. PAT makes it 21-21 with 28 seconds left in first half.

The teams head into the halftime locker rooms deadlocked.

Third quarter

Bobcats receive kickoff, return it to their own 23, but 10-yard penalty backs them up to the 13 to start their drive. Three plays later, it’s fourth and 1, with Dixie making a key third-down stop.

Following a Bobcat punt, Dixie takes over at midfield. Flyers appear to go for it on 4th and 6, but Graff ends up punting it away to the Sky View 20.

Bobcats pick up about a 30-yard pass to reach midfield, then another first down bringing them to Dixie’s 31-yard line.

With 6:44 left, Sky View scores on a 27-yard TD reception from Carlsen to Lewis, putting Bobcats ahead 28-21.

Dixie’s next drive is interrupted after a few plays when Sky View’s Traeson Martindale picks off a Graff pass near the left sideline, giving the Bobcats back the ball in Dixie territory.

Sky View calls time out on fourth and 4 with 4:20 left in third, with the ball on Dixie’s 42.

Sky View tries a fake punt play, appears to get the first down, but Bobcats called for a holding penalty. Now with 4th and 15, they punt it for real, and Dixie will take over at its own 21.

Graff picks up a rushing first down, but is stopped for a short loss on next play.

Graff scrambles, picks up a key first down with less than a minute left in the third.

Moore picks up about another 20 yards on a run up the middle, giving Flyers another first down as third quarter ends.

Fourth quarter

With ball just inside Sky View’s 40, Dixie’s looking to pull even once again. Graff advances it to the 35, but two long passes on third and fourth down fall incomplete, and Dixie turns ball over on downs. Sky View takes over with about 10:30 left in fourth and a seven-point lead.

Bobcats push the ball to midfield, then Falslev breaks a loose for a 51-yard TD run up the right sideline, putting Bobcats ahead 35-21 with 8:50 left in fourth.

Dixie can’t move ball on its next possession, with Graff’s long third-down pass just going past the fingertips of Treyce Simmons.

A muffled punt gives Sky View the ball back inside Dixie’s 30.

Dixie almost picks off the ball. A couple plays later, Sky View ends up punting ball into the end zone for a touchback, and Flyers will get another chance with just over 6 minutes remaining.

Sky View sacks Graff, who is forced to punt the ball back to midfield on fourth and 20. After a penalty, it’s Bobcat ball once again on their own 36 with 4:42 left. Falslev gets another major run, bringing the ball to the Dixie 22. Falslev then runs it up the middle and into the end zone for a 22-yard TD on the next play. It’s now 42-21 Sky View with 4:25 remaining.

Dixie can’t advance the ball on its next possession, coming up empty-handed on fourth and long. Sky View takes over on downs with just over 3 minutes left.

Sky View immediately advances the ball to the 9-yard line on a long run, then quarterback Carlsen picks up the final 9 yards for a TD on the next play. Sky View has now scored four unanswered second-half TDs to pull away from Dixie, 49-21.

Dixie’s final possession ends with the Flyers advancing the ball just past the 50, then Moore picking up a few more yards on a run up the middle.

Game summary

Although the two teams battled to a 21-21 tie in the first half, the Sky View Bobcats pulled away from the Dixie Flyers by scoring four unanswered touchdowns in the second half to win Friday night’s 4A semifinal contest, 49-21.

Sky View senior Mason Falslev finished the game with two rushing TDs. He also threw for another and had a key interception in the first half.

Dixie’s Reggie Graff, Preston Moore, and Tyler Walden each scored a touchdown in the first half, but the Bobcats’ stifling defense kept the Flyers off the board throughout the second half.

Sky View’s victory puts the Bobcats in the state 4A title game next weekend, where they’ll face top-seeded Park City. The Miners defeated Region 9’s Pine View Panthers 48-21 at the University of Utah Thursday night to advance to the championship game.

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