Delta got off to a hot start in its 2A semifinal against Summit Academy, which it desperately needed.
The early boost was enough for the Rabbits to clinch their first championship appearance since 2016, as they beat the Bears 21-14 on Friday.
Delta dominated its first drive and easily got into the end zone. Then on the first play of its second drive after a stop, Jacen Johnson had a 68-yard touchdown reception from Bodey Shurtz for an early 14-0 lead.
“We knew we needed to start fast because this team is very physical and they seem to get better and better as the game goes on,” said Delta head coach Denton Peterson.
“We really had the plan that we needed to start fast and try to get a little bit of a cushion, and it worked out, luckily.”
Meanwhile, Summit Academy struggled to get much offense going as the Delta defense kept the Bears from any significant yardage.
Summit Academy had a strong chance to score after the defense forced a fumble, but then the Rabbits forced one right back once the Bears got to the 1-yard line.
Tannon Horner did put Summit Academy on the board in the second quarter, but Shurtz made it a 21-7 lead with a touchdown run just before halftime.
But then came a significant scoring drought for Delta.
Summit Academy started playing much more physically and completely shut the Rabbits out in the second half as the offense looked to get the Bears back in the game.
Summit Academy had two good drives to start the second half. Both times, they moved the ball well down into Delta’s territory and threatened to score.
However, it doesn’t matter how far you go in a drive if you can’t finish it off, and Delta’s defense knew it.
In both of those drives, the Rabbits came up with interceptions in the end zone to keep their 14-point cushion alive.
“Our defense was solid all night,” Peterson said. “Our whole idea and mindset has always been we want to outhit everybody that we can. That’s just been the tradition at Delta for a long time.
“Our (defensive backs) played tough, stepped up in big moments. We knew that they had some explosive receivers and we knew we weren’t going to stop them, but we thought we could make them work for it.”
While the Rabbit defense kept coming up with big plays, the offense couldn’t move the ball as it did in the first half and Summit Academy finally made it a game with just under six minutes left as Rigby Young found Brayden Dieters for a 33-yard touchdown.
The Bears defense then went and got a stop to give their offense a chance to win the game, but unfortunately for them, Johnson picked them off for the third time in the second half to seal the game.
It’s a huge win for Delta, which is headed to the 2A championship game for the first time in a decade. It also has a chance to end a 25-year championship drought.
“This is the first time since (2016) that we’ve been back, and that’s big,” Peterson said. “It’s big for the school. It’s big for the community. It’s been fun this year to watch what that does to reignite a community that’s always loved football and has always been behind it.”
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