ST. GEORGE – When John Matuauto plunged over the goal line with 4:23 remaining in the game, the Flyer faithful could taste the victory over the Desert Hills Thunder. But it wasn’t to be so on that particular Homecoming night. The late Flyer touchdown gave them a 17-14 lead but also left a lot of time on the clock for the Thunder and backup quarterback Porter Harris last Saturday.
 
Harris drove down the field with precision and with 2:13 remaining hit wide receiver Darian Nielson at the 15-yard line. Nielson broke two tackles and shimmied down the sideline and squeezed inside the pylon for the winning touchdown for the Thunder.
 
The Flyers were trailing 14-3 late in the game when the Thunder ball carriers suddenly became fumble prone. Two Desert Hills fumbles led to two Dixie touchdowns and the Flyers led 17-14. The Thunder defeated the Flyers 21-17.
 
Scoring for the Thunder came from running back Mike Needham who ran the ball in from the eight-yard line and also caught a 22-yard pass from Harris for a touchdown.
 
Dixies scoring came from kicker Austin Barker who nailed a field goal from 32 yards out in the first half. Quarterback Blake Barney made a nice run to score a 13-yard touchdown.
 
Desert Hills will next play at Snow Canyon while the Flyers will travel to play Canyon View.

Robert is a professional sports photographer and freelance writer. You can see more photos from this game and other local sporting events at his website www.ASPpix.com. You can also see more of his work at his blog www.stgsportsblog.com. Contact him at [email protected].