CaliforniaPreps.com - Eagles escape NU

September 8, 2012

In a match-up that could play out again come playoff time, No. 4 Pleasant Grove used a two point conversion with less than a minute left to beat No. 11 Nevada Union 29-28. Junior wide receiver Wyatt Demps hauled in four touchdowns in the NCP Game of the Week.

Both coaching staffs had decisions to make as the game wound down. Pleasant Grove was within one point of Nevada Union at 28-27 with 33.3 seconds left when it decided to go for two points and the potential win. Lining up in a tight formation with a full backfield, head coach Joe Cattolico called for a play action pass and junior quarterback Deaundre Terrell put just enough touch on the ball to find Tyree Hanson coming out of the backfield off play action.

"I was thinking about going for two. I consulted with my other offensive coaches," Cattolico said. "We felt good about our guys offensively and our ability to convert the two point conversion.

Nevada Union had the chance to retake the lead after quarterback Kyle Cota hit Hank Humphers for 30 yards to set up a 44 yard field goal. The Miners chose to attempt the field goal on the next play with their talented kicker, Braaten Sill, but it was blocked by Demps to seal the game. While the decisions can be debated based on results, both were good decisions based on the situation.

Demps teamed with Terrell for seven catches for 78 yards and four scores as Terrell completed 17 of 20 passes for 196 yards. Demps is a big, lanky target at 6-foot-3 and 180 yards with plenty of room to develop physically in the coming year. He competed well for jump balls and proved to be a good red zone target. He's also a threat to shake off defenders in the open field and will be a NCP Top 50 recruit for the 2014 class. Another passing option is junior Esley Simmons, who found space well in the middle of the field for 68 yards on five catches.

"(Demps) just played fantastic. Obviously, both he and Deaundre really played phenomenally. They've turned into quite a pair. The impressive thing is neither one of them comes off the field ever," Cattolico said. "It says a lot about those two kids and their toughness."

With the running game totaling less than three yards per carry and only three runs of 10 yards or more, the passing game was a needed component on Friday.

Coming off an impressive performance against Grant in week one, Nevada Union got 56 yards on the ground and a number of plays behind the line of scrimmage from Boise State linebacker commit Tanner Vallejo. With his future head coach, Chris Petersen in attendance, Vallejo showcased his closing speed on defense and a good ability to read the action in front of him He made three tackles for loss with another stop at the line of scrimmage and had a pressure on the quarterback. He is a 3-star prospect who fits the bill of the type of player Boise State has made a living off of in recent years.

Others who played well for Nevada Union were Humphers, who had more than 100 yards of total offense, senior defender Terry Graham and junior lineman Davi Pettinato.

The Miners had a good overall performance, but were hurt by penalties. They were flagged seven times for 89 yards and failed to recover an onside kick when leading 14-7 in the second quarter.

Both programs proved to be among the best in Northern California as the early season goes and will compete for league and section titles in tough fields. On this night, it was just enough air under the ball for Terrell which gave Pleasant Grove the upper hand in the first full weekend of September.

Nevada Union: Cota to Davis for 30 yards. 7-0 Nevada Union with 7:44 left in the first quarter

Nevada Union: Vallejo 6 yard run. 14-0 Nevada Union with 1:01 left in the first quarter.

Pleasant Grove: Terrell to Demps for 8 yards. 14-7 Nevada Union with 8:18 left in the second quarter

Pleasant Grove: Terrell to Demps for 11 yards. 14-14 tie with 4:49 left in the second quarter.

Nevada Union: Cota to Austin Marks for 8 yards. 21-14 Nevada Union with 8:33 left in the third quarter

Pleasant Grove: Terrell to Demps for 6 yards. 21-21 tie with 7:29 left in the fourth quarter

Nevada Union: Cota 1 yard run. 28-21 Nevada Union with 2:07 left in the fourth quarter.

Pleasant Grove: Terrell to Demps for 28 yards. (Terrell to Hanson for 2 point conversion) 29-28 Pleasant Grove with 33.3 seconds left in the fourth quarter

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