Park Record, August 23, 2022--Wildcats jump out to early lead, hold off Braves in 38-13 win
The North Summit-South Summit rivalry was renewed once again on the gridiron on Friday night, and South Summit High School earned itself some bragging rights.
South Summit’s football team improved to 2-0 on the season after knocking off rival North Summit 38-13 in Coalville on Friday. The Wildcats poured it on early and cruised to a win on the road.
“Our kids executed really well,” South Summit coach Mike Ruf said on Monday. “The option is hard to defend, and those guys do a good job running it. We were able to stand up as a defense and shut them down for the most part, which is a great success. I think our offense came out firing, and (quarterback Bracken Lassche) looked good. We’ve got a lot of weapons, and it’s starting to show.”
Friday night’s win was a continuation of South Summit’s recent dominance in the rivalry. The Wildcats haven’t lost their annual matchup with North Summit since 2013 and hold a 15-4 record against the Braves since 2004, according to MaxPreps. But one never knows what to expect in a rivalry game.
“We both play up really well to that game,” Ruf said. “I think in years past it’s been very, very close, and I think this was more of an anomaly than anything. I think those boys really play up to this game. And so any time you can get a win against a rival school, it’s fun, it’s exciting. That’s a good, solid win for our program.”
Lassche completed 13 of his 23 passes for 215 yards, three touchdowns and an interception, and he also had a rushing touchdown. Junior Britton Woolstenhulme rushed for 74 yards on 13 carries and recorded both a rushing touchdown and a receiving touchdown. South Summit has outscored its first two opponents 78-21 ahead of its showdown on the road against Marsh Valley (Idaho) on Friday.
Despite the scoreline, Ruf had plenty of praise for North Summit, which is 1-1 after Friday night’s loss.
“They’re good,” Ruf said. “They’re young, we know that going in that they’re a young team. But they’ve got a great group of players. Man, they’re going to be tough for years to come. Jerre Holmes is a great coach, and they run the option. Man, he’s got those kids disciplined and doing what they’re supposed to do.”
While Friday’s game didn’t go to plan, Holmes noted that his young team gained some valuable experience heading into region play. It won’t get any easier for the Braves this week, as they host Layton Christian Academy (1-1) on Friday.
“The fact is that South Summit’s a really good team,” Holmes said on Monday. “They exposed some things on us, and that’s what good teams do. But I was proud of our kids’ effort. We’ve got some improving to do, but in the moment, we did all we could. And that’s all you can ask the kids.”
North Summit scored all 13 of its points in the second half, but the early deficit was too much to overcome. However, the Braves’ effort in the final two quarters showed some tenacity and commitment.
“I think it goes back to, they committed to play hard all four quarters,” Holmes said. “We also recognize that South Summit didn’t have their starting varsity in on our last touchdown, so we’re realistic, too. But the fact that we didn’t let down was a big plus for our maturity and just getting ready for games that are a part of our league.”