The Cowboys faced off against the longtime rival Beaver Beavers in Zion’s Bank Stadium in Herriman, Utah, for the 2023 Semi-Finals. The Beavers started the game off strong, scoring first on a long-sustained drive, followed by a pick-six that felt like the game was going to get out reach quick as the Beavers put up 12 points quickly in the first quarter as the Cowboys weren’t able to find the end zone.
The Cowboys got kicking as Griffen Bone found Kash Kabonic for a beautiful, well-placed 37-yard touchdown throw to make it 12-7. Excitement filled the Herriman air as it turned into a battle quite different from the 35-point loss the Cowboys suffered earlier in the season to the Beavers. The Cowboys were driving again in the blue zone looking to score and take the lead, until an interception ended the drive. Beaver quickly answered back, by tossing a 50- yard half-back pass for a touchdown and with the two-point conversion made the score 20-7 going into the half.
The Cowboys really put a hurt on the Beavers in the second half, keeping them out of the endzone the rest of the game. Midway through the third quarter, Bone found the endzone with his legs this time to make it a one-score game. Both defenses toughened up and wouldn’t allow another score the rest of the game, but it wasn’t without chances. The Cowboys got the ball back with minutes to go, still down seven and a chance to tie or take the lead, but before they found the endzone, a turnover would end the game as the Beavers kneeled as the time expired.
Coach Quarnberg said of the game and season, “it was a crazy year. A lot of kids were able to take advantage of the opportunity to step up and get better. I felt like we gave it everything we had in the semi-final game but came up just short. We will miss this group of seniors as they did a great job leading our program. At the same time, we are excited about the group returning. A big thanks to the Cowboy community for the support.”
