Sumner defense dominates, stuffs third-ranked Auburn Mountainview in 31-12 win

All week, Sumner High School football coach Keith Ross preached confidence to his team. He knew they would be the first to hand third-ranked Auburn Mountainview a loss.

His own confidence only slightly wavered Friday morning.

Then Ross’ 10th-ranked Spartans shut down the Lions’ vaunted attack, limiting them to one offensive score — on Auburn Mountainview’s opening drive — and won 31-12 at Sunset Chev Stadium in Sumner.

“Today the nerves started happening, ‘Can we really do this today?’ ” Ross said. “Only one touchdown? That’s … we’re good.”

Sumner (4-0, 2-0 3A SPSL) changed its defense this week from a 4-4 to a 3-6 to combat Auburn Mountainview (3-1, 2-1) and its state passing leader Gresch Jensen, who is committed to the University of Montana.

Ross said he instructed his defensive backs to play five yards off and be physical, even if it led to a few defensive holding and pass interference penalties.

“I told our kids, ‘(The penalties don’t) matter.’ We got to be five yards off and we got to be physical,” Ross said.

It appeared to catch the Lions off guard. Jensen threw an interception and twice fumbled, including one that Sumner’s Kolby Nikolaisen returned 69 yards for a touchdown before halftime to put Sumner up 24-12.

“We’ve been running a 4-4 for like 20 years. That’s all we have ran,” Sumner junior running back and cornerback Connor Wedington said. “And we come out in a 3-6. Their offense was shocked, their coaches were shocked. But holding them to 12? That’s better than I thought we were going to do.”

Wedington sparked Sumner’s offense with 20 carries for 110 yards and two touchdowns, including a 33-yard TD run to put Sumner ahead 14-12 after Auburn Mountainview had taken the lead on Bitner Wilson’s 25-yard fumble return.

Two Auburn Mountainview possessions later, the Lions drove to the Sumner 31 with 35 seconds remaining in the first half when Nikolaisen stripped Jensen. It bounced off the senior quarterback and into Nikolaisen’s arms, and he ran it the 69 yards to the end zone.

It was the second fumble return for a touchdown Nikolaisen has recorded in four games this season.

“The ball bounced off (Jensen’s) knee, went right into my hands — the rest is history,” Nikolaisen said.

Auburn Mountainview entered the game having scored 150 points in its previous three games. Jensen had thrown for 952 yards with just two interceptions and 15 incomplete passes (52 of 67).

Jensen was 15 of 40 passing on Friday for 158 yards and an interception. He scored Auburn Mountainview’s lone touchdown on its opening drive, rushing from a yard out.

“They were physical up front and we just struggled to move the ball,” Auburn Mountainview coach Jared Gervais said. “It was a tough game for us. Obviously we have a lot to learn from and a lot to get better at. So we are excited to watch the film tomorrow.”

Jensen was ejected late in the game after Wedington’s 21-yard run on Sumner’s final drive. That came after AMV’s Gavin Robertson, who is committed to Arizona, was ejected four plays earlier.

Gervais said he will appeal the ejections, which would force each of them to miss next week’s game against Auburn Riverside.

“I think (the referees) got a little overzealous,” Gervais said.

Ross said he hopes this win was just the jolt his defense needed.

“I knew our defense was good and I challenged them this week about, ‘If you want to be an elite defense, you got to beat an elite team,’ ” Ross said.

And they did Friday.

A – Gresch Jensen 2 run (kick failed)

S – Nick Phillips 30 field goal

S – Tre Weed 49 pass from Luke Ross (Phillips kick)

A – Bitner Wilson 25 fumble return (pass failed)

S – Connor Wedington 33 run (Phillips kick)

S – Kolby Nikolaisen 69 fumble return (Phillips kick)

S – Wedington 1 run (Phillips kick)

This story was originally published September 25, 2015 at 11:08 PM with the headline "Sumner defense dominates, stuffs third-ranked Auburn Mountainview in 31-12 win."