Arbor View bounces back from loss in opener, batters Orem (Utah)

Arbor View’s football team rebounded from last week’s disappointing loss at Liberty by taking out its aggression on Orem (Utah) in a 31-6 home win Friday night.

The fourth-ranked Aggies (1-1) bullied Orem in a physical battle that saw Arbor View’s field littered with penalty flags throughout the night. While Arbor View outgained the Tigers 356 yards to 208, the teams combined for 30 penalties — 15 in each half.

“They were consistently throwing penalties on both sides,” Arbor View coach Dan Barnson said. “What I’ve kind of learned is just, be calm. Be calm. Be as calm as you can. And I’ve got to calm some of the guys behind me, because (the referees) are going win, and they’re right when they throw the flag. The less we talk, the less they’re going to throw the flag and we’re going to cooperate.”

After seeing Andrew Wagner ejected during the game’s first series, and then running back Jaquari Hannie fumbling the ball away a few plays later, the Aggies calmed themselves long enough to thwart Orem’s drive, as Cameron Phillips scooped up a fumble and raced 66 yards for a touchdown.

After forcing the Tigers (0-3) to punt on their next possession, Arbor View switched its game plan from its traditional double-wing offense. Quarterback Hayden Bollinger displayed his passing skills in a 10-play drive that ended with Carter Andrade’s 27-yard field goal to put the Aggies up, 10-0.

Bollinger finished 7-for-15 for 100 yards and one touchdown, a 35-yard strike to Deago Stubbs in the second quarter to push Arbor View’s lead to 17-0.

“We just had to keep our heads up after last week,” Bollinger said. “We went out every play grinding and pounding, putting the ball in the air. We just came out here and played football as a family tonight.”

While Stubbs accounted for 101 yards on offense (51 rushing, 50 receiving), 10 different players rushed for Arbor View. Zach Melson led the way with 73 yards on eight carries, including a 35-yard touchdown run late in the first half to extend the Aggies’ lead to 24-0.

Hannie made up for his early fumble by finishing with 64 yards on 12 carries, including a 10-yard touchdown that put the Aggies up 31-0 late in the third quarter.

On the other side of the ball, the Aggies continued to frustrate the Tigers at the line of scrimmage, led by defensive tackle Greg Rogers. Arbor View held the Tigers to only 18 yards rushing and 208 yards overall.

Orem’s lone score came with 6:31 left in the game when quarterback Brooks Ringer hit Cooper Legas on a short screen, and Legas broke free to complete the catch-and-run for a 32-yard touchdown reception.

Arbor View didn’t allow the Tigers to get any closer, stopping Orem on its next two possessions to seal the victory.

“Everybody was fired up for this game,” Rogers said. “That upset last week really hurt, a lot of that stuck with a lot of our guys, it’s going to stick with us throughout the whole season. I wouldn’t be surprised if we can finish (games) like that every single week. Now we’re focusing on Foothill.”

The Aggies host Foothill (1-1) next Friday at 7 p.m.