WYOMING

When Lone Tree quarterback Emmett  Burke finished off a 48-yard scoring run against Midland on September 13, he extended his arms in an emotional celebration in the end zone.

And why not?

The touchdown had given the Lions a 26-6 lead in a game they were dominating. The Lions scored four touchdowns in the second quarter alone.  Burke’s scoring run, his second of the game, came on a fourth-down play when the Lions faked a punt, Burke found an opening in Midland’s defense and took off for the end zone.

The Lions scored every time they had the ball in the second quarter. Just a minute after Burke’s touchdown jaunt, a fumble recovery by defensive lineman McKoy Boardman led to another Lions touchdown. Life was sweet.

And then the second half happened.

Midland quarterback Anthony Harrington connected with receiver Kael Cress five times for touchdowns, including a 56-yarder on the game’s final play.

Time simply ran out on a 50-40 Lone Tree victory, but there was little joy coming out of the Lions’ postgame huddle.

“We just seemed like we were content at halftime,” Lone Tree head coach Joe Donovan said. “And I told them not to be. We came out and played content. Three penalties in a row, three seniors. … We have over 200 yards in penalties and how many fumbled snaps. It’s just ridiculous.”

The third and fourth quarters resembled a boxing match between two slugging heavyweights, one long play being matched by the other. Among them: a 62-yard scoring run by Lone Tree’s Maddox Jondle and a 31-yard touchdown pass from Harrington to Cress in the first minute of the second half.

Lone Tree looked to get the last punch in when, with 26 seconds left in the game, Brody Magruder caught a scoring pass from Burke to make the score 50-34.

Then, on the last play of the game, Harrington hit Cress for a fifth touchdown pass.

For the Lions, the play ruined the moment.

Donovan said he told his players in a length postgame talk: “Guys, you’re so close to being good and you don’t even realize it.”

Burke ran for two touchdowns and passed for four TDs. Junior receiver Domonic Garcia caught three TD passes for a combined 75 yards in the second quarter. Jondle had a pair of rushing TDs, doubling his season total to 4.

GAME SUMMARY

LONE TREE 50, MIDLAND 40

Lone Tree    6    26     6    12  --  50

Midland       0      8    13   19  --  40

LT: Emmett Burke 2 run (kick failed)

LT: Domonic Garcia 31 pass from Burke (Kaden Sojka kick)

LT: Garcia 15 pass from Burke (Sojka kick)

M: Anthony Harrington 69 run (run conversion)

LT: Burke 48 run (kick failed)

LT: Garcia 29 pass from Burke (pass failed)

M: Kael Cress 31 pass from Harrington (kick failed)

LT: Maddox Jondle 2 run (run failed)

M: Cress 17 pass from Harrington (Harrington kick)

M: Cress 10 pass from Harrington (Harrington kick)

LT: Jondle 62 run (kick failed)

M: Cress 9 pass from Harrington (run failed)

LT: Brody Magruder 29 pass from Burke (pass failed)

M: Cress 56 pass from Harrington

Next game: Springville (2-2) at Lone Tree (2-1), 7 p.m. Friday