The Manti Templars are taking a road trip to square off against the North Sanpete Hawks at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, these teams will really light up the scoreboard.
On Friday, Manti earned a 38-28 victory over San Juan.
Tala Taulapapa
| 09/26/25 vs San Juan | 225 |
| 09/19/25 vs Richfield | 32 |
| 09/12/25 @ Cedar | 110 |
| 09/05/25 vs Juab | 130 |
| 08/29/25 @ Grantsville | 51 |
| + 2 more games |
Tala Taulapapa continued his habit of posting crazy stat lines, rushing for 225 yards and a pair of TDs while picking up 8.3 yards per carry, and also picking up 32 receiving yards and one touchdown. With that strong performance, he is now averaging an impressive 103.7 rushing yards per game. Manti also got help from Isaiah Wright, who showed off his sure hands for 86 receiving yards.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: Manti was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 274 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've managed all season.
Manti didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off three passes before the game was over. It was truly a group effort as Carter Mason, Stone Mortensen, and Wright picked up one apiece. Mason also passed for three passing touchdowns, which is notable because Manti is 3-1 when he posts at least three passing touchdowns, but 1-2 otherwise.
Meanwhile, you can't lose the game if you win every quarter, and that was precisely North Sanpete's strategy against Carbon on Friday. Given that consistent dominance, it should come as no surprise that the Hawks blew the Dinos out of the water with a 45-10 final score. The result was nothing new for the Hawks, who have now won three games by 35 points or more so far this season.
Manti better focus on containing Maddox Madsen and Ayden Akee as the pair were huge in North Sanpete's win. Madsen threw for 139 yards and one TD while completing 76.9% of his passes, while Akee rushed for 87 yards and one score.
Special teams was a major factor in the game for North Sanpete, racking up 15 points in total. The biggest highlight from special teams (and perhaps the team as a whole) came courtesy of Seth Burningham, who ran a punt back for a touchdown.
North Sanpete's win was their fourth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 5-2. The road victories came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 32.5 points over those games. As for Manti, they now have a winning record of 4-3.
Here's a few offensive stats to keep an eye on ahead of Friday's contest: Manti has been excellent in the air this season, having averaged 279.7 passing yards per game. It's a different story for North Sanpete, though, as they've been averaging an even more impressive 103.1 passing yards. How will they fare against such a dominant passing game?
Everything came up roses for Manti against North Sanpete in their previous matchup back in October of 2024, as the squad secured a 47-10 win. In that matchup, the Templars amassed a halftime lead of 27-3, an impressive feat they'll look to repeat on Friday.
