The Kanab defense proved too much for the North Summit football squad Saturday evening, as the Braves fell 27-6 in the state semifinals. The loss was North Summit’s first of the season, ending their quest for their first 13-0 season in program history. The Braves 2007 team went 12-0 and won the state title. North Summit struggled to get anything going against Kanab. The Braves eventually scored late in the third quarter on a 85 yard kick return from star running back McKade Nelson. Kanab had a 24-0 lead at that point, having taken a 17-0 lead into halftime. Head coach Jerre Holmes said it was the size of Kanab’s line that most-impacted his offense. “The heartbreaking part is having our season end,” said Holmes. “This is a great bunch of kids. … The shock is realizing that it is over sooner than we hoped.”Holmes credited his team for fighting hard all game Saturday. He said they didn’t overlook Kanab, they just couldn’t overcome their zero-safety, Cover 0 scheme. As most high school teams do, North Summit relied heavily on the run all season.Senior star quarterback Jake Smith rushed for nearly 120 yards a game this season, Nelson, 71 a game and fellow senior Austin Aven, 59.3. The trio combined for only 60 yards on 18 carries Saturday. Smith went 7-17 and had an interception in the passing game. Senior Buck Sargent led the Braves in receiving yards and tackles per game this year. Holmes won’t make any drastic changes going into next season. North Summit could hope for some larger offensive lineman for such matchups. “We did a lot of (great) things this year,” said Holmes. “Our game against Beaver, the five overtime victory for us, was probably one of the best games that’s ever been played at this school. … We hadn’t beaten South Summit in several years, and we broke that streak. We hadn’t beaten Duchesne in a while, and we got that monkey off our back.”Holmes is incredibly proud of this year’s group even in defeat. He said he’s going to miss this year’s senior group and is sad they couldn’t go out with a state title after all the work they put in. North Summit claimed their regional title en route to the playoffs. The senior class also played a large roll in turning the program around from a 3-8, 2022 campaign, to a 6-5, 2023 one and 11-1 this year. In addition to the Braves offensive weapons, Holmes also credited sophomore defensive tackles Logan Judd and Brenden Smith, and fellow sophomore Trevor Richins for helping propel the team this year. He noted their excellent commitment in the weight room. North Summit will look to use the weight room and practice field to develop their 2025 team, which Holmes expects to battle every week. Many of the returning players will also play winter and spring sports at the small school. Braves star quarterback Jake Smith rushes past the North Sevier defense Oct. 4 for one of his four scores in the 55-27 win. Credit: Photo courtesy of Hannah WildeThere is the possibility that North Summit will face classification and regional realignment in 2025. No matter where they end up, and Holmes expects them to remain in place, and their 2025 season will likely begin in mid-August. The Braves will certainly continue to face off with rival South Summit, something that will be a motivating factor during the team’s offseason. “They’re great human beings, and it’s been a joy every day to go to practice and watch them work to get better.” added Holmes on this year’s team. “It’s about relationships, and when you’re on a team you get to know guys more than you probably would have if you hadn’t played. … It’s not just about the memories of the fun games we got to participate in together, it’s now about watching them become men, and the hope is that those relationships will continue down the road when they’re husbands and fathers, and to still have a connection with them is is important to me.”Holmes will be focused this offseason on making sure next year’s team puts in the hard yards in the gym. He thinks they’ll have learned a great deal from this year’s team and will be ready to compete hard every week. The team will be seeking their third-straight winning season. Kanab will face off against Beaver in the 1A state title game Saturday at Southern Utah University. To live-stream the game, check in on its score and more, see the UHSAA’s website.The post Kanab spoils North Summit football’s perfect season in state semifinals appeared first on Park Record.