Momentum swung Tooele’s way to start the second quarter Friday night when James DeSantiago scooped up an errant Olympus pitch and raced 50 yards for a Buffalo touchdown to tie the game at 14-14. The Rams, however, were able to drive 60 yards and 80 yards on their next two possessions to give them a 28-14 cushion at halftime.

The Buffaloes were still within striking distance to start the second half, but a pair of Tooele turnovers inside their own 20 yard line and their overall difficulty in slowing the Titans’ offense led to 24 third-quarter points for the visitors and a 52-14 lead. Tooele scored a third touchdown late in the fourth quarter to make the final 52-20. The Buffaloes ended up committing five turnovers for the game.

“I don’t care who you are you can’t turn the ball over five times in your own territory and expect to win the game,” said Tooele head coach Ray Groth. “At halftime the kids believed in themselves, but then we turn the ball over on the first play of the third quarter and it gave them a big lead which was pretty much insurmountable. Plus, Olympus is an excellent team.

“The kids played hard and they want to win, it’s just tough when you fall so far behind,” the coach said.

The Buffaloes also are without three top players who missed the game because of injuries. Linebacker/running back Thomas Allen is gone for the season with a knee injury. Linebacker Shea McCarty dislocated a shoulder in the Highland game and linebacker Austin Schmidt was out with a concussion.

Olympus scored on its first possession after returning the opening kickoff to the Tooele 30 yard line. Six plays later and the Titans were in the end zone for a 7-0 lead.

Tooele struck right back with a quick drive to tie the game. On third-and-12 from their own 18, quarterback Milo Leakehe found a wide open Wade Heston on a pass play to the Olympus 26. Leakehe then scored a touchdown on a keeper on the very next play to tie the game at 7-7 with 8:44 in the opening quarter.

The offensive fireworks continued with a big pass play from Olympus on the next series which was almost picked off by Tooele. Olympus muscled their way into the end zone with a strong running game to put the Titans up 14-7 still midway through the first quarter.d

Tooele’s defense started to settle down and create some havoc for Olympus with strong play from Nick Beck, Isileli Saafi, Cody Weyland, Marcus Westover and Joel Spendlove. Westover broke free and pressured the quarterback to set up the bad pitch and fumble return by DeSantiago to tie the game.

The Buffaloes would just as soon forget the third quarter and coach Groth’s instructions to his team at that point were to win the fourth quarter. Tooele did prevail in the fourth stanza 6-0.

Tooele put up its third touchdown of the game late the fourth quarter on a 60-yard pass play from Leakehe to DeSantiago and then a 15-yard scoring run by Leakehe.

School is out on Thursday and Friday for UEA convention and football games have been moved up to Wednesday night this week. Tooele travels to Grantsville for a 7 p.m. battle against the Cowboys.

Mark Watson: mwatson@tooeletranscript.com