I’ve been at Brighton for 20 years. We’ve never given up 70 points in a game, ever. – Brighton coach Ryan Bullett

SANDY — Never did Brighton coach Ryan Bullett foresee what happened when his team took on Jordan Wednesday night.

Battling for second place in the region, the Jordan Beetdiggers and Brighton Bengals put on a show that featured some spectacular passing, gritty running and timely defensive stops. It also featured a new state record in scoring with the Bengals edging the Beetdiggers in triple overtime, 78-76.

“I’ve been at Brighton for 20 years,” Bullett said. "We’ve never given up 70 points in a game, ever.”

While both offenses had proved they were capable of putting up points, Bullett said he didn’t think his best defense against the Beetdiggers' prolific offense would be his own offense.

“I thought it would be more of a slugfest,” he said of his expectation that his defense would be able to slow the Jordan offense. “I really did.”

The tone was set when record-setting Jordan quarterback Austin Kafentzis hit AJ Townsend with a TD pass less than two minutes into the first quarter. It took a few minutes, but the Bengals answered when quarterback Robbie Hutchins hit Simi Fehoko for a 57-yard touchdown. That was the first of three touchdowns they teamed up on for the Bengals.

Cooper Clark rushed for Jordan’s second touchdown, after which Kafentzis rushed for a third, making it 21-7. When Jordan turned the ball over on downs in the second quarter, Hutchins found senior Osa Masina to tie the game at 21. Then Brighton kicker Michael Williams hit a field goal to make it 24-21 heading into halftime.

The second half started with an interception by Jordan’s Jeffrey Timothy, which led to a 3-yard run by Kafentzis, making the score 27-24. Brighton wasted no time in answering when Hutchins hit Fehoko for their third touchdown of the night — a 50-yard pass play with 6:54 left in the third quarter.

Penalties bogged down the pace of the game, but both offenses continually found ways to score. Both coaches called gutsy, risky plays and both offenses came up with big plays to extend drives or score points.

The teams traded punches in the overtimes, but it looked like the Bengals had the advantage when Jordan scored first in the second overtime but failed to make the two-point conversion. After the Bengals scored on a Sione Hemuli-Lund touchdown, all they had to do was kick the PAT. Instead, Jordan’s defense blocked it, sending the contest into the third overtime, where teams were required to go for the two-point conversion.

Masina said he thought the Bengals had the game in hand as they lined up for the extra point in the second overtime.

“I thought I was going on the bus,” Masina said. “I’m exhausted."

He said it was a thrill to play in such an unusual, record-breaking game. He was especially proud of his teammates, who secured home-field advantage in the first round of the 5A playoffs with the win.

“There is not another team in the country I’d rather play with,” he said. “It feels like we should still be going at it.”

Both quarterbacks had phenomenal performances. Hutchins carried the ball for 142 yards, while Kafentzis carried the ball 27 times for 196 yards.

Hutchins also had 318 yards passing, while Kafentzis had 494 yards passing.

Bullett said the team basically had to try and figure out how to stop Kafentzis in one day.

“That kid is the best player in the state,” he said. “How can we stop him? We can stop him with our offense. That was our best chance.”

Twitter: adonsports EMAIL: adonaldson@deseretnews.com