Summit Hold Off Sentinels 31-26 on the Strength of Six Sacks

HARTFORD - It was close until the end, and the Salt Lake Summit made just enough plays to get out of town with a win. They beat the Hartford Sentinels 31-26 on Sunday in the Week 11 season finale.

The final was Summit 31, Sentinels 26. Salt Lake moved to 7-4 and sits second in the West Conference. Hartford fell to 4-7, fifth in the East.

The pass rush stands out

The Summit's defense was the story. Salt Lake recorded 6 sacks, compared with 2 for Hartford, and kept pressure on the Sentinels' quarterback for most of the afternoon.

"Our front seven was relentless," Summit coach Gil Arnaud said. "That is what won us this game. When you get after the quarterback like that, you create chances."

On offense, quarterback Victor Redmond threw for 225 yards and 2 touchdowns. Wide receiver Brandon Young caught passes for 88 yards and a touchdown, and running back Miles Tatum added 38 rushing yards and a score. It was a quieter day than the previous Sunday, when Tatum ran for 93 yards and three touchdowns against Austin.

Hartford keeps fighting

The Sentinels did not go away. Quarterback Noah Quarles threw for 233 yards and a touchdown, and wide receiver Devin Redmond caught passes for 59 yards. Running back Noah Ramsey, wearing No. 31, led the team in rushing with 69 yards.

Hartford scored 26 points, which is a respectable total, but it was not enough to finish the job. Despite the 6 sacks they took, the Sentinels moved the ball and stayed within reach.

"We had the ball with a chance," Hartford coach Pete Wanamaker said. "That is all you can ask for. We just did not make the last play."

Final standings

The result leaves Salt Lake at 7-4, good for second in the West behind Sacramento. The Summit have had a strong year, and the road win was another step.

Hartford finished 4-7 and fifth in the East Conference. The Sentinels have scored plenty this season, but the defense has been a concern. A five-point loss is the kind of result that tests a team's resolve.

How it got here

Salt Lake's big win over Austin the week before, a 44-16 result, gave it plenty of momentum. On Sunday, the Summit needed a different formula. The offense did not dominate the way it had in Austin, but the defense picked up the slack.

Redmond was efficient rather than flashy. His 225 passing yards were fewer than the 266 he threw in Week 10, but his two touchdown passes matched that total. He leads the league in passing yards this season, and Sunday was another steady outing.

"Victor is calm in those moments," Arnaud said. "He knows what we need, and he delivers."

The Summit leave Hartford with a win and a long list of things to clean up in the offseason. The Sentinels leave with a close loss and a sense that they were in the game from start to finish. At 31-26, there was little separating the teams, except that Salt Lake had the pass rush to make the difference.