High school soccer: Davis scores early, blanks Layton

KAYSVILLE — Before Davis' young but uber talented boys soccer players stepped on the pitch this week, coach Souli Phongsavath told them that now was going to be their time.

In just the second game of this still brand-new soccer season, the fifth-ranked Darts wasted no time — literally — after the opening whistle blew in their rivalry tilt with neighbor Layton on Thursday afternoon.

Davis junior Abinadi Samayoa scored literally just 13 seconds after the opening whistle, and the Darts didn't look back en route to a comprehensive 4-0 win over Layton.

Davis' players are attempting to fill some enormous shoes this spring, what with Mr. Soccer Josh Hernandez, Gentrie Maag, Taylor Kloberdanz and others having graduated. But for at least one afternoon, the replacements at Davis High showed that they could be awfully good in their own right.

"You can't replace the players I had last year — I wouldn't hope to — but I challenged the kids that stepped in and said, 'This is your time,'" said Davis coach Souli Phongsavath. "With a group that's as talented as last year's, this year's group had to sit back and wait in the wings a little bit. But now that they're here, they're steppin' up."

They certainly stepped up against Layton Thursday — and things really did rolling from the opening kickoff.

Star forward Casey Black intercepted the ball from the opening kickoff and raced down the sideline, where he cut the ball across to Samayoa, his striker partner, who finished well to put the Darts ahead in just 13 seconds.

The Darts, to their credit, never looked back.

Sophomore midfielder John Taylor scored with a nice long-distance effort in the 19th minute, and Black and Jordan Carver each added goals in the second half before Phongsavath cleared his bench.

"I think it was the intensity from that first goal through the whole game, just keepin' 'em on their heels," said Black. "The whole team did a great job of pressuring, defense (cleared) it and (and goalkeeper) Brackin (Flitton) was back in the net, takin' control of the defense."

The defensive work was certainly not lost on Phongsavath afterward.

Davis could've had even more goals than it got against a Layton team that's perennially tough and will get better as the season unfolds, but the Darts' untested backline arguably shined as bright as anyone or anything.