High school football 5A preview: Davis at Riverton

Davis (6-4) at Riverton (7-3)

5A state tournament first round

Friday, 2 p.m.

Parry's Power Guide: Davis by 1.5 points

All-time series: Davis leads 3-0

Last meeting: Regular season, Sept. 3, 2004 — Davis 31, Riverton 7

Riverton has already had a successful football season, and it accomplished a rare feat by earning the chance to host a state playoff game.

The Silverwolves will play just their second home playoff game in school history when they host Davis on Friday afternoon. More importantly, the Silverwolves are looking for their first playoff victory in school history when they face the defensive-minded Darts.

This could be the year for the Silverwolves, who went 7-3 and finished in second place in Region 3. Riverton features four solid running backs, and an athletic and aggressive offensive line that's helped the team average 28.7 points per game.

"I'm really impressed with what I've seen," said Darts coach Ryan Bishop. "I don't think I've seen a team execute like they execute their wing-T stuff. I'm super impressed with their offensive linemen. They aren't big, but they get off the ball extremely well. They run the ball up and down the field, and it seems to me like they throw it whenever they want. I've been as impressed as can be with their offense."

It will be worth the price of admission to watch the Darts defend the Silverwolves. Davis boasts 5A's best defense, allowing just 7.4 points per game. The Darts are solid against the run, and feature an elite pass defense. James Cowser is a force on the defensive line, as he's recorded 11 sacks.

"We need to be able to play good 'D' and keep them in situations where they're not able to march up and down the field," Bishop said. "We've got to be able to play good 'D' no matter who we're playing, but it's key this week."

Davis has struggled with consistency on offense, and ironically, so has Riverton on defense. The Darts have scored more than 14 points just once in the last six weeks. Riverton has held just one opponent to fewer than 21 points in its last six games.

The Darts have some history on their side. They are the only visiting team to play at Riverton in a state playoff game. The Darts defeated the Silverwolves 21-14 in a first-round game in 2002, and advanced to the state semifinals that year.

Davis statistical breakdown