From Deseret News archives:
High school football: Davis offense clicks in victory over Riverton
That's why there was no panic when Riverton grabbed an early first-quarter lead on a scoring drive that looked far too easy. The coaches simply told the players you've seen it, now adjust.
That's exactly what Davis did Friday afternoon. It held Riverton's grind-it-out offense in check the rest of the way and capitalized on some big plays of its own in knocking off Riverton 28-14 to advance to next week's 5A quarterfinals.
"It was a good win for us. I've been telling people all year Riverton is a good team," said Davis coach Ryan Bishop. "This is a big win for our kids and I feel very fortunate to come out here and beat them."
It's what Davis did on offense that was most impressive. There was little doubt the Darts' 5A-leading scoring defense would adjust and keep the damage to a minimum, but could the offense keep up and move the football as well? After all, it's no secret the Davis offense has struggled this year.
It turns out it wasn't a problem at all Friday.
The Darts responded to Riverton's early score with three straight touchdowns of their own, opening up a 21-7 halftime lead. On all three scoring drives, Davis quarterback Gavin Fowler converted third-and-long passes to keep drives alive.
Fowler capitalized on that first drive with a one-yard scoring run, leveling the score at 7-7, and on Davis' next drive Fowler connected with receiver Jordan Welk on a 54-yard touchdown pass, increasing the lead to 14-7 with 9:27 remaining in the half.
"He has a ton of confidence, but I think the big thing is people have a lot of confidence around him," said Bishop about his sophomore quarterback.
Not to be outdone by the offense, the Davis "D" came up with a big fumble recovery, and six plays later standout Davis tailback Tanner Hinds punched it in from 16 yards for the 21-7 lead. Davis had a chance to score again following an interception by linebacker Marshall Burton, but Riverton blocked the ensuing field-goal attempt.
Davis' offense struggled a bit during the remainder of the second and third quarters, and Riverton was finally able to capitalize as Zach Spencer capped a 12-play drive with a 13-yard touchdown run on the final play of the third quarter.
Momentum was there for the taking for Riverton's defense, especially with Davis facing a third-and-9 on its next drive. But the Silverwolves couldn't get the big stop. Fowler dumped a screen pass off to Hinds, who broke three tackles and marched 68 yards for the touchdown and the insurmountable 28-14 lead.
Fowler finished the game completing 8-of-20 passes for 221 yards and two touchdowns, while Hinds carried the ball a workmanlike 28 times for 99 yards and a score.
E-mail: jedward@desnews.com
