High school football: Wasps spread the ball around to beat Morgan

HEBER CITY — Switching to a spread offense seemed like an unconventional move for Wasatch coming into a new football season. The Wasps had a long tradition of relying on an old-school running game to power its offense.

Wasatch coach Steve North decided to eschew tradition because he felt like he had the right players to handle a more advanced scheme.

"It better suited us just because we have better receivers than we do running backs," North said. "It just suited our whole team better this year with it."

The Wasps are certainly proving North's instincts right early in the season. Senior quarterback Payton Davis threw for 283 yards and three touchdowns while completing 15-of-25 passes to lead Wasatch to a 31-28 victory over previously unbeaten Morgan on Friday night.

Earning a victory over the Trojans helps the Wasps carve out a 3-0 start after sputtering to a 2-9 record just a year ago.

One reason the implementation of the spread has worked so well has a lot to do with how Davis has developed as a passer. He is more confident in his arm, more willing to stay in the pocket and more able to make big plays downfield than during his junior season.

The numbers speak to how much Davis has grown in the new offense. Through three games, he has already accumulated 655 yards and six touchdowns while completing 54 percent of his passes.

Davis credits his offensive line for making his learning curve easier.

"They give me time whenever I need it to make plays," Davis said. "We didn't have that last year. We didn't have the time. But, this year, it's just good teamwork together."

Morgan quickly found out what happens when Davis has enough time to make plays. After Wasatch forced a three-and-out on the Trojans' first series, the senior quarterback marched the Wasps downfield – covering 69 yards in seven plays before tossing a 32 yards touchdown pass to Mike Davis for a 7-0 Wasatch lead.

A big return by Jordan Wamsley on the ensuing kickoff helped Morgan temporarily close the gap. The Trojans made it 7-6 when Lawson Toomer recovered a bad snap and sprinted eight yards into the end zone.

Payton Davis answered right back by helping Wastach put together an 84 yard scoring drive – capped off by a 16 yard touchdown pass to Cody Nielson – that made it 14-6 with 29.7 seconds left in the first quarter.