High school football: Vikings get fast lead and hold on for win

KAYSVILLE — The end of any game usually results in two emotions — happiness and frustration.

Wednesday night was no different, as Viewmont coach Brad Lloyd showcased a smile that could be seen from the other side of the field. Lloyd's squad quashed Davis' hopes of running the table in Region 1 with a 24-21 victory.

Meanwhile, Davis coach Ryan Bishop listed everything that went wrong for his team at game's end.

"You can't let yourself go down early because you put yourself in a bad situation. I was proud of our kids for battling back, but I tell them every game you win with special teams, and by not getting penalties and turning the ball over," said Bishop.

It was the second game in a row where Davis had fallen behind early. But this time, the Darts could not hold onto their comeback. Viewmont, on the other hand, possessed more energy from the opening kickoff.

The Vikes quickly jumped out to a 14-0 lead after scoring on their first two possessions. Quarterback Jeremy Lieber rushed in from 6 yards out for the first score, and Viewmont was back on the field after a Davis' fumble on the first play of its next possession. The second score came when Austin Cheney rushed in from 14 yards out.

Davis cut the lead in half after forcing a Cheney fumble, followed by Ben Keaton's 4-yard scoring scamper. But Viewmont answered with a 23-yard field goal by Austin Duncan to extend the halftime lead to 17-7.

The Darts fought back in the second half with back-to-back scores by Gavin Fowler, both from 1 yard out. The scores put Davis up for the first time in the game at 21-17. But the Darts fumbled their punt snap with just under 51/2 minutes left to play, giving Viewmont the ball at the Darts' 29-yard line.

Viewmont took advantage of the turnover, moving the ball and scoring when Garrett Bushman rushed up the gut from 9 yards out.

"This is awesome to come to Davis and do this," said Viewmont coach Lloyd.

The loss leaves the battle in Region 1 not so clear anymore, with a couple of teams sitting in the one-loss column.

"This is a huge win because it puts us in a position to battle for the championship," noted Lloyd.

On paper, the two teams finished fairly even in the offensive categories. The difference was Davis' turnovers, which included two botched punt snaps and

an interception. The Darts also doubled-up the Vikes' total penalty yards in the game.

The Darts' Tanner Hinds rushed for 110 yards, 90 of which came in the second half. But Viewmont's defense was able to keep the Davis rusher out of the end zone.

Meanwhile, the Vikings pounded out one of their better rushing efforts with five rushers totaling 149 yards.

"We knew tonight would be a mud-fest and our offensive line pushed for us and gave a great effort tonight so we could run the ball," said Lieber.