KAYSVILLE — By the top of the second week of the highschool soccer season, Davis coach Scott Peery had jokingly informed his spouse, “Get able to promote the home.”
Peery’s place didn’t really feel so snug after the Darts discovered themselves heading into the third week nonetheless with out even scoring a degree. “I might undoubtedly see, from the skin in, the doubt that was kicking in,” Peery stated. “We hadn’t scored any factors, however we knew we had been going to proper the ship.”
Eight weeks of soccer later, and Davis has not solely righted stated ship, however the Darts are near taking a share of the Area 1 title, one which hinges on a recreation between Syracuse and Farmington this Wednesday.
“The boys, with the buy-in that they've,” Peery stated, “there was no pointing fingers. There was no self-doubt inside our personal program, and we knew we’d get it going.”
The Darts received three straight video games after their loss to West Jordan, then after being shellacked by Syracuse, 48-6, they received one other three in a row, capped off by a dominant 47-21 win over Weber final Thursday. Davis junior quarterback Jackson Stevens, who had solely seven landing passes and 9 interceptions previous to the sport, went off for 24-of-35 passing for 327 yards and 5 touchdowns with no picks. He additionally ran in a sixth landing, his solely profession speeding TD.
It was the primary time all season that the Darts had come away with a really dominant victory. In 4 of their six wins this season, they entered the fourth quarter both tied with or all the way down to their opponent. Towards each of Davis’ native rivals, Layton and Farmington, the workforce relied on a go-ahead area aim to win, most notably a 49-yarder by senior kicker Gage Butler with seconds remaining to take down the Lancers in Week 4.
In Week 8 in opposition to Farmington, the Darts had been down by a landing getting into the ultimate quarter, then a senior operating again evened the rating with a 2-yard punch-in. Afterward, with below two minutes to go, Butler hit a 30-yard area aim for the lead, and the protection held on for the win, handing the Phoenix their solely lack of the season so far.
“Thankfully, this 12 months, we’ve closed out just a few video games coming from behind, and that was only one that we had been lucky to be on the opposite finish of,” Peery stated.
The Darts’ resilience in late-game conditions might by no means be seen within the first two weeks. Davis was pummeled completely within the season opener by Lehi, 48-0, giving everybody in Utah a primary take a look at what the Pioneers had been going to be in 2022. “That’s one of the best workforce within the state, in my view,” Peery stated.
Davis had a lot of alternatives to attain in opposition to West Jordan in Week 2, nevertheless it was a nightmare of an evening for the offense on the Jaguars’ aspect of the sphere, resulting in an unbelievable 5 turnovers contained in the 20-yard line and a 34-0 loss regardless of 264 yards of whole offense.
The Darts lastly “kicked it in gear,” Peery stated, when taking up Granger, Area 2’s finest workforce. Davis burst forward, scoring 21 factors within the first quarter, after which held on the remainder of the best way for a 28-16 win.
Davis will almost definitely transfer to 7-3 this Wednesday, being closely favored in opposition to winless Clearfield. However whereas the Darts care for enterprise down in Kaysville, one other crucial contest will happen on the identical time simply 11 miles away when Syracuse, unbeaten in Area 1, hosts Farmington.
Syracuse will play to win sole possession of the area title, going 8-0, but when Farmington wins, then the Titans, the Phoenix and the Darts have a three-way tie.
The discomfort of rooting for Farmington isn't misplaced on Peery in any respect.
“I can’t consider it,” Peery stated.