LEHI – Davis traveled down I-15 to face Lehi for the first game of the high school football season, but the home Pioneers took advantage of a 28-point first half to steamroll the Darts 38-14.
Junior running back Devaughn Eka was a force for the Pioneers, reaching the end zone three times, rushing for more than 170 yards and scoring a 62-yard touchdown.
Both offenses struggled early in the game as Davis botched a snap, allowing the Pioneers to gain the upper hand in Davis’ territory. It was all to no avail as junior defensive back Isaac Morrison made an impressive one-handed interception, putting the Pioneers away at the 2-yard line.
Davis started one of his two touchdown drives of the day with a 45-yard pass from Tyson Baggett. The Darts capped the drive with a 9-yard touchdown pass from Bode Sparrow to take an early 7-0 lead.
But it didn’t take long for the pioneers to respond.
Eka’s 55-meter touchdown came on the third play of the drive and tied the score.
After a three-and-out by Davis, Lehi got the ball back on the Darts side of the field, setting up Eka for his second rushing touchdown of the game.
“Devaughn is a dog. The future looks bright for him,” said senior wideout Mays Madsen. “You have to give credit to our offensive line, too. That was just a good overall win for the team. Devaughn just did his thing, and that’s going to continue all season.”
After Lehi got the ball back to the 42-yard line following a Davis punt, Eka escaped again and scored an 18-yard rushing touchdown to give the Pioneers a 21-7 lead with just over two minutes left on the clock.
Eka finds the zone AGAIN. 3rd touchdown of the half. This time it’s 19 yards and he broke through 3 tackles to get there
— Nathan Dunn (@NateDunnKSL) 17 August 2024
“When Devaughn does what he does, it’s incredible,” said head coach Ed Larson. “He carried us until we got rolling and settled in. It took us a few drives to figure them out.”
Davis lost the ball with 57 seconds left in the half, giving Lehi one more chance to score before halftime. With four seconds left in the half, Lehi scored on a 2-yard pass from Madsen, giving Lehi a 28-7 lead.
Madsen followed his first-half touchdown with a 72-yard run in the first minute of the third quarter and capped the drive with a 4-yard pass in the end zone for his second touchdown of the game.
“It’s a credit to our defense that they only scored 14 points today,” Madsen said. “But when I get the ball in my hands, good things will happen.”
The Darts reached the end zone in the fourth quarter when junior quarterback Tradon Bessinger found Sparrow again for his second touchdown of the night, but the Pioneers scored a field goal in the final minutes to secure a crucial first win of the season.
“I was very proud of our offensive line,” Larson said. “Five new starters this year and the way they defended and blocked tonight was fantastic.”
Larson, who led the Pioneers to three state championships, announced in early August that the 2024 season would be his last.
“I’ll be honest: If I’m not on the pitch before the game and at halftime, my night is going to be shit,” he said. “I’m going to be in pain all night and I just can’t do this anymore. But the win makes it a hell of a lot better. The pitch is the part I’m going to miss the most.”
Larson and the Pioneers will travel to St. George to face Desert Hills, while the Darts will host Copper Hills on Friday, August 23.
