Davis High overcame some early game jitters and used a strong second-half defense to outlast Woods Cross 32-17 in a preseason opener Friday night.

The win allowed the Darts to continue their dominance of the Wildcats, who've never beaten Davis in varsity football.The host `Cats started fast, however, forcing two quick Davis turnovers on a pair of first quarter fumbles. Woods Cross capitalized on the second one, as quarterback Spencer Plummer tossed a nifty 12-yard scoring pass to Cory Avei, and Troy Stones kicked the PAT to give the Wildcats a 7-0 lead midway through the opening stanza.

Davis came back with a 78-yard drive of its own, keyed by a 43 yard run from Lance Roberts as the Darts' double-wing began to come alive. That run helped set up a 12 yard TD sweep by Lance Rigby, and Nate Richardson's PAT tied the game at 7-all.

Before the quarter ended, each team scored again, Woods Cross on a 64-yard pass from Plummer to Dave Connors, and Davis on a 58-yard pass from Travis Homer to Blaine Couser with just three seconds left.

The Darts took a 20-14 lead to intermission thanks to a bad snap on a Woods Cross punt attempt that gave Davis the ball at the Wildcat 10. Two plays later, Homer found tight end Kevin Brooke over the middle for an 11-yard TD.

View Comments

Defense dominated the second half, particularly for Davis, which held Woods Cross to just 16 yards total offense before both teams substituted late in the game. The Darts forced a Wildcat fumble on the first offensive play of the third period, taking over at the Woods Cross 34. Six plays later, Roberts dove over from the 2-yard line, and though a two-point conversion failed, Davis led 26-14 and were never threatened the rest of the way. Davis scored again in the fourth period on a 6-yard pass from Homer to Richardson, and Stones booted a 31-yard field goal in the final seconds for Woods Cross.

"It was about what we expected from a first game," stated Davis coach Jim Dickson. "We saw some things we were happy with and some areas we needed to work on. Obviously, I was pleased with how our defense played, especially in the second half."

On the other side of the field, Woods Cross coach John Haning had to feel about the same way. The Wildcats had good success moving the ball when their offensive line performed, but Davis' upfront people broke down Woods Cross in the second half, and that was really the difference in the game.

Davis had 227 yards rushing, led by Richardson with 108 on 17 carries, and 336 total yards. Woods Cross rushed for just 41 yards on 36 carries, and the Wildcats completed 6-of-14 passes for 113 yards.

Join the Conversation
Looking for comments?
Find comments in their new home! Click the buttons at the top or within the article to view them — or use the button below for quick access.