SPRINGVILLE — Who says young and inexperienced defenders can't get the job done?
Last week the Pleasant Grove Vikings held a powerful Timpview team to only one offensive touchdown. In Week 2 the Vikings, mainly with underclassmen and kids who didn't play much last season, held the Springville Red Devils to the same - and it was Pleasant Grove's second-string squad that allowed that lone score in a 38-7 rout on the road Friday night.
"I think our defense has been keyed up for two weeks ... they seemed to be aggressive and flying around the ball," Vikings coach Dale Sampson said.
The Vikings limited Springville to two first downs and 38 yards in the first half in racing out to a 24-0 lead, and only 148 yards for the entire game — with 97 of those yards coming on two big passing plays. Pleasant Grove also intercepted four passes, one of which was returned for a touchdown, and blocked a punt, which resulted in a touchdown.
The Vikings put together several impressive drives with a ball-control game that combined rushing the football with short passes. The Vikings totalled 244 yards on the ground and another 119 yards in the air. Fullback Brian Schonbeck was the workhorse with 56 yards on 13 carries and two touchdowns. LeSean Wilcox was the big-play guy with 82 yards on two carries. One of Wilcox's runs was a 45-yard TD scamper and the other was a 37-yard romp on a fake punt. He also intercepted a pass.
The Vikings went up first when a 35-yard pass from Jared Keele to Jake Horsley set up a 27-yard field goal by Josue Meza. Pleasant Grove forced Springville to a three-and-out on its next possession, and Jordan Hymas broke through to block the punt near the 10-yard-line, where Chris Hawkins picked it up and ran it in for the score. The Vikes went up 17-0 on their next possession when Wilcox ran around the outside and raced 45 yards to pay dirt. Pleasant Grove took a 24-0 lead into the locker room on Schonbeck's 2-yard score.
Schonbeck scored again early in the third on a 14-yard run up the middle to cap off a 10-play 75-yard drive. Springville finally showed some life early in the third when quarterback Trevor Jeffers rolled left and threw back across field to a wide-open Ben Doxey, who raced in for the 64-yard score. On Springville's next possession, however, Marshall Nielson picked off a pass at the 10-yard line and returned it for a touchdown.
E-mail: jimr@desnews.com