KAYSVILLE — In what may be the first step in a repeat trip to the 5A state playoffs, Davis opened its 2010 football season with a 35-0 victory over Brighton on Friday night.
The Darts used a 21-point second quarter and a solid defensive performance to bury the Bengals, who entered this season with no returning starters on defense.
Davis quarterback Gavin Fowler dissected the inexperienced Brighton defense, going 14-20 for 188 yards with the longest pass going to tight end Cade Miller on a 53-yard score.
Davis, behind the passing of Fowler and a stable of running backs, wore down the Brighton defense over the course of the game.
Davis got going on a 3-yard run by Fowler, capping off an 11-play drive.
In the second quarter, the Darts poured it on. Fowler orchestrated two more scoring drives with touchdown passes to Miles Flake and Tyrel Day.
Davis defensive back Landon Hart put the game out of reach at the 4:03 mark of the second quarter by intercepting a Derek Newell pass and returning it 45 yards for a touchdown, putting the Darts up 28-0 going into the half.
Davis coach Ryan Bishop was pleased with his team's performance on both sides of the ball, especially on the defensive side where his team held Brighton to only 218 yards of total offense and kept the Bengals out of the end zone.
"We always want to put our defense in good situations" Bishop said. "They responded really well tonight. Last year they exploited us."
When asked about his offense, Bishop also had glowing things to say.
"I thought we were really crisp and sharp in some areas," Bishop said. "I hope we can continue to get better. We can't just hang our hat on one game."
Davis finished its scoring on Fowler's 53-yard pass to Miller. Fowler hit a wide-open Miller streaking down the middle of the field for an easy score.
Brighton drove deep into Darts territory only twice but was stopped by big plays by Davis defenders both times. In the first quarter, defensive end Troy Hinds sacked Newell for a loss on fourth and one, turning the ball back over to the Darts. In the fourth, Dallin Hart intercepted a Newell pass as the Bengals were threatening to drive inside the 20.
While Bishop was excited about the win, however, he knows that there is work that still needs to be done.
"We need to be consistent in all areas." Bishop said. "Consistency is the key."