NOTE: Davis finished with a 7-4 overall record in 2018 and was third in Region 1 with a 4-2 record. It lost to Lone Peak 34-6 in the 6A quarterfinals.
Davis 2018 Offensive and Defensive Stats
KAYSVILLE — The Davis Darts are going to look different this year.
Head coach Mitch Arquette will still be patrolling the sidelines, the formations used on both sides of the ball will be similar, if slightly adjusted, but the Darts themselves will be nearly unrecognizable.
That is because Davis lost nearly every starter from its 2018 team, a group that finished 7-4 overall and 4-2 in region play.
The only starters who returns are a trio of offensive players, including Parker Last, David Spjut and Carston Christensen, and a lone defender in Spencer Ferguson.
As a result, there is a great deal of development going on in Kaysville these days.
“There is a lot of growth to be made,” said Arquette. “We don’t have a whole lot of varsity experience.”
To combat the general lack of experience on his roster, Arquette set out to make the opening month of the season as productive as possible, with non-region home games against Herriman and Viewmont, followed by a pair of Region 1 games, at home again, against Northridge and Clearfield.
“We were able to get our schedule such that a lot of our early games are at home, we are home for the first month of the season,” said Arquette. “Hopefully that’ll help us grow up more quickly and give us a little bit of an advantage. Hopefully, we can get confident and hit our stride at the right time.”
Regardless of the lack of experience, Davis still expects to win, and hopefully, win big.
“Obviously we want to compete and win football games,” said Arquette. “You need to beat your region teams and hope you win the games you are supposed to. You hope there is a little bit of pride. Hopefully we can do that.”
Davis Darts at a glance
Coach: Mitch Arquette is set to begin his third season as head coach of the Darts. He spent four years as an assistant coach at Davis, from 2012-2015. Two seasons ago, he moved to Floresville, Texas, where he served as an assistant coach, only to return to his alma mater last year. He is a graduate of Davis High and the University of Utah.
Coach Arquette comments on new UHSAA RPI:
“I think (the RPI) has taken away value from region championships. That used to be a big deal, there was a way to crown a winner. However, you do want to be able to match up and have a chance to go deep into the state playoffs so there is some value to it. It is a change and is different from what we have done in the past. Each year it seems like there is a team that sneaks into the playoffs and people don’t feel that they should, so hopefully this eliminates the poor seeding deals.”
Davis Offensive Snapshot
Offensive coordinator: Clay Bayard
2018 offensive production: 16.8 ppg (21st in 6A)
— 3 returning starters
— Multiple offensive schemes
Key offensive returning starter
— Carston Christensen (RB)
Was the Darts’ heavy lifter in 2018, as he carried the ball 227 times for a total of 839 yards and three touchdowns. Christensen also had 11 pass receptions for 49 yards. His best outing came against Bountiful, when he rushed for a season-best 163 yards.
Returning offensive starters
Parker Last (C)
David Spjut (SLOT)
Carston Christensen (RB)
Offensive newcomers to watch
Chance Trujillo (QB)
Wyatt Flint (TE)
Braden Hamblin (WR)
Brody Korth (WR)
Gage Morgan (OL
Kade Brockman (OL)
Coach Arquette’s comments on quarterback Chance Trujillo:
“I think Chance is more of a dual-threat type quarterback, but I don’t think other teams will view him as such. He is sneaky quick.”
Coach Arquette’s comments on the Darts’ offensive line:
“Outside of Parker Last, we are mostly inexperienced up front.”
Keys for Offensive Success in 2019:
The season will come down to development for the Darts. Davis returns only three offensive starters from a season ago, and will need to find consistent play on the offensive line and at wide receiver. Chance Trujillo, the Davis quarterback, is talented, but untested. The one area where the Darts will be ready on Day 1 is at running back, with the return of Carston Christensen.
Davis Defensive Snapshot
Defensive coordinator: Colby Bockwoldt
2018 defensive production: 19.7 ppg (5th in 6A)
— 1 returning starter
— 4-2-5 defense
Key defensive returning starter
— Spencer Ferguson (S)
Recorded 19 tackles last season. Had seven tackles in the Darts’ 28-0 victory over Clearfield, his season-high.
Returning defensive starters
Spencer Ferguson (S)
Defensive newcomers to watch
Peter Stevenson (DB)
Ike Niederhauser (DB)
Kyle Roberts (DB)
Brigham Harmon (LB)
Jaxon Tuft (DL)
Payton Christensen (DL)
Coach Arquette’s comments on Darts’ defensive scheme:
“Our defense will be kind of a 4-3, 4-2-5 hybrid. We ran a 4-2-5 last year and we feel that is a formation we match up well in.”
Coach Arquette’s comments on the strength of the Davis defense:
“Right now I really like our linebackers and safeties. We have to improve up front and coverage is always, you have to learn how to cover, but I really like what our linebackers are doing.”
Keys for Defensive Success in 2019:
The Darts are extremely inexperienced on the defensive side of the ball, with only Spencer Ferguson returning as a starter, which makes in-season development incredibly important. The linebacker and safety positions are the team’s strong suit at this point, making development along the defensive line and cornerback key to any success.
Bottom line
The Darts are replacing nearly everyone from a team that finished 7-4, 4-2 in region play in 2018. For most schools, 2019 would be something of a rebuilding year and Davis is no different. The Darts do have talent, though, especially on the offensive side of the ball with Parker Last, David Spjut, Carston Christensen and newcomer Chance Trujillo, but anything better than a middle-of-the-region finish would be a surprise.
Coaches preseason Region 1 straw poll: Fifth
Deseret News Region 1 prediction: Third
Key Region Game: at Fremont, Oct. 11 (Week 9)
2019 Schedule
Aug. 16 — Herriman, 7 p.m.
Aug. 22 — VIEWMONT, 7 p.m.
Aug. 30 — NORTHRIDGE, 7 p.m.
Sept. 6 — CLEARFIELD, 7 p.m.
Sept. 13 — at Layton, 7 p.m.
Sept. 20 —at Roy, 7 p.m.
Oct. 27 — SYRACUSE, 7 p.m.
Oct. 4 — at Weber, 7 p.m.
Oct. 11 — at Fremont, 7 p.m.
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Felts Facts for Davis High School
All-time record: 590-373-29 (103 years)
Region championships: 31 (1929, 1937, 1942, 1943, 1949, 1960, 1963, 1965, 1966, 1969 co, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1979 co, 1980, 1981 co, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1988 co, 1989 co, 1990 co, 1991 co, 1994 co, 2004, 2009, 2013, 2015, 2016 co)
Playoff appearances: 50
Current playoff appearance streak: 1
All-time playoff record: 61-43
State championships: 7 (1937, 1943, 1949, 1965, 1974, 1976, 2004)
State championship record: 6-10
Most played rivalry: 52 meetings with Clearfield dating back to 1961. Davis leads 28-23-1.
Felt’s Factoids: Davis has 582 victories, the most in state history, as the Darts celebrated 100 years of football in 2015. Only seven other schools have played more seasons. … Davis holds the mark for making the most improvement (record-wise) and taking state. The Darts improved from 2-8 in 2003 to 11-2 in 2004 and won the 5A title. They defeated Cottonwood 50-43, in OT, in the highest-scoring final in state history. … Dart Ryan Smoot returned a punt for 90 yards in 2004 to set a championship-game record
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Last 5
- 2018 — 7-4 (4-2 in Region 1 – 6A Quarterfinals)
- 2017 — 1-8 (1-5 in Region 1 – Missed playoffs)
- 2016 — 7-4 (4-2 in Region 2 – 5A First round)
- 2015 — 9-1 (6-0 in Region 2 – 5A First round)
- 2014 — 7-3 (5-1 in Region 1 – 5A First round)
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Davis coaching history
- 2017-current — Mitch Arquette (8-12)
- 2014-2016 — Tyler Gladwell (23-6)
- 2001-2013 — Ryan Bishop (80-53-1)
- 1984-2000 — Jim Dickson (108-77)
- 1979-83 — Ward Sawley (43-12)
- 1969-78 — Jay Cullimore (74-36-1)
- 1959-68 — Gerald Purdy (67-33-4)
- 1947-58 — Lee Liston (64-36-6)
- 1941-46 — Howard “Tuff” Linford (34-17-7)
- 1937-40 — “Deb” Young (21-10-2)
- 1934-36 — Floyd Millet (12-6)
- 1931-33 — Ray Forsburg (11-8-1)
- 1926-30 — Jack Croft (18-15-2)
- 1923-25 — James Anderson (2-19)
- 1921-22 — Floyd Anderson (5-8-1)
- 1920 — Wilf Romney (6-2)
- 1919 — Homer Warner (1-6)
- 1915-1917 — Lorin Briggs (6-10)
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Deseret News MVPs the past 10 years
- 2009 — Tanner Hinds, RB
Deseret News First Team All-Staters the past 10 years
- 2016 — Jake Hadley, OLB
- 2015 — Connor Taylor, LB
- 2014 — Ty Hinds, DB
- 2012 — Chance Parker, DB
- 2012 — Jackson Peacock, LB
- 2011 — Troy Hinds, DL
To view second team and honorable mention all-staters through the years, check out the Deseret News All-State Archives.
EMAIL: twood@deseretnews.com TWITTER: @trentdwood