Lehi Sports
Pioneer running back Eka dominates in Lehi win over Davis
Lehi dominated the Davis Darts in the season opener with a convincing 38-14 win. The Darts opened the scoring on a nine-yard throw-in catch from quarterback Bessinger to Bode Sparrow. Lehi answered with a 62-yard touchdown dash by running back Devaughn Eka.
Lehi’s Eka was a standout on offense, racking up 208 yards and three touchdowns in his season debut. Pioneer receiver Mays Madsen scored two touchdowns to complete the scoring for Lehi as quarterback Jett Niu efficiently and effectively managed the game for the Pioneers.
The Pioneers successfully racked up 21 points in the second quarter, putting the game out of reach for Davis.
Quarterback Niu said, “This win tonight goes to the whole team. I was doing what I was supposed to, everyone was doing their jobs. Devaughn had a great game, the O-Line really did their thing well tonight. We still have some work to do but we are willing to go out there and put some work in and get better every day.”
“It took us a couple of drives to figure it out tonight. I thought we missed some shots early on, but we changed that dynamic when Devaughn took off running. Devaughn does what he does, and he carried us until we got things settled down and figured it out in the second half. I’m proud of the offensive line. We’ve got five new starters, and for the first night to protect and run block the way they did was fantastic,” said Lehi head coach Ed Larson.
Lehi’s defense kept the Davis offense contained and limited the Darts’ ability to move the ball. Lehi’s defensive line proved overwhelming for Davis by pressuring Bessinger all night long, keeping him on his back foot and containing explosive plays.
Pioneer kicker Gavin Fenn converted all five PATs and added a 46-yard field goal in the winning effort.
Larson said, “Davis has a great quarterback, and to keep him shut down was tremendous for the defense tonight. I’m really proud of the way we played. We still need to improve; I’m not happy with the pass pressure from Davis in the first half, and the D-Line could be better in coverage. I felt that the energy level was low for us in the first half. but we adjusted and improved in the second half. We have to fix some things, but overall, I’m proud of what happened tonight.”
“Those little nuggets of play from individual players that I saw tonight makes me really happy for their future and their growth. As a coach, you aren’t just looking at the scheme, but at the individual players and thinking, ‘He did this well,’ and it’s just going to get better,” Larson continued.
Receiver Madsen said, “I tried to make good things happen with the ball in my hands tonight. I can’t do that without the full effort of the team, and that is what this was: a team effort. The offensive linemen have been working hard, and they showed up tonight.”
The Pioneers look ahead as they prepare to travel to St. George, where they will take on Desert Hills on Friday, Aug. 23, with kickoff at 7 p.m.
