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Show i I .ukcsul partisans Shock Darts With Passing Fury By PHIL KIRKWOOD Sports Editor KAYSVILLE If there has been one thing opposing teams could depend on when they go up against Murray High in football is that theyre going to pass pass often and pass well. And no team knows that fact better than Davis as the Spartans literally bombed the Darts out of the state tournament 0 in a quarter-fina- l game played last Thursday. It can be further said, since Davis held the Spartan running attack to a mere 20 yards, that the passing arm of quarterback Brent Hilton 27-2- 3-- A represents the only Spartan offense. Hiltons performance was nothing short of brilliant as he figured in two of the four Spartan touchdowns by throwing one TD pass of 18 yards to John Durfey and set up another with long pass play to Brent Angell. Were not a big team on offense so we have to pass and thats what brought us here to the tournament, said Murray coach Gene McKeehan after the win. Our backs dont carry enough size to balance the passing game so for us to win our passing game has to work. The win was by no means an easy one for the Spartans as they had to after battle back from a quarter deficit. The Darts came out smoking the first time they handled the ball as Brent Hatch raced 75 yards on a punt return for the first score with barely a minute gone. Moments later Mike Mcgill intercepted an errant Hilton pass deep in Spartan territory to set up the second Davis TD. Lance Hill then run. made good on it with an Last time we met these guys they beat us with three big plays," said McKeehan referring to the 18-- 7 Davis victory earlier in the season. Our game plan was to stop them from beating us that way again, but. after the first two minutes thats just what they were doing. If they kept scoring at that rate they would have been on top 54-- 0 at the half." But Davis coach Ward Sawley knew the game was far from over and that the normally tough Spartan defense would soon stiffen and make future scores painfully difficult. He also knew that the Spartan were out to avenge the earlier loss and that their passing game could quickly erase the lead. We knew they were a good football team and even after we scored those two early touchdowns didnt take them lightly, said Sawley. "Whenever teams meet more than once a year .it seems the advantage goes to the team that lost the first game because they now have something to proye. I think they had that going for them this time. Sawley says hes proud of the way his team played all year and that if it werent for the Spartans explosive passing attack coupled with a few bad breaks, Davis would have been playing Viewmont in the semi-fingame at Rice Stadium. One of the bad breaks Sawley was referring to was when Spartan we al K- - it" . No cmltcr 6. defensive 1 980. Huge back John 11 Peiletier scooped up a Davis fumble and rambled 41 yards to score the touchdown at Pelletier, n along with linebackers Brian and Tyler Kenyon, then led the defensive charge in shutting out the Darts in te second half. go-ahe- 19-1- 4. Pet-terse- Murray has a strong defense and a good passing game, so I wouldnt be too surprised to see them in the final game, said Sawley. But when you get to the playoffs theres no one loss and youre guarantees gone and thats what happened to us. Live Scouting Report Pays Off Grmi'J Blasis Cleorfield By PHIL KIRKWOOD Sports Editor Two weeks ago, SALT LAKE CITY while coach Brent Hancock and his Clearfield football team was busy knocking off Brighton for a quarter final berth in the state tournament, Granite coach Wayne Sartin and his staff were in the stands scouting the outcome. Since Granite had won the Region 3 championship it had been given the week off and Sartin naturally wanted to put the time to good use. He did. And it showed as the well-rehears- Farmers wolloped the 6 Falcons Saturday afternoon. Hancock, of course, wasnt able to enjoy the benefits of a live scouting report and instead had to rely on game films to plan his attack. Although films are a useful tool, they give little indication of team speed, intensity or strength and that fact also showed as the Farmers put the Falcons in a state of shock from the opening snap. We never scouted them live so we had no idea how physical their attack was, remarked a disappointed, but 41-1- gracious Hancock after the loss. Granite is a well coached and disciplined football team and the way they played today Ohio State would have had problems. From the onset, it was clear the Farmers were in control of the game. After taking the opening kickoff, Granite marched 71 yards in less than six minutes for the first score. The Farmer offensive line did most of the work as it repeatedly punched out large holes in the Clearfield defense. Saia Hola took advantage of all the running room as he plowed and plunged his way down the field before finally going in for the score from three yards out. On defense the Farmers were Run-ningba- brutally stingy as they hammered Falcon ball carriers without mercy while keeping their usually strong running attack to less than 25 yards for the game. We never expected them to be that physical, said Hancock referring to the Farmer defense. They played perfect ABC defense and put the pressure on us all day. They kept rushing their strong safety and linebackers on first down plays and that really-threour game off balance. So strong was the Farmer defense that it kept Clearfield from crossing the midfield stripe until early in the fourth quarter. Sartin credits this success to great quickness at defensive back and their ability to read the offensive -- blocking flow. Coach Sartin doesnt hesitate to gloat a bit when he says this team is the best hes coached in quite a while, but what really makes him pound his chest is that 14 of his 22 starters will be back next year. This team is young and fast and gaining experience with every game and most of them will be back, he said. Hola, who is a junior, pounded out 78 yards on only 13 carries to lead all rushers. Holas second touchdown of the game came late in the first half when quarterback Todd Bradford CLEARFIELDS FRED COOK looks on in disbelief as Granite puts another in the loss spotted him all alone in the endzone touchdown on the scoreboard. Cook was the Falcons leading receiver 100 from 24 yards out. Bradford led the with four catches for yards. scoring attack for Granite by hitting got the offense untracked in the final eight of 11 passes for 159 yards and two which came to rest on the Falcon touchdowns while rushing for two more line. That put the Farmers in super period as he mounted two successful field position on the exchange of punts scoring drives. Hill, who is a senior, himself on quarterback sneaks. The Farmer kicking game also and they used it to score what proved to closed out his high school career by shined as sophomore punter Fotu Katoa be the winning touchdown some three hitting 14 of 22 passes for 216 yards and two touchdowns. A large chunk of his kept Clearfield out of good field position minutes later. pass It wasnt that Clearfield played that total yardage came on a with a punting average on four crushed poorly tries. Katoa they didnt. It was simply a and run play to senior tailback Fred Clearfields spirits late in the first half case of Granite playing perfect Cook. Cook was Clearfields leading when he connected on a punt football. Falcon quarterback Milt Hill receiver with 100 yards on four receptions. 49-ya- single-footedl- y CLEARFIELD coach Brent Hancock (left), gives his senior quarterback Milt Hill some much needed advice on how to crack the tough Granite defense. At this point the Falcons were already 35 points quarterback Milt Hill for Clearfield had a pretty good day with the pass as he threw for 216 yards and two touchdowns. It still wasn't enough to beat the Farmers. ALL THINGS CONSIDERED, down. Staff Photo By Daa Miller the Falcon defense couldnt stop, rambles for more down. Hola lead all rushers with 78 yards on only 13 first another and yardage SAIA HOLA, the man carries. FALCON running back Bill Kelly doesnt find much room to run as the Granite defense mauled Clearfields ball carriers all day long. |