The Davis Darts and Farmington Phoenix each got rid of the bad taste of a loss in week three, thanks to victories in prep football action on Aug. 29.

A week earlier, both teams fell, with Davis losing to Fremont, 35-34 in overtime, and Farmington suffering a 14-3 defeat at the hands of Bountiful. It didn’t take long for the teams to bounce back with wins. 

Davis 

The Darts put together an impressive offensive performance last week in a 49-34 victory over Region 2’s Mountain Ridge. Davis scored 14 points in each of the first three quarters and added a touchdown and an extra point in the fourth to seal the win. The Darts were up 28-6 at the break, making it the third week in a row that they had a halftime lead. 

Both first-quarter touchdowns were courtesy of connections from quarterback Tradon Bessinger to wide receiver Bode Sparrow. The scores came from 23 yards out and a yard away within the first 7:10 of the contest. Early in the second quarter, Jaxton Itaaheau took a 40-yard pass from Bessinger to the end zone to give Davis a 21-0 advantage. After a Mountain Ridge field goal, Itaaheau had his second TD grab of the game, this time a 20-yarder from Bessinger. 

Bessinger and Itaaheau hooked up for the third time in a row in the third quarter when the latter crossed the goal line on a 13-yard reception. Sam Coleman scored on a 1-yard pass from Bessinger with just under four minutes to play in the third to give the Darts a commanding 35-13 lead. 

Mountain Ridge made a bit of a run to inch closer at 35-27 with 10:36 left in the game. But when Bessinger threw his seventh touchdown of the game – to Tyson Baggett on a 12-yard score – with about eight minutes left, Davis distanced itself with a 42-27 advantage. 

Bessinger was brilliant once again. 

The senior quarterback completed 30 of 40 passes for 423 yards with no interceptions. Through three games, he already has 16 touchdowns. The prolific quarterback now has an eye-popping 90 career touchdowns. Six Darts caught passes, led by Itaaheau’s nine grabs for 175 yards and three scores. Sparrow caught eight passes for 106 yards and two touchdowns, while Isaac Morrison and Baggett each had four catches. Itaaheau also had a team-high 41 yards on nine carries. 

Defensively, Bridger Young and Ethan Lockwood paced Davis with 12 tackles apiece. Tom Lever and Dexter Frasure each had seven stops. 

Davis hosts Alta on Friday for a shot at getting to 3-1 overall. 

Farmington 

The Phoenix, led by new head coach David Fiefia, are off to a 2-1 start. The latest game was a 10-7 triumph over Mountain View, Idaho, in a defensive struggle. The tilt, billed as the “Rocky Mountain Rumble,” had to go into overtime to decide the winner. 

All of Farmington’s points came late. 

Down 7-0 at halftime, Farmington scored in the fourth quarter when Troy Stevens crossed the goal line on an 18-yard touchdown pass from Alton Dahl. The Phoenix kept Mountain View off the board for the rest of regulation. In overtime, it came down to the foot of Jaxon Beynon, who kicked the game-winning field goal from 23 yards out. 

Drew Love had 37 yards on 15 carries to lead Farmington. Two Phoenix players saw time at quarterback, as Dahl and Will Peterson each completed nine passes. Dahl threw for 108 yards on 12 attempts to Peterson’s 60 yards on 15 attempts. Chase Hamblin caught three balls for 42 yards, while Love had a team-best five receptions. 

The stout defense, which has allowed just 28 points through three games, was led by Kash Taylor’s nine tackles. Kava Fiefia had seven tackles, with Easton Hunt, Isaac Hoge and Gavin Burton, Emmett Bowcut and Stevens each registering six tackles. Stevens added a sack as well. 

Next up for Farmington is a home game against American Fork on Friday.