Down 21-20 at half time against Riverton last Friday, it looked like the Vikings dreams of a Class 5A state title might be over. But after scoring 16 points in the second half, they not only managed to beat Riverton to advance, but also shake off the last two losses of the regular season. They are getting ready to face off against Davis on Friday but it is still up in the air if quarterback Dallas Lloyd will play.

Well, play again. Lloyd missed two weeks after suffering a separated shoulder. He came back to start the game with Riverton but sprained an ankle and left the game before halftime. That should add to the level of difficulty when Pleasant Grove faces Davis.

"It's always a work in progress and Davis is a playoff team," coach Dale Sampson said. "We are trying to be consistent up front and focus on this game."

Joe Kruger and Jordan Hymus helped the Vikings defensively with the game last week and Sampson is looking at them for this week. Running back Jeff Harris also had a great game and Sampson said that he isn't just fast, but also talented and if given the opportunity to run, he will.

Backup quarterback Donny Lewis came in for Lloyd in the game against Riverton and helped the Vikings with the win, so the Vikings have some depth to help out.

 

Timpview

The three-time defending 4A champion Thunderbirds are playing well and it looks like they could repeat again this year. With a commanding 35-7

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victory over Olympus last week, Timpview has continued the momentum of the regular season and looks good. That doesn't mean they don't have room for improvement.

"When it came to game time, I was a little disappointed," coach Louis Wong said. "We had a few guys that showed up late and I felt like they were taking the game lightly, and that's disrespectful and if we want to win it all, we can't have that mentality."

Wong said that practice this week will be much more serious than it has been lately. Conditioning has been put on the back burner during the playoffs and the Thunderbirds are focusing instead on communication and improving their already impressive team chemistry.

Having players that only play one side, either offense or defense could be a big advantage over other teams they play. Wong said that it allows them to double the learning and practice time since both sides can be working at the same time.

The Thunderbirds will take on Spanish Fork on Friday and Wong said that they are ready to test their skills against the Dons.

 

Springville

With their 35-14 win against Sky View last week, the Red Devils find themselves in the second round of the state tournament, a place they haven't been in years. Despite a lot of penalties and several turnovers, the Red Devils are looking forward to testing themselves and seeing what they are capable of.

"It was exciting to win and we had a good opponent," coach Scott Mitchell said. "We were able to overcome the first-round jitters and our focus was good."

The Red Devils have been a passing team, but they were able to rush for over 160 yards against Sky View and run the ball effectively. Running back Alema Key was one of the key Red Devils runners last week and Mitchell said he really stepped up the enthusiasm for the game.

Mitchell said that they aren't taking any teams lightly and if they are going to knock off Woods Cross on Friday, they are going to have to come ready to play and leave nothing to chance.