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Syracuse • Aaron Becker didn't worry about how far he'd run or the score of the game. He didn't worry about how much time was left in the battle of region foes Thursday.

The Davis senior only thought one thing.

"I just wanted to get out from under the dog pile," he said.

Becker returned a fumbled punt 54 yards to help the Darts knock off previously undefeated Syracuse 21-7.

The Titans defense forced the Darts to punt and give Syracuse a chance to drive for a tying score. Daunte Atkinson fielded the punt but got drilled by the Davis defense. The ball squirted out, and Becker never hesitated.

"It came right into my hands," he said. "I was gone."

Becker's score gave the Darts a two-score lead with 2 minutes, 57 seconds left in the game.

"Aaron Becker made one of the greatest plays I've ever seen," Davis senior Chandler Rudolph said.

Davis coach Ryan Bishop admitted to being concerned about his team's punt coverage before Becker's play. Davis punter Nate Ferguson had a 9-yard punt earlier in the game, but he got off a strong kick to Atkinson. That's where Bishop lost what happened.

"Come on, don't kid yourselves," Bishop said. "You can watch games for a long time and not have that happen. I still don't know for sure what happened. … All of a sudden I see Aaron running down the middle of the field. After that happened, it's just pure craziness."

Syracuse struck first in a Region 1 showdown of unbeatens. Josh Thalman caught a 4-yard pass from Kole Tracy in the first quarter, but the Davis defense stymied the Titans after that. Syracuse only managed 143 yards in the game, and just 67 yards after the first quarter.

"I believe we have a shutdown defense," said Rudolph, a starter on the Darts' defensive line.

Davis only gained 163 yards on offense, but it was enough. Colton Chronister hit Abel Porter in the back corner of the end zone in the second quarter to even the score, and Parker Rose busted through the middle of the line for a 4-yard score to make it 14-7 Davis in the third quarter.

That's how it stood until Becker delivered the knockout punch.

"That's devastating for them," Rose said about Becker's score. "Our whole team got fired up. We're all running down the sideline. I was jacked up." —

Storylines Davis 21, Syracuse 7

R The Davis defense holds Syracuse to 143 yards in a game between unbeaten Region 1 rivals.

• The Darts rush for 84 yards and a score. Senior Parker Rose leads the way with 15 carries for 48 yards and a score.