Font ResizeRiverton » Pleasant Grove High's football team might be a little worse for wear, but a playoff victory certainly does a lot to soothe any pain.
Jeff Harris rushed for 206 yards and the Vikings overcame another injury to quarterback Dallas Lloyd en route to a 36-21 win over host Riverton in the first round Friday. The Vikings advance to play at Davis in the 5A quarterfinals next week.
Whether or not Lloyd, who had missed the previous two games with a shoulder injury and left Friday's game early in the second half with an ankle sprain, will be available to start or even play then is anyone's guess.
"It's a work in progress," Vikings coach Dale Sampson said of Lloyd. "It's his ankle now, but his shoulder is something
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Lloyd, who finished 5-for-10 passing for 83 yards, was injured attempting to score a touchdown on the final play of the first half.
The Vikings were the ones doing the hitting in the second half, especially on defense. Trailing 21-20 at halftime, Pleasant Grove allowed only 44 yards in shutting out the Silverwolves in the second half. The Vikings also intercepted three passes.
"We had to stop that trap," Sampson said. "You can't simulate Riverton's offense no matter how hard you practice. It was obvious Riverton gave us all we wanted in the first half and more. They fought to the end. It was
Viking lineman Joe Kruger, who had a sack, said adjustments made the difference.
"In the first half, we were not squeezing down [on the trap]," Kruger said. "After the half, we watched where the tackles were going and squeezed down. If we lost or they lost, it's your last game, so we knew it was going to be a hard game."
With Lloyd unavailable, Harris and backup quarterback Donny Lewis took charge. Harris averaged nearly 10 yards per carry and scored a pair of touchdowns, while Lewis found D.J. Doman for a 25-yard scoring toss to seal the victory.
Faaitua Laei rushed for 139 yards in a losing cause for the Silverwolves, while leading rusher Dillon Draper was limited to 39 yards on 11 carries. Riverton's defense registered five sacks and blocked a point-after kick attempt.
The turning point came in the third quarter, after Riverton stalled on downs at the Pleasant Grove 5-yard line. The Vikings took just five plays - punctuated by Harris' 63-yard gallop - to reclaim the lead for good at 26-21.
"That was a great drive," Sampson said. "We had to have an old-fashioned Pleasant Grove drive. I think that was the one that broke their backs."
» Pleasant Grove running back Jeff Harris runs for 206 yards to pick up the slack for the Vikings offense.
» Vikings quarterback Dallas Lloyd, who suffered a sprained shoulder three weeks ago, sprains an ankle in the first half.
Football schedule
Class 5A
First round
Pleasant Grove 36, Riverton 21
Davis 28, West 7
Hunter 24, Weber 20
Lone Peak 27, West Jordan 6
Alta 38, Fremont 14
Cottonwood 23, Viewmont 7
Syracuse 31, Skyline 7
Jordan at Bingham, today, 2 p.m.
Quarterfinals
Pleasant Grove at Davis
Lone Peak at Hunter
Cottonwood at Alta
Bingham/Jordan at Syracuse
Class 4A
First round
Spanish Fork 33, Timpview 25
Timpview 35, Olympus 7
Mtn. Crest 55, Salem Hills 6
Orem at Highland, 6 p.m.
Bonneville 14, Bountiful 7
Mountain View at Dixie, 7 p.m.
Springville 35, Sky View 14
Woods Cross 35, Provo 20
Quarterfinals
Spanish Fork at Timpview
Hillcrest vs. Mountain Crest
Bonneville at Dixie
Woods Cross at Springville
Class 3A
First round
Morgan 30, Emery 19
Hurricane 74, ALA 7
Park City 57, Grantsville 28
Delta 41, Judge 7
Desert Hills at Wasatch, today, 1 p.m.
Bear River 56, Manti 28
Juan Diego 56, Juab 0
Cedar 46, Union 0
Quarterfinals
Morgan at Hurricane
Delta at Park City
Bear River at Wasatch/Desert Hills
Cedar at Juan DiegoClass 2A
First round
All games today
Kanab at San Juan, 1 p.m.
Parowan at South Sevier, 1 p.m.
Grand at Enterprise, 1 p.m.
Millard at South Summit, noon
Class 1A
First round
Altamont at Milford, today, 1 p.m.
Duchesne 48, Monument Valley 12
