Riverton running back Easton Hicks (5) runs past Springville defenders in a game on Sept. 2, 2022. (Thomas Gordon, KSL.com)
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SPRINGVILLE — Three consecutive pass plays midway through the third quarter illustrated the rough night the Springville Red Devils' offense had, as the Riverton Silverwolves stole a road victory against Springville in a 22-15 win.
On second-and-15 at their own 37-yard line, Red Devils quarterback Ryder Burton, a BYU commit, dropped back and uncorked a bomb to senior wide receiver Trevin Kelly for a touchdown. But a holding call brought it back and set up second-and-27.
An almost identical play found Burton heaving one to another senior wide receiver, Will Monney. While not a touchdown, it moved the Red Devils into the red zone.
"Holding. On the offense."
Now needing 37 yards for a first down, Burton tried to make more magic with his arm, albeit for a shorter distance. This time, he was picked off by Riverton senior cornerback Jai Parker.
Those plays seemed to encapsulate the difficulties the Red Devils had all night.
In an intense game of back-and-forth, the Silverwolves put together the more complete game on both sides of the ball and came away with the win.
"We told our boys it was gonna be four quarters, and that's what it was exactly," Riverton head coach Jody Morgan said. "Defense played great; offense, we need to punch the ball in the end zone when we get in the red zone, but I'm just proud of our boys."
Springville's offense looked like it would be a force to be reckoned with to start out the game, with Burton completing four out of his first five passes, which led to a touchdown. But the Silverwolves fought back with three field goal-scoring drives to take the 9-7 lead into halftime.
Neither Burton nor Riverton's senior quarterback Jake Meyers had the most accurate night — both completed less than 50% of their passes — but it was Meyers' supporting cast on offense and defense that earned them the victory.
"Shout out to our defense though; they worked hard," Meyers said. "They gave us the ball where we needed it, and they grinded it out on a good offensive team."
With Riverton already having a loss on the year and coming in to face an undefeated Springville team, the Silverwolves decided to up their offensive tempo to push the Red Devils defense.
"We looked at film from last year and we were going fast," Meyers said. "That's our stuff; we go fast. We are more conditioned than you. We're quick. We're better that way."
With an 8-point lead early in the fourth quarter, the Silverwolves offense drove down the field but missed a 43-yard field goal that would have increased their lead to two scores. The Red Devils took over on offense but found themselves quickly facing a third-and-long situation.
The Riverton defense forced Burton out of the pocket and out of bounds, but a late hit by a Silverwolves defender gave the Red Devils new life. They marched down the field and Burton connected with Monney on a post route for a 35-yard touchdown pass. In an effort to tie the game up with a 2-point conversion, Burton floated a pass again to Monney in the corner of the end zone to tie the game at 15.
But any momentum Springville had just gained soon vanished as Riverton junior running back Easton Hicks returned the ensuing kickoff 95 yards to put the Silverwolves back on top for good.
Burton and his team weren't going down without a fight, though. Following a long kickoff return of their own, the Red Devils made their way down inside the red zone. But the drive stalled; and on fourth-and-2, the snap went over Burton's head, which he scooped up but was promptly tackled for a turnover on downs.
After a firm defensive stop, the Red Devils got the ball back for one last shot. With their backup quarterback Easton Condie in, the Silverwolves shut the door by intercepting his second pass attempt, sealing the victory.
"We've been talking about grit all week," Meyers said. "You know, let's be grittier than the other team on the other side and we just started grinding it out. We did our thing."
What's next
Riverton looks to carry the momentum into next week when they welcome the Pleasant Grove Vikings to town. The Red Devils look to bounce back against the Spanish Fork Dons.
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