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Kaysville • It would be unfair to give Syracuse's Brock Anderson all the credit for the Titans' crushing 28-14 Region 1-opening road win Friday night.
After all, Syracuse's defense harassed Dart quarterback Gage Cook much of the night, sacking him numerous times and, with the exception of a first-quarter and a meaningless last-second score, kept the Darts out of the end zone.
But Anderson was amazing as he hit 20 of 28 passes for 216 yards and all four Syracuse touchdowns, kicked four extra points, handled the kickoffs and played defensive back.
Asked if he ever got tired, Anderson smiled.
"Maybe sometimes," he admitted. "I just want to be out there as much as I can. It was nice to get our first region win and it just made it better to beat Davis. They beat us in the last second on our field last year."
The Titans did start slowly, going three and out on the first series and then allowing Davis to take a 7-0 lead on a 6-yard run by Colby Child.
"The kids were so hyped up at the beginning that they overran a few plays," said Syracuse coach Russ Jones, whose team improved to 5-0 on the year. "They were gung-ho for the game. ... This was really important. Every game in our region is tough. I expect it to come down to the last week."
After Davis' score, Syracuse marched 80 yards to tie it with Anderson hitting Kavika Fonua for a 21-yard touchdown as he enjoyed a 170-yard first half. The Titans took the lead for good when Anderson found Jacob Garver on an 8-yard scoring strike with five minutes to play in the half.
The key, though, might have been the Titans' relentless defense. With players such as Wyatt German, Kaden Craig, Caden Call and Jace Purser doing much of the chasing, Cook never could get comfortable and was ultimately forced to toss short, quick passes.
After a 44-yard run by Fonua, Anderson hit Diante Mitchell for a 21-yard touchdown in the third quarter. Davis' last gasp came in the fourth quarter after an interception. The Darts marched deep into Syracuse territory, only to be stymied at the 9-yard line.
The Titans' last score came with 1:53 left when Anderson faked a 30-yard field goal, picked up the ball and tossed a 12-yard touchdown pass to Blake Taurone. With the Syracuse second-team playing defense, Davis got the final points when Cook raced seven yards with less than a second remaining. —
Syracuse 28, Davis 14
R Syracuse quarterback Brock Anderson passes for four touchdowns and kicks four extra points.