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SPRINGVILLE — Through the first month of the high school football season, Zac Gordon has been a dual-threat quarterback and a top 10 rusher in Utah Valley.
The senior signal caller flashed his arm Friday night.
Gordon completed 9-of-12 passes for 131 yards and three touchdowns, all in the first half, to help the Red Devils roll past Wasatch 42-10 on homecoming night.
“We always want to run the ball first, and he’s a big part of our running game,” Springville coach Willy Child said of Gordon. “But we love him as a passer, too. He had a great night, and Parker Johnston had a great night. It was a good team effort.”
Gordon added 36 yards and a touchdown on the ground for Springville (3-3, 2-1 Region 8), with a 1-yard quarterback sneak that capped a 14-play, 7-minute drive in the third quarter.
We always want to run the ball first, and he's a big part of our running game. But we love him as a passer, too. He had a great night, and Parker Johnston had a great night. It was a good team effort.
–Springville coach Willy Child on QB Zac Gordon
Scott Averett added 87 yards on 11 carries for Springville, and Parker Johnston ran the ball three times for 89 yards and two touchdowns.
“We were able to run the ball and pass the ball well,” Child said. “Our offensive line was dominant. Coming out of the second half, our defense was a huge key.”
Gordon opened the scoring with a 15-yard touchdown pass to Devyn Tate midway through the first quarter as Springville took a 7-3 lead.
But the Red Devil offense came alive in the second quarter. Gordon hit Johnston with an 8-yard TD pass on the second play of the quarter, then Johnston ran in a 35-yard touchdown with 2:10 remaining.
Kade Hilstead pulled in Gordon’s third passing touchdown with 46 seconds remaining to go up 21-3, but Wasatch’s Chase Adams returned the ensuing kickoff 80 yards for the lone touchdown for the Wasps (3-3, 1-2).
The Springville defense shut out the visitors in the second half, and the Red Devils punctuated the dominance with long drives for touchdowns in each quarter. Gordon’s sneak ended the third quarter, and Johnston ran in a 40-yard score with 6:05 remaining in the game.
Spencer Heywood led Wasatch with 46 yards on 14 carries, and quarterback Garrett Davis was 7-of-21 for 88 yards.
“They had some momentum after that kick return,” Child said. “Our special teams takes a lot of pride in not giving up touchdowns, so we got after them a little bit. I just told our defense to keep doing what they were doing. I’m really proud of them.”
