By Tony Jones
The Salt Lake Tribune
Published Sep 28, 2010 06:00PM
Updated Sep 29, 2010 04:38PM
Riverton’s Friday night game at Alta is going to be a huge test for the Silverwolves.
Last year, Riverton was beaten 47-7 by an Alta team that rolled into town with its backup quarterback, Boston Handley. Then a junior, Handley was magnificent in tearing through Riverton’s secondary and leading his team to a blowout win.
“He was great last year,” Silverwolves linebacker Jordan Bennett said. “But defense, this year, is one of our strengths. We think we have a legit shot to knock them off this time around.”
The optimism is overflowing at Riverton. And there is good reason for it.
Anyone who discounts Riverton as an elite 5A team just hasn’t been paying attention. Heading into Friday, the Silverwolves are 6-0. In fact, their entire program — from the junior varsity down to the freshmen — is unbeaten. Sixteen games. Sixteen wins.
It all adds up to Riverton being the clear-cut, second-best team in Region 3 this season, the one team in the league that has any kind of a shot of hanging with No. 1-ranked Bingham.
And you could see it coming. Last year the Silverwolves were good, and knocking on the door of greatness. But this year they seem to have put it all together. The record speaks for itself.
“We took a lot of confidence from our win against Pleasant Grove,” senior running back Tua Laei said. “We lost to them last year in the first round [of the state tournament] and we wanted to come out and make a statement against them. We had a few mental mistakes, but we got it done.”
Laei is a big reason for that.
In six games, he has nine touchdowns on the ground, averages nine yards per carry and leads a deep stable of running backs that has run for nearly 2,000 cumulative rushing yards.
“We’re a great school for running backs,” Riverton coach Mike Miller said. “Running backs know that they’re going to get a lot of touches if they play here. We’ve been extremely effective on the ground this year.”
In general, the Silverwolves have been one of the best teams in the state, at least offensively speaking. They’ve put up over 50 points twice — once against Park City, once against Copper Hills. They put up 40 points in a win over Kearns and last Friday defeated West Jordan 37-20, becoming one of the few teams this season to hold the Jaguars’ offense relatively in check.
Riverton has notched quality wins against Pleasant Grove and Highland of Idaho. And the game at Alta, combined with the Oct. 13 showdown at home against Bingham, are two games sure to bring Riverton extra attention.
“I think every week is the most important week of the season,” Miller said. “In my 27 years of coaching, there haven’t been too many games that I’ve gone into not thinking we had a chance to win. Week in and week out, all games are a barometer.”
http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/sports/50363661-77/riverton-silverwolves-team-season.html.csp
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