The Deer Creek High School football team’s inaugural game against Mountain Crest on Friday won’t be one the Riverhawks will look fondly upon in their history books.
Deer Creek fell 49-0 to Mountain Crest, and the game was called after the third quarter due to a new mercy rule.
It wasn’t all terrible for the Riverhawks, though. Head Coach DeShawn Perkins said his team gave great effort in the loss. He also feels every rep they got in the game was crucial for success moving forward. Deer Creek got a quarter more rest due to the mercy rule.
“It definitely is a good eye opener for us as a program to realize the work that we need to put in to get to where we would like to be,” Perkins said. “Mountain Crest is a really good team and a very well-seasoned and experienced program, and so it was definitely tough coming out the gate, but I’m proud of my guys’ resiliency to not give up, keep battling and try and compete.”
Perkins said junior captain Logan Duncan epitomized the Riverhawks’ strong effort on Friday. A running back, Duncan refused to let the first defender to him bring him down.
Perkins believes Deer Creek needs to match Duncan’s physicality across the course of a whole game to find success moving forward. He said if they are physical and execute their game plan the best they can, he will be happy no matter the results of games.
The Riverhawks will next face Hillcrest on the road at 7 p.m. Friday.
“Hillcrest does some good things, but I really think it’s a good chance for us to get on the right track,” Perkins said. “We firmly believe with our preparation this week we definitely bounced back and look at this as an opportunity to get on the right side of the of the record table.”
Hillcrest has struggled to win games in recent seasons. As has Jordan, whom Deer Creek will face on the road next Friday.
Perkins is hopeful the Riverhawks fans will travel over the next few weeks. He said they packed the stands in Friday’s game, staying even as Deer Creek fell far behind.
“I loved the turnout,” Perkins said. “I look forward to more of that. … The community is definitely proud of what the team is and where we’re trying to go.”
Perkins believes a win early in the season could help shape it for the better. He said it is crucial for his players to see the fruits of their hard work. Perkins is excited to form some winning traditions with the Riverhawks.
“These guys deserve it, putting in the work as much as they have,” Perkins said. “Once they get that (win), I think they’ll realize, ‘Hey, we can go out there and compete with these people.’”
For further information about Deer Creek, such as their complete schedule, see their MaxPreps page: maxpreps.com/ut/heber-city/deer-creek-riverhawks/football.