Boys basketball playoffs: No. 2 Davis punches back in semifinal rout of No. 3 Layton
Massive runs send Darts to state championship final
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- Davis High’s Coleman Atwater, left, attempts a shot against the defense of Layton’s Tage Allen (12) in a 6A state semifinal Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025, at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City.
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- Davis High’s Tradon Bessinger (24) tries to drive past Layton’s Karter Miller in a 6A state semifinal Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025, at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City.
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- Davis High’s Bode Sparrow (2) reverses under the basket against Layton in a 6A state semifinal Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025, at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City.
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- Layton High’s Karter Miller, center, rises to shoot between Davis players Bryker Couser (20) and Bennett Wright (3) in a 6A state semifinal Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025, at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City.
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- Davis High’s Coleman Atwater (1) scoops a shot against Layton’s Chase Randall (2) in a 6A state semifinal Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025, at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City.
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- Davis High’s JT Turley, left, meets Layton’s Josh Checketts in the paint during a 6A state semifinal Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025, at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City.
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- Layton High’s Karter Miller, left, rises to block Davis High’s Tradon Bessinger (24) in a 6A state semifinal Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025, at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City.
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- Layton High’s Jack Godderidge rises to shoot in a 6A state semifinal against Davis on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025, at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City.
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- Layton High’s Josh Checketts (33) tries to get a shot against Davis High’s Tradon Bessinger (24) in a 6A state semifinal Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025, at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City.
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- Layton High’s Sam Romer (3) puts the ball on the deck against Davis defender Bode Sparrow in a 6A state semifinal Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025, at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City.
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- Layton High’s Karter Miller, left, surveys the floor as Davis High’s Coleman Atwater defends in a 6A state semifinal Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025, at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City.
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- Davis High boys basketball head coach Chad Sims exhorts his team during a 6A state semifinal against Layton on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025, at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City.
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- Davis High’s Bode Sparrow (2) tries to shoot over Layton’s Jonah Fullmer (5) in a 6A state semifinal Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025, at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City.
SALT LAKE CITY — Though the matchup was simply seeds playing out as assigned, it almost seemed unfair — from a Northern Utah perspective — that the rivalry rubber match between No. 2 Davis and No. 3 Layton boys basketball had to come in the state semifinals.
With six times as many wins as losses between them, the Region 1 co-champions who split the regular-season series in two spirited battles looked to put last season’s state-stage disappointment behind them — Davis having bowed out in last year’s quarters and Layton meeting a bitter semifinal defeat.
So when head coaches Chad Sims and Kelby Miller met at the Huntsman Center’s midcourt stripe with smiles and playful chest taps 2 minutes before tipoff, it belied the gravity of the stakes brought before the young players: the matchup meant the winner was guaranteed to reach the end and play for the 6A state championship.
The game’s combined 21 first-half turnovers put in numbers what the two teams must’ve been feeling. But behind seven points from Sam Romer, Layton rather convincingly controlled the first quarter and led 21-9 after eight minutes.
The contest could not have been more different from that point.
“We trust each other,” Davis sophomore Bode Sparrow said. “Things are going to happen like that and I think that’s our biggest thing is, we’re ready for the bad. When it doesn’t go our way, we’re comfortable being uncomfortable. … We didn’t panic.”
Davis flurried to a 44-12 advantage over 14 minutes of game time and stunned Layton into another semifinal exit with a 75-55 decision that sends the Darts to Thursday’s title game against No. 1 Herriman. That game tips at 7:30 p.m.
Senior guard Bennett Wright made two of his three 3-pointers in Davis’ second-quarter run. After Tradon Bessinger joined the triples party, Wright’s second make came from the left wing — calmly sidestepping a flying defender on a closeout with a pound dribble and swishing a 3 to put the Darts ahead 23-21 midway through the second.
“We weren’t hoping to be down by 12 at the end of the first quarter but that’s (Layton’s) deal … they’re a really good help defensive team,” Davis coach Chad Sims said. “Stay within what we want to do … we rotated a little bit, Bennett came in and hit some shots and got us right back into the game.”
When senior Coleman Atwater laid in a back cut basket with 2:33 left until halftime, Davis had poured an 18-0 run on Layton to open the second quarter.
Romer and Karter Miller finally snapped the drought with buckets at the rim to mitigate Davis and trail just 28-25 at the half.
But that was short-lived. While the Darts stepped up defensively in the second quarter, the third seemed like a cruel series of roll-offs and rattle-outs for Layton’s offense. In a stretch of 13:15 expired game clock from late in the first to deep into the third quarter, the Lancers managed just two made field goals.
Davis took no mercy on its rivals. JT Turley opened the third quarter with a 3-pointer and Atwater soon converted a four-point play to get the Darts up 36-25 (a 27-4 run after the first).
Miller and Romer peppered in a few points here and there, but Davis was relentless with its attack and ball movement. Sparrow and Turley scored on transition baskets before Wright’s final 3, a dagger that made the rest of the game fairly elementary and gave the Darts a 53-33 lead with 2:15 left in the third. Davis raced to 29 third-quarter points.
Layton didn’t wilt or want for effort. The Lancers hassled Davis with a full-court press that soon produced a 9-0 run in barely 1 minute’s time, including five points from Jack Godderidge and a Romer score that cut it to 53-42.
But Davis responded and sooned turned its press break into a series of transition layups (Davis outscored Layton 21-8 in transition and totaled 21 assists on 28 field goals, to just four assists totaled by the Lancers). A Turley 3-pointer restored the Darts to a 17-point lead with 4:30 left and Layton was without another rally.
Romer led all scorers with 23 points and added three steals in his senior sendoff for Layton (21-5). The sophomore Miller scored 17 points.
Atwater led Davis (23-3) with 18 points. Sparrow had 17 points and Turley totaled 16 points, six rebounds and seven assists. Wright tallied 11 points. Bessinger and Bryker Couser eached pulled down seven rebounds.
Now awaits No. 1 Herriman (25-2) after the Mustangs played a close contest with No. 4 Corner Canyon and made clutch plays to win the fourth quarter. It’s a matchup in which Davis will have to contend with some size as it seeks the historic school’s ninth boys basketball state championship and second in the last 22 years (2021).
“Our guys made a commitment to the whole process of just being stronger and bigger and faster and, combine that with some experience, it gives us an opportunity to be where we are together,” Sims said. “Our senior class leadership has been phenomenal … their leadership, confidence and direction and unity is second to none of any of my teams that I’ve had.”
BOX SCORE
Layton 21 4 19 11 – 55
Davis 9 19 29 18 – 75
LHS (55): Romer 23, Miller 17, Checketts 6, Godderidge 5, Fullmer 4
DHS (75): Atwater 18, Sparrow 17, Turley 16, Wright 11, Moala 5, Bessinger 4, Couser 2, Christensen 2
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Boys basketball playoffs: No. 2 Davis punches back in semifinal rout of No. 3 Layton
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