Prep football playoffs: Lone Peak sends Davis packing in stunning 2-OT thriller
-
- Lone Peak receiver Thomas Herget (29) drags Davis defenders Ryker Sheffield (23) and Cooper Harsin (3) for a gain in a 6A state quarterfinal Friday, Nov. 7, 2025, in Kaysville.
-
- Davis High receiver Tyson Baggett, left, tries to outrun a Lone Peak defender in a 6A state quarterfinal Friday, Nov. 7, 2025, in Kaysville.
-
- Davis High quarterback Tradon Bessinger (4) lets a pass fly while lineman Krew Plyer (55) blocks against Lone Peak in a 6A state quarterfinal Friday, Nov. 7, 2025, in Kaysville.
-
- Davis High defensive end Caden Montgomery (9) rushes the passer against Lone Peak in a 6A state quarterfinal Friday, Nov. 7, 2025, in Kaysville.
-
- A gang of Davis High defenders swarms a Lone Peak ball carrier in a 6A state quarterfinal Friday, Nov. 7, 2025, in Kaysville.
-
- A Davis receiver tries to get out of a tackle by a Lone Peak defender during a 6A state quarterfinal Friday, Nov. 7, 2025, in Kaysville.
-
- Lone Peak quarterback Kepa Niumeitolu, center left, rushes the football against Davis in a 6A state quarterfinal Friday, Nov. 7, 2025, in Kaysville.
-
- Davis High quarterback Tradon Bessinger rears back to throw the football in a 6A state quarterfinal against Lone Peak on Friday, Nov. 7, 2025, in Kaysville.
-
- Davis High receiver Tyson Baggett watches in a touchdown reception in a 6A state quarterfinal against Lone Peak on Friday, Nov. 7, 2025, in Kaysville.
-
- Davis High head coach Scott Peery gestures during a 6A state quarterfinal against Lone Peak on Friday, Nov. 7, 2025, in Kaysville.
KAYSVILLE — Twelve Davis High football games came down to double overtime on Friday against Lone Peak.
There won’t be a game 13 for the Darts.
Lone Peak senior kicker Jake Barker split the uprights from 38 yards out in the second overtime and the No. 6 Knights advanced to the semifinals of the 6A state tournament with an exhilarating, 41-38 victory, ending the No. 3 Darts’ playoff push.
“It was a blessing; it was awesome … all the defense; all the team,” Barker said. “I’m so happy to do that. I’m grateful to the Lord Jesus Christ to help me do my job.”
In a game with countless twists and turns, Barker redeemed himself after failing on a field goal at the end of regulation that would have saved all the overtime stress.
“After I missed one from the 41, I was a little down, but my brothers said to keep my head up and I trusted myself and my team trusted me,” Barker said. “Davis is an amazing team. They put up so many points on us.”
Both teams scored touchdowns in the first overtime, making it 38-38, and Davis had the ball to start the second possession.
The Darts had a fourth down at the 2-yard line, called timeout, and decided to go for a touchdown instead of a field goal.
Davis quarterback Tradon Bessinger completed a swing pass to Jaxton Itaaehau in the right flat, but Lone Peak snuffed out the play short of the goal line.
“We called a play we had run a number of times that had a counter to it, but they did a good job of coming off the edge with two extra guys and blew it up in the backfield,” Davis coach Scott Peery said. “That’s the beauty of going second on offense; you know what needs to be done. It came down to one more play and Lone Peak got it.”
The Davis defense stifled Lone Peak to a fourth-and-5 when the Knights got the ball for their second time, and Barker came through with the clutch kick.
“We expected to win. This Davis team is the best Davis team of all time, in my opinion, Bessinger said. “We fell short. You can point fingers everywhere, but it’s a team sport at the end of the day. Stuff worked out; stuff didn’t work out.”
Bessinger finished his Davis High career with another brilliant performance, completing 40 of 48 passes for 327 yards and three touchdowns, but it wasn’t quite enough.
“My time here is the best of my life. From the teachers, to the admin, to the coaches and players and my friends around the school. Football is special,” Bessinger said. “I even had a teacher in sociology class who said, ‘Don’t come today, you have a game to worry about.’ No teacher does that.”
Two of Bessinger’s touchdowns were to Isaac Morrison, who had nine catches for 62 yards on Friday, while Bode Sparrow had 14 receptions for 150 yards.
As per usual, Davis (10-2) took the ball first and ran 13 plays, chewing 6 minutes, 23 seconds off the clock, capped by a 22-yard field goal by Luke Jolley.
A Barker 36-yard field goal tied it at 3-3, and the Darts then ran 14 plays that finally found the end zone when Makaio Byrd scored from 1-yard out, making it 10-3 at 8:57 of the second quarter.
Normally a quick strike offense, the Darts took what Lone Peak’s defense begrudgingly yielded. Bessinger opened the game with 10 straight completions, all of the dink and dunk variety.
“They have some good players back there; some good safeties. It was tough to throw deep like we usually do,” Bessinger said. “We didn’t get a shot today, but the next series we expanded a little bit more.”
Morrison caught his first touchdown pass, a 1-yarder (on a five-play drive) with only 1:34 left in the half and the Darts had what looked to be a commanding 17-3 edge.
“Our boys were playing confident. We told them all week, ‘we’re going to burn the ships, we’re going to take the island and win.’ That was the mindset,” Peery said. “Respect to Lone Peak. They’re a good team and they battled back. They made it a game.”
The worm turned when Lone Peak only took 32 seconds to close the gap to 17-10 on a 24-yard Kepa Niumeitolu pass to Seth Woolley just before the break.
Having the second half kickoff, the Knights knotted it at 17 when Niumeitolu connected with Kennan Pula for a 7-yard TD.
Davis answered with Morrison’s second touchdown grab, a 23-yard strike midway through the third quarter, and the Darts again led, 24-17.
Back came Lone Peak, tying it at 24-24, at the 8:51 mark of the final frame on a 5-yard Tate Barney run.
Itaaehau once again gave the Darts a step up, scoring on a 2-yard rush and a 31-24 advantage that had a chance to be the game winner — but there was still 4:06 left in regulation.
“We have the best offense in the state, hands down. We’re not going to be stopped,” Bessinger said.
Lone Peak (7-4) then changed strategies and completely abandoned the pass, running all the way down the field to tie it at 31-31 on a 2-yard run by Niumeitolu with 30 seconds left.
“We thought they were going to stay in a traditional game plan, but they ran the ball at the end. If I had those 6-foot-6, 6-foot-7, 400-pound dudes, I’d run it down your throats for sure,” Bessinger said.
Bessinger then threw only his third interception all year to give Lone Peak a short field with no timeouts left, and Barker’s kick with 7 seconds left sailed wide right and the game went to overtime.
The Knights got the ball first in overtime and Barney scored on a 14-yard run. Davis countered with Bessinger’s third touchdown pass, a 3-yarder to Tyson Baggett, setting the stage for Barker’s heroics in the second session.
Bessinger finishes his high school football career third in Utah history in passing touchdowns (127) and completions (836), and seventh in passing yards (10,908).
Barney carried the rock 25 times for 165 yards and two touchdowns for Lone Peak, while Niumeitolu rushed 10 times for 73 yards and a score. Niumeitolu passed 13 of 21 for 127 yards and one touchdown.
Ethan Lockwood paced the Dart defense with 14 tackles, Cooper Harsin had 13 and Bridger Young added 10.
An emotional Peery tried to sum up the season this way after a long locker room meeting:
“It’s all about brotherhood in there. It’s a special group. There were 37 seniors out there tonight. It hurts bad; it’s still too early to reflect on any memories,” Peery said. “We’ll have time to reflect later, but I don’t have any words right now.”
