Boys basketball: Miller, Layton get back at Davis in first region matchup of season
Region 1 boys final: Layton 77, Davis 58
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- Layton High’s Karter Miller, left, drives against tough defense from Davis High’s Connor Brown in a Region 1 boys basketball game Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026, in Kaysville.
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- Layton High’s Jack Godderidge (21) celebrates a play against Davis in a Region 1 boys basketball game Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026, in Kaysville.
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- Davis High’s Tradon Bessinger (4) tries to post up against Layton’s Jack Godderidge in a Region 1 boys basketball game Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026, in Kaysville.
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- Layton High’s Karter Miller (1) rises to shoot over Davis High’s JT Turley (11) in a Region 1 boys basketball game Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026, in Kaysville.
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- Davis High’s Cameron Brower (14) pulls up for a jump shot over Layton’s Jack Godderidge (21) in a Region 1 boys basketball game Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026, in Kaysville.
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- A referee speaks with Davis High player Cameron Brower (14) and JT Turley (11) during a Region 1 boys basketball game against Layton on Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026, in Kaysville.
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- Layton High’s Karter Miller (1) puts a shot up past Davis High’s Tradon Bessinger (4) in a Region 1 boys basketball game Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026, in Kaysville.
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- Davis High’s JT Turley sizes up the floor in a Region 1 boys basketball game against Layton on Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026, in Kaysville.
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- Layton High’s Jack Godderidge (21) readies to shoot against Davis High’s Gus Van Brocklin in a Region 1 boys basketball game Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026, in Kaysville.
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- Layton High’s Chase Randall (2) drives past Davis High’s Austin Taylor (25) in a Region 1 boys basketball game Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026, in Kaysville.
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- Davis High’s Gus Ban Brocklin, right, jumps toward the basket as Layton’s Chase Randall (2) contests the shot in a Region 1 boys basketball game Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026, in Kaysville.
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- Layton High’s Bode Knudson, left, fires a pass away from the defense of Davis High’s JT Turley in a Region 1 boys basketball game Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026, in Kaysville.
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- Davis High’s Bode Sparrow, center, goes airborne for a pass against Layton’s defense in a Region 1 boys basketball game Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026, in Kaysville.
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- Layton High’s Jack Godderidge (21) tries to score at the rim against Davis in a Region 1 boys basketball game Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026, in Kaysville.
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- Davis High students cheer during a boys basketball game against Layton on Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026, in Kaysville.
KAYSVILLE — The last time Layton and Davis met on the basketball court was February 2025, when the Darts bounced the Lancers by 20 points in the 6A state semifinals.
That game still resonates with Layton junior point guard Karter Miller and his teammates.
“We talked about it. We all remember that game. We don’t want that same feeling,” Miller said. “It’s hard to win here. … They’re one of the better teams in the state. If we play that way every game, we’ll be hard to beat.”
In a rivalry game with playoff atmosphere on Tuesday, Layton took over first place in the Region 1 race, dominating Davis 77-58.
“This was big for us; after dropping one to Syracuse, we wanted to stay in the region hunt,” Layton coach Kelby Miller said. “It’s to the point right now where when we play Davis, I don’t have to get them fired up. They know what’s at stake.”
Karter Miller led the Lancers with 27 points, including 10 of 13 from the free-throw line, adding eight assists and six rebounds.
“Do what you’re good at. I’ve worked on all those shots, getting in the lane,” Karter Miller said. “This was a good game; a rivalry. Overall, we probably played one of our better games all year.”
Three senior guards had double figures for Layton, as Jack Godderidge notched a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds, Nic Anderson scored 12 points with a trio of 3-pointers, and Chase Randall checked in at 10 points and four boards.
“We have guys with plenty of experience. Most of these guys that set foot on the floor tonight have either played in this rivalry last year or the year before, and at the University of Utah in the quarterfinals and semifinal games last year, so they’re ready for it,” Kelby Miller said.
Layton (13-5, 3-1 Region 1) had to weather an early storm as Bode Sparrow returned from injury for Davis (11-5, 2-1) and scored three quick buckets, helping the Darts to an 8-5 advantage in front of a raucous home crowd.
“His energy … it was great to have the group together again. Nice to have him back,” Davis coach Chad Sims said. “But credit Layton; they knocked down some shots and we were playing catch-up the whole game.”
Those shots came during a 12-0 run to erase the Davis lead, with five straight from senior forward Tage Allen and a trey by Anderson, his second of the game.
“We never put our head down,” Karter Miller said. “They’re going to make runs, do stuff that might affect how we play. We keep pushing no matter what.”
A 23-15 lead after one quarter ballooned to 49-30 at the break after Layton won the second stanza 26-15.
Davis and Layton matched 18-point and 10-point third and fourth quarters, so the margin stayed at 19 to the end.
“We had to contain their guys, keep doing what we’re doing. If we played the second half like the first, they weren’t going to beat us,” Karter Miller said. “If you give 100% the whole game, you’re going to be good on defense and offense as well.”
Karter Miller showed that effort on a particular play midway through the third quarter, where he missed a shot, slipped inside a Davis defender for the rebound and scored a layup, giving Layton a 56-35 lead.
“We work on it in practice; we do guards and bigs. If you shoot a long 3, you have to crash the boards because there’s a chance there’s going to be a long rebound,” Karter Miller said. “Most teams aren’t ready for those, so if you follow your shot, you can get it. I saw the lane … just go.”
Frustration boiled over in the third quarter when Davis player Cameron Brower was assessed a technical foul after a basket by Godderidge and, after Karter Miller’s ensuing free throws, the Lancers had their largest lead of the night at 63-37.
Officials tightened up their calls the rest of the way and five players fouled out, including three Darts who spent most of their time trying to control Karter Miller.
Miller was consistent throughout the game, scoring five, seven, eight and seven points over the four quarters.
“I knew coming in they were going to try and take me out of my game and get in my head and stuff. Laugh it off and keep going,” Karter Miller said. “I was gassed the whole game pretty much. You have to have the mindset of not being tired … it’s easier to stay in. Don’t take a play off.”
Davis narrowed the gap to 67-55 with 5:23 remaining in the final frame on two Sparrow free throws, but Layton closed on a 10-3 streak to finish it off.
“Basketball is a game of runs. The main thing is not to panic; continue to play the way we tried in the first half,” Kelby Miller said. “Tempo and get up and down the floor. When we’re able to do that, we’re pretty successful.
“It was a million degrees in the gym; a hot, tense atmosphere. There may have been some conditioning issues at the end. They crawled back into it, but we hit a few shots and got a few free throws to stretch it back to 15, 16, and it was ours from there.”
Three Davis seniors also netted double digits, with Dilan Petersen scoring 15, JT Turley adding 13 points and seven assists, and football quarterback Tradon Bessinger posting a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds.
Speaking of football, Sparrow, a prime pigskin product as a junior, had 10 points with University of Utah football coach Morgan Scalley watching from the stands.
“Basketball is important to these guys, we just haven’t been as focused the last couple of weeks, but Layton had a lot to do with that,” Sims said. “They made shots. When guys make shots, it’s really hard.”
