Prep football: Sparrow sets career TD record, Itaaehau scores 4 TDs, Davis routs Layton
Davis 49, Layton 13
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- Davis High’s Bode Sparrow (2) secures a big reception as Layton’s Carter Hughes tries to bring him down during a Region 1 football game Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026, in Kaysville. (BRIAN WOLFER, Special to the Standard-Examiner)
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- Layton High’s Carter Hughes (8) signals first down after a play against Davis during a Region 1 football game Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026, in Kaysville. (BRIAN WOLFER, Special to the Standard-Examiner)
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- Davis High’s Jaxton Itaaehau (88) holds up the ball to celebrate his touchdown against Layton’s Drew Godderidge (21) during a Region 1 football game Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026, in Kaysville. (BRIAN WOLFER, Special to the Standard-Examiner)
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- Davis High’s Bode Sparrow (2) leaps and extends for a would-be touchdown catch against Layton’s Kass Huntsman (0) during a Region 1 football game Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026, in Kaysville. The pass was incomplete when Sparrow landed out of bounds. (BRIAN WOLFER, Special to the Standard-Examiner)
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- Davis High quarterback Paden Toula (17) pulls back to pass against Layton during a Region 1 football game Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026, in Kaysville. (BRIAN WOLFER, Special to the Standard-Examiner)
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- Layton High’s Drew Godderidge, as shot through a full, busy sideline, holds the ball out after a play during a football game Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026, in Kaysville. (BRIAN WOLFER, Special to the Standard-Examiner)
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- Davis High’s Jaxton Itaaehau (88) hauls in a touchdown pass against Layton’s Liam Arismendi (2) during a Region 1 football game Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026, in Kaysville. (BRIAN WOLFER, Special to the Standard-Examiner)
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- Layton High’s Jack Anderson sees in a reception during a Region 1 football game against Davis on Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026, in Kaysville. (BRIAN WOLFER, Special to the Standard-Examiner)
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- Layton High’s Jack Anderson (9) reacts as he finishes a touchdown past Davis High’s Bennett Kearl during a Region 1 football game Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026, in Kaysville. (BRIAN WOLFER, Special to the Standard-Examiner)
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- Layton High tacklers Luke Byers (7) and Carter Hughes, bottom, try to bring down Davis ball carrier Tom Lever (4) during a Region 1 football game Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026, in Kaysville. (BRIAN WOLFER, Special to the Standard-Examiner)
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- Davis High’s Bode Sparrow (2) shifts to run upfield as Layton’s Kass Huntsman (0) pursues during a Region 1 football game Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026, in Kaysville. (BRIAN WOLFER, Special to the Standard-Examiner)
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- Davis High’s Bode Sparrow (2) tries to keep his feet on the sideline near Layton’s Nate Wensel (11) and Darius Fa’amoe (22) during a Region 1 football game Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026, in Kaysville. (BRIAN WOLFER, Special to the Standard-Examiner)
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- Davis High’s Sam Coleman carries the football during a Region 1 football game against Layton on Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026, in Kaysville. (BRIAN WOLFER, Special to the Standard-Examiner)
KAYSVILLE — On a Thursday night when the Davis High cheerleaders shot air cannons with ten autographed Tradon Bessinger T-shirts into the crowd, Dart receiver Bode Sparrow set a Utah high school state record for touchdown receptions in a career, while Davis QB Paden Toula threw five touchdown passes and teammate Jaxton Itaaehau found the end zone four times.
Bessinger, the former record-setting Davis quarterback in his own right, is now at Iowa. With the Hawkeyes on a bye week, he was on hand to see Oklahoma commit Sparrow collect three touchdown catches from Toula, establishing a new state record with 59 receiving touchdowns.
Lost in all the gaudy numbers, Davis has already captured at least a share of the Region 1 championship in game three of a four-game league schedule, blasting Layton 49-13.
Bessinger and Sparrow combined for 42 of the 59 touchdown completions, with the other 17 coming this year.
“For (Bessinger) to fly out for our game, says a lot about him. He means a lot to this community. He did a lot of great things for us and he’s my best friend. It’s good to see him,” Sparrow said.
The old reception record was 58, set by current Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua, who starred at Orem High from 2015-18.
“To be honest with you, it hasn’t set in. When you say it out loud, ‘all-time receiving touchdown leader in the state of Utah’ … especially when it’s beating one of the best receivers in the NFL, Puka Nacua, it’s a huge honor,” Sparrow said. “I wouldn’t be here without everyone alongside me, like my coaches and teammates. But it’s kind of cool, for sure.”
Sparrow’s record-setter came with a little flare for the dramatic, when he took a swing pass from Toula in the right flat, banged off a bunch of defenders and fell into the endzone for the apparent score.
But the officials ruled him short of the goal line.
“We were looking for me. We kept trying to mix it up to see what we could do. I tried my hardest to get in there; I tried to drive my feet but they called me short,” Sparrow said.
The public address announcer had already told the crowd that Sparrow had tied the record earlier, so with everyone on the edge of their seats, and knowing where the ball was going, Davis lined up from the 1.
“On that last drive, when I broke it, the lineman, receivers, quarterback all came up to me and said ‘Bode, we’re getting you this touchdown,'” Sparrow said. “I look at it as a team record, because I’m not scoring without my quarterback, O-line, defense.”
Toula hit Sparrow on a slant across the middle and the record was his at the 10:28 mark of the fourth quarter.
When informed that Itaaehau had scored four touchdowns, on a pair of 2-yard runs and the other two of Toula’s touchdown passes, Sparrow was quick to pass out the praise.
“That’s awesome. Obviously, I’m not able to do what I’m able to do without Jax on the other side … and Sam (Coleman) and Cooper (Rigby),” Sparrow said. “There’s no keying just on me because we’ve got three other D-1 receivers on my other side. Teams have their hands full with us.”
Itaaehau took a direct snap for a touchdown on Davis’ first possession of the game, capping a 16-play drive that consumed 6:52 of clock time.
Davis (6-3, 3-0 Region 1) only looked Sparrow’s way twice during the drive, with both passes falling incomplete. At the time, discussion about the possible receiving record had not come up in the press box or on the field.
“I didn’t want it to be forced. I didn’t even tell any of my teammates I was close to the record,” Sparrow said. “They gave me chances in the first half; I really didn’t come up with them.”
Itaaehau caught both of his touchdown passes from Toula in the second quarter and his second rushing touchdown came on the Darts’ opening drive of the third quarter, making it 35-7.
“Those two rushing touchdowns … fully the offensive line; anyone could have run it in. Those two passing touchdowns … amazing balls by the quarterback. I’m lucky to be surrounded by good teammates,” Itaaehau said. “This is my first (four-touchdown) game.
“Every week the coaches come up with a great game plan … giving us opportunities to score. I just happened to run them in the right zone and capitalized on them,” Itaaehau said.
The first of three Sparrow touchdown catches came with 44.2 seconds left in the first half, and Davis led 28-7 at the break.
That was the first time discussion about the record came up in the press box, when the public address announcer confirmed with Davis statistician Curt Pettingill that Sparrow was one away from a tie at 57.
The subject then came up in the locker room, and the team was on board to set the record at home, right then.
“At halftime everyone knew … started to hear a word that I was one away from tying, two away from breaking the record,” Sparrow said. “For the coach (Scott Peery) to keep trusting me in the second half to come up with it says a lot about him. Love that guy.”
The tying touchdown came on a 36-yard pass from Toula with 1:31 left in the third quarter. After a three-and-out for Layton, Sparrow got the record four plays into the final frame.
Sparrow had 10 catches for 138 yards and the three scores.
Toula’s five TD tosses would normally be the headliner on any other night. He finished 24 of 32 for 271 yards.
“I’ve never had these types of receivers to be able to throw the ball to and get that amount of touchdowns,” Toula said. “My O-line played phenomenal today. I’ve obviously got the best receivers in the state. I trust my guys.”
Layton’s (2-7, 0-3) only spark on offense came after Itaaehau’s first touchdown when quarterback Tillman Thomas completed a pass to Carter Hughes, who outraced the Davis defense for a 68-yard score.
Hughes had three catches for 84 yards and Thomas went 13 of 33 for 260 yards. He had a second touchdown to Jack Anderson late in the third quarter, making it 35-13, but wasn’t nearly enough. Luke Byers totaled 16 tackles for the Lancers.
In a fun moment at the end of the game, Davis administrator Bret Butterfield ran up to Sparrow pretending to do one of those promotional Disneyland ads on his cell phone camera, where a reporter asks the star of the game where they’re going next.
“I’m going to Oklahoma,” Sparrow said.
Bob Judson has been covering high school sports for the Standard-Examiner for 51 years.
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Prep football: Sparrow sets career TD record, Itaaehau scores 4 TDs, Davis routs Layton
