During Region 1 play, the Davis boys basketball team wasn’t accustomed to being the underdog. But the Darts were not favored in any of the final three games of the Class 6A state basketball tournament. 

It didn’t matter. 

Davis, seeded seventh in the tournament, defeated second-seeded Pleasant Grove in the quarterfinals, third-seeded Corner Canyon in the semifinals and top-seeded Westlake in the championship game to earn the program’s first state title since the Winter Olympics were held in Salt Lake City – 2002. 

It wasn’t easy, but the Darts pulled off their three most impressive wins of the season at the perfect time. 

In the finals, held March 6 at Salt Lake Community College, Davis took down Westlake 60-55. Westlake entered the matchup with a 21-3 record. Davis started out strong, building an 18-10 advantage after one quarter. The margin remained eight at halftime – 31-23 – before Westlake cut the Darts’ lead to 42-37 heading into the fourth quarter. Both teams scored 18 points in the final six minutes, as Davis stayed ahead, claiming the first-place trophy. 

Chance Trujillo was the big star of the game. The senior paced the team with 19 points, including five three-pointers. He also had six rebounds, two assists and two steals. He had plenty of help in upsetting Westlake. Rex Sunderland and Colby Sims each had 14 points. Max Painter led the Darts with seven rebounds. 

Davis was amazingly efficient on offense. The Darts picked a good time to shoot well from the field, hitting a blistering 18 of 27 shots. Meanwhile, the defense held Westlake to 17 of 44 shooting. 

The Darts wouldn’t have reached the title game without a pair of other upsets. First, in the quarterfinals on March 2, Davis prevailed at Pleasant Grove 62-51. The victory was especially sweet considering Pleasant Grove won handily when the two teams met in the season opener on Dec. 4, 61-48. This time around, with the stakes much higher, Davis outscored the Vikings 15-5 in the third quarter, turning a 27-27 tie into a 42-32 advantage entering the fourth quarter. 

Sims hit seven three-pointer in the victory, accounting for most of his team-high 25 points. Sunderland had eight points and eight rebounds, while Henry Ihrig had 14 points. 

Two days later, Davis won in the semifinals over a talented Corner Canyon team, 63-54 in overtime. It was another revenge game, as Corner Canyon had triumphed over the Darts 63-50 on Dec. 10. 

After a back-and-forth affair throughout the game, Davis owned overtime, outscoring the Chargers 14-5 in the extra session. The Darts advanced to the finals largely by holding Corner Canyon to 20 of 54 shooting. Sunderland and Trujillo accounted for 45 of the team’s 63 points, compiling 25 points and 20 points, respectively. They each had five rebounds as well. Ihrig had nine rebounds, and Sims chipped in eight points. 

The Darts finished the season with a 22-4 record. The team must replace some key contributors next year, but some firepower will return. Trujillo and fellow senior Austin Frasure graduate, but Sims, Sunderland, Painter and Ihrig all come back.