CEDAR CITY, Utah (February 21, 2026) - The Layton Christian Eagles put together an outstanding comeback in the second half of their 44-40 3A State Championship win over the Morgan Trojans on Saturday, Feb. 21.
Layton Christian Head Coach Mark Burton said, "A state championship means everything to this team. It's historic. We've never been here. We have four year players that have never even competed for the chance to come here. For us to come here and win in this way — it's everything for this school."
Top Performers
- For the Eagles, Sarah Ledio led the team with 15 points, and Ava Smith played well under the board with 13 rebounds.
- For the Trojans, Kamry Wardell dominated on defense, bringing down 14 rebounds in addition to three steals and a block.
Game Recap
First Half
The game tipped off to a back-and-forth battle full of lead changes, before Layton Christian's Fabiana Lopez drained a triple to push the Eagles ahead by four points. Morgan's Edyn Gale flipped the momentum into her team's favor only a few possessions later with a three-pointer of her own. The Trojans led 10-9 at the end of a tight first quarter.
Lopez added another basket to open the second quarter, but Morgan quickly opened a strong 8-0 run, including two scores by Zoe Rockenfield. The scoring spree, combined with sound defense, sent them into halftime up 20-13.
Second Half
The Eagles' Sofia Olayo dropped an early three-pointer in the second half to make for a one-score game, beginning a fantastic comeback for Layton Christian. Later in the third, she cashed in on another from the perimeter, pushing her team ahead 30-28 with a period to go.
A 7-0 run from the Eagles pushed it to a nine-point game in their favor in the fourth. Layton Christian's Smith sank a game-changing triple as the clock ticked under three minutes. Despite the deficit, Morgan battled until the end of the line, racking up steals and scores in the final minute. However, Layton Christian's Ledio made one final layup to push her team to a 44-40 win.
Larry H. Miller Utah Summer Games Basketball
The Larry H. Miller Utah Summer Games will host their annual boys' and girls' high school basketball tournament from May 28-30, 2026. Registration for the tournament is open until May 6, 2026, at https://utahsummergames.org/sports/2023/12/14/basketball-high-school.aspx.
