Layton • Northridge High capitalized on a series of mistakes by host Layton on Friday night and escaped with a 13-9 victory in the Region 1 rivalry.

Layton's Cody Baptist dropped a go-ahead touchdown pass with 5:17 to play, and the Lancers were penalized for having 12 players on the field in punt return formation with 2:47 to go.

The Knights (3-0, 2-0 Region 1) sealed the victory with a 26-yard run by junior Austin Tate in the final minute.

"Those linemen picked up that line stunt perfectly," said Tate, who carried three times for 35 yards. "Coach [Erik] Thompson told me in the huddle … he called 'great play' and then he told me 'Tate's got it,' and I just ran."

It was the last in a series of disappointing plays that cost Layton (1-2, 0-1 Region 1) before a standing-room only crowd in its home opener.

Layton, which fell behind 13-9 one play into the fourth quarter, drove to the Knights' 6-yard line with 5:27 to go. But the Lancers fumbled a snap, called three timeouts in a two-play span, then watched in disbelief as Baptist dropped a Derek Thomas pass that hit him in the hands.

"[He's] a kid that's usually got sure hands drops the ball," Layton coach Jim Batchelor said. "We've got to have kids make plays. Ball hits him in the hands in the end zone . . . What do you do?

"Then we had a kid run out on special teams who hasn't been there the entire year. It's a very frustrating loss. Very frustrating."

Said Northridge running back Brock Johnson: "I thought he had it. Even if he had caught it, I had faith that our offense was going to score, but it was relief that he dropped it."

Johnson gained 38 of his 47 yards on the Knights' go-ahead drive, capped by his 2-yard touchdown run.

Layton's Grant Walker had a game-high 77 rushing yards. Each quarterback — Layton's Trent Buckley (5 yards) and Northridge's Thomas (7 yards) — scored a touchdown in the second quarter.