Consider where the Lancers have been the last four years after they earned a difficult come-from-behind 68-65 victory over Westlake on Thursday in the Class 6A state tournament at the Huntsman Center.
Layton won the title four years ago then made it to the state semifinals and the state quarterfinals the past two years.
Now the Lancers are back in the semifinals with this win over the upstart Thunder and perhaps finally earning a measure of respect.
Give Layton credit for not succumbing to a hard-fighting, surprising and confident Westlake team that needed a comeback win over American Fork last Friday just to get into the tournament then recorded an upset win over Region 3 champion Riverton on Tuesday at UVU.