The Farmington boys basketball team started the 2023–24 season earlier than most teams, picking up a win over Viewmont, 53-44, on Nov. 17. 

In a bit of odd scheduling, this pre-Thanksgiving game preceded the next Phoenix game by two weeks, as they next play at Bonneville this Friday. 

Coming off a 15-9 season, it was nice to get started on the right foot. Farmington played stellar defense against their cross-county rivals, allowed the Vikings to score just 13 points in the first half. At the break, Farmington led by eight points. The Phoenix had a 16-15 advantage in both the third and fourth quarters to seal the win. It was the first meeting between the two neighbors since February 2021 when they both played in Class 5A’s Region 5. 

A key difference in this game was the huge edge Farmington had at the free-throw line. 

The Phoenix made 25 of 38 shots to just six out of eight attempts for Viewmont. The Vikings actually made more field goals (15) than Farmington (13). For the Phoenix, Paul Beattie led all scorers with 19 points. The senior forward also five rebounds and three assists in the contest. Jayden Haskell had 13 points and three rebounds, while Braden Larsen had 12 points and five boards. Ethan Atkinson was quiet in the scoring column – tallying four points – but had a team-high nine rebounds and four assists. 

With the win, Farmington maintains its undefeated record in season-opening games. The school opened for the 2018–19 year, and Farmington won its first game of the season that year and has done so ever since. 

It will be a while before the Phoenix are at home again. 

Farmington goes on the road this Friday to play Bonneville, followed by two other road games. On Dec. 8 and 9, the Phoenix will take part in the Skyridge Tournament at Skyridge High School. The next home game is Dec. 12 against Bingham. Farmington then plays at Weber Jan. 12 to open Region action after a busy December of seven games.