With November and December – and the holiday season – in the rear-view mirror, local boys basketball teams are gearing up for the next phase of the season: region play.

In Region 1, Farmington and Davis had plenty of non-league action, with both teams sporting winning records heading into January. 

Farmington

The Phoenix are a solid 9-3 on the year, with one of those losses coming to an out-of-state foe in a pre-Christmas Tournament Dec. 20. Farmington had one final prep for the region schedule when it faced Copper Hills Dec. 30. 

Playing at home, the Phoenix picked up win No. 9 with a 54-51 victory over the Grizzlies, a fellow Class 6A foe. The Phoenix were down 31-26 at halftime and 42-39 as the fourth quarter began. A decisive 15-9 fourth quarter in favor of Farmington was the difference. 

The Phoenix won despite shooting just 34% from the field (17 of 50), but they made nine more free throws than Copper Hills and converted on eight three-pointers to six for the Grizzlies. Carter Nordquist led the Phoenix with 16 points (including four three-pointers) and chipped in five rebounds. Braden Larsen had 13 points and four rebounds, while Paul Beattie put up the most impressive state line. He had 12 points and a team-high 13 rebounds, as well as four assists and a pair of blocked shots. 

Farmington doesn’t play this week as it gets ready for the rigors of Region 1. Up next is a Jan. 12 clash with Weber. 

Davis 

The Darts also have just three losses on the season, as they have compiled a 7-3 record. Two of Davis’ losses were by single digits – three points against Pleasant Grove and six points against Highland. Davis also lost to state power Olympus on Dec. 9 by the count of 61-50. 

Through 10 games, two Davis players are averaging in double figures in points. Senior forward Zach Fisher paces the team with 14.1 points an outing. Junior guard Coleman Atwater is second in scoring with 13.6 a game. Ike Morgan and Caleb Taylor pitch in 8.6 and 7.3 points per game. Fisher is also the leading rebounder, averaging 5.4 a game. Meanwhile, Morgan’s 4.7 assists a game leads the Darts. Taylor is the leader in steals with 16 total on the year. 

Unlike Farmington, Davis has a few more non-region games left before starting Region 1 action. In a busy week, the Darts faced Bingham at home on Jan. 3, after our press deadline. Davis then plays at Mountain Ridge on Friday before hosting Lehi Jan. 9. On Jan. 12, the Darts will travel to Fremont to face the Silverwolves for the first Region 1 game of the season. 

Davis is outscoring its opponents 62-52 per game this season. Five of the Darts’ seven wins have been by double figures.