The non-region season is over for Region 5 boys basketball teams. League action is underway as teams begin in earnest to jockey for playoff positioning. 

Bountiful

After going 6-3 in region play, the Bountiful Redhawks went 1-1 in their first two Region 5 contests, falling to Box Elder and beating Viewmont. 

The Redhawks opened at home against Box Elder, Jan. 3, in an exciting back-and-forth game that went into overtime. Bountiful would eventually fall 75-72 but not before making a nice recovery after a tough first quarter. Bountiful was down 22-15 after one period but went up by one at halftime, 33-32. After Box Elder reclaimed the lead 51-49 after three quarters, the Redhawks forced overtime, only to come up short in the close three-point loss. 

In defeat, Bountiful had balanced scoring, getting four players in double figures. Carson Smith and Bryson Heath each had 17 points, while Smith totaled a team-best 12 rebounds in a solid double-double performance. Charlie Smith added 15 points, and Arturo Garcia had a dozen points and four assists, leading the squad in the latter category. 

The Redhawks responded in a big way on the road two days later at Viewmont, blowing out the Vikings 72-49. Bountiful shot well from the field, going 26 of 46. Meanwhile, Viewmont hit only 34% of its shots and made six fewer free throws than the Redhawks. Charlie Smith had 22 points and five rebounds to lead the team in both categories. He made six three-pointers on the day. Heath tallied 14 points, five steals and four rebounds, while Carson Smith had 10 points, seven assists and four rebounds. 

Bountiful improved to 7-4 on the year with a non-league win over Judge Memorial on Monday, winning 79-67. Carson Smith again paced the Redhawks, this time with season- and career-high 29 points. Charlie Smith had 17 points, and Heath contributed 14. After not playing in the two previous games, Faletau Satuala had eight points in the victory. 

Bountiful hosted Northridge on Wednesday (after our press deadline) and next takes on Bonneville at home on Friday. 

Bountiful’s Davey Howe (15) drives the Lane against Viewmont’s Easton Fox. Photos by Roger V. Tuttle

Woods Cross

The Wildcats dropped to 1-10 on the season with a pair of Region 5 losses last week. Woods Cross is looking to get on the winning track with games against Clearfield (Wednesday, after our press deadline) and Viewmont (Friday). 

Both of the Wildcats’ losses were close. First, the team fell at Bonneville in the region opener on Jan. 3, 46-43. In this defensive battle, both teams struggled from the field, with Woods Cross making 16 of 40 shots. Bryson Watson was the leading scorer for the Wildcats, netting 15 points. Hunter Jackson joined him in double figures, scoring 11 points on the day. 

On Jan. 5, Box Elder gave the Wildcats another heartbreaking loss, this time 50-49 on Woods Cross’ home floor. After Box Elder led 26-25 at halftime, both teams scored 11 points in the third quarter and 13 in the fourth. Jackson was the leading scorer for Woods Cross, as the junior point guard had 13 points. Hayden Poulton and Eli Michaelis each had 10 points, while Kole Johnson added nine. 

Viewmont 

The Vikings are also having a tough year at 1-10 and 0-2 in Region 2. Viewmont looked to pick up win No. 1 in league play and its second win overall when it faced Box Elder on the road Jan. 10, after our press deadline. The Vikings host Woods Cross on Friday. 

The region opener was a close call for Viewmont. The Vikings took Roy to overtime in a competitive road game, eventually ending up losing 77-71. Viewmont was up 28-23 at halftime but then had to make a fourth-quarter comeback after Roy took a 47-42 lead into the final six minutes of play. Roy outscored the Vikings 18-12 in overtime. 

Cache Tuia had 17 points, with 15 of them coming off five three-pointers. Luke Gardner and Max Draper each had 15 points, with Draper adding six rebounds and four assists. Preston Weaver made it four Vikings in double figures by scoring 13 points; he had five rebounds and three assists too. 

Viewmont’s game with Bountiful on Jan. 5 didn’t go so well for the Vikings, as the team fell to 1-10. Tuia and Drez Jensen provided bright spots for Viewmont. Tuia had 18 points, and Jensen scored 10 points and had five rebounds.