The Bountiful boys basketball team was at the top of Region 5 virtually all season. In the end, the Redhawks captured the region title with a 12-2 record. 

More importantly, Bountiful secured the No. 6 RPI rankings, giving the team the sixth seed in the Class 5A state tournament. The Redhawks got a first-round bye and hosted 11th-seeded Cedar Valley in the second round on Feb. 21, after our press deadline. 

The 18-5 Redhawks solidified first place in Region 5 with a regular-season-ending 57-51 win at Woods Cross on Feb. 16. Bountiful trailed 32-26 at halftime and 43-42 after three quarters but had 15-8 fourth-quarter advantage. Faletau Satuala had 19 points and nine rebounds to lead the Redhawks. Charlie Smith added 18 points (including five three-pointers) and five rebounds. 

A win in the second round of the playoffs would advance the Redhawks to the quarterfinals where they would meet either Highland or region rival Viewmont. 

Viewmont

Speaking of the Vikings, a surge a third of the way into region play propelled their season. The once-struggling Vikings found some life, finishing in third place in Region 5 at 8-6. 

Viewmont had the No. 19 playoff seed and scored an upset to start the state tournament. 

Playing at Maple Mountain on Feb. 20, Viewmont won its ninth game in 12 tries. This win was the biggest one as the Vikings triumphed 66-63 to move on to the second round. 

Cache Tuia led the Vikings with 14 points and four three-pointers. A trio of Vikings had nine points: Max Larsen, Drez Jensen and Max Draper, the latter whom also had six rebounds and six assists. 

Viewmont’s second-round game at No. 3 Highland on Feb. 21 would be a big test.

Woods Cross 

The Wildcats’ season came to a tough end in a nail-biting 57-56 loss at No. 10 Skyline. The 23rd-seeded Wildcats concluded the season with a 7-17 record. They were 6-8 in Region 5, tied for fifth place. 

Against Skyline, the underdog Woods Cross team took the game to overtime after going on a 19-18 run in the third quarter and keeping the Eagles from retaking the lead before the end of regulation. Hunter Jackson was the game’s top scorer, as the Wildcats’ leader had 23 points and a pair of three-pointers. But Skyline had an 8-7 edge in overtime to advance. 

Woods Cross won three of its last four games in the regular season to improve its seeding and region standings. 

Davis 

In 6A’s Region 1, Davis placed second behind top-ranked Layton by going 7-3 in league play and 16-7 overall. The Darts entered the 6A playoffs with a No. 6 seed.  The Darts will face Fremont at home on Friday. 

In the regular season, Davis played Fremont twice, beating the region foe on both occasions. The Darts prevailed 66-54 on Jan. 12 and 52-45 on Feb. 2. 

Davis entered the state tournament on the heels of a 58-50 win at home against Weber on Feb. 16 in the final game of the regular season. Coleman Atwater paced the team with 19 points. Zach Fisher had 14 points and a team-high six rebounds, while Tradon Bessinger added 13 points and six boards. Ike Morgan was quiet in the scoring column with four points, but he had seven rebounds, five assists and four steals. 

A third win over Fremont would take the Darts to the quarterfinals to face Herriman or Skyridge. 

Farmington

The Phoenix are seeded ninth in the state tournament, which allowed them to claim a first-round bye. They also play a familiar foe in their first playoff game: fellow Region 5 school Weber, seeded eighth. The two teams play one another on Friday. 

The 13-9 Phoenix dropped both contests against Weber in the regular season. The first game went down to the wire, resulting in a 75-74 Farmington loss on the road on Jan. 12. The next matchup, on Feb. 2, was a 55-48 Weber victory. 

The Phoenix have two wins in a row heading into the postseason. Farmington defeated Syracuse 65-56 on Feb. 16 and upended Davis 62-56 on Feb. 13.