As boys basketball teams advance in the state tournament, the stakes get higher, and the opponents get tougher. 

Region 1’s Farmington and Davis discovered that at the Class 6A state tournament this week, as both teams fell in the quarterfinals. The seasons are over for the Phoenix and Darts, but not without having won a second-round playoff game. 

Farmington

The Phoenix secured the ninth seed in the state tournament after having gone 13-9 in the regular season and 4-6 in Region 1 (fourth place). Farmington got a bye in round one and then took on fellow region foe Weber in the second round, Feb. 23.

Playing on the road, the Phoenix did something it couldn’t do twice earlier in the season against Weber: win. Farmington lost both regular-season meetings to the Warriors but came out victorious when it mattered most. 

And it did so by the narrowest of margins.

Farmington prevailed and advanced to the quarterfinals with a 63-62 win. The game was tight throughout, but the Phoenix outlasted Weber thanks to a 14-12 fourth quarter. Farmington also won despite shooting (and making) just one three-pointer and making four three-pointers to Weber’s 10. 

Paul Beattie paced Farmington with 20 points, while Ethan Atkinson added 16 points. Braden Larsen chipped in 13 points. 

The season ended Feb. 26 with a loss to top-seeded Layton, a team with a 23-1 record. Farmington lost to the Lancers for the third time this season, this time by the count of 77-61. The difference ended up being the second quarter, when Layton went on a 28-12 run. Jayden Haskell and Beattie each had 20 points and 10 rebounds. Atkinson scored 11 points and grabbed four rebounds. Larsen added 10 points, five rebounds and three steals. 

Farmington concluded the 2023–24 season with a 14-10 record. 

Davis 

The Darts were 7-3 in Region 1, finishing second. Davis entered the state tournament with a 16-7 mark and grabbed the No. 6 seed. This earned the team a first-round bye and a second-round home game. 

Davis’ second-round contest was with 11th-seeded Fremont, which marked the two teams’ third meeting this season. Just like it had in the two previous games, Davis won this contest. The Darts prevailed by a wide margin of 59-36 playing excellent defense to advance. 

The Darts held Fremont to only 10 points in the second half and limited Fremont to 14 of 42 shooting. For Davis, Coleman Atwater was the leader in points with 20 (including four three-pointers). Zach Fisher paced the team in rebounds with eight to go along with his 19 points. Tradon Bessinger had eight points and seven rebounds. 

In the quarterfinals, Herriman proved to be too much for Davis. 

The season came to a close on Feb. 26 at Herriman with a 63-48 loss. 

Davis fell behind 20-9 in the first quarter and never recovered. The Darts also shot just 33% from the field. Fisher had 17 points and 10 rebounds in a strong effort. Atwater added 10 points for the Darts.