It’s early, but the boys basketball season is going well for Farmington and Woods Cross, both of whom have unblemished records so far. The Phoenix are one of only two undefeated Region 1 teams, while Woods Cross already remains the sole team in Region 5 without a loss. 

Farmington

The Phoenix were productive, going 2-0 last week with wins over Maple Mountain and Bonneville to go to 3-0. 

On Nov. 30, Farmington went by Maple Mountain at home in a tougher-than-it-may-look 81-71 victory. It took a strong 20-17 fourth quarter in favor of Farmington to seal the win. The Phoenix started off on fire, soaring to a 25-12 advantage after one quarter. That lead reached 19 at 44-25 by halftime. 

But Maple Mountain made Farmington work hard for the win. 

Farmington was on the wrong end of a 29-17 fourth quarter, as Maple Mountain made things closer at 61-54. The Phoenix were able to close out the game with composure and clutch play. Cole Johnson and Paul Beattie were a prolific duo, as Johnson scored 24 points and Beattie 22 in the win. Beattie also had seven rebounds, while Johnson led the team with five assists and three steals. Farmington also hit 10 three-pointers on the night. 

The following day, Farmington hosted Region 5’s Bonneville in a touch matchup. In a back-and-forth affair, the Phoenix prevailed 62-59 to move to 3-0. Neither team was able to pull away from the other, as the game stayed close the whole way. Beattie was the game’s leading scorer with 22 points. He also had six rebounds. Easton Ralphs had a dozen points, but it was Johnson who may have had the top all-around performance. The senior guard had nine points, eight rebounds and six assists. 

This week started off well, as Farmington scored a big win over Bingham, 57-48. This triumph avenged a loss to the Miners last year by the score of 52-46.

In the win, Farmington jumped out to a 28-16 lead at halftime. Bingham charged back to cut the margin to three points heading into the fourth quarter. But the Phoenix went on a 19-13 run over the final six minutes to seal the victory, improving to 4-0. Beattie had 21 points and six rebounds. Jayden Haskell had 22 points, two assists and two steals. Johnson chipped in eight points and seven rebounds.

The Phoenix look to continue their winning ways on Friday in the Skyridge Tournament. Farmington starts off with a game with Dixie. 

Woods Cross

Meanwhile, the Wildcats sit at 4-0 as well, with the Northern Utah Shootout coming up this weekend. The Wildcats will start out with state power Olympus on Friday. 

On Nov. 30, Woods Cross took down a solid Copper Hills team on the road by the score of 60-50. The Wildcats held the Grizzlies to 17 of 51 shooting on the night. Three Woods Cross players hit double figures in scoring, with Mason Bendinger leading the way with 18 points. Jaxon Smith and Will Campbell had 16 points and 10 points, respectively. Cade Eberhardt tallied 11 rebounds, a game high. 

Woods Cross hosted Logan on Dec. 2, and rallied for a 61-49 win. The Wildcats and Grizzlies were knotted up at 34 apiece heading into the fourth quarter. That’s when Woods Cross had an offensive outburst, scoring 27 points to Logan’s 15. The Wildcats limited the Grizzlies to 30% shooting on the night. Smith lit up the scoreboard with 29 points, including four three-pointers. Alex Brey and Hunter Jackson each contributed nine points. 

Class 6A’s Syracuse was the next victim on Woods Cross’ schedule. The Wildcats won in a 61-41 rout on Tuesday. The Wildcats outscored the Titans in every quarter, including 19-12 in the first period. Smith had 25 points and buried six three-pointers. Bendinger added 14 points, while Eberhardt had 11.