Region play isn’t far away for local boys basketball teams. To prepare for the battles ahead, Davis County squads have a few more non-region contests left. Before that happens, players and coaches will enjoy a little time off for the holidays. 

Then it’s back to the grind and region action. 

Farmington 

The Phoenix won a pair of games last week to run their record to 7-2. They have more wins than any other team in Region 1. 

Farmington defeated Highland 56-54 on Dec. 13 on the strength of 21 points from Paul Beattie. He also added seven rebounds in the narrow win. He got some help from Jayden Haskell and his 12 points. Ben Stucki and Adam Stucki each contributed seven points. 

On Dec. 16, Farmington had another successful evening, upending Mountain Ridge 61-56. The Phoenix were up by 10 points entering the fourth quarter and withstood a late Mountain Ridge rally. Ethan Atkinson had 25 points and four three-pointers on the day, while Beattie added 12 points. Cole Johnson chipped in 11 points. 

Farmington is next in action on Dec. 29 when it plays at Copper Hills. 

Davis 

The Darts head into the break with a 3-4 record, having lost at Lone Peak on Dec. 15, 73-69. The Darts were down 37-23 at halftime before making a valiant comeback that fell just short. 

For Davis, three players hit doubles figures in points. Coleman Atwater had 23 points to lead the way, while Colby Whicker and Kaden Eggett had 14 and 10, respectively. Eggett also had seven rebounds, and Atwater pulled down three boards and dished out three assists. 

The next game for Davis is on Dec. 27 when the Darts take part in the Desert Holiday Classic in California, which goes through the end of the month. 

Woods Cross

In Region 5, the Wildcats have risen to the top to pick up the most wins out of any team in that league. They are 7-3 as of our press deadline. 

Woods Cross routed Fremont on Dec. 14 by the count of 74-53. A turning point in the game came in the third quarter when the Wildcats turned a 31-31 tie into a 55-32 advantage. Mason Bendinger led all scorers with 30 points, while teammate Alex Brey added 15 more points. Jaxon Smith had 14 points, including four three-pointers. Brey also had six rebounds and six assists to lead the team. 

The Wildcats lost to Alta on Dec. 16, 65-57, despite 16 points and five assists from Bendinger. Will Campbell had 14 points and six rebounds, while Smith had 10 points and six assists of his own. 

In this week’s only game for Woods Cross, the team defeated Ridgeline 66-53 on Dec. 20. Woods Cross made 9–10 free throws and had four players score in double figures. Campbell led the way with 17 points, including five three-pointers. Bendinger also had 17 points. Smith and Cade Eberhardt had 16 and 14, respectively. 

The next game for the Wildcats will be Dec. 30 when they host Clearfield. 

Bountiful

The Redhawks played in their second tournament in a row, this time in the Coach Walker Holiday Classic, Dec. 15–17. The Redhawks went 2-1 to improve to 4-4 overall. 

Bountiful defeated Logan 79-60 on Dec. 15, followed by a 70-62 triumph over Cedar City on Dec. 16. The tournament ended with a close 68-65 loss to Riverton on Dec. 17. 

Charlie Smith was the top scorer against Logan with 16 points. Four other players hit double digits in points. Carson Smith was one of those players, as he chipped in 12 points and added nine rebounds. Tanner Crane paced the team the next night against Cedar City, putting up 15 points. In the loss to Riverton, Smith was the game’s top scorer with 19 points, which included five three-pointers. 

Bountiful won’t play again this calendar year. The Redhawks are next in action on Jan. 3 at home against Herriman. 

Viewmont

The 2-5 Vikings are the only local team without a winning record. Viewmont went 1-1 last week and lost a contest on Tuesday at home against Syracuse, 58-57. 

Last week, Viewmont got by Juan Diego, 66-62 on Dec. 14. The Vikings scored 41 of their points in the first half and built a seven-point lead. Jaxon Heusser paced the Vikings with 14 points. Scott Noel added 10 points and six rebounds. Viewmont hit eight three-pointers and out-rebounded Juan Diego 28-23. 

In a 53-45 loss to highland on Dec. 16, Viewmont struggled from the field and didn’t make or even attempt a free-throw all night. No Vikings hit double figures in scoring, though Drez Jensen had nine points in the loss. Zach Robison and Noel each had eight points, with Noel leading the way with 10 rebounds. 

In the narrow defeat at the hands of Syracuse on Tuesday, Viewmont made 50% of its shots from the floor but were outscored 17-9 in the final quarter. Robison was the leading scorer for Viewmont with 18 points. Mitch Jeppesen had 12, and Noel had 11. 

Next up for the Vikings is the Utah Autism Holiday Classic Dec. 27–30. The Vikings begin with a contest against Skyline.