It’s no secret that the prolonged winter and record snowfall has been an enemy to the spring sports season. Davis County teams have done their best to give the season a go, but many games have had to wait. 

Farmington already played some region games by early April, and now it’s Davis’ and Region 5’s turn at last, as Bountiful, Viewmont and Woods Cross eagerly begin league action. 

Bountiful 

The 4-3 Redhawks started region play the week of April 10 with a three-game series with Northridge. The Redhawks were 23-11 overall last year and 11-4 in Region 5, good enough for second place. 

This season, new coach Aaron Everett has some experienced players to work with as the team battles for the top spot in the region. Bountiful has a strong group of seniors, including pitchers Dallin Maxwell and Easton Aubuchonas. Infielders James Jordan, Kaison Averett and Ryker Jenkins will play a big role during region play. Outfielder Hank Tippetts is a strong defensive player, and he also has four RBIs this season. 

The Redhawks got some good experience earlier this season by playing some teams from California in a tournament. Now, Bountiful begins the task of battling fellow Region 5 foes as it works to gain a favorable seed in the Class 5A tournament in May. 

Viewmont 

The Vikings placed third in Region 5 a year ago but has a nice blend of veteran players and newcomers to make a run at a region championship. 

Hunter Royball, in his second season at the helm, has gotten his squad off to a 4-1 start overall. Luke Jacobs is one of his top players. The senior centerfielder and shortstop also pitches. Fellow senior Max Lee is another team leader along with rising sophomores Call Miller and Jaxon Marble. A big group of underclassmen are making the jump from JV to varsity. 

Through five games, the Vikings allowed just 23 runs. That capable pitching and fielding will be crucial as the team jumps into league play. Viewmont began the region portion of the season the week of April 10 with three games against Box Elder. The league schedule concludes May 10 as the state tournament then follows. 

Woods Cross

Paul Ayala’s squad won Region 5 last season with an impressive 12-5 mark. The Wildcats bid farewell to some key players, making this season a bit of a rebuilding project. 

Still, Woods Cross does have some optimism heading into region play as the team looks to repeat at champions. That might be a tall order, but senior third baseman Cole Smith and junior outfielder and pitcher Harley Vicchrilli offer leadership and talent. Sophomores Max Moffat and Beau Blackwell got valuable experience as freshmen last season. In fact, Moffat has recorded six RBI this season, second on the team behind Smith, who also has three doubles. 

The Wildcats began their region title defense April 11 at home against Bonneville as part of a three-game series. The Wildcats will play such a series against every region foe, ending with Northridge on May 10. 

Davis and Farmington 

The Phoenix are well into Region 1 action, despite the wintry weather. Farmington won its first three games in region play, all against Clearfield. Davis had to wait until April 10 to start its region schedule when it faced Fremont on the road. 

Davis will lean heavily on senior Cory Bridges, a pitcher, along with fellow senior Tyson Elkins, a centerfielder. Juniors Max Hunter and Andrew Fillimohala are key returners as well. 

As for Farmington, the team that finished second in Region 1 a year ago, has some holes to fill as it continues Region 1 action. But seniors Matt Hecht, Ryan Dallas and Brock Nixon have come up big so far as the team won four of its first seven contests. But a big surprise has been junior Pickle Monk, who had two home runs and seven RBI as of April 9. λ