Region 1 represented Class 6A well in the state boys soccer playoffs. Four of the eight teams in the quarterfinals were from the region, including Davis and Farmington. Unfortunately for the Darts and Phoenix, however, that was the end of the line. 

In the quarterfinals, May 18, both squads lost tough games, ending their successful seasons. 

Davis 

The Darts had an intriguing matchup with Pleasant Grove, a team that placed second in Region 4 behind 6A’s top-seeded team, Lone Peak. Against Pleasant Grove, Davis found itself tied at 1-1 at halftime. Kyle Livermore scored the first-half goal for Davis, his fourth of the season. 

However, the Vikings scored in the second half, and the Darts couldn’t penetrate the opposition’s defense. The loss was just the third of the season for Davis, which finished the year at 12-3

Davis has to replace some talented players for next season, including second-leading scorer Andrew Donigan, who had six goals this year. But some promising underclassmen return as well. Two key returners will be Livermore, who paced the team with nine assists this season as a sophomore. Leading scorer Bjorn Bergant is just a junior, so he’ll be back next season too. Junior Noah Jolley, who had four goals and four assists this season, will be a key player in lineup next year. 

Farmington

The Phoenix had an even more heartbreaking end to their 2023 season. In the May 18 quarterfinals, Farmington got the elimination slip in a shootout to region foe Syracuse, a team it had already beaten in both previous meetings this season. 

This time, with the stakes much higher than before, the Phoenix fell just short. 

After a scoreless game in regulation, the two league rivals played a pair of overtime periods. Still, neither team managed to score, sending the contest into a game-deciding shootout. Taking turns with one player shooting a 12-yard penalty kick on the opposing team’s goalie, Farmington and Syracuse had a memorable finish. Syracuse outlasted the Phoenix 6-5 to advance to the semifinals. 

Farmington’s season came to an end with an 11-4 record. It may have eased the pain a little when Syracuse then defeated No. 1 Lone Peak in the semifinals to advance to the championship game. 

Farmington had lots of contributors this season. Chase Ashby led the team with seven goals. Boston Peterson was second with four goals. Three players—Peterson, Gavin Wanner and Cole Janke—paced the Phoenix with three assists. Goalie Davis Wadsworth had 5.5 shutouts. 

This marked the Third straight season in which Farmington advanced to the state quarterfinals. Last season, the team fell in the semifinals to eventual champion Herriman, a team the Phoenix defeated in the second round in these playoffs.