Even though school is still a few weeks away from starting, and even though the temperatures are still blistering hot, the fall sports season is just about underway. 

Girls soccer is among the first prep sports to begin, with Davis County teams set to kick off the 2024 campaign the first week of August. In Region 1 of Class 6A, Davis and Farmington both look to vie for the league title. Meanwhile, in the Class 5A ranks, Region 5 schools Bountiful, Viewmont and Woods Cross all have high hopes. 

Davis 

The Darts could be on the 6A’s top teams this season. Davis is coming off a fantastic season that saw the team go 16-1 overall and a perfect 10-0 in region play. The only sour note on the Darts’ 2023 season was a surprise loss in the state quarterfinals to Skyridge. 

Davis has its sights set on making up for that early playoff loss. But first thing is first: winning region. 

The Darts return some key players from last year’s squad. In fact, the team’s top four scorers are back to give Davis a powerful offensive attack this season. Senior Brooklyn Phongsavath led the team with eight goals last season. Second on the team in scoring a year ago was sophomore Sammy Maudsley, who had seven goals as a freshman. Simone Packer and Kate Willard each contributed six goals last season. Now, as a senior and sophomore, respectively, they’re ready to play even more important roles on the team. 

Also back are junior T’Maea Eteuati, who had three goals and two assists last season, and senior Cadence Packer, who chipped in four goals and an assist in 2023. Goalkeeper Elesha Magley, who had seven shutouts last year, graduated. However, her backup, senior Lexi Lund returns after getting some time in the net as a junior. 

Davis opens with Viewmont in a road contest Aug. 5. The following day, Davis will play at Logan. The first Region 1 game will be Aug. 29 at Weber after a seven non-league contests. 

Farmington 

The Phoenix reached the quarterfinals of the 6A playoffs a year ago, falling to Lone Peak. Farmington was .500 overall with a 9-9 mark. In region play, Farmington was 4-6. 

Don’t be surprised to see the Phoenix improve on those records in 2024. 

Farmington has junior Macey Call leading the offense. Last season, she was the team’s leader in goals with seven. Fellow junior Taytem Grant is also back. As a sophomore, she was second on the team with six goals, and she added three assists too. The Phoenix will also have last season’s third-leading scorer in the lineup once more. Senior Brynlee Austin should bolster the Farmington attack. She also had three assists a year ago. Other key returners include seniors Breklyn Archibald and Claire Rencher, along with another senior, goalie Brinley Mattson, who served as the team’s backup keeper last season. 

Farmington has an intriguing opener on Aug. 6 when it faces fellow Davis County foe Woods Cross. The home opener is Aug. 13 against Mountain Crest. Farmington hosts Syracuse on Aug. 29 to kick off the Region 1 slate of games. 

Bountiful

The Redhawks had a strong 2023 campaign, placing second in Region 5 with an 11-4 mark and going 15-5 overall. Bountiful turned it in during a memorable playoff run, making it all the way to the 5A championship game before losing in a heartbreaker to Maple Mountain in a shootout. 

This year’s Bountiful team has some holes to fill, as some big-time contributors graduated. Caroline Hellewell and Ellyse Kessler have moved on after combining for 26 goals and 24 assists in 2023. However, leading scorer Emmy Sorenson is back for her junior season. She tallied 17 goals and six assists a year ago as a sophomore. She enters the season with 32 career goals already. Sorensen scored in 13 games last season and had two contests in which she had three goals. 

Another welcome face is senior Sophie Winzeler, who had three goals and three assists a year ago. Sophomore Myka Page was a pleasant surprise as a freshman last year, tallying seven goals and six assists. Goalkeeper Daisy Williams graduated and will be tough to replace. Her backup, senior Eliza Naegle, will get a shot at the starting spot this season. 

The Redhawks start off at Sky View on Aug. 6, followed by the home opener on Aug. 9 against Layton. Bountiful begins Region 5 play Aug. 15 at Woods Cross. 

Viewmont

The Vikings are coming off a rough year, having gone 3-11 in Region 5 and 5-13 overall. Still, longtime head coach Spencer Keddington, who has won 103 games at Viewmont, has some pieces to work with this season to improve. 

Viewmont has a tough game 1, hosting Davis Aug. 5. The first Region 5 game for the Vikings will be Aug. 15 at Clearfield. 

Scoring goals last season wasn’t easy for the Vikings, but the good news is the leader in that category a year ago is back. Junior forward Annie Layton will lead the offense after scoring five goals and dishing out three assists in 2023. Senior midfielder Mazie Tullis scored four goals and paced the Vikings with five assists last year. Key defender Brooklyn Jones, a senior, is also back. Susan Lamb had three shutouts in the goal last season. She’s back for her junior season to anchor the defense. 

Woods Cross

The Wildcats were 9-8 in 2023 and were fifth in Region 5 with a 7-7 mark. A fresh start begins on Aug. 6 when the team plays at Farmington. Woods Cross hosts Bountiful Aug. 15 to open Region 5 action. 

Woods Cross will sorely miss Oakley Anderson, who was one of the state’s top scorers last season with 22 goals. She graduated, so other players will need to step up to take over the load. Junior Nixon Milliron and sophomore Clara Howes each had five goals a season ago. Howes added four assists on the year. Senior Bailey Brown is back after totaling four goals and a pair of assists in 2023.