The start of high school sports is August is a sign that summer is fading and the school year is about to begin. In Region 1, girls soccer is underway, with both Davis and Farmington picking up victories to start the new season. 

Davis 

The Darts are preseason favorites to not only win Region 1 but to capture the Class 6A state title. The team’s first two games of 2024 did nothing to sway that opinion. 

Davis is off to a 2-0 start with a pair of wins, both shutouts. Victory No. 1 came on Aug. 5 against fellow Davis County foe Viewmont, out Region 5, in a tough 1-0 game. After a scoreless first half, the Darts got the winning goal after halftime courtesy of senior midfielder Simone Packer. Sophomore Kate Willard provided the assist. The score came with just over 15 minutes to play in regulation.  

Defensively, Davis picked up where it left off in 2023, denying Viewmont many chances. Senior Lexi Lund got the shutout in the net from her goalkeeper position. 

The next day, Davis was back on the pitch again for the second of its seven scheduled non-region games. This one was a road game at Logan High School, and it didn’t take long for the Darts to showcase their dominance. Davis scored four times in the first half, effectively putting the contest away. For good measure, the Darts added four more goals in the second half to post an impressive 8-0 win. 

Many players got on the stat sheet for Davis, especially Willard, who tallied three goals and added an assist. Packer had a goal and a team-high two assists, while junior T’Maea Eteuati chipped in a pair of goals. Freshman Reial Phongsavath and junior Lydia Neville also scored, with sophomore Courtney Burbidge and senior Bianca Brower also assisting. 

Davis plays at Northridge on Thursday in a busy opening week. The Darts then travel to Olympus on Aug. 13. Davis is eager to continue its winning ways there after. The Darts were undefeated last year up until the 6A quarterfinals where they suffered a surprise defeat to Skyridge. 

Farmington

The Phoenix opened their girls soccer season on Tuesday with a rousing win, a 3-0 shutout of Woods Cross. This was the first meeting between the two schools since 2020 when they were both in Region 5 of Class 5A. 

Farmington did all of its damage on the scoreboard in the opening half. 

The Phoenix got goals from Seniors Grace Quinton and Breklyn Archibald as well as from junior Macey Call. Seniors Taya Rich and Caroline Rigby, along with sophomore Oaklee Stanford, got assists. Goalkeepers Belle Jones, a senior, and Abigail Child, a freshman, shared duties in the net, both contributing to the shutout win. 

Farmington finishes the week with a road game at American Fork on Thursday. On Aug. 13, the Phoenix welcome Cache County opponent Mountain Crest to their home field. Farmington has two non-region games after that matchup before jumping into Region 1 action. 

The Phoenix are looking to improve on last season’s 9-9 record and move up the region standings where they placed fourth a year ago.