The Davis girls soccer team is no stranger to playing for all the marbles. 

For the fourth time in the last six season, the Darts played for the state championship, reaching the final round to face Lone Peak on Oct. 25. Davis also made it to the championship game in 2019, 2020 and 2022, winning the state crown in the last two appearances. 

This year’s big contest, held at Zions Bank Stadium, was a showdown between two of the top programs in the state. Lone Peak was undefeated with a 19-0 record, while Davis won Region 1 with a 9-1 record and was on a 10-game winning streak. 

Unfortunately for the Darts, their streak ended, as they fell to Lone Peak 2-0. 

The two teams played to a defensive battle in the first half with neither team scoring. But Lone Peak broke through with two second-half goals, the second clinching the title for the Knights late in the contest. The impressive Lone Peak squad finished the year by allowing a mere seven goals all season while totaling 103. 

The Darts gave Lone Peak everything they had. It was one of the toughest games the Knights had all season. No team came within fewer than two goals of Lone Peak, and only three other teams besides Davis accomplished the feat. 

To reach the finals, Davis beat region rival Weber 4-0 in the second round on Oct. 15, making it the third time this season it defeated the Warriors. The two previous meetings went Davis’ way by the scores of 4-0 (Aug. 29) and 2-1 (Sept. 19). In the postseason encounter, the Darts scored all four goals in the second half. Simone Packer had two of them, with Kate Willard and Brooklyn Phongsavath getting one each. Samantha Maudsley had two assists, and Reial Phongsavath and Jentrie Gardner had one assist apiece. Goalie Lexi Lund got the shutout. 

Two days later, Davis edged Corner Canyon in the quarterfinals, winning at home 2-1 in an exciting double-overtime clash. Davis was up 1-0 at the break, but Corner Canyon answered and sent the game into overtime with a goal. In the second overtime, Packer scored off an assist from Brooklyn Phongsavath to send the Darts to the semifinals. Cadence Packer also scored off a Brooklyn Phongsavath assist. 

The semifinals matchup with Mountain Ridge on Oct. 22 was one of Davis’ most impressive performances of the season. The contest, held at Zions Bank Stadium, saw the Darts open up a commanding 3-0 halftime lead to essentially put the game away early. Mountain Ridge, which lost just once all season coming into the contest, couldn’t do much against the Darts’ stout defense. Lund got another shutout, No. 9.75 of the season. Simone Packer scored three times in the big win. Lucy Potter and Willard each had a goal and an assist, and Brooklyn Phongsavath assisted on a goal. 

Davis brings back some talented, experienced players. However, the program will miss Simone Packer. The senior totaled 24 goals this season, tops among all Class 6A players. She finished her high school career with 34 goals. This season, she scored in 15 games and had two games in which she had three goals. On five occasions, she tallied two goals. 

The cupboard will be far from bare in 2025, though.

Back next season will be Willard, a sophomore who had 10 goals and five assists this season. Reial Phongsavath, just a freshman, had five goals and four assists, while sophomore Courtney Burbidge scored three goals and had seven assists. Maudsley, another sophomore standout, also had three goals and seven assists on the year. Junior Lydia Neville will be back in 2025 after contributing three goals this year.  λ