With just over a week of school before the holiday break, local prep boys basketball teams are in the thick of the non-region schedule. League play won’t start until early January, so teams have a handful of games left to prepare for region battles. 

For some Davis County teams, this week’s slate of games will be the final times in action until after Christmas. 

Davis 

The Darts are 3-1 overall, with all three wins coming in blowout fashion. Davis suffered its first loss of the year on Dec. 4, falling to Bingham 73-72 on the road. 

The biggest difference in this contest was a second quarter in which Davis was outscored 19-12. The Darts nearly overcame that rough stretch but fell just short, despite a 23-19 advantage in the final quarter. Davis excelled from the foul line, hitting 14 of 15 shots. 

Coleman Atwater had a big game for Davis. The senior guard hit three-pointers and scored 23 points to lead all players. He also added six rebounds. JT Turley, a junior guard, had 14 points and a team-high eight assists. Bennett Wright and Croyden Christensen each had 11 points. 

Davis bounced back on Dec. 6 with a fabulous defensive effort in a 69-27 romp at home over Hunter. In the 42-point victory, the Darts raced to a 40-17 halftime lead and allowed just 10 points in the second half. The Darts surrendered just 11 field goals. Atwater was once again the leading scorer, totaling 17 points. Turley contributed 14 points, while Bode Sparrow filled the stat sheet with 11 points, four rebounds, six assists and four steals. 

Next up for the Darts is a home game with Brighton on Thursday, followed by a tough test on Friday against defending Class 5A champion Olympus. On Saturday, Davis hosts Highland, which, as of our press time, was a perfect 4-0 and offered a significant challenge for the Darts. 

Davis High juniors. Photo courtesy of Chad Sims.

Farmington

The Phoenix had a rough start to the season with four losses but picked up win No. 1 on Dec. 6, prevailing 65-51 over Bonneville. 

In the win, Farmington led 34-21 at halftime and made a fourth-quarter run after Bonneville had closed the gap to 48-41. The biggest difference in the game was Farmington’s 14 three-pointers, compared to six from Bonneville. Malakai Tobler had five of the three-pointers and paced the team with 19 points. Brycen Rudolph added 13 points and 10 rebounds. Cameron Brower chipped in 12 points, with Chase Hamblin scoring 10 points. 

The Phoenix play at Herriman on Thursday in the Skyridge Tournament. On Friday, the Phoenix conclude the tournament with a yet-to-be-determined opponent. 

Bountiful

The Redhawks were active last week with games in three consecutive days, Dec. 5-7. Bountiful went 2-1 in the games and entered this week with a 3-2 record. 

On Dec. 5, Bountiful defeated Crimson Cliffs 74-63, thanks in large part to Charlie Smith’s game-high 20 points. He also shared the team lead in rebounds with six and also hit four three-pointers. Bryson Heath scored 18 points and had four rebounds and six assists, while Emerson Geilman had 17 points and six boards. 

Bountiful fell to Riverton on Dec. 6 by the count of 70-60. Heath was the leading scorer for the Redhawks with 19 points. He also had four rebounds and five steals. Lincoln Smith and Charlie Smith had 14 points and 12 points, respectively. The following day, however, Bountiful got back on the winning track with a 61-52 victory over Dixie. Geilman was the top scorers this time, totaling 18 points. He also added six rebounds, three assists and three steals. Lincoln Smith and Bryson Heath each scored 11 points. 

The Redhawks next host Springville on Friday.

Viewmont

The 2-3 Vikings fell twice last week, first to Weber and then to Layton Christian. 

Viewmont’s game with Weber on Dec. 6 started off poorly, as the Vikings trailed 20-10 after one quarter. Viewmont fought back but lost 59-54. The loss spoiled a strong effort from Drez Jensen, who had 25 points, six rebounds, four assists and three steals. Cache Tuia had 15 points of his own, including four three-pointers. 

Viewmont then lost to Layton Christian 67-55 on Dec. 7. Jensen again had a good game, pouring in 21 points (hitting five three-pointers). Lloyd Williamson scored 11 points, and Carson Tovey added 10 points, four rebounds and four assists. 

The Vikings can improve its record and get to .500 on Thursday with a game at Fremont. 

Woods Cross 

The Wildcats have experienced both ends of the spectrum in their last two outings. 

Woods Cross couldn’t keep up with defending Class 5A champion Olympus on Dec. 5, losing in a 70-38 rout. The Wildcats actually led 19-14 after one quarter but saw Olympus go on a 33-7 run in quarters two and three. Hunter Jackson paced the Wildcats with 11 points. 

On Tuesday, Woods Cross destroyed Granger 81-39 to improve to 2-3. The Wildcats used a big 30-11 second quarter to build on a 17-12 lead and pull away. The Wildcats allowed just two points in the final quarter. Jackson was the game’s top scorer, tallying 28 points on the day. Three players – Bryson Watson, Nate Smith and Madden Johnsen – each had 11 points. 

On Thursday, Woods Cross faced Syracuse at home. After that home game, the Wildcats host Brighton on Friday and then travel to Skyline on Saturday to tangle with the Eagles. λ