After a highly successful non-region slate, the Davis boys basketball team has moved into the region portion of the schedule. The Darts are a favorite to win the Region 5 crown, though they dropped an early league contest. 

After winning easily at home over Fremont, 69-51 on Jan. 10, the Darts saw their five-game winning streak come to an end in a decisive 66-43 loss at Layton on Jan. 14. Now at 12-3 overall, Davis is 1-1 in Region 5 and has to wait until Feb. 4 to try to get some revenge against Layton when the two teams meet again. 

In the loss, Davis was outscored 18-9 in both the first and second quarters, facing a 36-18 halftime deficit. Davis couldn’t claw back in the second half. Coleman Atwater had 16 points and added five rebounds and a pair of steals. But no one else scored more than five points for Davis, which struggled offensively. 

In the Darts’ win over Fremont, Atwater had an outstanding game, totaling a game-high 33 points, 12 of which came from three-point range. JT Turley contributed 12 points, while Bode Sparrow chipped in 10 points. Tradon Bessinger pulled down a team-leading 10 rebounds. 

Davis can get over .500 in league play this Friday when it plays at Syracuse. The Darts then host Farmington on Jan. 21. 

Farmington 

The Phoenix are also 1-1 in region action, but Farmington struggled in non-region play and currently sit at 5-9 overall. 

Farmington opened the Region 5 slate on Jan. 10 with a 57-47 overtime loss at home to Weber. The Phoenix were in control early on, leading 21-12 after one quarter. But they scored just 26 points the rest of the way, including five points in both the second and fourth quarters. Still, the game was deadlocked at 45-45 after regulation. In overtime, Weber dominated, limiting Farmington to two points while scoring 12. 

Cameron Brower had an excellent offensive outing in defeat, scoring 24 points and hitting five three-pointers. He also added seven rebounds, while teammate Matthew Ernstrom totaled 11 rebounds. 

The Phoenix bounced back on Jan. 14 to topple Fremont on the road, 61-51. This time around, it was Farmington that made a comeback. The Phoenix trailed 16-8 after one quarter but had a 17-11 advantage in the second and a 20-8 run in the fourth to seal the win. Four players scored in double figures for Farmington, with Brower totaling 14 points. Malakai Tobler had 13 points, and Ernstrom had 12. Chase Hamblin scored 10 points on the day. 

Next up for Farmington is a home game with Layton on Friday. 

Bountiful

Region play couldn’t have started any better for the Redhawks. 

The 10-3 Redhawks have won their first four Region 5 games, all by at least 11 points. Bountiful took down Northridge 77-60 on Jan. 8 and followed that with a 69-49 blowout of Bonneville on Jan. 10.

Against Northridge, Bountiful overcame an early 22-14 hole to win going away. The Redhawks outscored Northridge 24-10 in the second quarter and never looked back. Charlie Smith hit four of the team’s 10 three-pointers and paced Bountiful with 19 points. He also had five rebounds and two assists. Davey Howe scored 15 points, while Bryson Heath contributed 13 points, three rebounds and three assists. Wyatt Crane and Lincoln Smith scored 12 and 10 points, respectively, with Crane totaling three rebounds, four assists and five steals. 

Bountiful used strong first and fourth quarters to defeat Bonneville by 20 points. Howe had 21 points, and Lincoln Smith helped in the win with 16 points and four rebounds. Heath and Crane had 14 and 11 points, respectively. 

The Redhawks looked to continue their winning ways on Wednesday, with a game at home against Clearfield, after our press deadline. The Redhawks entertain Roy on Friday. 

Viewmont

The Vikings are 7-7 overall but sit just a game behind Bountiful in the region standings at 3-1. Viewmont’s only loss was to Bountiful. 

Most recently, the Vikings overcame Woods Cross 60-53 in overtime on Jan. 10. A 9-2 overtime period was the difference for Viewmont, which had trailed 44-34 after one quarter. The Vikings outscored the Wildcats 17-7 in the fourth quarter to tie the score and send the contest into overtime. Drez Jensen had 19 points, hitting five three-pointers. He also had five rebounds, three assists and five steals. Lukus Toner scored 12 points and had a trio of assists. Tyson Bromley had a good all-around game, scoring 11 points, pulling down five rebounds and handing out three assists. 

Viewmont outlasted Box Elder 68-62 on Jan. 8, thanks largely to Jensen’s 20 points and nine rebounds. Carson Tovey wasn’t far behind, scoring 16 points and grabbing seven boards. After playing at Northridge on Wednesday, Viewmont hosts Bonneville on Friday. 

Woods Cross 

Woods Cross had split its first four Region 5 games, giving the team a 2-2 league mark. The Wildcats are 7-6 overall. 

Woods Cross went into overtime on Jan. 8 at Clearfield but dominated the extra session in a 65-56 victory. The Wildcats surrendered just three points in overtime and scored 12 in what had been a back-and-forth game. Hunter Jackson had a tremendous outing for Woods Cross. The senior guard scored 24 points and amassed six rebounds and six assists in the win. Marcus Stepan added 16 points and five rebounds. 

In its overtime loss to Viewmont, Woods Cross this time struggled in overtime, getting just two points. Jackson was the leading scorer for the Wildcats, putting up 17 points. Madden Johnsen scored 13 points for Woods Cross. 

Woods Cross plays at Northridge this Friday. The Wildcats faced Roy on the road on Wednesday, after our press deadline. λ