The Region 1 boys basketball race has been a two-team contest for most of the season. As the final game of the regular season arrives, Davis has a chance to share the league championship or even win it outright. 

Both Davis and Layton are 8-1 heading into Friday’s regular-season finale. A Davis victory ensures the Darts no less than a co-title. A Davis win and a Layton loss at Fremont (unlikely, as Fremont is 1-8 in region play) would give the Darts sole possession of first place. 

More importantly, the Darts are battling for a high RPI ranking heading into the state tournament. The first round of the Class 6A playoffs begins Feb. 19 on the home courts of higher-seeded teams. The second round tips off Feb. 21. Davis will secure a first-round bye and should have a home game when second-round action begins. 

Davis put itself in position to play for the region title by defeating Farmington on the road, 65-58, on Tuesday. After the Phoenix grabbed a 31-26 halftime edge, the Darts outscored them 21-11 in the third quarter. As he has done so many times this season, Coleman Atwater came up big. The senior guard led all players with 28 points and hit six three-pointers. Atwater also added four rebounds. Two of his teammates – Croyden Christensen and JT Turley – also scored in double figures, netting 11 points and 10 points, respectively. Christensen also had seven rebounds and three steals. 

Last Friday, Davis had its most lopsided victory of the season when it ran away with a dominant 92-44 win over Syracuse at home. Davis used a 26-9 run in the second quarter to blow the game open. Atwater hit five three-pointers in this win, totaling 26 points on the day. He also had eight rebounds to lead the team. Turley had 14 points, five rebounds and six assists. Christensen contributed 13 points and five rebounds, while Junior Moala scored 12 points. Bode Sparrow was the fifth Dart to reach double figures in points, scoring 10 points. 

Davis’ final game is against Weber, a team it edged 66-63 on Jan. 24. The Darts will be looking for win No. 20 on the season against just three defeats. 

 Farmington 

The Phoenix are 6-15 overall and 2-7 in league play. When Farmington plays at Syracuse this Friday, it will be looking to end a four-game losing streak. Earlier this season, on Jan. 24, Farmington beat Syracuse 66-57, the Phoenix’s most recent win. 

Before its loss to Davis on Tuesday, Farmington fell to Layton on the road, 70-60. The Phoenix outscored the Lancers 20-13 in the final quarter to make things closer. Matthew Ernstrom and Cameron Brower each had 16 points in the loss, with Brower leading the team with nine rebounds. Malakai Tobler had 10 points, four rebounds and four assists for Farmington. 

Against Davis, Farmington got 21 points from Brower and 14 from Tobler. Farmington hit 11 three-pointers in the contest and made all seven of its free throws.