With plenty of games to go, the Davis boys basketball team is off on the right foot in Region 1. 

Davis is in familiar territory, having won both Region 1 and Class 6A titles a year ago. Despite losing some key pieces to last season’s championship squad, the Darts have looked strong much of this season, including in the early stages of region play. 

With two league victories under its belt, Davis appears to once again be poised for big things. 

Both of the Darts’ region wins have come in blowout fashion, first with a 77-52 triumph over Weber on Jan. 9. Playing at home, Davis subdued the Warriors with a strong first quarter, getting off to a 23-12 advantage. Davis was never threatened and finished strong with a 21-14 first quarter to earn win No. 9 on the season. Two Darts had at least 20 points, with JT Turley topping all scorers with 26 points. He also added five assists to pace his team. Cameron Brower contributed 20 points and a team-high seven rebounds. Meanwhile, Connor Brown and Tradon Bessinger each scored nine points. 

Davis followed up this convincing win with a 57-37 victory over Farmington on Jan. 13 on the road. In this contest, the Darts used a dominant second quarter to pull away. After an 11-11 first-quarter tie, Davis outscored the Phoenix 17-6 in the second and followed that up with a 15-7 third quarter to lead 43-24 heading into the final six minutes. Bessinger had 19 points and eight rebounds in the game, while Turley had 18 points and five assists. 

League-leading Davis plays at Region 3’s Lehi on Friday, followed by a home game with Layton on Jan. 20.

Farmington

At 9-6, Farmington has had some ups and downs this season. The Phoenix’s loss at home to Davis has been its one and only region game so far this season. 

In defeat against the Darts, Brycen Rudolph and Sawyer Bingham each had eight points to lead Farmington. Rudolph is currently second on the team in scoring with an average of 11.5 points an outing. Malaki Tobler is the team’s leader in points with a 13.3 per-game average. Jack Layton chips in 10.6 points a game. 

The Phoenix play at Layton on Friday and entertain Syracuse on Jan. 20. 

Bountiful

In a stacked Region 6, Bountiful is holding its own with a 3-2 mark through five league games. 

Bountiful’s two most recent games were both victories: 54-44 over Brighton on Jan. 9 and 79-51 over Viewmont on Jan. 13. 

At Brighton, the Redhawks outscored their opponent by a combined 34-20 in the second and third quarters. Lincoln Smith and Wyatt Crane each hit three shots from behind the three-point line and tallied 17 points. Davey Howe added 14 points. Only six Redhawks scored, but it was enough to prevail in the low-scoring affair. 

Bountiful had little trouble dispatching Viewmont. The Redhawks had 29 points in the first quarter alone while building a 16-point lead. That advantage was 60-35 heading into the fourth quarter, as the Redhawks picked up win No. 10 on the season. Smith had a terrific game, scoring 32 points and hitting six three-pointers. Crane connected on four three-pointers and added 16 points, while Howe scored 15. Bountiful drilled 13 shots from behind the three-point arc. 

The Redhawks have a huge test on Friday.

Bountiful next plays at Olympus, which has lost just once all season. The defending 5A champs have won its five region games by an average of 18 points. Bountiful then hosts another challenging opponent, Alta, on Jan. 20. 

Woods Cross

The Wildcats are also 3-2 in league play. Woods Cross is 9-5 as of our press time and had an impressive win in their last outing. 

On Jan. 13, Wood Cross crushed Brighton 64-37 behind 19 points from Nate Smith-Mecham. The Wildcats outscored Brighton 37-17 in the second half and had 10 players get on the scoreboard. 

Woods Cross and Viewmont clash this Friday. The Wildcats then travel to Olympus to take on the formidable Titans. 

Several players have contributed this season for Woods Cross, three of whom have scored at least 11 points a game. Elliot Bendinger is the team’s leader in scoring with a per-game average of 14.1 points. Madden Johnsen averages 11.5 points a game, while Byron Watson scores 11.3 points a contest so far this season. 

Viewmont

The Vikings are 7-7 overall this season and enter their game with Woods Cross with a 2-3 mark in Region 6. Viewmont will be looking to bounce back from two lopsided losses. 

In the 79-51 defeat at home to Bountiful, the Vikings struggled from the field, hitting 20 of 54 shots. A total of 12 players saw action for Viewmont, with eight registering points. Tyson Bromley led the way with 11 points, while Jake Larsen was the top rebounder with six boards. Brett Tovey hit three three-pointers, tallying nine points. 

The Vikings also had a difficult time with Olympus on Jan. 2, falling 82-54 on the road. Bromley and Tovey were bright spots for Viewmont, as the pair hit two three-pointers apiece and scored 16 and 13 points, respectively. Tovey tied Larsen for the most rebounds on the team with six. 

After matching up with Woods Cross this Friday, Viewmont hosts a struggling Skyline team in an opportunity for a victory. As of Jan. 15, Skyline has just two victories on the season.