Washington County Enterprise-Leader
Glorious Memories
FARMINGTON — Alma kept inviting and Farmington kept competing in the Airedale Classic, a holiday boys basketball tournament, but the annual ritual was wearing on the Cardinals.
Farmington lost to the host team in the championship - seemingly year-afteryear. Farmington came close during Matt Wilson’s sophomore season. After trailing throughout the first half, Farmington scored 21 points in the third quarter and cut Alma’s lead to 40-35 with a 6-0 run to end the quarter, capped by Wilson’s steal and lay-up at the buzzer. Farmington was within a point, at 57-56, after making a pair of free throws with 12 seconds to go, but couldn’t quite pull out the finish, losing 59-56, in 2014.
Not so on Dec. 22, 2015, when Wilson, playing guard as a junior, had a breakout game with 32 points to lead the Cardinals to a 69- 63 victory ending the frustration.
“The past five years, I think, we lost to them in the championship, then we finally beat them in the last minute,” Wilson said, explaining the satisifaction of coming away with the win. “To finally get over that hump and beat them, we did that as a team. So, that would probably be another favorite moment.”
Wilson has enjoyed more than few moments of success on the hardwood during his high school career. When Cardinal Arena opened to the public Jan. 16, 2014, Farmington’s highly-touted girls team was upended, 50-47, by Greenbrier - leaving the task of christening the brand-new spectator- friendly facility up to the boys team, which was struggling. Wilson and company came through in a big way, by defeating Greenbrier, 62-54.
“It was a pretty good feeling to go out and perform for the fans, especially since the girls lost, to be the first team to win in there,” Wilson said.
Less than a month later, the undefeated No. 1 Maumelle Hornets came to Cardinal Arena only to be knocked off, 59-56, on Feb. 6 by Wilson and the Cardinals.
“That was probably one of my most favorite games,” Wilson said. “Funny, we got down 15 points at the half, we had 15 turnovers, we weren’t playing well.”
Farmington coach Beau Thompson kept coaching, exhorting his players on, and the Cardinals responded with another second- half comeback.
“I remember in the second half, we were slowly chipping away at them,” Wilson said. “I remember hitting a three and then I got a steal (on the inbounds play). They called time-out. I looked up and it was a tie ball-game. That’s when I said to myself, ‘Wow, we’re doing it.’”
Wilson will add to his memories Thursday when he signs a national letter of intent to play men’s NCAA Division II college basketball for Delta state on Thursday at 1 p.m. at Cardinal Arena as Wilson’s growing legacy continues.