Farmington Knocks Off PG Boys

RIVALRY GAME TAKES CENTER STAGE

PRAIRIE GROVE — Farmington pulled away with a 17-9 scoring advantage in the fourth quarter to open its basketball season with a hard-fought, 49-40, win at rival Prairie Grove Monday.

Senior Xavier Staten led the Cardinals with 16 points and punctuated the win with a spectacular driving one-handed slam dunk that pushed Farmington’s lead to 44-36 with 2:15 to play in the fourth. Prairie Grove led by as many as seven points in the second quarter after Brandon Davidson’s putback capped an 8-0 Tiger run over a 2:10 span. Alex Edmiston hit a jumper on an in-bounds play to give the Tigers an 11-10 lead after the first quarter. The Tigers then got a pair of field goals from Will Pridmore followed by Davidson’s hoop to take a 17-10 lead at the 6:05 mark of the second, but they couldn’t maintain any separation. Farmington used a 10-4 run to narrow the gap to 21—20 at halftime.

Farmington’s roster was bolstered by the inclusion of football athletes, Xavier Staten, Skyler Montez, Jacob Gray, Trey Waggle

and Tony Mayo. Demarkus Cooper and Anthony Johnson suited up for Prairie Grove, but Johnson left the game after taking a hard shot in the mouth. He went to the hospital and did not return to action. John David Elder sat out due to a shoulder injury sustained in Friday’s football playoff.

Getting a true statistical analysis of the impact can be measured in terms of points and rebounds from partcipating athletes; but trying to guage to what degree the presence of unavailable gridiron athletes could create is one of the X-factors that draw fans to sports. Fans enjoy the unpredictability of sports, and they like rivalries. As far as rivalries go the Cardinals verus the Tigers ranks right up there with the best of high school competition.

That factor alone brought many basketball fans hungry for the hoops season to get into full swing into the Tiger gym and there were plenty of plays to cheer about. From the opening tip-off the action went back and forth as both squads sought to exploit the other’s weakness.

Farmington 49, Prairie Grove 40

P.Grove 11 10 10 9— 40 Farmington 10 10 12 17— 49 Prairie Grove (0-2): Will Pridmore 6 3-3 16, DJ Pearson 4 5-6 16, Brandon Davidson 2 0-0 4, Alex Edmiston 1 0-0 2, Soggie Holcomb 1 0-0 2. Totals 14 8-11 40. Farmington (1-0): Xavier Staten 6 2-2 16, Jacob Gray 3 3-4 9, Payton Maxwell 2 3-5 7, Cade Killion 2 0-0 6, Danny Valenzuala 2 0-1 6, Skyler Montez 0 4-4 4, Jaylen Montez 0 1-2 1. Totals 15 13-18 49. 3-Point Goals — Prairie Grove 4 (Pearson 3, Pridmore), Farmington 6 (Staten 2, Killion 2, Valenzuala 2). Fouled Out — None. Total Fouls — Prairie Grove 17, Farmington 17.