Game Report: Farmington vs Mountain View (11/11)

Preview   Farmington and Mountain View open their seasons against each other in the Valley Springs tournament on Veteran's Day. Both teams are coming off successful 2024/25 seasons. The Farmington Lady Cardinals won a state championship in their first season in 5A and the Mountain View Lady Yellowjackets went 27-8 overall, while posting a 12-2 conference record.   Recap   I saw the final score before tuning into this game, so I had some expectation as to how the game would go. However, I was shocked at how the first quarter went for both teams.   For Farmington, it was starting to look like the [player_tooltip player_id='1090920' first='Easton' last='McCollough'] show, after she opened up her scoring with a nasty side-step three from the wing. However, she would then miss her next four triples and Mountain View's effort on the offensive glass would give them the 14-11 edge at the end of the first period. It also helped that [player_tooltip player_id='1054375' first='Emma' last='Akins'] swished a half-court shot to give the Yellowjackets a 3-point lead. However, Mountain View's lead would not last too much longer.   The scoring was still back and forth to open the second quarter, but Farmington finally started to see the ball go through the net from beyond the arc. Combine that with the plethora of missed triples from Mountain View and the Cardinals were off to a soaring start. They led 38-23 heading into halftime.   The third quarter was a big one for Farmington. The scoring barrage continued, and they were finding easy buckets from the outside and from the interior. In addition to capitalizing on Mountain View's turnovers, there was not much going wrong for the Cardinals, except one thing: the glass.   Despite a 61-37 lead heading into the fourth, Mountain View was still out rebounding Farmington, especially on the offensive glass. Their length was bothersome for Farmington, who is playing smaller than they have in years past. However, Farmington was still hitting their shots, forcing turnovers, and converting at the free throw line, where Mountain View was not. The Cardinals came away with the 72-41 win.   Key Farmington Performances    It should never be a surprise when [player_tooltip player_id='1090920' first='Easton' last='McCollough'] ends up being the top player from any game this season, and she certainly was against the Yellowjackets.   McCollough cemented her #1 ranking in the state, putting up a team-high 28 points, 6 rebounds, 7 assists, and 4 steals. She shot 50% from the 3-point line, knocking down 6 of her 12 triples, and she hit all 5 of her free throws.   McCullough just makes everything look easy. She was dialing up shots from well beyond the 3-point line, and making them over the hands of defenders. Because she is such a dangerous shooter, driving lanes tend to open up, and she does not hesitate to exploit them. Her shot creating ability is incredible, but her court vision was on full display in the game, as she was constantly finding open teammates when she was doubled.   [player_tooltip player_id='1090920' first='Easton' last='McCollough'] may single-handedly take Farmington back to the 5A title game, but the rest of that league should be deathly afraid.     One player who I did not know anything about coming into this season was Rheid Shirey. After seeing what she did in her varsity debut, I have no doubt that she will be ranked as one of the top freshmen in the state.   Shirey missed her first shot from deep in the first half. It was clear that miss was her knocking off some nerves, because she would go on to nail her next 5 triples. The freshman would finish the evening with 15 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals. She was clearly all about the threes in that game.   One thing I noticed from this game is that Shirey and McCollough already have great chemistry together, which will be very important if Farmington wants to make another run at the championship. She probably also earned respect for the team leader after proving she can force turnovers and get on the glass, in addition to knocking down her open jumpers.   Shirey is known more so for her work on the softball diamond, but after seeing her performance against Mountain View, her career in basketball could lead to scholarships.     [player_tooltip player_id='1268142' first='Sadie' last='Morrison'] was a defensive monster this game. She will have a large role with this team in 2025/26, primarily protecting the paint. After her junior debut, I think her and the Cardinals will be just fine.   Morrison posted 10 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, and 5 blocks in the win. She played with more physicality than the competition, and if she fouls you, you are not even going to have the opportunity to try to make it an and-1, she is that tough. She was also diving after every loose ball, tipping what seemed like dozens of passes, and was swatting every shot that came into her paint.   On offense, Morrison did most of her work from the perimeter. She knocked down 2 catch-and-shoot threes, and she also hit some free throws to round out her scoring totals.   [player_tooltip player_id='1268142' first='Sadie' last='Morrison'] will be an important part of the Lady Cardinal team this season, and she is already starting to blossom into a two-way star.    [player_tooltip player_id='1196173' first='Reese' last='Thornton']- There were several other players who were impactful, including Thornton, who finished the game with 8 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, and 2 blocks. Thornton's scoring came primarily from transition or from cuts, where she was always in the right place at the right time. She was also backing up Morrison's great post defensive performance, as she was also sliding over on help defense and contesting shots effectively.   [player_tooltip player_id='1051007' first='Josie' last='Dillard']- Farmington's point guard had a solid outing, putting up 8 points, 1 rebound, 3 assists, and 2 steals. She knocked down a couple of 3-pointers, but she was always looking at getting her teammates involved. Dillard was directing traffic well, and constantly keeping the defense on its toes with her quickness.   Kameron Farish- Farish is another young player on this Cardinal team who may have a larger role as the season goes along. The sophomore did not score, but she did log 1 rebound, 2 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block in the win, showcasing her ability to impact the game while not contributing on the scoreboard. I will note that almost as soon as she stepped on the floor, she came up with her first steal, showing her immediate defensive impact.   [player_tooltip player_id='1180770' first='Anna' last='Smith']- Like Farish, [player_tooltip player_id='1180770' first='Anna' last='Smith'] had a modest game, as she also did not find the bottom of the bucket. But also like Farish, Smith found ways to contribute and she looks ready for a larger role as the season goes along. Smith grabbed 2 boards and blocked 1 shot against the Yellowjackets. That block was notable as it was a snatch-block in the 2nd quarter that garnered oohs and aahs from the neutral crowd. She provides some size in the paint, and that will be in high-demand for Farmington this season.   Key Mountain View Performances    [player_tooltip player_id='1165575' first='Addy' last='Davis'] and Mountain View struggled to shoot from the floor throughout the night. However, Davis still found ways to dominate in her first varsity game.   Davis finished the evening with 19 points, 14 rebounds, and 4 steals. 6 of her rebounds were on the offensive end, and she seemed to outbound Farmington in almost every quarter on her own.   In addition to her rebounding, Davis handled the ball well and was not shy about attacking the basket. She was welcoming contact as she used her long strides to get to the bucket. Davis was using step-through moves and euros to also get around the defense on the interior.   [player_tooltip player_id='1165575' first='Addy' last='Davis'] struggled to shoot from the field, but she still played like the #2 player in the 2029 class. Expect her to have more games with similar statlines this years, so keep an eye on one of the state's bright young talents.     [player_tooltip player_id='1054375' first='Emma' last='Akins'] was scoring well throughout the game, but she was definitely one of Mountain View's hardest workers on the glass in this game.   Against Farmington, Akins had 10 points, 12 rebounds, 5 assists, and 1 steal. The vast majority of her boards came on the offensive end, where she pulled down 9. She was hustling hard on the offensive end, trying to clean up her and her teammates' misses while also trying to help facilitate the offense.   In addition to her work on the interior, Akins knocked down 2 threes, which helped try to stretch the defense out for players like Davis to go to work in the paint.   [player_tooltip player_id='1054375' first='Emma' last='Akins'] may not have had her best offensive game, but she proved that she is a menace on the offensive glass. Keep up with this star this year.    [player_tooltip player_id='1091183' first='Erin' last='Akins']- The younger sister of Emma managed to find ways to contribute despite her offensive struggles. Akins hit 2 deep threes in the game, which were her only points. She also pulled down 4 rebounds and dished out 4 assists. 75% of her rebounds came on the offensive end, showing just how important Mountain View's length and effort was to their rebound advantage.   [player_tooltip player_id='1268146' first='Josie' last='Stevens']- Mountain View's center managed to fill up the stat sheet as she logged 6 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 steal. Stevens was mostly being double-teamed in the post, but she still managed to find space, thanks to her physical play. She would then use her soft touch around the basket to finish with ease.

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