Farmington dominates as Piedra Vista struggles to find its rhythm

By Donovan Quintero
Special to the Times

FARMINGTON — From the opening tipoff on Tuesday night, it was clear that the Farmington Scorpions came ready to play, while the Piedra Vista Panthers never found its footing.

In a dominant performance, Farmington (14-7, 2-3 in District 1-5A) controlled the game from start to finish, cruising to a 73-42 victory over their crosstown rivals.

The Scorpions wasted no time setting the tone in the first quarter, capitalizing on Piedra Vista’s slow start. With crisp ball movement and relentless defensive pressure, Farmington jumped out to an early 16-11 at the end of the first quarter.

While the Panthers (7-14, 0-5) managed to keep it close in the opening minutes, it became evident that they were struggling to keep up with the Scorpions’ pace and efficiency.

By the second quarter, Farmington took full control. Led by the sharpshooting of Landon Begay and the inside presence of Mikey Beck, the Scorpions stretched their lead, outscoring Piedra Vista 22-4 before the second half buzzer signaled it was halftime. Both teams ran into the locker room with the Scorpions leading with a healthy 38-15 halftime lead.

In the first half, the Panthers were plagued by missed shots and sloppy turnovers, unable to generate any sustained offensive rhythm. Every time they looked like they might find some momentum, Farmington quickly shut it down with disciplined defense and transition buckets.

Panthers’ Kaleb Fraker attempted to take matters into his own hands at the beginning of the third. The Scorpions seemed to have also softened their defense. And on the offensive side, it seemed they also cooled off considerably. Fraker took advantage of the lag and contributed six points including two free throws before the third quarter ended with a score of 49-32.

Despite besting Farmington in the third, it wasn’t enough to take momentum away from the Scorps.

While he didn’t make any shots in the third, Dylan Tso took whatever juice Piedra Vista had left in the tank with 3-point shots, one of which he drew a foul giving him a chance to slow the game down for his team to get back into the game.

They begin taking turns attacking the Panthers’ defense, extending the lead even further. Farmington’s defensive pressure forced Piedra Vista into bad decisions, leading to easy fast-break points for the Scorpions. By the mid-fourth quarter, Farmington had widened the gap, further frustrating the Panthers who were being outmatched once again.

The fourth quarter was more of the same, as Farmington refused to let Piedra Vista mount any kind of comeback. The Scorpions executed with precision, controlling the clock and continuing to dominate both ends of the floor. Farmington’s Sam Goats and Sataurus Griego sealed the game with clutch shots, putting the finishing touches on a statement win for the Scorpions.

Farmington head coach Larry Don Chitty was pleased with his team’s performance, noting their game plan was effective.

“I thought defensively, our guys really brought the hustle and effort all night,” Chitty said after the game. “Being able to pressure them and get some turnovers really helped us, even though we didn’t shoot the ball that well until the end.”

Piedra Vista, on the other hand, never found an answer. Their offense remained stagnant, and despite efforts from Juanquin Jojola and Marcus Jojola, they couldn’t generate enough scoring to keep pace. Farmington’s physical defense shut down the Panthers’ key players, limiting their open looks and forcing them into tough shots all night.

The Scorpions’ stifling defense seemed to frustrate the Panthers, whose head coach Forrest Becker acknowledged his team was outmatched.

“They out-fought us,” Becker said bluntly. “Farmington played harder, and they earned it. We’re playing catch-up and trying to grow up within the game.”

The PV coach expressed his disappointment in his team’s lack of competitiveness, noting the need for his players to understand the physicality and pace required to compete at this level.

“When we do that, we’ve shown we can play with people. If we don’t, we struggle,” he said.

With the victory, Farmington solidifies its position in the district standings and sets its sights on the upcoming game against Rio Rancho on Thursday. Meanwhile, Piedra Vista will look to regroup and make the necessary adjustments as they prepare to face Volcano Vista in their next outing.

---