Vista Holds Off Farmington Rally in 61–55 District Battle at Scorpion Arena
Story by Walter Dorman
Photo by Charles Cook 505dustdevil Photography
FARMINGTON — Farmington High School erased a double-digit deficit and took a late lead, but Volcano Vista closed the game with clutch shooting and free throws to escape Scorpion Arena with a 61–55 district victory Wednesday night.
The loss drops the Scorpions to 1–2 in district play, while the Hawks improve to 2–1 in what is one of the toughest districts in the state.
Volcano Vista came out firing, knocking down perimeter shots and controlling the tempo early to take a 16–9 lead after the first quarter and a 24–17 advantage at halftime. The Hawks pushed the lead to as many as 12 early in the third quarter behind David Lunn’s ability to attack the basket and create offense.
But the Scorpions responded with their best stretch of the night.
Farmington’s Big Third-Quarter Surge
Farmington erupted late in the third quarter on a massive run, fueled by Zander Griego’s physical play in the paint and strong team defense.
“I thought our defense was pretty solid all night,” Farmington Head Coach Coach Chitty said. “Offensively, Zander Griego really started having his way down in the paint, and they really didn’t have an answer for him once David Lunn went out for them. He was finally the offense that we needed.”
Griego dominated inside, scored at all three levels, and helped Farmington flip the momentum. The Scorpions closed the quarter with a flurry of baskets and free throws to take a 40–38 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
Coach Chitty praised Griego’s two-way effort and leadership.
“He was guarding Lunn all night, one of the best players in the state, and then to go down and score the way he did—that’s tough,” Chitty said. “He can score at all three levels, and he’s so strong finishing inside. He kind of picked us up and put us on his shoulders. He’s such a good leader, and the guys follow him.”
Chitty also credited Sataurus Griego for his leadership, even without a big scoring night.
“Sataurus didn’t have a great game scoring-wise, but those guys are such good leaders. They get us in the right places and doing the right thing,” he said.
A Back-and-Forth Fourth Quarter
The fourth quarter turned into a thriller, with both teams trading big shots and leads. Donovan Tracy, and the Griego brothers kept Farmington within striking distance, but Lunn delivered in crunch time with a tough drive and a clutch three-pointer to put Volcano Vista back in front.
“He’s so hard to stop going downhill,” Chitty said. “If you run out at him, he gets by you and it’s a basket. We laid off a little too far late, and he made a big shot. Then Brown made some free throws, and they just made a few more plays than we did.”
With Farmington forced to foul in the final minute, Volcano Vista converted at the line to seal the game. The Scorpions made a late push, including a coast-to-coast bucket by Sataurus Griego and a three-pointer by Zander Griego, but Brown’s late free throws put the game out of reach.
Late-Game Execution a Focus
Despite the loss, Chitty said the takeaway is clear as district play continues.
“We’ve got a common theme in our losses—taking quick or bad shots or turning the ball over late,” he said. “Our defense will keep us around. We just have to have better offensive possessions and get good shots late in games.”
District Race Still Wide Open
Even at 1–2 in district, Farmington is far from out of the race.
“The good news is I think the top four teams in our district are all top-10 teams,” Chitty said. “We’re going to beat each other up. Two losses isn’t going to kill us. We’ve just have to win some of these games, and we’ll be fine.” Farmington will be at Cibola Friday Jan. 29th 2026 for their next district game.
