The Panguitch boys basketball team finished up a three-year string of state championships on March 1, beating the number one seed Rich 50 to 40.
While Panguitch sometimes gets a bad wrap for winning, the boys have had an impressive track record over the past three years. And this year blew it out of the water. Since November, the Bobcats have not lost to a single 1A team, and they even beat Kanab (which won the 2A championship this year) 62 to 59.
Bryce Valley, while not having a great season, certainly had an impressive state run. After entering the tournament as an 11 seed, the team won its first two games against Green River and Milford, eventually losing in the semifinals to Panguitch 54 to 46.
The results of the 2025 1a state boys basketball tournament are as follows:
- Panguitch, win against Rich 50 to 40
- Rich
- Tabiona, win against Bryce Valley 49 to 42
- Bryce Valley
- Valley, win against Tintic 62 to 55
- Manila, win against Wendover 67 to 63
- Tintic
- Wendover
Girls Basketball Resolves Region Rivalries
On the girls side, Panguitch and Wayne traded wins all season. Wayne beat Panguitch 77 to 71 in an exciting double overtime game during Wayne’s homecoming week. A few weeks later, Panguitch took the rival down in the region championship 59 to 49.
The teams each lost the chance to meet in the state championship, however, when they lost in the semifinals to Rich and Tabiona. Meeting a third time, Wayne beat Panguitch 56 to 50, with Wayne bumping the number two seed out of third place.
Rich ended up winning the championship.
The results of the girls basketball tournament are as follows:
- Rich, win against Tabiona 40 to 38
- Tabiona
- Wayne, win against Panguitch 56 to 50
- Panguitch
- Whitehorse, win against Valley 39 to 29
- Milford, win against Piute 58 to 31
- Valley
- Piute
– by Abbie Call
Abbie Call – Cannonville/Kirksville, Missouri
Abbie Call is a journalist and editor at The Byway. She graduated in 2022 with a bachelor’s degree in editing and publishing from Brigham Young University. Her favorite topics to write about include anything local, Utah’s megadrought, and mental health and meaning in life. In her free time, she enjoys reading, hanging out with family, quilting and hiking.
Find Abbie on Threads @abbieb.call or contact her at [email protected].