Da Matchup Showcase Day 2 | Hall-West vs. Farmington

Game 5 brought us a clash of two programs built on toughness, chemistry, and a whole lot of pride. LR Hall came into tonight hungry, carrying the memory of last year’s one-point playoff exit and returning a lineup loaded with firepower including UALR commit Micah Moore, Shaah Rahmaan, Tristan Jahnke, Landen Hill, and Jace Sullivan. This group has been hooping together all summer, and the on-court chemistry shows.

Standing in their way was a Farmington program that simply doesn’t know how to field a bad team.

After back-to-back deep postseason runs and two seasons of being just points shy of a state title, the Cardinals may have lost Layne Taylor to Murray State, but they haven’t lost their identity. With Press Taylor, Eli Schwartzman, and a strong frontcourt crew, Farmington is once again primed to be a problem in the 5A West.

First Half: A Grit-Filled Battle

Halftime Score: 22-19 LR Hall

The game opened with a physical tone, 13 fouls in the first quarter alone, most landing on the Warriors. Still, LR Hall refused to fold. Landen Hill came out ballistic, dropping a perfect 10 points on 100% shooting before intermission.

Farmington stayed in striking distance with Carson Simpson owning the glass and converting second-chance opportunities. With the half winding down, Micah Moore reminded everyone why he’s a Division I commit, pulling up deep at the buzzer for a momentum-shifting three that sent Hall into the locker room up by three.

Second Half: A Cardinal Takeover

Farmington made their move late in the third, seizing their first lead of the game, 29–28, on a beautiful assist from Ethan Kennedy to Jackson Marshall. Even with Press Taylor picking up his fourth foul and heading to the bench, the Cardinals never lost their composure.

Their defense tightened, their ball movement sharpened, and the boards belonged to Farmington the rest of the way. Hall searched for answers but struggled to find rhythm as Farmington closed it out with poise and control.

Final Score: 46–35 Farmington

MVP: Eli Schwartzman

9 pts, 7 rebs, 5 ast, 1 stl

Schwartzman didn’t have the flashiest stat line on the court, but he had the most important one. His composure, distribution, and control of pace guided Farmington through every possession that mattered.

Final Thoughts

LR Hall showed grit, and there’s no question they’re built for a deep run in 4A play. But Farmington reminded everyone that they’re never rebuilding, only reloading. The Cardinals remain one of the most disciplined and dangerous teams in Arkansas high school basketball, and tonight proved that once again.

KFletch 🖤