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Boys basketball playoffs: Timely buckets not enough for Weber in season-ending loss to Cedar Valley

Warriors end campaign 7-18 amid Thomas Packer's return in 6A first-round exit

By CONNER BECKER - Standard-Examiner | Feb 18, 2026

CONNER BECKER, Standard-Examiner

Weber High's Derik Bowden weaves through Cedar Valley's defense during the first round of the UHSAA boys basketball 6A state tournament on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026, at Weber High School in Pleasant View.

PLEASANT VIEW — The first of Northern Utah’s 6A boys basketball teams is officially off the postseason board.

Thomas Packer, leading the effort with 11 points, and No. 16 Weber High fell short of No. 17 Cedar Valley 50-47 in the 6A state tournament’s only first-round contest on Wednesday.

Packer, Weber’s senior swingman and newly returned following a broken hand suffered during the regular season, chalked up his team’s final field goal of the season for a one-point game with 1:50 left go.

But Carson Stockings (18 points) pushed Cedar Valley (8-16) ahead by three to force a must-have 3 the Warriors simply couldn’t find in the final 26 seconds.

Advancing to the second round, the Aviators will look to upset No. 1 Westlake on Friday night in Saratoga Springs.

CONNER BECKER, Standard-Examiner

Weber High's Derik Bowden, left, and Ethan Sayer, right, help Thomas Packer, middle, off the court during the first round of the UHSAA boys basketball 6A state tournament against Cedar Valley on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026, at Weber High School in Pleasant View.

Landon Cosby’s seventh season at Weber comes to a close at 7-17 overall and 4-8 at home. The Warriors sniffed out a first-round home berth despite finishing 0-8 and last in Region 1.

“This team’s shown a lot of toughness grit,” Cosby said. “We’ve dealt with a lot of things this year, with different (injuries) and sickness. It’s been a pleasure to coach them. They show up every day, they work their guts out, try to follow the game plan and it just wasn’t in the cards tonight.”

Stockings and Austin Biehl (15 points) combined for 16 points in the first half, and effectively erased a 7-2 Weber start. Carter Payne caught an intentional foul with 28 seconds left in the opening quarter, and the Aviators achieved its first lead, 14-13, entering the second quarter.

Weber settled in and found success from the field in the second quarter; forwards Creed Devries (nine points), Ethan Sayer (four points), and Jake Stewart (three points) strung together 12 points for the Warriors, from inside and beyond the curve, in tying the contest 27-all before halftime.

Already undersized, Weber went noticeably without a dominant presence on the offensive side of the floor on Wednesday night, Cosby said. It’s been a recurring late-season theme, Weber’s coach said, and it ultimately cost the Warriors in season-ending fashion.

CONNER BECKER, Standard-Examiner

Weber High's Thomas Packer drives toward the rim and Cedar Valley's Austin Biehl during the first round of the UHSAA boys basketball 6A state tournament on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026, at Weber High School in Pleasant View.

“I thought we defended well enough,” Cosby said. “(Packer) got hurt against Farmington — we’re not going to make excuses — but it would’ve been nice to have another handler out there (and) both of our handlers got into early foul trouble. Credit to (Cedar Valley), they got up and pressured us and got physical and forced some turnovers. We were never able to break free.”

Packer, finishing the night a perfect 5 of 5 from the foul line with a broken hand, led Weber with four of the team’s nine third-quarter points. While quiet from the field, the Warriors cut down on the whistle enough to trail by just five atop the fourth quarter.

Stocking, with his third triple, kept Weber on its toes late. Beau Potokar’s lone 3 pulled Weber within a basket with 3:24 to go, and Packer looked intent on reclaiming the lead following back-to-back timeouts by both teams with 1:13 left in the ballgame.

Weber turned the ball over to Cedar Valley twice in that final minute and Stockings, finishing the night a perfect 8 of 8 at the stripe, buried two important CV free throws. That left less than half a minute for Weber’s offense to work with on a night when the Warriors managed just five 3-pointers.

Derik Bowden grabbed seven points, while Potokar and Alec Maynard and finished with five. Miles Saucedo chipped in two points and Carter Payne added a free throw.

CONNER BECKER, Standard-Examiner

Weber High's Alec Maynard looks at Cedar Valley's Logan Smith during the first round of the UHSAA boys basketball 6A state tournament on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026, at Weber High School in Pleasant View.

Weber’s three outgoing seniors — Packer, Bowden and Jake Thomas — aren’t moving on to the second round and will soon walk the graduation stage in three short months. Cosby saved praise for his senior lot, and also said they’ll carry on with a lesson beyond the win-loss column.

“It’s not another game, but, obviously, that toughness and grit to keep coming back will be valuable in their life,” Cosby said of his seniors. “You don’t have (officials) anymore, but maybe you get married or have kids, there’s always going to be something and you can’t make excuses.”

Connect with prep sports reporter Conner Becker via email at cbecker@standard.net and X @ctbecker.

Weber High's Ethan Sayer takes a moment after falling hard during the first round of the UHSAA boys basketball 6A state tournament against Cedar Valley on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026, at Weber High School in Pleasant View.

Weber High's Ethan Sayer, left, looks around Cedar Valley's Onyx Griffin, right, during the first round of the UHSAA boys basketball 6A state tournament on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026, at Weber High School in Pleasant View.

Weber High's Creed DeVries ices his shoulder during the first round of the UHSAA boys basketball 6A state tournament against Cedar Valley on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026, at Weber High School in Pleasant View.

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