In high school girls basketball, November and December offer opportunities to fine-tune play on the court and get ready for the battles of region. Riverton knows its team will encounter some formidable tasks when the calendar turns over to 2026.

The Silverwolves compete in Class 6A’s Region 2, which includes perennial state powers Copper Hills and Bingham, along with always-tough Mountain Ridge and Corner Canyon. New to Region 2 this season are Cedar Valley and Westlake, both of which have had good success in recent years. 

Our region is just brutal,” head coach Jonathan Haag said. “By the end of the season, there will probably be only three other teams in all of 6A better than the sixth team in our region. I haven't seen the region this strong top to bottom, which will make every region win critical. Our girls are going to have to really get used to grinding and fighting every single possession all game long to be able to come out on top.”

Riverton is coming off a 13-10 season in which the team was 4-6 in region games. The Silverwolves were 4-3 seven games into the 2025–26 season. 

Seven games into the season, Haag likes what he sees out of the offense. The players have good chemistry on the court, too, he said. Also, Riverton can he tough to score on, as its defense uses it height to its advantage to limit opportunities at the basket and cause turnovers. 

“This team really plays well together and has a lot of weapons, which has let us pick on whoever has the best matchup,” Haag said. “We have a lot of length on the defensive end, which really lets us be aggressive and get in passing lanes.”

Kenadee Farnsworth (with the ball), heads down the court in action against Taylorsville earlier this season, is one of the top players on the Riverton girls basketball team. (Photo courtesy Dave Sanderson.)

There are aspects of the game that Haag hoped the Silverwolves could refine before January. He wants to see the players pass the ball better and not settle for just any old shot on the floor. He would rather see the girls work for a good shot and take advantage of the shot clock. 

So far this season, the Silverwolves have gotten solid contributions from several players. Haag highlighted five in particular. Senior post player Maggie Hamblin has been difficult for opponents to handle this season. Through seven games, she was averaging 13.4 points and 9.9 rebounds a game to go along with 1.3 blocked shots a contest. Hamblin scored at least 13 points in five of the first seven games, with a season high of 19 at home against Taylorsville on Dec. 2. Arguably her best game of the season up through Dec. 12 was at Cyprus on Dec. 3. She dominated the Pirates with an 18-point, 19-rebound effort. She also had a dozen rebounds against both Provo (on Dec. 5) and Taylorsville.  

“[Hamblin] has really been a dominant force so far this year,” Haag said. “She's been great at taking what the defense gives and not forcing anything, but she's just such a great athlete and hard to guard, both in the post and on the perimeter.”

A trio of guards—senior Gabby Murdoch, junior Kenadee Farnsworth and freshman Lily Jones have been instrumental in Riverton’s play so far this season. Also, sophomore forward Sam Spencer has gotten Haag’s seal of approval for her work ethic and positive attitude. All four of these players have contributed significantly all over the floor for the Silverwolves. Spencer is the second-leading scorer, averaging 8;6 points a game. Murdoch scores at a clip of 7.3 a game, while Jones and Farnsworth average 6.3 and 6.1 points a contest, respectively. Farnsworth paces Riverton in assist average at 3.9.

“They have also consistently been making impacts on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball,” Haag said of his team leaders. 

Despite Region 2 presenting some daunting games ahead, Haag is confident in his girls. He’s not setting the bar low but is instead optimistic the Silverwolves can contend for the top spot in the league and then be a force in the state tournament. 

“Our big goals are to compete for a region title and a final four spot in the playoffs,” he said. “I think we will just keep getting better as the season goes along, and we will be peaking by the playoffs.”

Because every region game will be important and difficult, Haag insists that the girls will need to play their roles well and have good team unity. Unselfish play will be essential, he said.

“We have to keep sharing the ball and being playmakers for each other and not ourselves.” 

Riverton actually began some Region 2 games early, having faced Corner Canyon on Dec. 9. The Silverwolves routed the Chargers 55-18 and then fell to Skyridge three days later, 54-49. Riverton has a few more non-league games before returning to the region slate on Jan. 2 at home against Mountain Ridge. 

Though being successful in such a competitive region requires hard work and focus, Haag said the girls know when to have fun. They get along well and are dedicated on and off the court. He loves that he can count on multiple players. 

“This group has some really fun personalities, and every practice is just so fun,” he said. “They bring good energy and have a great mix of senior leadership and youth. We haven't seen this much depth in our entire program in a very long time.”