Jefferson High’s basketball squads hit the midway point of the 2025-26 season last weekend, and both are in the thick of things. The Panther boys dropped two conference match-ups, one a heartbreaker, but are still in third place in Division 5B. And the girls swept Three Forks and Manhattan to stay a game behind undefeated Ennis in the conference standings.
In Three Forks on Thursday, the Lady Panthers wasted no time showing which was the dominant team. With three straight steals and scores, by Parker Layng, Hannah Stevens and Kodee Cummings, Jefferson was up 6-0. After Parker Layng added another bucket, the Wolves called time out.
The break didn’t help. Parker Layng made it 10-2 and her sister Brianna Layng swished a three to put the Panthers up 13-2. At the end of one quarter, it was 19-5, and with Brooklyn Miller’s basket to start the second period, Jefferson was on its way to a blowout. Josie Oxarart made it 38-7 and Hannah Stevens ended the half with a 3-pointer to put the Panthers up 41-7. Subbing freely through the second half, the Panthers took the win, 60-23.
The boys’ game went the other way. Three Forks has dominated the conference for the last few years, and they proved to be more than the Panthers could handle, at least this time. The contest was close at the start, with Jefferson down just 12-13 after a Tyzer Zody basket. But the Wolves closed out the first period on a run to take a 19-12 lead, and by the half, they were up 32-19. Tyler Frydenlund opened the third with a 3-pointer, and buckets by him and Zody narrowed the gap to 30-38. But the Wolves opened up a 48-33 margin with eight minutes to play, then took the win, 67-45.
The next night, the Panthers took on Manhattan before an energetic home crowd. In the girls’ contest, Hannah Stevens made two of three free throws and Michaela Morris followed with a 3-pointer to put the Panthers up 9-4. A steal by Brianna Layng led to a three by Stevens, and at the end of one, Jefferson was up 12-7.
In the second, the Panther floodgates opened wide. Stevens stole and fed Parker Layng for two. Jaida Jurenka hit a three, then stole the ball and fed Kodee Cummings for another three. Parker Layng hit an NBA-length 3-pointer, and Morris finished the half with a three at the buzzer for a 31-8 bulge. In the second half, baskets by Jurenka, Rieder and Cummings made it 39-11, Quinn Michaud sank one for a 55-14 lead, and Allie Muffick finished it off for the 62-26 win.
The boys, well, they lost a tough one. With just one senior on the squad, these Panthers are continuing to grow and find their way. The first half went well, with Jefferson racing to a 30-16 lead. Danny Connors scored first with a pair of free throws, then added a 3-pointer. Baskets by Logan Frydenlund and Tyzer Zody, and a dunk by Tyler Frydenlund, fueled the early surge.
But the Panthers came out cold in the third quarter, struggling to get the ball through the hoop. Manhattan took advantage and took a 36-34 lead with 8 minutes to play. An old-fashioned three by Tyler Frydenlund gave the Panthers a 37-36 lead, and the teams were tied at 39. But Manhattan scored and went into control mode, forcing Jefferson to foul. The Tigers closed out the game by hitting three of four free throws for a 51-44 win.
Jefferson travels to Lone Peak on Saturday, then hosts Whitehall on Feb. 5 and Ennis on Feb. 7. Good luck, Panthers!