WEST VALLEY CITY — There are many talented prep athletes in Utah, but players with experience on the national level aren't exactly a dime a dozen.
Furthermore, when most fans think of schools capable of boasting such players, Granger High usually isn't on the list.
Raymond and Isaiah Tapusoa, however, are out to change all that. Despite being only a freshman and a sophomore, respectively, the play of these two cousins on the basketball court has proven to be one of the bright spots for the Lancers in an otherwise unremarkable season.
"Those two guys are by far the best athletes I have ever had in this program," said coach Justin Nelson. "Ray and Isaiah have been number one and number two in scoring for us all season long."
The Tapusoa Two have been playing basketball for as long as they can remember, and over the years have amassed a collection of accolades that would earn respect from even the state's best players. They are veterans of several national-level tournaments, including the Adidas Tourney and the Big East Classic.
"It's all politics," said Isaiah, nonchalantly. "You've just got to get noticed and things will start happening."
Always the competitor, Raymond has one more accomplishment to separate himself from the rest of the guys his age: in 2004, he led Polynation, his club team, to a national championship at a tournament in Memphis. The kid doesn't even have a driver's license, but he's already been a national champ.
"Winning it all was cool," he said, as though it were just another step in the maturation process. "It was a good experience."
Now back in Salt Lake and on the same team for the first time since their Junior Jazz days, the Tapusoas are looking to lead the Lancers back into athletic prominence for the first time in years. The two play almost interchangeably at the guard positions, and both are adept at running Granger's new offense, which seems to be dedicated to putting the ball in their hands as much as possible.
"We depend a lot on those two, maybe even unfairly," said coach Justin Nelson. "But the fact is that they both have to play really well for our team to win."
While that point may be true, it does beg an interesting question: How do the seniors and juniors on the team feel about this "underclassmen first" attitude?
"Our seniors are all team players, so they don't really mind," said Nelson. "Even if they didn't like it, it would be almost impossible to argue with their results."
If Ray and Isaiah are at all bothered by the situation, they don't let on. Although getting them to talk about themselves is nearly as difficult as pulling teeth, they insist that the age factor is no big deal and has no effect on their approach to the game.
"We've been playing with guys that are older than us for years now," said Isaiah. "So we haven't had to adjust or anything. We just keep doing our thing."
If they can teach the rest of the Lancers to do "their thing" as well, the Tapusoas might just be able to add a state championship to their mantle someday.
E-mail: tquinn@desnews.com