Riverton coach Skyler Wilson has been around some great teams in his tenure with the Silverwolves.
This year’s team, however, will always be special.
“Tonight was a perfect ending to our region season,” Wilson said. “It hasn’t really been pretty for us all year, but these guys just find a way.”
On a night when history was repeating itself with the NBA’s All-Star Weekend returning to Utah, a different kind of history was born inside the Wolf Den at Riverton High.
With a 52-44 victory over Mountain Ridge, the Silverwolves captured the school’s first outright region title.
Senior Jaxon Kerekes led the way for the Wolves, finishing with 15 points. Junior Zach Edwards was also big for Riverton, adding 10, and senior Stratton Johnson made two key baskets late to seal the victory.
“This is the stuff you dream of as a kid,” Kerekes said.
Mountain Ridge was led by senior Jackson Moller, who contributed 13 points and played a major role in keeping the game close in the first half.
Sophomore Landon Blackwell also chipped in eight of his 12 points in the first quarter to pace the Sentinels.
After a tight first half, each team exchanged blows in the third quarter. Every time it felt as if one team would pull away, the other would make another key play to get right back into the game.
“For three-and-a-half quarters we are losing and it’s like, ‘Oh my gosh, is this going to happen?’’’ said Wilson.
Early in the fourth quarter with the Sentinels gaining momentum and defending a four-point lead, Riverton sophomore John Coleman drilled a huge three-pointer to pull the Wolves within one.
Minutes later, Johnson drilled the first of two major shots, shifting the momentum to the hosts and giving them the lead for good.
“I got after us a bit for being a little hesitant,” said Wilson. “We snapped out of that pretty quick and just in time, too. It was so tight at the end, and we just made the plays.”
The Wolves also picked up the intensity on the defensive end, forcing missed shots and turnovers on key offensive possessions for the Sentinels down the stretch.
It seemed as if each player on the floor for Riverton was contributing in their own way to help pick up the win.
“I love my teammates. We are just so close, and that is what did it,” Kerekes said. “We all love each other so much and we are just so close. That’s really what has got it done.”
With the win, Riverton finished the region season with an 8-2 mark, its best since a 7-1 record back in 2018.
In that year, the Wolves knocked off Copper Hills on the final night of the regular season to share the region title with the Grizzlies.
“It’s hard. It’s two months of region season where everybody knows you, and you got to perform every night,” Wilson said.
“We could have just as easily been 5-5 this year in region. We had a bunch of close games, but this team just finds a way.”
This year, finding a way means there’s no sharing the region trophy. The title solely belongs to Riverton.
“It’s just crazy. It’s hard to think that your year could be the one to break a drought,” Kerekes said. “It feels really good.”