Boys Basketball
Drake Carroll, Crimson Cliffs (Sr.)
Crimson Cliffs was projected to win the Region 9 title at the start of the season by the region’s coaches, and Drake Carroll’s leadership was a big reason the Mustangs fulfilled those expectations.
The senior point guard averaged 12.3 points this season along with 4.2 assists and 2.2 steals.
“Drake’s leadership is a main reason why we have been so successful this season. He is able to motivate teammates and make others around him better. He is also able to handle pressure situations very well and preforms at his best as the games get bigger,” said Crimson Cliffs coach Scott Murdock.
That leadership was on display in last Friday’s 58-48 win over Pine View, which clinched the outright region title for Crimson Cliffs.
The Mustangs head into the 4A state tournament this week as the No. 7 seed and will play its first game in the second round on Saturday.
Girls Basketball
Lau Pele Kylee Falatea, West (Jr.)
Lau Pele Kylee Falatea’s phenomenal season has been one of the catalysts to a remarkable 20-0 season for West, which has one game remaining in the regular season before turning its attention to the playoffs and trying to win the first girls basketball state championship in school history.
The junior, who was a 5A first teamer last season, is averaging 19.4 points this season to go along with 5.7 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 5.0 steals.
Falatea has recorded three double-doubles this season, all three of which came during a pre-Christmas tournament in California against strong California programs.
“Lau Pele Kylee Falatea, is having a great season. Her leadership has been key to our success. The dedication to improving her game in the off season has been fun to watch,” said West coach Olosaa Solovi.
Boys Swimming
Ty Lauer, Parowan (So.)
Ty Lauer was the only Parowan swimmer to compete in the 3A state meet last weekend at BYU, but he made a big impact on the meet.
The sophomore won the 500 freestyle and finished 6th in the 100 butterfly in an impressive showing.
He won the 500 free with a time of 5:00.70 and swam a 56.69 to finish sixth in the 100 fly.
“Ty loves to swim and has since before he could walk. He and his older sister, Sydni, have been swimming together since that time and make up the Parowan High School swim team. You could definitely call it a family affair,” said Parowan coach Wendi Lauer. “Ty can best be described as the ‘Little Engine that Could.’ If he puts his mind to it, he will accomplish it. This mindset gives him the opportunity to push his teammates to be and do their best both in and out of the pool.”
Lauer’s 500 free time ranks in the top 25 in the entire state, a tribute to the extra time he put into the pool on his own time.
Girls Swimming
Raiden Harris, Timpanogos (Sr.)
In her final high school state meet last weekend, Timpanogos’ senior Raiden Harris put on a show.
Harris set new 4A records in both the 50 and 100 freestyle in the preliminary races, and even though her times were just barely off that pace in the finals, she still won both races to finish as a two-time state champ.
Harris’ time in the 50 free in the prelims was 23.24, the second-fastest time in state history. In the finals she swam a 23.34, which is still a top 10 time.
Harris’ 4A-record time in the 100 free was 51.14.
“Raiden has been invaluable to the growth and development of our program. Raiden’s dedication, humility, and determination has led to new team records over the past four years,” said Timpanogos coach Katie Sundberg. “Throughout Raiden’s high school career, Raiden has broken every single individual team record and been part of many record-breaking relay teams. We’re excited for what Raiden accomplishes at University of Wyoming.”
Boys Wrestling
Jex Bradshaw, Beaver (Jr.)
Beaver junior Jex Bradshaw played an integral role this past weekend in leading the Beavers to a runner-up finish at the 2A state tournament.
Bradshaw went 4-0 to claim the 150-pound title as he tallied 28.5 team points with two falls and then a tech fall. In the championship, he beat Millard’s Hunter Ashworth 9-1 for the major decision.
Bradshaw, who was a state champion last season as a sophomore as well, finishing the year with a 57-5 record. It was the second most wins out of every wrestler in 2A.
“I think what makes Jex different is he loves to wrestle, it’s fun to him. We constantly say score points have fun and winning takes care of itself. He doesn’t worry about what others think. He doesn’t allow winning or losing to determine who he is. Just working hard to improve and score the next point,” said Beaver coach Robbie Bradshaw.
Girls Wrestling
Breann Ivie, Duchesne (Sr.)
Duchesne’s Breann Ivie wrapped up her high school career with a bang this past weekend.
The senior won her second-consecutive individual state championship with a strong performance at the 2A/1A state meet at the Sevier Valley Center.
Ivie won both of her matches in the 110-pound bracket by fall to win the state title, finish her season with a 34-7 record and, in the process, helped lead Duchesne to the 2A team title.
Ivie, who was invited to participate in the Utah All-Star Duals last month, was an individual state champ a year ago as well. During her freshman and sophomore seasons, the Eagles had to compete in the 3A state tournament and she reached the semis both years before losing to a 3A wrestler.