Kanab 58, American Leadership 53
After losing in the state semifinals last year as the one seed, Kanab had just one goal this year: Get to the championship game and win it.
Step one is complete now, and Saturday the Cowboys will hope to accomplish step two and end their 50-year title drought after beating ALA 58-53 in overtime Friday.
“It feels like we’re supposed to be here and I am so happy to be there. I am happy for these boys, especially the way they fought and battled in an overtime semifinal game and battled through adversity,” Kanab head coach Jerron Glazier said.
“It was a great team effort today. Great bench effort, great fan effort, it was just really cool. I am really happy to be part of this opportunity.”
The teams exchanged blows in the first half, and the score was tied at intermission, 20-20. The scoring opened up more in the third quarter for both teams, though Kanab took a seven-point lead into the fourth.
ALA overcame the deficit, however, with Malakai Mack hitting a big 3-pointer. ALA then almost made a halfcourt shot to win the game but the teams headed into overtime.
ALA then took the lead on a 3-pointer early in overtime, but Kanab allowed just two points the rest of the way while scoring 10.
“We were all so happy that their buzzer shot did not go in,” Glazier said. “That was so close, but we were able to come up clutch in OT thanks to some amazing seniors we have on this team. We were able to lean on those guys and they were able to make some key plays for us. They carried us tonight.”
Junior Kyle Brown was huge for the Cowboys in scoring 19 points, including six in overtime. He also got a game sealing steal and free throws to clinch the win.
“Kyle is great. He’s been great for us all year. He has been a great balancer for us. He has been so consistent, and he is Kanab basketball,” Glazier said. “He is a Cowboy, and we love having him and everything he does for us.”
The South Sevier Rams knew it was their time to finally make it back.
It had been seven years since they had even been to the semifinal round, when they made the championship game back in 2018 in the 3A classification.
They knew this year was their time, and they beat North Summit 56-47 Friday night in the 2A semifinals.
“Its all these boys in this senior group. We have eight of them. They just have worked their tails off all year long. They deserve all the credit,” said Rams head coach Carson Christensen.
South Sevier was led by Jaggar Redd, Stockton Roberts and Mackson Bastian in the
scoring column, as they scored 14, 15 and 11 points respectively.
“I know that they helped a lot this game, but it really was an all-around team effort,” Christensen said. “Any night we could have anyone come up and be those guys.
“Tonight, it happened to be those boys’ night, but tomorrow night it could be anyone else. That’s what is so great about this team, they just keep working and they do everything we ask of them.”
South Sevier started the game off strong, pulling out to a quick 9-2 lead in the first quarter. The Rams cooled down a bit but still had a 13-8 lead heading into the second quarter.
South Sevier extended its lead to 18-10 before North Summit took a timeout and was able to regroup and go on a quick 9-0 run to take a 19-18 lead on the Rams.
After that though, South Sevier was able to take the lead at 20-19 and never trailed again.
North Summit was able to keep the game relatively close, mostly going score for score with the Rams, but it just was not enough. The Rams’ largest lead after halftime was the eight points they won by, but that was due to them making five clutch free throws to extend the lead from 51-47 to 56-47, securing their spot in the championship game against their Region 18 rival, Kanab.
The two teams have already played twice this season, with Kanab winning both times by 10 and six points, respectively, but the Rams are hoping the third time is the charm as they go for basketball championship No. 12 at the Sevier Valley Center in Richfield on Saturday at 7 p.m.