Second-place finish boosts Whitehorse's confidence going into tourney

Some teams take home a second-place trophy and place it on a mantle of disappointment.

That would not be the case, however, at Whitehorse High, where just a few months ago, the girls volleyball squad won the school's first team trophy — ever.

"The whole community down here was excited," said head basketball coach Justin Moon. "They're all very proud of everything that's happened. Everyone is saying 'You can do it. You proved it in volleyball."'

The starters and first two players off the bench all played on that second-place volleyball team, which Moon hopes translates into confidence on the basketball court.

"I think it definitely has something to do with our success," Moon said. "This group of girls has worked really hard all around, and they know how to win. Definitely playing better in volleyball season helped them. They're really confident."

Most of the girls on the team also finished fourth at state two years ago. That was the year no one knew about Whitehorse. This year at 19-2, they're not just on the radar, they're among the favorites. They moved into the top spot in the 1A rankings after Bryce Valley beat perennial favorite Panguitch during the regular season.

The Raiders only losses have been to 2A's San Juan and Region 17 champ St. Joseph, and both of those came in the pre-season.

One thing that brings him peace of mind is knowing his team doesn't rely on just a single player.

"I have five different kids who could be high scorer each night," he said. "If someone has an off night, the other kids are there to pick them up."

The team is not resting on it's laurels, nor do they believe success on the volleyball court equals success on the basketball court.

"We know basketball is a different monster," he said. "We know we can't rest on our volleyball success."

The team will face a tough first round opponent in Layton Christian, 10-8, today at 5:30 p.m. There is no clear favorite in this year's tournament, and last year's champion, Wayne, was eliminated in a play-in game earlier this week.

Panguitch has a lot of fire power with Haley Sawyer, while Bryce Valley has Jenne Comp to lead their offense. St. Joseph's has a lot of athletic players with Julie Laure and Rocki Lam leading the squad both offensively and defensively.

This is the last year West Deseret will have a girls basketball program, so look to those players to be very emotional and ready to go. Waterford is led by Annie Judd and squares off against another tough defensive team in Duchesne.

The tournament continues through Saturday at Richfield's Sevier Valley Center, when the title game will be played at 5 p.m.

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Brackets

Upper Bracket

ICS vs. Rich, 10 a.m.

Tabiona vs. West Desert, 11:30 a.m.

Tintic vs. Panguitch, 1 p.m.

Duchesne vs. Waterford, 2:30 p.m.

Lower Bracket

Piute vs. Dugway, 4 p.m.

Layton Christian vs. Whitehorse, 5:30 p.m.

Manila vs. St. Joseph, 7 p.m.

Meridian vs. Bryce Valley, 8:30 p.m.