Riverton High hoops are a true testament to team basketball

RIVERTON — No school is enjoying as great a basketball preseason as Riverton — an undefeated and No. 1-ranked boys team and a one-loss team that is on the rise for the girls.

The Silverwolves' preseasons have been impressive, and with plenty of experience and leadership for both squads, successful runs through their new schedule and Region 3, and then a strong playoff push could be in store for the 2005-2006 campaign.

BOYS: The Silverwolves are a perfect example of why basketball is a team sport. It takes more than one great player to make a run at a title. Just ask Michael Jordan before he got Scottie Pippen, or LeBron James how hard it is to win alone. The fact that Riverton is not led by only one, or even two stars, is a testament to team basketball.

"On our past teams, you could key on one or two guys," said coach Steve Galley. "This year we go nine or even 10 deep. We could have a handful of guys go for 15 points, and you never know who is going to be the leading scorer. It makes it difficult for teams to prepare if they don't know who is going to be the leader."

Eric Dearden, Mike Larsen and Morgan Grim are all returning starters, and eight of the Silverwolves' top nine players are seniors, so experience is a big factor in the hot start and big expectations for the team. Of course, Galley has said that he has kept the expectations realistic so that the team does not lose focus.

"We just want to work hard enough every day to not let each other down," he said. "We really don't have a team goal to win a region title or a state title. We just want to be able look each other in the eye knowing we did everything possible. We're just trying to get better every day, and if we do that, the other stuff will take care of itself."

With a multitude of contributing players such as Quin Campbell, Stephen Baker, Michael Ashcroft, Tyson Higgins, Jaymin Vickers and Matt Peterson, Galley said that he is confident he has the stable full of players necessary to run the type of game he craved.

"We like to pressure a team defensively, and we finally have the players to do it. We are not really a pressing team, but we like to make a team uncomfortable, see if we can get them running their offense farther away from the basket than they would like."

If the early season is any indication, the philosophy is working. Besides a 9-0 record, the Silverwolves lead the classification in point differential. They average nearly 74 points while holding their opponents to only 53. Grim leads the team at nearly 18 points per game while both Larsen and Campbell are scoring in double figures.

While an undefeated season is unlikely, the way Riverton is handling its opponents, a region and even state title are not.