Copper Hills boys and girls basketball face tough

Neither Copper Hills basketball coach was willing to complain, but by the looks of it, both of them have got an awfully tough road ahead in Region 3.

Both the boys and girls squads are aiming to qualify for the state tournament, but they'll have to be in peak form to make the playoffs from a league that bolsters two top contenders on each side and a bevy of other teams that are all expected to do well.

"It's just one of those leagues where you can't take a night off," said boys coach Jeff Price, after ticking off each of the squads his team will face in Region 3, including top-ranked Riverton and No. 5 Bingham. " . . . But our kids have a lot of confidence."

It's the same story on the girls side. The same two teams — Riverton and Bingham — are expected to lead the way, with other schools like West Jordan following closely behind.

"There really aren't any weak ones in the region," said girls coach Dave Seaman.

And, as Price pointed out, the margin for error will be smaller. The Grizzlies moved from Region 2, which has eight schools, to Region 3, which only has six squads. And that means that both Copper Hills basketball teams will only have 10 games to qualify for the state tournament rather than 14.

Nevertheless, with league play on the horizon, each program says it's prepared for the challenges that lie ahead.

BOYS: Hot, then cold.

Up, then down.

Left, then right.

It's been a case of mixed signals for Price and his troops during the early portion of the 2005-06 season.

Some nights, the Grizzlies have looked great. Other times, they've been mediocre.

The main goal for Copper Hills will be to get back to the postseason for the first time since 2002. Thus far, they appear to be good enough to be a playoff team, but it remains unknown whether they can play solid basketball on a regular basis.

Developing consistency, therefore, has been the main objective for Price as his team gets set for league action.

"We're real Jekyll and Hyde right now," said Price. "That's our goal — to get rid of this inconsistency."

One thing Price has on his hands this season is experience. Copper Hills returns four seniors, all of whom logged significant minutes last year, in its quest to finish among Region 3s top four.