Waterford hopes to be competitive in 3A

Waterford has moved up classifications again. This time to 3A. The 2007-08 season will see the Ravens competing with the likes of Judge Memorial, Park City and Wasatch. However, athletic director Craig Morris is not making any excuses and as coach of the girls team he has bolstered the numbers this year in order to field three teams — at least on the girls side. The girls are coming off a rough year which saw only 12 girls who wanted to play.

The boys team saw four seniors graduate, but they also are expecting to improve on last season due to the emergence of Neal Monson.

BOYS: Kids that want to play basketball are scarce in small schools that focus on academics. Such is the problem encountered by Reid Monson as he tries to put together a program at Waterford. "Only 15 kids showed up at tryouts," said Monson. Of course he kept all 15 just so he could field both a JV and a varsity. No sophomore team this year at Waterford.

Considering such circumstances, the varsity is doing OK, compiling a 3-2 mark early in the season. And one of the reasons why is due to Monson's son, Neal. Although just a sophomore, he started last year as a freshman and thus brings experience to a young team which lost four seniors from last year and has no seniors in the starting lineup this year. Besides experience, Monson brings height. He shot up nearly three inches from last year and with his 6-8 frame he hauls down 12 rebounds per game. He can score too, putting up 20 points per game early on.

His dad says he is not just one dimensional. He leads the team in blocks, plays solid defense and can go outside and shoot the jumper.

"He still has a lot to learn," says the elder Monson, " but he's holding down the middle for us."

Monson, the coach, was a bit hesitant to talk about his son last year but has obviously overcome that. And rightly so. Anyone that dominant will lead his team to more than a few wins. Already this year the Ravens have played two overtime games — winning one and losing one — and the coach says the biggest problem is free throws.

"One game we only shot 17 percent," said Monson. He added, "In the OT game that we lost, we missed a free throw at the end of regulation that would have won it."

The supporting cast for Monson and Monson include four juniors, starting with Jordan Augustine. His older brother, Josh, was an all-stater on last year's team and has since enrolled at Westminster where he plays. The younger Augustine is averaging 10 points and three assists per game.