Cedar’s Torgerson, Weaver head all-Region 9 basketball team

Cedar guard Mayci Torgerson plays defense against Stansbury, Cedar City, Utah, Feb. 28, 2019 | File photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News

CEDAR CITY — Most Valuable Player Mayci Torgerson and defensive MVP Japrix Weaver head the list of Region 9’s all-region girls basketball team selections, as chosen by the coaches.

Torgerson and Weaver are both juniors who played guard for the Cedar High Lady Reds, who won the state 4A championship and finished the season with a perfect 25-0 record.

Two of Cedar’s other starters, Logann Laws and Samantha Johnston, were named to the all-region first team, while the Lady Reds’ starting center, Denim Henkel, was named to the second team.

Cedar head coach Corry Nielsen said the interchangeability of his team’s starting five is what made them so unstoppable this season.

“The key to our team was the versatility of our players. We played positionless basketball,” Nielsen told St. George News. “Every player could play every position. Japrix could play 1 through 4. She could guard all five positions. Same with Samantha. These players were so competitive, they hated to lose, even in practice. I had to tone down practice at times because of the intensity.”

Japrix Weaver of Cedar blocks the shot of Abby Monson of Desert Hills, St. George, Utah, Jan. 3, 2019 | File photo courtesy of Jennifer Weaver, St. George News / Cedar City News

Added Nielsen:

We had five girls, any of whom could have averaged 20 points a game, but they sacrificed their personal goals for team goals. The sacrificed the ‘me’ for the ‘we’.

Cedar’s starting five averaged a collective 52 points per game this season, ranging from Torgerson’s 12.8 (second-highest in region) to Weaver’s 7.5 ppg. Laws averaged 12.2 points, Johnston had 10.5 and Henkel 9.0.

Cedar had both the highest scoring offense and the best defense among Region 9 teams, scoring an average of 57.5 ppg while holding their opponents to 38.8 ppg.

Torgerson, who moved to Cedar City from Sevier County last summer, was a member of the North Sevier Lady Wolves squad that upset Emery to win the state 2A title in 2017, her freshman year.

In the 4A championship game against Ridgeline on March 2, Torgerson scored a game-high 18 points and also contributed five rebounds, two assists and three steals. She also sank 10-of-11 free throws, including 7-of-8 in the fourth quarter, to help keep the game out of reach, as the Lady Reds captured the school’s first state girls basketball title with the 53-40 victory.

Mayci Torgerson of Cedar makes a pair of late free throws to seal the Lady Reds’ 57-52 win over Desert Hills, Cedar City, Utah, Jan. 29, 2019 | File photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News

Weaver, who tore the ACL in her left knee at the end of the season last year, spent several months of hard work and rehabilitation to make it back onto the court. She led her team (and the region) in scoring with 12.6 points per game last year, earning all-region MVP honors. However, this season, Weaver took on a more defensive role.

In the championship game against Ridgeline, for instance, Weaver not only had 11 points and four rebounds, she also recorded two blocked shots and two steals and joined with her teammates in helping hold two of Ridgeline’s starting guards scoreless the entire game.

The best news for Cedar is that all their starters are underclassmen who are expected to return next year.

Also making Region 9’s all-region first team were Snow Canyon junior guard Tylei Jensen, Pine View junior guard Sophia Jensen and Dixie center Sina Tapasa.

Tylei Jensen led the region in scoring with 17.4 ppg. She also led the region in steals with 2.7 and was third in assists with 3.2.

See below for full listing of the all-region team selections, along with top-10 lists of the regular season statistical leaders for Region 9.

Region 9 all-region girls basketball team, 2018-19

MVP
Mayci Torgerson, Jr., Cedar

Defensive MVP
Japrix Weaver, Jr., Cedar

First team all-region
Logann Laws, So., Cedar
Tylei Jensen, Jr., Snow Canyon
Samantha Johnston, So., Cedar
Sina Tapasa, Sr., Dixie
Sophia Jensen, Jr., Pine View

Second team all-region
Averi Papa, So., Pine View
Denim Henkel, Jr., Cedar
Katelyn Phillips, Sr., Desert Hills
Madi Hirschi, Sr., Hurricane
Kellie Nance, Sr., Desert Hills

Third team all-region
Hailey Homer, Sr., Hurricane
Olivia Harris, Jr., Snow Canyon
Joslyn Bundy, Jr., Dixie
Rachel Myers, Sr., Desert Hills
Jordan Nielson, Sr., Canyon View

Region 9 top 10 statistical leaders, regular season

Scoring average

Tylei Jensen, of Snow Canyon, floats a shot over the fingertips of the Thunder’s Kellie Nance, St. George, Utah, Feb. 7, 2019 | File photo by David Larson, St. George News
  1. Tylei Jensen, Jr., Snow Canyon 17.4
  2. Mayci Torgerson, Jr. Cedar 12.8
  3. Logann Laws, So., Cedar 12.2
  4. Madi Hirschi, Sr., Hurricane 12.0
  5. Averi Papa, So. Pine View, 11.2
  6. Ashlynn Banks, Jr., Canyon View 10.7
  7. Jordan Nielson, Sr., Canyon View 10.6
  8. Samantha Johnston, So., Cedar 10.5
  9. Hailey Homer, Sr., Hurricane, 10.5
  10. Olivia Harris, Jr., Snow Canyon 10.1
  11. Joslyn Bundy, Jr. Dixie 9.9

3-point field goals made

  1. Madi Hirschi, Sr., Hurricane 61
  2. Samantha Johnston, So., Cedar 53
  3. Olivia Harris, Jr., Snow Canyon 52
  4. Jordan Nielson, Sr., Canyon View 34
  5. Sophia Jensen, Jr., Pine View 34
  6. Mayci Torgerson, Jr. Cedar 31
  7. Tylei Jensen, Jr., Snow Canyon 27
  8. Joslyn Bundy, Jr., Dixie 27
  9. Alex Olson, So., Pine View 17
  10. Mel Alo, Jr., Dixie 16

Rebounding average

  1. Averi Papa, So., Pine View, 11.8
  2. Denim Henkel, Jr., Cedar 6.8
  3. Ashlynn Banks, Jr., Canyon View 6.7
  4. Harlee Nicoll, Fr., Canyon View 6.4
  5. Halle Remund, So., Snow Canyon 5.8
  6. Bryn Erickson, Sr., Hurricane 5.8
  7. Hailey Homer, Sr., Hurricane, 4.6
  8. Jordan Nielson, Sr., Canyon View 4.5
  9. Tylei Jensen, Jr., Snow Canyon 4.4
  10. Madi Hirschi, Sr., Hurricane 4.3
  11. Mayci Torgerson, Jr. Cedar 4.1

Assists average

Cedar’s Logann Laws is guarded by Canyon View’s Addison Newman, Cedar City, Utah, Feb. 5, 2019 | File photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News
  1. Logann Laws, So., Cedar 4.0
  2. Madi Hirschi, Sr., Hurricane 3.4
  3. Tylei Jensen, Jr., Snow Canyon 3.2
  4. Kailee Yardley, Jr., Hurricane 3.2
  5. Sophia Jensen, Jr., Pine View 3.0
  6. Samantha Johnston, So., Cedar 2.5
  7. Jordan Nielson, Sr., Canyon View 2.2
  8. Addison Newman, So., Canyon View 2.0
  9. Japrix Weaver, Jr., Cedar 1.9
  10. Kenzie Robinson, Sr., Hurricane 1.7
  11. Mayci Torgerson, Jr. Cedar 1.7

Steals average

  1. Tylei Jensen, Jr., Snow Canyon 2.7
  2. Jordan Nielson, Sr., Canyon View 2.6
  3. Logann Laws, So., Cedar 2.4
  4. Addison Newman, So., Canyon View 2.3
  5. Sophia Jensen, Jr., Pine View 2.0
  6. Mayci Torgerson, Jr. Cedar 1.9
  7. Denim Henkel, Jr., Cedar 1.8
  8. Olivia Harris, Jr., Snow Canyon 1.7
  9. Shayla Johnson, Sr., Canyon View 1.7
  10. Madi Hirschi, Sr., Hurricane 1.7
  11. Rachel Durante, Jr., Snow Canyon 1.6

Updated March 11, 9 p.m. to include corrected totals for two Pine View players and their placements in the individual statistical rankings. Note that some lists now have 11 players instead of 10, as we chose not to omit anyone who was originally listed.


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