Kanab girls win 2A basketball state title; highlights of other recent successes in 3A/2A/1A sports

Kanab's six seniors pose with 2A state championship trophy. L-R: Tyler Nez, Addie Shakespear, Rylie Staton, Chloe Collins, Marley Daley and Grayce Glover. Richfield, Utah, Feb. 26, 2022 | Photo courtesy of Linsey Glover, St. George News

CEDAR CITY — Several Southern Utah high schools in the 3A, 2A and 1A classifications have fared well during the various winter sports seasons.

Kanab players and coaches gather around first-place trophy after winning 2A state girls basketball championship, Richfield, Utah, Feb. 26, 2022 | Photo courtesy of Linsey Glover, St. George News

Saturday night at the Sevier Valley Center in Richfield, No. 2 seeded Kanab won the 2A girls basketball title, defeating eighth-seeded South Sevier 47-37. It was the second-ever girls state championship for the Cowboys, with the other one coming 30 years ago in 1992.

“We were glad to get one,” Kanab head coach Klint Glover told St. George News. “We’ve been up there at the girls tournament for several years now. We’ve been second, we’ve been third, and now it was finally our turn, and we had the group of girls it took to get it done.”

Senior Grayce Glover, the coach’s niece, led the Cowboys in scoring with 19 points, with teammates Taylor Janes and Tyler Nez adding 10 and 9 points, respectively. Kanab’s players made a total of nine 3-pointers during the contest, including four by Glover and three by Nez.

Coach Glover said this year’s team benefited from the leadership of the six seniors on the squad.

“We’re grateful for those girls, that they stuck with it,” Glover said. “That’s the big thing, is they stuck together and they liked each other. Not a lot of drama.”

Opening tipoff of 2A girls state championship game, Kanab vs. South Sevier, Richfield, Utah, Feb. 26, 2022 | Photo courtesy of Linsey Glover, St. George News

“And then, we’ve had some younger girls that have stepped up and helped us,” he added, mentioning in particular sophomore guard Anna Cutler and Janes, a freshman. 

“It was fun to watch all of them progress as the season went on,” he added. “They got better and better.”

In the championship game, the two teams played evenly during the first quarter, which ended in a 10-10 tie. Early in the second period, South Sevier briefly took a 15-11 lead, but the Cowboys finished the quarter with an 11-2 run that included two 3-pointers by Grayce Glover and one by Cutler.

Up 22-17 at halftime, the Cowboys then stayed two or three possessions ahead of the Rams throughout most of the second half, eventually putting away the game by hitting some key free throws down the stretch.

“They gave us everything they had,” coach Glover said of South Sevier. “We beat them by 20 at Kanab the last time we played them, but they gave us everything we wanted in the championship.”

Glover said his niece broke her nose during a game at Beaver a few weeks ago and had been working her way back to full participation.

“It was an injury that some girls would be done with, but she toughed it out,” he said of Grayce. “She’s a pretty tough kid. It was good to see her get back into form there the last game.”

Glover also had high praise for Nez, who made three 3-pointers for the third straight game in the tournament.

Kanab guard Anna Cutler shoots a free throw late in the state 2A championship game vs. South Sevier, Richfield, Utah, Feb. 26, 2022 | Photo courtesy of Linsey Glover, St. George News

“She makes threes when we’re really needing them, and that just helps us a ton,” Glover said of Nez, a senior. For instance, he said that when other teams try to double-team certain players like Grayce Glover and Cutler, “It’s great having her out there on the perimeter, being able to shoot the way she does.”

In the boys’ 2A championship game that followed, the No. 3 seed Enterprise Wolves led the top-seeded San Juan Broncos almost the entire game, only to lose 45-44 on a pair of free throws by San Juan’s Jayden Black with less than two seconds remaining. 

Richfield’s Sevier Valley Center will also be the site of this coming weekend’s 1A state tournaments, with both returning champions, the Panguitch boys and the Piute girls, seeded No. 1 in their respective brackets. Both teams won the Region 20 tournaments staged in Panguitch Feb. 17-19. The Panguitch boys are 23-1 overall on the season, while the Piute girls are 21-1.

Following are recaps highlighting the top end-of-season results and accomplishments by Southern Utah athletes during the winter sports seasons.

3A boys basketball

Canyon View vs. Emery, Region 12 boys basketball, Cedar City, Utah, Feb. 4, 2022 | File photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News

The Canyon View Falcons ended their regular season with an overall record of 11-11, including 7-1 and a first-place finish in Region 12. After earning a No. 12 seed in the state tournament, they won their opening round playoff game at home vs. No. 21 seeded Delta, 83-54, on Feb. 16. 

The Falcons then traveled to Morgan for the second round on Feb. 19, losing to the Trojans, 57-48. 

Junior guard Andrew Barnes led the Falcons in scoring this season with 15.2 points per game. Barnes was subsequently named Region 12’s most valuable player. Also making the all-region team from Canyon View were Skylar Hignite, Xavier Kadous and Jace Farrow, all of whom earned second team honors, and Cooper Malcom, who received an honorable mention.

3A girls basketball 

The Canyon View Falcons’ 7-12 season ended with a one-point loss on the road during the second round of the 3A playoffs on Feb. 18. The 11th-seeded Falcons lost to No. 6 seeded Layton Christian by a single point, 57-56. Senior Harlee Nicoll led the way for Canyon View with 19 points and 10 rebounds in that game; she also was the team’s season leader in both categories.

3A drill 

The Canyon View High School Talons won the state 3A drill team championship in Orem on Feb. 4. Click here to read the full story.

2A drill

The Kanab High School Larriettes won the state 2A drill team championship in Orem on Feb. 4. Click here to read the full story.

3A swimming

Addison Taylor of Canyon View competes in the 3A girls 200-yard individual medley, Provo, Utah, Feb. 12, 2022 | Photo courtesy of Megan Cannon, St. George News / Cedar City News

The Canyon View High School boys swim team were the runners-up at the state 3A championship meet in Provo on Feb. 11-12. The Falcons finished with 322 team points, second only to Judge Memorial’s 332. Canyon View senior Max Cannon was named the 3A male swimmer of the year, while coach Kirt Brown was named the 3A boys coach of the year. Several CVHS athletes, male and female, were among the top placers at the various state events. For the full story, click here.

3A wrestling

The Canyon View boys placed fifth overall at the state 3A wrestling meet in Richfield on Feb. 16-17, scoring 125.5 team points. 

At the girls 1A/2A/3A state meet that was also staged Feb. 16-17 at Richfield, Canyon View freshman Tilisa Matakaiongo took first place in the 190-pound bracket, finishing her season undefeated at 19-0 and becoming just the second-ever Canyon View wrestler to win an individual state title. Click here to read the full story.

Canyon View High School freshman Tilisa Matakaiongo and her coach Dallas Lowry, shortly after receiving outstanding wrestler award at the state 1A/2A/3A tournament, Richfield, Utah, Feb. 17, 2022 | Photo courtesy of Dallas Lowry, St. George News / Cedar City News

Also placing at state were 11 other CVHS wrestlers, seven boys and four girls. The Falcon boys who placed were Dax Nicoll, sixth place, 113 pounds; Deegan Davies, sixth place, 120 pounds; Jake Olsen, fourth place, 132 pounds; Lakoda Wieczorek, fourth place, 138 pounds; Henry Pulica, fifth place, 150 pounds; Jarrett Johnson, third place, 165 pounds; and Marc Richardson, third place, 215 pounds. 

Meanwhile, the Lady Falcon state placers (besides Matakaiongo) were Kristie Jensen, third place, 115 pounds; Michaela Rember, third place, 120 pounds; Adriana Sierra, sixth place, 190 pounds; and Maitae Cardenas, third place, 235 pounds.

Additionally, Corrie Williams of Enterprise took first place in the girls 130-pound bracket, capping off her senior season with an overall record of 33-3.

Other placers for Enterprise at the 1A/2A/3A girls state matches were Elizabeth Cox of Enterprise, third place, 105 pounds; Alexandria Ramirez of Enterprise, second place, 115 pounds; and Davari Riquelme of Enterprise, fourth place, 135 pounds.

2A boys wrestling

At the 2A boys state tournament in Richfield Feb. 11-12, the Millard High School boys were the runaway winner of the state title with 502 team points, while runner-up Beaver finished with 317 and third-place Enterprise had 187. Millard ended up with six individual state winners, seven second-place finishers and numerous others who placed among the top six in their respective brackets.

Following is a list of state 2A individual champions and their weights: Dax Eldredge of Millard, 106 pounds; Cayson Curtis of Beaver, 113 pounds; Gage Raddon of Beaver, 120 pounds; Douglas Evans of Beaver, 126 pounds; Russell Evans of Beaver, 138 pounds; Sam Rasmussen of Millard, 144 pounds; Dylan Rees of Millard, 150 pounds; Mack Bray of Millard, 157 pounds; Trayton Teeples of Millard, 165 pounds; Bowden Brown of Beaver, 175 pounds; KC Whitaker of Millard, 190 pounds; and Tye O’Hanley of Enterprise, 285 pounds.

1A boys wrestling

Panguitch wrestlers and coaches pose for a group photo with their third consecutive state championship trophy, Panguitch, Utah, Feb. 12, 2022 | Photo courtesy of Colin Marshall, St. George News

The Panguitch boys won their third consecutive state 1A wrestling title on Feb. 12 at Richfield. The Bobcats won convincingly, scoring 294.5 team points to runner-up Monticello’s 125.

“This year, we had 19 boys place in the top four at state,” said Panguitch coach Colin Marshall. “We were able to place an athlete at every single weight. This championship was a true team effort, with every individual on the team contributing to our success.”

Individual 1A state champions from Southern Utah schools were as follows: Braxton Atkin of Panguitch, 120 pounds; Hagen Mayer of Milford, 126 pounds; Jacob Marshall of Panguitch, 132 pounds; Mckray Gayler of Piute, 144 pounds; Quaid Thompson of Milford, 150 pounds; Cael Houston of Panguitch, 157 pounds; and Blake Barnes of Milford, 175 pounds.

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2022, all rights reserved.

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