With high school football ending this weekend, Region 9 fans are rapidly turning their attention to Southern Utah’s hardwood.
And with the Region season shaping up to be one of the most competitive ever, Snow Canyon High School’s men’s basketball team is preparing for a long season while continuing to showcase their signature physical style of play.
Some members of the team, including head coach James Brown, sense the Warriors already have a strong team identity based around physicality.
“Certainly, we’re not going to quit,” Brown said. “We’re going to stay after you and we’re going to work. We may not be the biggest. We may not be the fastest or strongest, but they won’t quit on me.”
Snow Canyon has developed a positive attitude in the preseason which players, like senior captain Ben Smith, attribute to a sense of team unity.
“We’re really good friends,” Smith said. “You know, we work together good. I think last year, we kind of lacked a little bit on that aspect, so I believe that’s going to benefit us very much this season.”
Over the past several years, Region 9 basketball teams have been playing a game of musical chairs, changing position at the top one year after another. Snow Canyon is looking to remain on top of Region 9 with tenacity and intelligence, as the Warriors look for their first state title since 2002.
“My expectations are always high,” Brown said. “We always have a goal to win the region championship and play for a state championship. We’ve got a great opportunity this year with it being at Dixie State to sleep in our own beds and give ourselves a chance to win a state championship.”
Snow Canyon opens their season at home on December 7 against El Capitan. The Warriors begin region play at Canyon View on January 4.
