Jake Hardy will once again coach the Pinnacle Girls basketball team for his third consecutive year, where he will be assisted by Nikki Otto and Dekota Kraushaar. “The girls have a strong senior class. They led the team to state last year and aim to go once again.” Said Coach Hardy.
The returning seniors who have been playing Varsity consistently since their sophomore year are Heather Kerr, Jostyn McLean and Kaydence Romero. Sophomore Jazmyne Mullis will also be impactful on the Varsity squad.
The three seniors will act as the captains of the team, where they will need to use their experience to lead the rest of the team on both the offensive and defensive end. The team finished last year with a 10-16 overall record, struggling against the teams in their Region.
“The teams from the reservations are always a challenge for the girls. They have highly competitive teams in the 1A division. If we can pull off an upset against Whitehorse or Monument Valley, it would make for a heck of a memory,” added Coach Hardy.
He will also be coaching the boys team and finished by stating what his goals and expectations are for the teams, “I want both teams to finish their season at state. It is a realistic goal. I want both teams to finish with the highest Utah ranking in the history of their respective program. This is a challenging goal, but not out of the realm of possibility.”
The Lady Panthers will get in plenty of playing time in November and December, before they face their first region opponent, the Monticello Buckaroos on January 10. Their first region game on their home court will be against the Monument Valley Cougars on January 24.