After a tough loss in the Quarterfinals last season to Judge Memorial, the Spartans will be looking to stay a consistent force in the 3A division. They went 20-7 overall, placing second in Region 12, behind the Richfield Wildcats. Their goal will once again be to win the Region Championship and make a run in the state tournament.
Dave Justice will continue his fourth year as Head Coach of the team. He will have help from his assistants Chris Justice (JV) and Todd Huntington (Sophomore). They are also excited to be welcoming Lance Whitesel as the freshman coach this season. They will be emphasizing their four key rules: playing hard, playing smart, playing together and having fun.
“We as a coaching staff try focusing on building strong relationships with our players to understand their strengths and goals. We work with them to improve their skills and confidence while creating an environment where they feel comfortable learning and developing their skills. Our coaches give players the freedom to grow and succeed, helping them become better athletes and teammates while making the game of basketball enjoyable and rewarding,” said Coach Justice.
He continued on his returning players and what they will bring to the team, “We don’t have any returning starters, but we do have seven seniors with a variety of varsity experience. Jace Frandsen, Scott Johansen, and West Johansen did a great job coming off the bench for us last year, and we’re excited to see them on the court as seniors. Other players you will see include Braxton Butler, Porter Hurdsman, Will Jeffs, and Devin Rasmussen. Hopefully, you’ll see a team that is tough, competes, and plays hard on defense. Offensively, we are going to work a lot through the post with West and shoot more threes than in the past.”
The team has been spending a lot of time in the gym at tournaments, camps, open gyms and individual workouts. “This group of players truly love to play and work on their game.”
Coach Justice was then asked about the challenging opponents they will face this season, “Our region is always tough, featuring perennial contenders like Richfield, Manti, and Juab. All the teams in our region, including Carbon, Canyon View, Delta, and North Sanpete, are well-coached and competitive, which should make for an exciting season.”