Conference Preview COACHES POLL
1. Declo
2. Wendell
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Katelin Mallor, Delco
Amanda Bott, Declo
Maddie Ramsey, Declo
2A Canyon Conference Preview
Written by Brandon Hill
When it comes to coaching, opposition research is a must.
And in a conference comprised of just two teams, Declo and Wendell have plenty of data to work off of.
In three matchups during the 2018-2019 season, the Hornets prevailed every time, winning the first matchup 53-23 in December, then again in back-to-back games 42-21 and 59-37 at the end of January.
The Hornets did not have an easy time, however, once reaching the state tournament. Declo took an early exit, falling to West Jefferson 51-40 before losing to Declo 57-52 in the consolation bracket.
Head coaches Ashley Baker and Justin Silcock said they hope their team can rebound from the disheartening end to the season with a strong push to state in 2020.
“Hopefully the answer to this is defense and our transition game,” they said. “Our half-court offense will look a bit different this year than last as we will look to play to our shooters and bigs.”
Among those sharpshooters are seniors Katelin Mallor, Amanda Bott, Sydney Ramsey and Brook Olsen. The Hornets need every one of their seniors to step up, especially after the graduation of Maddie Ramsey. A four-year starter, Baker and Silcock said Ramsey will be nearly impossible to replace.
“It will be hard to replace a player like Maddie, but we have spent a lot of time improving the game of all our players,” they said. “It is our hope to continue to play great defense, press and run the court. We also have several key players this year who will work together and play great basketball.”
When it comes to the other half of the Canyon Conference, Wendell is doing its best to improve an otherwise bleak 2018-2019 season.
After a debut victory against Richfield 21-20, the Trojans’ year quickly collapsed, with Wendell losing every single game after.
But good news for the Trojans, Wendell has already tripled its win total from a year ago, earning victories over Oakley, Valley and Hagerman in the opening month of the season.