PLAYERS TO WATCH
Will Garrard, Declo
Gavin Rasmussen, Declo
Beckett Gates, Sun Valley Community School
Carter Hickey, Sun Valley Community School
Jett Jasper, Wendell
Jordon Swainston, Wendell
Written by: Brandon Baney
Despite having just three teams, the Canyon Conference is chock full of storylines in 2023-24.
After a deep run all the way to the 2A championship game in football, how quickly can Declo get their basketball legs underneath them?
After losing 6-foot-4 standout Karsen LeMoyne to Filer, how will Wendell respond?
And after struggling with low turnout over the years, can the swell in numbers help Sun Valley Community School?
A year ago, Declo and Wendell split with each other in the regular season. Then, the Hornets nipped Wendell twice at districts, including a 55-51 win in overtime, to claim the Canyon Conference title. Declo went 0-2 at state, but returns several outstanding athletes from that team, including seniors Will Garrard and Max Snedaker, and junior Gavin Rasmussen. All three were important member’s of Declo’s state runner-up football team, and coach Jacoby Fox is hoping for a similarly deep run in hoops.
“We are most excited about some new guys moving into more of a leadership role and building a roster with exceptional competitors as a whole,” says Fox. “We have guys that are coachable and have positive attitudes.”
Snedaker will pilot the Declo offense at point guard, and Rasmussen will join him in the backcourt. The forwards will be Garrard, along with juniors Bode Backenbury and Emmett Gibby. You’ll notice there weren’t any posts listed among Declo’s starting five, a fact that didn’t escape coach Fox. “Offensive rebounding is an area of strength that we make a focal point each season,” he explains. “We run a motion-style offense.”
Standing in their way is Wendell. The Trojans went 13-8 a season ago, but sat on the sidelines during state. Coach AJ Kelsey’s team is eager to reverse that trend in 2023-24, but they’ll have to do so without the 6-foot-4 LeMoyne, who transferred to Class 3A Filer. They’ll also have to replace point guard Diego Torres, who graduated.
All-Conference performers Jordon Swainston and Jett Jasper are back, as are veterans Bodey Cutler and Jonathan Swainston. “Without LeMoyne, we’re small and undersized,” says Kelsey. “But all the kids play hard and get along.”
As for the Cutthroats of Sun Valley Community School, turnout is at an all-time high for first-year head coach Kevin Hansmeyer. “Many years the Community School is full of skiers, a couple of soccer players, and one or two basketball players,” Hansmeyer explains. “But this year, we have seven or eight solid players with many more coming in behind them. We are building a new basketball culture at SVCS.”
Seniors Ben Hayes, Beckett Gates and Carter Hickey will lead the way at guard, forward and center, respectively. Three promising freshmen (Luke Gates, Sam Fleming and Billy Griffin) join them. “We are rebuilding our offense,” says Hansmeyer. “It’s a complete restart. We’re also rebuilding our defense this year. We were ranked 26th out of 26 in Class 2A last season defensively.”
Despite those low numbers a year ago, Hansmeyer sees the glass as half full. “There’s nowhere for us to go but up,” Hansmeyer says. “From our early season sessions, I think we will be an exciting team to watch this year.”