Warriors, Cougars stumble in December swoon
Santa Claus must have put a lot of coal in the stockings of Taylorsville and Kearns High’s boys basketball teams for Christmas. The Warriors and Cougars went a combined 5-17 in the month of December, though Kearns was 4-2 before hitting the skids toward the middle of preseason.
As of our press deadline, Kearns was 5-7 overall and Taylorsville 1-11. Each team lost its Region 2 opener. After breaking a 12-game losing streak that had stretched into two seasons, Taylorsville promptly lost its next six games. Kearns, meanwhile, has won just two of its last eight games.
The teams were scheduled to resume region play Jan. 18, with Taylorsville playing at Granger and Kearns at West. Hunter, Viewmont and West each opened region play with victories.
Kearns
The Cougars defeated Roy 58-53 and Cyprus 68-38, but lost to Copper Hills 53-36, Weber 62-48, Westlake 60-42, Mountain View 54-53 and Herriman 62-49 to conclude preseason before opening region with a 68-57 loss to Hunter. Kearns had won three of its first four games of the season.
Dayon Goodman was averaging 16 points and seven rebounds, while Taylor Yager averaged 10 points and Jordan Harvey eight points, four assists and three steals. Goodman was ranked fifth in 5A in rebounding and 10th in scoring, while Harvey was first in steals and fifth in assists.
Elsewhere, Jarvis Andrews was averaging six points and four rebounds per game for the Cougars, while Afuvai Leiato averaged four points. Opponents were outscoring Kearns 55-52 on average.
Goodman, who transferred from Alta over the summer, has consistently produced good numbers. He posted 26 points and 11 rebounds in the victory over Roy, while Yager had 16 points and Harvey had his usual solid all-around game with seven points, eight rebounds, seven assists and four steals.
Goodman contributed 18 points and 11 rebounds in the win over Cyprus, while Harvey had eight points, five rebounds, six assists and two steals and Andrews had 11 points. The Cougars played one of their more consistent games of the season, scoring 29 points in the fourth quarter alone.
Kearns was also scheduled to play at Viewmont on Jan. 20.
Taylorsville
The majority of the Warriors are learning on the fly, as sophomores Sidney Freeman, Jevin Warren, Manuel Evangelista and Kia Delacerna have been seeing quality minutes.
Although Taylorsville is averaging 50 points per game, the Warriors are allowing opponents 63 – the second-worst team score differential in 5A to West. Freeman was averaging 12 points, Warren 10, Jackson Roper seven points and four rebounds, Jamahl Jones six points and Delacerna and Evangelista five apiece. Roper is one of only two seniors on the roster for the Warriors.
Following a 59-46 loss to Woods Cross, Taylorsville ended its 12-game losing streak with a 60-38 victory over Cyprus. However, that was followed by losses to Judge Memorial (61-50), Hillcrest (60-50), Cottonwood (52-46), Olympus (84-57), Jordan (73-52) and West (61-49).
Freeman had 16 points, Roper and Jones each scored 10 points and Warren had six points against Cyprus. Taylorsville led only 24-21 at halftime before outscoring Cyprus 36-17 in the second half.
The Warriors were also scheduled to play at Hunter on Jan. 20.
