Wasatch Tigers win in 88-43 landslide
against much larger Cedar City School
By James Tilson
Staff writer
Jan. 11, 2018
MT PLEASANT—Despite Coach Curtis Condie’s early misgivings about playing a game after only being back from break for two days, the Wasatch Academy Tigers easily bested the Canyon View High School Falcons 88-43 last Saturday night in Mt. Pleasant.
“Considering we only had our whole team back for two days [after Christmas break], I was a little worried.” And at first, it seemed that Condie’s fears may not have been misplaced. The Falcons, even though they gave up an average of 6-inches per player to Wasatch’s team, played without fear and executed the offense efficiently; finding back-door cuts and open jump shots in the corners.
But the Tigers soon used their height and speed advatages to open up sizable leads (19-7 at the end of the first quarter, 41-18 by the half) and never look back.
The Falcons were led by their star player, Brantzen Blackner, for whom Coach Condie had high praise. “[Blackner] is a Division I player. That’s why I wanted to play them. I saw him last year when [they] played North Sanpete. We got to find the Division I players in the state to challenge our team.”
Even though the Tigers won by a landslide, Condie said he could see the effect of the holiday lay-off.
“[We] need to get back to basic principles on defense. Some of their shots came because we ignored those principles and let them have open looks.”
The Tigers will have to get back to those principles pretty fast, because next week the travel to Springfield, Missouri to compete in the Bass Pro Shop Tournament of Champions.
According to Condie, it is the “biggest tournament you can be involved in the during the regular season.”
The tournament starts on Jan. 11 and lasts through Jan. 13. Wasatch Academy will face Brentwood Academy (Brentwood, Tenn., ranked 13th in the country according to MaxPreps.com) in the first round, and may be able to play La Lumiere (LaPorte, Ind., ranked eighth nationally) in the finals.
Condie calls La Lumiere “our national rival,” after being one of the only teams to ever beat them on their home court.
