Ryan Seacrest hosts the one-hour “Disney Holiday Singalong,” which airs Monday night at 7 p.m. MT on ABC. | ABC
The “Disney Holiday Singalong” airs Monday night and features performances from Andrea Bocelli, dancers and Utah natives Derek and Julianne Hough, Michael Bublé and more.
The third Disney singalong is almost here — this time bringing some Christmas cheer.
The one-hour event, hosted by Ryan Seacrest, will air Nov. 30 at 7 p.m. MT on ABC.
Viewers can also watch it live on ABC.com with a cable subscription, or any live TV streaming service that carries ABC — like Hulu with Live TV, YouTube TV, Sling and Roku, according to tvguide.com.
If you’re unable to catch the singalong live, you can watch it on Hulu starting Dec. 1, according to Billboard.
Adam Lambert — “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”
Leslie Odom Jr. — “What’s This?”
Katy Perry — “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” and “Cozy Little Christmas”
P!NK — “The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)”
Kerry Washington — “Joy to the World”
The seven-member a cappella group DCappella will also sing throughout the show, and the singalong will include a performance of “Let it Go” — featuring the North American touring company of “Frozen” and the Broadway casts of “The Lion King” and Aladdin,” according to Playbill.
Purpose
The singalong will raise awareness of Disney’s Feed the Love campaign, benefiting Feeding America, Toys for Tots and One Simple Wish, according to the Deseret News. Visit Disney.com/FeedTheLove to learn more about giving to kids and families in need this season.
President M. Russell Ballard,, acting president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf and Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, share a laugh in the Rome Italy Temple Visitors’ Center in Rome on Monday, March 11, 2019. | Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints shared an important message in a new Church News video, “My Testimony.”
During 2020, a sobering time of pandemic, people across the globe have worried about their health and livelihood, he said. Many are turning to God. “If we haven’t been able to turn here, and we can’t turn there, we can turn up. And I hope that one thing we’ve all done is come closer to God,” said Elder Holland.
TOOELE — A man accused of shooting another man on Thanksgiving in a camping trailer in Tooele was charged Monday.
Justin Lee Gibson, 29, of Tooele, was charged in 3rd District Court with attempted murder, a first-degree felony.
On Thursday, about 8 a.m., a 37-year-old man who had just walked into a camping trailer on a property at 230 S. 100 East was shot twice in his shoulder area and hand without provocation by Gibson, according to charging documents.
A woman who was asleep in the trailer told police she awoke to Gibson sitting on her bed and asked him what he was doing, according to the charges.
“(The woman) said minutes after waking up, she heard her front door open up, and the victim entered,” the charges state. “(She said) Mr. Gibson fired the handgun at the male victim three times. (She) said the male victim did not threaten Mr. Gibson when he entered the trailer.”
Gibson claimed the man he shot had threatened him days earlier. But the woman told police that Gibson seemed to be waiting for the man to enter, according to the charges.
“(She said) Mr. Gibson had threatened to kill the male victim several times,” according to the charges.
On Nov. 24, the woman told police that she was arguing with Gibson and he threatened to shoot the man, and then fired a round from the trailer, the charges state.
People walk a dog as seagulls stand on the frozen pond at Sugar House Park in Salt Lake City on Monday. According to the National Weather Service, residents along the Wasatch Front will see see sunny skies through the week with highs in the low to mid-40s and lows near 20.
Steve Griffin, Deseret News
Seagulls stand on the frozen pond at Sugar House in Salt Lake City on Monday, Nov. 30, 2020.
SALT LAKE CITY — A woman and man were charged Monday after police say they killed the woman’s former boyfriend and then took a large amount of drugs that he was allegedly distributing.
The woman told investigators it wasn’t the first time she tried to kill her ex, according to charging documents.
Jayton Trevor Merrill, 18, of Grantsville, and Sarah Elaine Lobato, 20, of Kearns, were each charged in 3rd District Court with aggravated murder and aggravated robbery, both first-degree felonies, and obstructing justice, a second-degree felony. Merrill received an additional charge of possession of a firearm by a restricted person, a third-degree felony.
Video obtained by police from a nearby home recorded Ortiz pulling up on the residential street, stopping and turning off his headlights, charging documents state. A short time later, another vehicle pulled up next to the van and three shots were immediately fired into the van, according to the charges.
The van then moved and began to push the other car, the charges state. Merrill got out of the car and fired two more shots into the van, according to the charges. Lobato was then seen dragging two large bags from the van and putting them in her car, according to the charges. As Merrill and Lobato attempted to drive away, the van hit them from behind for a second time, according to charging documents.
After police made a request to the public for information about the crime, detectives received a tip that the damaged car was parked at Lobato’s home in Kearns with a tarp covering it, the charges state.
As officers were preparing a search warrant for the house, Merrill and Lobato pulled up in another vehicle and were stopped by police. Inside the vehicle, investigators found a notebook being used as a ledger for drug distribution, several firearm magazines and ammunition, and a bag from a company that sells marijuana, the charges state.
When questioned by detectives, Lobato said she had been in a relationship with Ortiz and had recently returned to Utah from California.
“She described the relationship as bad and said she had attempted to end it several times. Lobato told detectives that while she was in California she tried to kill Raymond with a poisonous plant but was unsuccessful because she used the wrong plant,” according to the charges.
After returning to Utah, she met Merrill and stated “she was in love with Merrill and would do anything for him,” the charges state. She also told Merrill how she was afraid of Ortiz, and then “stated that she set up the entire thing.”
Lobato said she looked up a location on Google Maps to arrange a meeting with Ortiz. At the designated meeting location, Lobato drove up next to Ortiz and Merrill, who was in the passenger seat, and shot him, the charges state. Lobato then said “I’m gonna make this worth my while,” and grabbed two bags containing approximately 50 pounds of marijuana from Ortiz’s van, and put them in her own car, according to the charges.
When interviewed by police, Merrill denied any involvement, the charges state.
Ortiz had been to Utah before and had a prior criminal history for drug distribution, according to police.
The Super Nintendo Land at the theme park will open on that date.
Universal Japan released a first-look trailer of the park, which really looks straight out of a video game.
Per The Verge, the opening date is a little earlier than expected. Nintendo suggested the project would be pushed back until the spring due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The park will have a “Mario Kart” roller coaster, which is inside a Bowser castle. The ride uses AR projection mapping technology. Riders will be asked to wear headsets shaped like Mario hats.
Bloomberg shared some early look videos of the theme park so far:
Back in 2019, photos of the park leaked online. The photos showed photos of the attractions planned for the park, including Toadstool Café, Yoshi’s Adventure and Mario Kart, which is apparently hosted in Bowser’s Castle, according to a report from the Deseret News.
The land reportedly would feature an area specific to Donkey Kong, which includes a ride and a treehouse.
BYU center Matt Haarms (3) and the Cougars celebrate during a victory over Utah Valley University Saturday, Nov. 28, 2020, in the Marriott Center. | BYU Photo
The Cougars will face Pac-12 foe USC in the Roman Legends Classic at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut, the first of three games on tap for BYU this week
With three wins in four days to open the 2020-21 basketball season last week, BYU is now looking at its toughest test so far Tuesday, followed by a crucial stretch of games — and a chance to build its NCAA tournament resume.
The Cougars take on USC Tuesday (12:30 p.m. MST, ESPN2) in the Roman Legends Classic at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut in what’s being called “Bubbleville.”
Coach Mark Pope’s team beat Westminster, New Orleans and Utah Valley University last week. Are they ready for a trip across the country against strong competition?
“Well, we’re about to find out, aren’t we?” Pope said. “I’m super excited about it. The guys were so tired of practice, they said they didn’t want to practice anymore. We’re not practicing anymore. All we do is have games. And they get harder and harder and harder. We’re about to step into another level of challenge.”
But the Cougars will have 7-foot-3 center Matt Haarms at full strength this week. Haarms missed the first two games due to an ankle injury. He made his BYU debut Saturday against UVU and scored 10 points and had one rebound and one block in limited minutes — 12.
Asked if Haarms’ minutes would be restricted against USC, Pope joked, “Matt’s going to be restricted to 40 minutes. If it goes into overtime, he’ll be restricted to more.”
“I’ll be 100% ready to go full time Tuesday against USC,” Haarms said.
Guard Trevin Knell is happy to have Haarms in the lineup.
“We have the best shot-blocker in the country,” he said. “He’s definitely going to change the game for us. We’re excited to have him 100% (this) week.”
BYU (3-0) faces a USC (2-0) team that beat California Baptist in overtime, 95-87, and Montana, 76-62, last week.
The Trojans boast a pair of five-star recruits — brothers Evan and Isaiah Mobley. Evan, a 7-foot freshman, leads the team in scoring, averaging 16 points per game, along with eight rebounds per game. His older brother, Isaiah, a 6-10 sophomore, leads the team in rebounding, averaging 11.5 rebounds per game, and 10 points per contest.
“I think it’s an awesome opportunity. USC is looked at as a very good team. It’s a very good program as well. They have some very talented players,” Haarms said. “The Mobleys are very talented, very long, very athletic. It will be a really good challenge for us. I think it’s going to be very tough for us defensively to play against a bunch of athletes that just want to run, that jump and are high-flyers.
“It’s going to be a challenge for us to really see how we stack up against a team of that caliber. We did it this week. We had some dogfights. But I think USC will easily be the most talented team we’ve played so far.”
After playing USC, the Cougars originally were scheduled to play the winner of a game against UConn and Vanderbilt Thursday. But Vandy pulled out of the trip to Uncasville due to COVID-19 issues.
USC will now face UConn Thursday, while BYU will play St. John’s on Wednesday (3 p.m., ESPN2).
After that, the Cougars’ schedule gets even more hectic.
BYU visits Utah State Saturday, then hosts Boise State (Dec. 9) and arch-rival Utah (Dec. 12). The following Friday, the Cougars are scheduled to travel to San Diego State (Dec. 18), entertain Texas Southern (Dec. 21), then meet Weber State (Dec. 23) at Vivint Arena.
Pope said the depth he has at his disposal will help his team deal with the compressed nonconference schedule.
“It helps that we have depth. It’s helping us deal with all these games,” Pope said. “You’ve witnessed how weird our rotations have been because we’re trying to figure it out a little bit, too. Every single guy through these first three games has been like, ‘I’m in. You want me for one minute? You want me for 35 minutes? I’m going to give you everything I have. I’ve been super proud of the team for that.”
Knell said he and his teammates have accepted their roles.
“We have a deep team,” he said. “That’s what makes this team so special.”
The Cougars should learn a lot more about themselves with some big tests this week.
“I’m super excited to go to Connecticut,” Knell said, “and see how we do.”
BYU center Matt Haarms (3) and the Cougars celebrate during a victory over Utah Valley University Saturday, Nov. 28, 2020, in the Marriott Center. | BYU Photo
The Cougars will face Pac-12 foe USC in the Roman Legends Classic at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut, the first of three games on tap for BYU this week
With three wins in four days to open the 2020-21 basketball season last week, BYU is now looking at its toughest test so far Tuesday, followed by a crucial stretch of games — and a chance to build its NCAA tournament resume.
The Cougars take on USC Tuesday (12:30 p.m. MST, ESPN2) in the Roman Legends Classic at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut in what’s being called “Bubbleville.”
Coach Mark Pope’s team beat Westminster, New Orleans and Utah Valley University last week. Are they ready for a trip across the country against strong competition?
“Well, we’re about to find out, aren’t we?” Pope said. “I’m super excited about it. The guys were so tired of practice, they said they didn’t want to practice anymore. We’re not practicing anymore. All we do is have games. And they get harder and harder and harder. We’re about to step into another level of challenge.”
But the Cougars will have 7-foot-3 center Matt Haarms at full strength this week. Haarms missed the first two games due to an ankle injury. He made his BYU debut Saturday against UVU and scored 10 points and had one rebound and one block in limited minutes — 12.
Asked if Haarms’ minutes would be restricted against USC, Pope joked, “Matt’s going to be restricted to 40 minutes. If it goes into overtime, he’ll be restricted to more.”
“I’ll be 100% ready to go full time Tuesday against USC,” Haarms said.
Guard Trevin Knell is happy to have Haarms in the lineup.
“We have the best shot-blocker in the country,” he said. “He’s definitely going to change the game for us. We’re excited to have him 100% (this) week.”
BYU (3-0) faces a USC (2-0) team that beat California Baptist in overtime, 95-87, and Montana, 76-62, last week.
The Trojans boast a pair of five-star recruits — brothers Evan and Isaiah Mobley. Evan, a 7-foot freshman, leads the team in scoring, averaging 16 points per game, along with eight rebounds per game. His older brother, Isaiah, a 6-10 sophomore, leads the team in rebounding, averaging 11.5 rebounds per game, and 10 points per contest.
“I think it’s an awesome opportunity. USC is looked at as a very good team. It’s a very good program as well. They have some very talented players,” Haarms said. “The Mobleys are very talented, very long, very athletic. It will be a really good challenge for us. I think it’s going to be very tough for us defensively to play against a bunch of athletes that just want to run, that jump and are high-flyers.
“It’s going to be a challenge for us to really see how we stack up against a team of that caliber. We did it this week. We had some dogfights. But I think USC will easily be the most talented team we’ve played so far.”
After playing USC, the Cougars originally were scheduled to play the winner of a game against UConn and Vanderbilt Thursday. But Vandy pulled out of the trip to Uncasville due to COVID-19 issues.
USC will now face UConn Thursday, while BYU will play St. John’s on Wednesday (3 p.m., ESPN2).
After that, the Cougars’ schedule gets even more hectic.
BYU visits Utah State Saturday, then hosts Boise State (Dec. 9) and arch-rival Utah (Dec. 12). The following Friday, the Cougars are scheduled to travel to San Diego State (Dec. 18), entertain Texas Southern (Dec. 21), then meet Weber State (Dec. 23) at Vivint Arena.
Pope said the depth he has at his disposal will help his team deal with the compressed nonconference schedule.
“It helps that we have depth. It’s helping us deal with all these games,” Pope said. “You’ve witnessed how weird our rotations have been because we’re trying to figure it out a little bit, too. Every single guy through these first three games has been like, ‘I’m in. You want me for one minute? You want me for 35 minutes? I’m going to give you everything I have. I’ve been super proud of the team for that.”
Knell said he and his teammates have accepted their roles.
“We have a deep team,” he said. “That’s what makes this team so special.”
The Cougars should learn a lot more about themselves with some big tests this week.
“I’m super excited to go to Connecticut,” Knell said, “and see how we do.”
Voters complete their ballots on voting machines during Election Day at Vivint SmartHome Arena in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020. | Yukai Peng, Deseret News
The founders of our national government were experienced men who understood human values and tendencies. When they formed our national government, they represented 13 individual states, each with its own needs and ways of handling internal affairs. They united together for mutual protection, to handle interstate and other issues outlined in the Constitution.
To ensure fair representation for each state and its people, the government was formed with a House of Representatives from each state, each representative representing approximately the same number of people, and a Senate with two senators from each state. The Senate was done this way to prevent the four populous states from overwhelming and dictating government policies to the other nine states. Without this protection, the votes and voices of people in small states (then Georgia, Delaware, New Jersey and even New York) would’ve had little influence in national issues.
The only nationwide elected federal government officers are the president and the vice president. To minimize the impact of a few big states from dominating and controlling the election of these offices, each state casts votes for president and vice president based on their number of senators and representatives in Congress. Yes, it is still biased toward the big states with their big House delegation, but it has worked for over 200 years.
Elimination of the Electoral College would allow the most populous counties to elect the president. There are enough people in 100 counties, all in metro areas around New York City, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco, to control the election of the U.S. president regardless of how the rest of the country votes. Utah would have absolutely no impact on the election — ever. Is this what we want?
Voters complete their ballots on voting machines during Election Day at Vivint SmartHome Arena in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020. | Yukai Peng, Deseret News
The founders of our national government were experienced men who understood human values and tendencies. When they formed our national government, they represented 13 individual states, each with its own needs and ways of handling internal affairs. They united together for mutual protection, to handle interstate and other issues outlined in the Constitution.
To ensure fair representation for each state and its people, the government was formed with a House of Representatives from each state, each representative representing approximately the same number of people, and a Senate with two senators from each state. The Senate was done this way to prevent the four populous states from overwhelming and dictating government policies to the other nine states. Without this protection, the votes and voices of people in small states (then Georgia, Delaware, New Jersey and even New York) would’ve had little influence in national issues.
The only nationwide elected federal government officers are the president and the vice president. To minimize the impact of a few big states from dominating and controlling the election of these offices, each state casts votes for president and vice president based on their number of senators and representatives in Congress. Yes, it is still biased toward the big states with their big House delegation, but it has worked for over 200 years.
Elimination of the Electoral College would allow the most populous counties to elect the president. There are enough people in 100 counties, all in metro areas around New York City, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco, to control the election of the U.S. president regardless of how the rest of the country votes. Utah would have absolutely no impact on the election — ever. Is this what we want?
Layton’s Ethan Potter (35) keeps the ball away from Davis’ Jax Pearce (22) at Layton High School on Friday, Jan. 17, 2020. | Laura Seitz, Deseret News
Layton, West Jordan, Bingham and Corner Canyon open the season as the boys basketball preseason favorites in their respective 6A regions
After a multiweek delay because of COVID-19, the 2020-2021 high school boys basketball season gets underway this week for teams teams in 6A through 1A. To prepare fans for the upcoming season, the Deseret News has put together capsules for every team in 6A. Every coach was invited to participate and submit information.
The region rankings are based on coaches preseason projections.
There is only one new head basketball coach in 6A this year: Duane Bourdeaux (West).
Here are the 6A teams and players to watch this upcoming season.
Coach comment: “With everything going on in 2020, this should be an interesting season. We are a very talented team with some great returning players and underclassmen that are new to the varsity level. Ultimately, our success this season will depend on our ability to buy in and sacrifice for each other.”
Coach comment: “We will be young — but we have some toughness and talent. With one returning starter with varsity experience we will need to use the preseason to get the momentum and experience necessary for a run at the region. If we play together, we will have a great season.”
Coach comment: “This being my second year at Weber, the players in our program have a better understanding of our culture and what is expected of them. We will look to build on that this year with a great group of guys. With the work they have put into the weight room and gym we should have a chance to be successful.”
Coach comment: “Roy High has some experienced players returning which could lead to a more successful season. We are cautiously optimistic about being more competitive in a very talented Region 1. A commitment to defending, rebounding and playing unselfish team basketball will help continue to build our culture. We really like our players.”
Coach comment: “We will be young and inexperienced with only one returning starter. Fortunately, we do have several players saw some varsity action last year. We will need to be disciplined offensively, but we believe our focus will need to be on the defensive end of the court.”
Coach comment: “We are a very young and inexperienced team, but the guys are extremely connected and have really bought in to our program. We are looking forward to seeing what this season will bring.”
2019-2020 record: 23-3 (third in Region 1 with an 11-3 record).
2020 postseason: Beat Davis, 55-52, in the 6A championship.
Returning starters: 0
Returning contributors:
Dakota Argyle
Christian Blanch
Drake Parker
Coach comment: “We are excited to get in the gym after not being able to get together this spring or summer. We will be a young team that will try to follow the tremendous example of the seniors that graduated last year. This year’s team had a front row seat to a great team and even better group of young men. We hope that it will translate this year as we will require them to grow up quickly. We still have high expectations for our team. We will compete each possession every night.”
2019-2020 record: 5-17 (tied for sixth in Region 1 with a 3-11 record).
2020 postseason: Lost to Pleasant Grove, 90-72, in the 6A first round.
Returning starters: 1
Returning contributors:
Dawson Hittle, Sr., G
Grant Marker, Sr., G
Brad Maisey, Sr., G
Coach comment: “Going to have a young team this year. Excited to see how our young guys develop. Going to ask a lot of our seniors this year. Have some guys that played good minutes last year for us. They know what it is going to take to be competitive in Region 1.”
Coach comment: “We will have a very young team this year and not a lot of kids with varsity experience. That should not stop us from competing on a nightly basis. These kids are skilled and have a love and passion for the game, and love to compete. We are looking forward to the opportunities ahead and taking a huge step forward in the program.”
Coach comment “We have some experience returning and several other players who could really contribute to our team having success this season. What a great group of players that I’m honored to coach. They have an excellent work ethic and believe in each other. We are excited to get the season going and have some fun. Go Warriors!”
2019-2020 record: 6-18 (fourth in Region 2 with a 3-7 record).
2020 postseason: Lost to West Jordan, 43-41, in the 6A first round.
Returning starters: 4
Returning contributors:
Iv’rson Lavizzo, Jr.
Fuad Mowlid, Sr.
Jonathan Gasologa, Jr.
Amare Ames, Jr.
Pual Wanthi, Jr.
Coach comment: “We have several players returning with varsity experience from last year along with some new faces to the program that should help us on the varsity level. If we can play for one another, we should have a chance to win some games.”
Coach comment: “We hope to improve on last year with a good group of returning players and some young, exciting players moving up to the varsity team.”
Coach comment: “We are looking forward to being able to play basketball again. We will look to get some guys experience at the beginning of the season as we continue to get in shape. We have a good core of talent that can help lead us to the state tournament where we hope to contend for a state championship.”
Coach comment: “Herriman graduated seven seniors last season. Most of them were heavy contributors to the team’s production. Herriman is hoping to find major contributions from some newcomers to the varsity level as well as see Bodi Nageli and Race Young improve on what they did for the team last season.”
Coach comment: “We are excited for the upcoming season and the challenge ahead. This team didn’t play a single game in the offseason because of the pandemic, so I know our players will cherish every chance they get to play!”
Coach comment: “It will be a rebuilding year for the Beetdiggers. After four successful years, the Diggers are in rebuilding mode. We return only one starter off of last year’s team so it will be a year for new players to step up and carry on the winning ways in a very difficult region and classification.”
Coach comment: “Westlake returns a strong core of players from a team that won 15 games and advanced to the state quarterfinals a year ago. We will rely heavily on our depth and experience as we navigate through an uncertain season and an extremely challenging schedule. Scoring the ball should not be a problem with this group as we have great scoring balance inside and out. In the end, it will be our commitment to playing unselfishly and our ability to rebound and defend that will determine our ultimate success.”
Coach comment: “We really love this team. They work extremely hard on both ends of the floor. We have a lot of work to do but we are very excited to get started. We are in a tough region that will prepare us for state. We will look forward to the competition and the opportunity to get better as a team.”
2019-2020 record: 15-11 (tied for second in Region 4 with a 6-4 record).
2020 postseason: Lost to Layton, 73-59, in the 6A quarterfinals.
Returning starters: 3
Returning contributors:
Isaac Vaha, Sr., F
Jordan Ross, So., PG
Daniel Mitton, Sr., F
Dylan Jones, Jr., G
McCaden Adams, Jr., G
Coach comment: “More than any other year, our team is very excited to get to play and compete this season. We have a pretty young team with a few key seniors that we will count on to help lead the way. The preseason will be a time to grow and learn about our team with whatever games we are able to play. We look forward to region play with Region 4 being as competitive as I’ve ever seen it.”
2019-2020 record: 18-7 (first in Region 4 with an 8-2 record).
2020 postseason: Lost to Lone Peak, 74-73, in the 6A quarterfinals.
Returning starters: 1
Returning contributors:
Duncan Reid, Sr., G
Nick Holland, Jr., G
Dallin Yates, Sr., C
Parker Christensen, Sr., G
Colby Carter, Jr., F
Coach comment: “We are excited for another year of Skyridge basketball. We have a good core of returning players that are excited to pursue a third consecutive region championship and our first state championship. To compete with the top teams in the state we are going to have to play great defense, efficient offense and be physical on the glass. We have great senior leadership and are excited to be able to play and compete in these unique times.”
Farmington’s Collin Chandler shoots over Provo’s Gabriel Gutierrez during the 5A boys basketball state quarterfinals at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2020. Farmington won 78-76 in overtime. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
Farmington, Olympus, Timpview and Maple Mountain open the season as the boys basketball preseason favorites in their respective 5A regions
After a multiweek delay because of COVID-19, the 2020-2021 high school boys basketball season gets underway this week for teams teams in 6A through 1A. To prepare fans for the upcoming season, the Deseret News has put together capsules for every team in 5A. Every coach was invited to participate and submit information.
The region rankings are based on coaches preseason projections.
There are three new head basketball coaches in 5A this year: Dan Del Porto (East), Brandon Sluga (Hillcrest) and Quincy Lewis (Lehi).
Here are the 5A teams and players to watch this upcoming season.
Coach comment: “We are very excited about the group we have coming back this year. We will be long and athletic and will have some much needed experience back from our final four run last season. If we can make defending and rebounding a priority, this team could be pretty fun to watch come February and March.”
Coach comment: “This will be a good team to coach. They generally like each other and are very willing to play for each other. Unselfish to a fault if there is such a thing. Need to mature defensively and maybe then could have a shot.”
Coach comment: “The coaching staff at Bonneville is excited about the upcoming season for the Lakers. Bonneville will have a senior-laden team, but will be without returning All-Region point guard Jordan Citte, who suffered a torn ACL during football season. The Lakers will rely on returning starters Luke Dixon and Matt Tesch, as well as key contributors Jarom Strate, Chance Redd, Bosten Baur, and Carson Jones to shoulder the load in what should be a very competitive Region 5.”
Coach comment: “It is hard to talk about our team and the season when we just don’t know what is going to happen. We just want a season at this point. We have a few returners in Parker Buchanan and Jarom Watson, but Parker is coming off a football injury that will sideline him for some time. We will be breaking in a few sophomores in the meantime. Let’s just let the kids play.”
Coach comment: “Honestly, I’m just hoping we get to play a season! I really like our team chemistry and if we can figure out a way to make some shots and then defend and rebound consistently, I think we can be very competitive this year.”
Coach comment: “The Titans return just two starters from last year’s team. I am very excited to see how the team comes together. Many unknowns right now. Should be an exciting year for the Titans.”
Coach comment: “We return four starters, three leading scorers, two leading rebounders, assist leader, and steal leader from our region championship team last year. This year, we feel like our offense should be much better and able to score in many different ways and with many different guys. Add that to our perennial top 5 defense (#1 defense in 5A last year at 49.4 PPG), and needless to say, we are very excited for this season and expect to compete for another region title and a state playoff run.”
Coach comment: “The Highland Rams bring experience and depth to this year’s season. If we can defend, come together as a team, and each player understands their role we can compete for the region title and make a run in the state tournament.”
2019-2020 Record: 16-7 (tied for 1st in Region 6 with an 11-3 record).
2020 postseason: Lost to Timpview, 46-43, in the 5A second round.
Returning starters: 0.
Returning contributors:
Daniel Huntsman, Jr., G.
Elliott Levetan, Jr., G.
Kevin Doe, Soph., F.
Makhiah Tarver, Sr., F (Judge transfer).
Ben Roberts, Jr., F.
Coach comment: “I am very excited about this group. They are great kids and as coachable and hardworking as any team I have ever coached. I believe we will probably start slow mainly due to having no off-season, but eventually I expect we will compete at a very high level.”
Coach comment: “This year Skyline will be much improved. We have several very good perimeter players and a fabulous point guard that can get the ball distributed. We have an inside threat at the center position. We will be much better on defensive transition and playing solid man to man defense. Offensively, we will have a good inside/outside game. We have several shooters that will make guarding our team much more difficult. We have several very good young players that will depth to our team this year.”
Coach comment: “Hillcrest basketball has a strong mix of age, experience, skill, and ability. We look forward to the opportunity to compete every night and challenge for a region championship.”
Coach comment: “I’m really excited about this year’s team. We have a great balance of returning seniors and talented underclassmen that should give us a versatile and deep roster. If we can stay healthy, we have a really good chance at another great season.”
Coach comment: “Our team has a lot of newcomers to the varsity level, but we have a lot of depth and we should have good size. It will take us a little while to round into form with the late start, but I think we should be a tough team to beat later in the year.”
Coach comment: “We are excited to get started with our second season of basketball at Mountain Ridge High. We are looking to build off of the eight wins that we had in the school’s first year last season. Returning four starters and bringing back a lot of enthusiasm we expect to be an improved team and look forward to the competitive season that our schedule will bring.”
Juan Pablo Camargo, Sr., F, 7.4 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 0.4 apg, 0.7 spg.
Coach comment: “We have two returning starts from last year’s team Isaac Castagnetto and Juan Pablo that have a lot of game experience that we will rely on. Both are great players. Ty McUne and Josh Urrutia saw limited action last year but have been playing well during the fall league. We are not very tall, but we will get after teams and play hard.”
Coach comment: “I am excited for this year. I have a great bunch of kids who have worked hard to improve over the years. We have all the pieces to make a good run this year.”
Coach comment: “We are very excited about this season. We lack some varsity level experience, but have a high-quality group of players that are hungry to compete. We’re excited about the length and athleticism we have on this year’s team, and hope that can translate into an effective defensive unit and efficient offensive team. There is no lack of excellent teams in 5A this year and we are excited for the challenge.”
Coach comment: “We are undersized but have a group of boys that like to shoot the ball and get up and down the court. Region 8 will be a tough match up.”
2019-2020 record: 22-5 (first in Region 8 with a 12-2 record).
2020 postseason: Beat Timpview, 66-53, in the 5A championship.
Returning starters: 0.
Returning contributors:
Jack Schreiner, Sr., G.
Ryder Hansen, Sr., G.
Isaac Wolfe, Soph., G.
Austin Mertz, Jr., G.
Coach comment: “After losing eight seniors to graduation we are going to be young. We’re excited for this year’s group and the team they will be at the end of the season. Like always for Springville it will come down to how well we play defense and rebound.”
2019-2020 record: 14-10 (tied for third in Region 8 with a 9-5 record).
2020 postseason: Lost to Murray, 55-48, in the 5A first round.
Returning starters: 2.
Returning contributors:
Zac Argyle, Sr., G.
Morley Bennett, Sr., G.
Cade Olsen, Jr., G.
Coach comment: “We are just grateful for a season. We appreciate all those that have worked so hard, especially the UHSAA, the state office, and our district and school administration, to allow us to have a season. These athletes are excited and we couldn’t be more thrilled to play.”
Coach comment: “After winning our first playoff game in nearly 20 years last year, we feel we are headed in the right direction. We lost lots of close games last year with a young team, and plan on winning those in the future. We have great kids, and they have worked very hard to be ready for this season to start.”
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Steve Griffin, Deseret News
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