Turnaround Season: North Canyon High School
At North Canyon High School, the Rattlers are experiencing major success as they have moved to the Division 3 level in the state of Arizona. The past 11+ years the Rattlers have been in Division 1, where they have battled…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingAt North Canyon High School, the Rattlers are experiencing major success as they have moved to the Division 3 level in the state of Arizona. The past 11+ years the Rattlers have been in Division 1, where they have battled some of the state’s best and brightest teams & stars. When region play was still a thing, the Desert Valley Region was one of the toughest and arguably the toughest in the state filled with great coaches & teams. North Canyon has not seen the playoffs since 2004 under the leadership of head coach Kipp Clark & led by current North Canyon assistant Robert Krauel who went on to play at the University of Pudget Sound.
In the 2014-15 season the Rattlers finished a dismal 2-23 on the season. Turn the page to the 2015-16 season and the Rattlers are now 15-10, clinched the section with a win over Moon Valley & top prospect Bryce Cheney and find themselves leading contenders for a Division 3 state championship . The Rattlers have used prior experience against the bigger schools to prepare them for this moment. The past 8 years have been a process since Coach Michael O’Guinn took over and this has led to the success with a strong senior class. O’Guinn is highly regarded in the basketball circles in Arizona and the west coast, and this change in culture has not surprised many. O’Guinn is known to take lesser talented teams to compete against some of the state’s best.
From a playing standpoint the Rattlers are led by senior point guard Caleb Cota as well as senior shooter Sam Naser & football stars Tre O’Guinn, John Okwoli & Austin Jackson. Okwoli just committed to Wyoming for football. All of these players play a vital role for the Rattlers and will help lead them on a deep playoff run assisted by seniors Charles Howard & junior Israel Oloyode.
Keep tabs on the Rattlers here at PrepHoops Arizona.