Way Too Early Rankings: 1A
Panguitch has dominated the 1A world and will look to continue to do the same this upcoming season. However, it is far from a forgone conclusion that they will win the state championship once again with Manila and Tabiona being…
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Continue ReadingPanguitch has dominated the 1A world and will look to continue to do the same this upcoming season. However, it is far from a forgone conclusion that they will win the state championship once again with Manila and Tabiona being serious contenders. This should be a fun group to watch.
1. Manila
Manila had a strong showing last season and they bring back two of their top prospects. While it is hard to put anyone except for Panguitch in this spot due to Panguitch’s constant success, this team brings back the most proven playmakers in the 1A world.
Jordan Lucio will be the primary scorer for the group. Despite his youth, he scored the basketball extremely well last season. He will look to do much of the same this upcoming season. He will have plenty of help as well with another proven scorer returning in Garrett Potter. Potter aided Lucio greatly last season in filling it up. These two will cause opposing coaches to have nightmares due to their ability to score the basketball in an array of ways.
Finally, Garrett Slaugh provided this team with a pass first point guard who could put teammates in spots where they could be successful. He will have two guards to facilitate to. His ability to manage the tempo of the game and get the basketball to guys who can make plays will be pivotal to Manila winning the state title.
2. Panguitch
Panguitch is the favorite once again. However, they have plenty of questions, like all of the other top teams in 1A, that need to be answered. With that said, they have the fewest amount of questions with Acey Orton leading the way for the team. While he will need teammates to step up and help him in order for Panguitch to win it all, they at least have a huge head start with him returning.
With a lot of the other key contributors graduating, Kanyon Lamb looks to be the most likely candidate to step up and aid Orton with a potential state championship run.
3. Tabiona
Wyatt Fabrizio is the top returning scorer on this list. He is capable of scoring the basketball as well as any prospect in this class. He will be a nightmare to stop. His ability to score the basketball will give Tabiona a fighting chance against any team on this list as well as the rest of the 1A world.
He will have Dakota Young to aid him taking Tabiona to the big dance. With these two guys running the show, this team has the ability to win a state title. If these two prospects were not enough, Hayes Giles will be ready to contribute at a high level as well.
4. Valley
Valley might have the most to prove out of any of the teams on this list due to the amount of talent that they lost last season. Further, their region proved to be quite tough last season. While it might be a little easier to navigate this region this season, there will still be plenty of challenges.
The two questions that need to be answered for this group are how much will Orin Wood step up and who will step up to aid him? Wood played well and contributed at a high level with the opportunities that he received. However, he will need to do more and get production from his teammates in order to ensure that Valley lives up to this ranking.