4A State Boys: Kearns wins another close one, advances to 4A semifinals

(Deseret News)


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OGDEN — The Kearns Cougars are this year’s version of an improbable dream in the Utah high school state championships.

The Cougars have their critics, and their games often come down to the wire. However, in the end, they have found ways to win close games in the 4A state tournament, and they clinched a semifinal berth Thursday with the same focus and intensity.

Kearns outlasted Logan, 51-48, in a 4A quarterfinal game at the Dee Events Center in Ogden.

The Cougars had an overtime victory in the first round and trailed Logan at times during the fourth quarter. However, Kearns prevailed, which Cougars coach Dan Cosby said is a reflection of who his team is.

“They’ve just worked hard,” he said. “These guys have been through a lot. They’re just family; they’re like my boys.

“People say we don’t play as a team; they criticize and say we don’t run plays; they say we’re selfish. (My team) never gives up, and they’re the best team I’ve ever had.”


"They've just worked so hard," said Kearns coach Dan Cosby.

The Grizzlies took a 10-9 lead at the end of the first quarter, before Kearns held a 23-19 halftime lead.

With the Cougars leading 36-35 going into the fourth quarter, the two sides traded one-point leads for the first few minutes of the final period, until Kearns took a 42-39 lead with 5:20 left in the game. However, Logan’s Cooper Ward tied the game with a three on the next possession, and the two teams traded leads until a clutch three by Tayler Marteliz gave the Cougars a 47-44 lead.

Key defensive plays lifted Kearns late, as steals simultaneously turned into point-scoring, time-wasting plays. With time winding down, Logan was forced to turn the game into a foul-fest, hoping to win the game at the line. The Cougars made just enough free throws to win — in spite of some misses late.

Cosby said his team is able to separate tense moments from essential tasks.

“Every possession matters, and every loose ball matters,” he said. “We lost our composure a bit at the start of the third quarter, and it just shows them resilience.”

Neither team shot the ball particularly well, but Kearns had several statistical advantages that allowed them to shine. First off, the Cougars’ bench outscored Logan’s 18-2, and they held a 14-4 opportunity in second-chance points.

The Cougars will play the winner of the Olympus-Maple Mountain game at 5:50 p.m. on Friday in Ogden.

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Jon Oglesby

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