Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
OREM — As his team rushed the floor in jubilation, an emotional Pine View coach Josh Warner simply bowed his head, squatted down, slapped his chair, and laughed.
The little school from St. George isn't so little anymore.
Rallying from down two sets to one in the match, the No. 3 seeded Panthers did the unthinkable in their five-set upset of No. 1 Orem in the 4A championship Saturday night at the UCCU Center, winning 25-22, 21-25, 14-25, 25-18, and 17-15.
Pine View, who had been beaten in a two-set sweep by the virtually unstoppable Tigers earlier in the season, somehow withstood everything Orem threw at them. They were piloted by setter Isaiah Warner, who continuously dished out plays for opposite Spencer Blackmore and outside hitter Kody Campbell all night long.
But it was their defense that did the dirty work on this night; libero Brock Swenson anchored a stingy back line that played its best match of the year in the match that mattered the most.
"We say if you don't get a body on the floor and that ball drops, you're running or doing push-ups," Isaiah Warner said. "Coach Warner holds us to a high standard, and you can tell because of how we play."
The Panthers certainly showed they meant business early on in the match as they went toe-to-toe with the Tigers in a back-and-forth first two sets that were only decided by a late surge of points from each side.
But everything came unglued in the third set. Orem showed why they were the heavy favorites in taking control early, racing out to an 8-1 lead before it ballooned to as many as 12 points as they cruised to the third-set win.
It was at that point Josh Warner had to pull his setter aside "because he was rattled; I had to tell him to just do your job and let your hitters do theirs."
Whatever the exact verbiage, it worked because Pine View responded by building an 18-12 lead in the fourth set; and despite a late push from the Tigers, the Panthers were able to force a fifth set.
"Josh just had faith in me," Isaiah Warner said. "I really appreciate what he said to me; having faith in someone is a huge deal to him."
The faith carried over to the players, as well. After a tough start in serve receive, Swenson said Campbell, Warner, and Blackmore were able to instill confidence in him, adding he's considered them as role models for him this season.
Maybe it fits, then, when the Tigers rallied to tie the fifth set at 12-12, no one on the Pine View side looked panicked. Instead, the Panthers went punch for punch, finally ending the marathon on an Orem net violation after the Tigers saved four championship points.
"What we've built has taken a long time," Josh Warner said. "We don't get all the resources everyone else gets, so it means a lot to this school."
Isaiah Warner quoted his boys basketball coach, Patrick Amico, in adding, "those who are on the yellow school buses know what failure is like in order to become a success."
"We knew we had to come out swinging," Swenson said. "It's been such an amazing experience."
And now that experience ends with the Pine View Panthers carrying a trophy home on the four-hour ride to St. George — where it's likely the party won't stop anytime soon.
"Two and half weeks ago, we played our worst match of the year, but we decided to get tougher," Josh Warner said. "The work we've done and the work the players have put in have paid off. I'm so grateful they listened to us."
