Blackham's 2nd-half explosion pushes West Jordan past Taylorsville, caps remarkable turnaround

TAYLORSVILLE — West Jordan guard Colton Blackham didn't want a repeat of last year's one-win region campaign, which was laden with devastating losses.

He took it upon himself in the second half to make sure his Jaguars would get across the finish line — something he's done all season long.

The senior exploded for 24 second-half points, finishing with 26 for the game, as West Jordan (13-10, 12-0 5A Region 4) completed the turnaround of the season in Utah high school boys basketball by holding off a late Taylorsville surge for an 84-74 road victory Tuesday, spoiling the Warriors' senior night.

"I'm lucky to have such good players," Jaguars head coach Christian Wouden said.

Those players Wouden talked about were with him when he inherited the program after Mason Sawyer's sudden resignation months before the season two years ago. Blackham and his teammate Carter Dorenbosch were sophomores at the time.

"We've been through a lot of adversity, and when you go through adversity, it builds mental toughness," he said.

The Jaguars also faced adversity Tuesday. After holding a 63-44 lead to start the fourth quarter, the Warriors (6-13, 4-7 5A Region 4) fought back to cut the lead to 6 with under a minute to go.

Fueling the Taylorsville run was suddenly scorching 3-point shooting. Bronson Dallimore, Kobe Allen, Logan Pokorny, and Daniel Healy all hit triples to help chip away at the deficit.

Warriors head coach Bernie Graziano said he was proud of his squad for not giving up.

"I'm proud of our kids of how they competed; they didn't stop," he said. "Some teams give up, but once we hit some big shots, that really got us going."

Dallimore, one of the two seniors Taylorsville honored pregame, who is also a team captain, stepped up late and finished with 21 points. Graziano lauded him for the impact he's had on the program, along with fellow senior and team captain Daniel Healy.

"Bronson's a kid that's got a chance to play at the next level," Graziano said. "Daniel Healy is probably one of the best shooters I've ever coached; he's always got the green light."

While all this was going on, however, no one on West Jordan's side flinched.

Dorenbosch said the tough games in the past prepared his team to stay composed down the stretch.

"Just knowing what we've done before, that's the key," he said. "That's how we stayed calm."

The senior wing definitely looked comfortable in the first half. Dorenbosch scored 19 first-half points, including hitting 5-for-6 from 3-point range.

Even though he was held to just 2 points in the second half — both points coming at the free-throw line late — his point guard, Blackham, did more than enough to pick up the slack. That started with a chat between the two captains at halftime.

"We decided to just run a ball screen every time with Carter since they were always putting an extra defender on him," Blackham said.

The adjustment opened up the offense, paving the way for Blackham to score basket after basket in the third quarter. Blackham said it's just a product of what's been happening all season when defenses decide to lock one of him or Dorenbosch down.

"I love playing with Carter; it makes it easier for me to get my buckets," he said. "We've had that dynamic all season, and we've executed it really well."

It certainly made Bernie Graziano take notice, but he said the danger of West Jordan lies beyond the play-making ability of Dorenbosch and Blackham.

"They've got so many kids that can shoot the ball and play multiple positions," he said. "They're definitely going to make some noise in the playoffs."

Wouden said the same for his Jaguars, who without question are the hottest team in the state right now.

"I wouldn't even want to play us right now," he said, laughing. "I'm excited to see what we can do next."

Dorenbosch is one of those players that are excited to create some havoc in the playoffs.

"Just be ready for us; watch out," he said.

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