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WEST JORDAN — Very few people outside of the West Jordan basketball program believed such a turnaround like this season was possible.
Now, just one year after a 1-9 region campaign, the Jaguars find themselves as the No. 12 seed in 5A as Region 4 champions, going a perfect 12-0 — the program's first undefeated region season and championship since 2020. The school now has its sights set on the playoff opener, a home game against region rival and No. 21 seed Hunter at 7 p.m. MST Tuesday.
The winner will advance to play No. 5 seed and Region 7 champion Orem Wednesday night at 7 p.m. MST.
Senior guard Colton Blackham said being an undefeated region champion, despite what the critics said, is where he wanted West Jordan to be his final season.
"We wanted to replicate what they did here in 2020," he said. "They thought they were the only ones that could do it."
That 2020 team finished 17-8, losing to Fremont in the 6A quarterfinals. Blackham entered the program the next season, and ended up seeing increased playing time as a sophomore.
But that was after tragedy struck.
Former head coach Mason Sawyer was involved in a major car accident in July 2021 and later resigned before the 2021-22 season began, with Christian Wouden being named the interim head coach.
"When you go through things like that, it's hard, but it builds mental toughness," Wouden said.
That refrain quickly brought the team together over the next few months, culminating in the Jaguars' 80-69 victory over crosstown rival Copper Hills, snapping a 10-game losing streak in the series to reclaim the West Jordan Belt, en route to finishing the season in second place in 6A Region 2 behind Bingham with a 7-3 record.
Wouden said that season changed the entire mindset of the program, with Blackham being one of the players leading the resurgence.
The senior guard scored 26 points — 24 in the second half — in the Jaguars' 84-74 win Tuesday at Taylorsville. He averages 15.4 points per game, while also leading the Jaguars in assists, with 5.4 per game.
It hasn't been a one-man show, either; his teammate, wing Carter Dorenbosch, went 5-for-6 from 3-point range last Tuesday, scoring 19 of his 21 points in the first 16 minutes of game time.
Wouden said both have proven big in terms of on-court play and off-court leadership.
"Just seeing them progress and grow has been amazing," he said. "They've been there and done that."
They certainly have. Blackham, especially, who pointed to West Jordan's first region win this season as a springboard for this recent run of dominance.
"We got that first win against Juan Diego, and then we just kept it rolling and racking up the wins," Blackham said.
But in the midst of all that, Wouden said his team truly become his second family through the last two seasons, especially this year's team anchored by Blackham and Dorenbosch, whom he hailed as a "special group."
"These guys were there when they were sophomores," he said. "Now it feels like they're my kids; I couldn't be more proud of each one of them."
This year, there's still time to become even more proud of the team for Wouden — and for Blackham, more opportunities to prove people wrong.
"Going into the playoffs, I believe we're going to do something that not a lot of people thought we could do," Blackham said.
And for a team that has already defied the odds multiple times over the past two years, there's no reason to believe they won't, either.
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Alex Tumalip
