American Leadership wins thriller over Rowland Hall to seize share of first place in Region 17

SPANISH FORK — American Leadership forward Grant Jackson bent his knees and sent his second free throw skyward, his team clinging to a 3-point lead.

The ball bounced off the back heel, and then Eagles freshman guard Mason Ober flew above everyone else to snatch the rebound.

In the ensuing pileup on the floor, American Leadership head coach Ronnie Ross frantically signaled for a timeout. And it was granted.

The Eagles made a beeline for the freshman, knowing he just made yet another big play in a winning streak that's been full of them for ALA.

"We know what our guys are capable of," senior point guard Tad Swarnes said.

Swarnes had 22 points to lead the capable charge, with reigning KSL.com Clean Simple Eats boys player of the week Kannon Huntsman adding 18 points and eight rebounds, as the Eagles pulled into a tie for first place in 2A Region 17 with a heart-pounding 52-47 victory over leaders Rowland Hall Wednesday night in front of a raucous crowd at the Academy.

"They knew it was important to me and to us as a team," Ross said. "I'm so proud of them; everyone stepped up."

That would include Ober, whose offensive rebound — followed by Grant Jackson getting one of his own with 10 seconds left — was the epitome of the effort needed over the team's five-game winning streak that has seen the Eagles surge to the top of Region 17.

Ober credited his coach for giving him the opportunity to continue to make clutch plays. "He's the one that keeps mentoring me through it," he said.

It was only fitting that Ober was the one to seal the deal late, even when the Eagles couldn't quite put it away at the free-throw line like they did in their previous two outings against Waterford and St. Joseph.

Ross said he calls Mason a "dog."

"When you're a dog, you make plays, and you're not afraid of the big moment," Ross said. "He believes it, too; that's why he's able to come through like that."

Swarnes said to have players like Ober, Huntsman, and guard Jaxon Hunter step up is huge.

"If you look around me, we're not a one-man show," he said. "We've got capable guys trying to put their name on the radar."

Those guys that Swarnes referred to were part of a swarming, physical defense that held Rowland's leading scorer, Yeshi Tsering, to just 12 points on the night. Guard Will Chin kept the Winged Lions afloat with 15 points to spark a late rally that cut the Eagles' lead to 3 with just two minutes left after they trailed by as many as 12 points.

Rowland Hall head coach Zack Alvidrez credited the home fans and students for giving the Eagles the extra energy to get over the finish line.

"They did a great job of packing the house," Alvidrez said. "It's the type of atmosphere you want to be in."

The Winged Lions brought some noisy fans of their own, giving attendees an early taste of late February basketball Wednesday night.

Alvidrez said the focus is to be resilient, knowing the job is not done. "You have to keep fighting," he said.

And Rowland Hall certainly did that.

"We're a young team, and yet, the look in their eyes, during the timeouts, they were ready to fight and keep competing," Alvidrez said.

"If ALA wins out and we take care of business, we can still be champions," he added.

But the night belonged to the Eagles, who will savor the win for quite a while; although, it certainly didn't come easy down the stretch.

Ross said keeping his players calm was the key to American Leadership's final push.

"Most of the time, the kids take on the reflection of their coach," he said. "The kids stayed with it, and just started making winning plays."

It started with Swarnes, who considers Ross a father figure, both as a player and a person. "It comes from his experience being a point guard himself," he said. "No matter the environment, you have to be calm."

And that projected calm was, as Ross said, what propelled the Eagles late.

Ober had something to do with that, too. "This feels like a championship already," he said. "We just have to keep winning," Ober said.

Ross echoed the same sentiment: "We cannot overlook anybody. If we take care of every game, we'll be a champion."

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