Boys' basketball: Trio enjoys West Jordan's success
Andre Ashton of West Jordan cuts down a part of... (Scott Sommerdorf / The Salt Lake Tribune)
Jordan Weirick hasn't had much time to reflect on the past West Jordan boys basketball season.
In fact, the senior still remembers when he and friends Reyes Gallegos and Mason Sawyer set childhood dreams to one day walk away state champions after their senior year of high school.
So it's difficult for the West Jordan standout to comprehend that seven years later they would make those crazy aspirations come true last Saturday at the E Center.
It was just icing on the cake for Weirick and Co. once they completed their outstanding basketball careers at West Jordan with a 63-52 win over favored Lone Peak in the 5A championship game.
"It's been a really good experience filled with a lot of great memories," Weirick said. "The three of us have never really won anything big before and to do this, just like we dreamed about when we were kids, is an incredible feeling. There's nothing like it. Winning at this level is unlike anything else. College included. In high school, it's more of a personal experience. You fight with friends you've known most of your life. It's really a dream come true."
Although they had tons of talent, the Jaguars battled to get where they ended this season. Weirick says the Jaguars didn't always play well this season when they needed to.
After losing two of three games to close out January, the Jaguars trio knew the mindset had to change from then on -- and it did.
different outlook on the defensive end for an impressive February run where the Jaguars went 8-0, with seven of those wins coming by at least 10 points.
Weirick says the locker room was very emotional as the team heard the news before its semifinal game
"Instead of letting the situation get everybody down where we'd lose focus, we pulled together and decided to play how he [Montgomery] would've played: hard," Weirick said.
A straight competitor, he didn't receive much of the accolades that his teammates received from the media or via scholarship offers. But Weirick might have been the Jags' most valuable player.
Weirick irritated the standout in the third quarter by shadowing his every move, holding him scoreless until the fourth. That's how it is with Weirick, always rising to the challenge. With no college offers, he's not sure what comes next. He might try to walk on in college, and he's still fine-tuning his court skills just in case that's a path he wants to travel.
As for the West Jordan program, the senior guard is confident the returning players can keep the success going. He says 5-foot-8 guard Andre Ashton will be the vocal leader next year. If so, he'll have big shoes to fill since the tremendous exit from the trio that secured the Jaguars first state title since 2001. Some other names to keep your eye on over the summer: Guard Jesse Herrin, forward Jaxon Knighton, and center Josh Woodruff.
