Huskies court high hopes this season

Despite a 6-15 season a year ago, the Hillcrest High boys basketball team is optimistic about its chances this year. The Huskies return three starters, including senior Austin Adams, who led the team in scoring with 14 points a game in 2010; senior Tanner Dastrup, who averaged nearly 10 points a contest; and senior guard Alex Moss.

“We have a bright outlook,” said head coach Samuel Richins, who is in his third year coaching for Hillcrest. “We have seven seniors, which is far more than we normally keep, but they have the experience to help our program.”

Richins focused his off-season efforts on the team’s conditioning as Hillcrest will compete in a newly aligned Region 7. “We are in a tough basketball region,” Richins said. “But we are in phenomenal shape and that conditioning should be to our advantage.”

The four other seniors on the squad are Hunter Adams, A.J. Brey, Ben Katzenbach and Jay Mortimer. Others on the team include juniors Ryan Blankenship, J.T. Ekberg, Jason Gardiner, Riley Jensen, Braxton Smith, Ryan Whitaker and Kurtis Willits and sophomores Mat Means and Andrew Reich.

Richins is assisted on the coaching staff by Larry Lundberg, John Olson and Sanjin Kolovart.

In its first game of the season against East, Nov. 22, the score was tied at 74 at the end of regulation. In the overtime period, the Huskies outscored the Leopards, 12-3, to win, 86-77. Austin Adams led the team with 27 points while Dastrup added 21 points, including four 3-pointers.

Hillcrest led Clearfield 30-19 at halftime Nov. 29 and went on to win 58-49 with three scorers – Hunter Adams, Austin Adams and Dastrup – in double figures to lead the Huskies.

On Dec. 1, Hillcrest and Kearns were tied at 35 at the end of three quarters only to come up just short 51-47 in its first loss of the season despite 15 points from Austin Adams and 11 from Dastrup.

Hillcrest will also face Highland, Cyprus, Northridge, Cottonwood, Judge, Taylorsville, Jordan and Woods Cross before region play with home-and-away games against Olympus, Skyline, Murray, Herriman and West Lake.

Richins said the team is focused on making it to the state tournament at the end of February and competing well in the postseason.