Titan boys play last concert of season

The Titan boys started their district concert with the opening number against Garden Valley on Monday, Feb. 18. Both teams giving the performance of a lifetime for a chance to advance to the championship game. 

 The Wolverines began with a quick tempo press that the Titans were able to capitalize on and match them basket for basket to end the first quarter 20-20. The harmonic play of the Titans continued in the second quarter pushing them to a four point lead by halftime with a score of 31 to 27 for Tri-Valley. 

 After making fine-tuning adjustments on the press, the Wolverines caught the Titans on their heels who made a number of discordant turnovers and a scoring run by Garden Valley that left Tri-Valley behind 47-39 at the end of the third quarter. 

 The Wolverines chose to slow the tempo in the fourth quarter that for the most part pitched the Titans to within four points with their defensive effort. However, despite a valiant performance by the Titans, the Wolverines held on with a score of 68-58 when the final notes of the game sounded.

 A quartet of scoring leaders for the Titans were Orion Southwick with 21 points and 6 rebounds, Michael Barnett with 10 points and 2 rebounds, Nathan Kindall with 10 points and 5 rebounds, and Jayden Mink with 8 points and 4 rebounds.

 On Feb. 20 the Titans second district number was against the top-seeded Mustangs from Horseshoe Bend. Both teams kept an even tempo in the first half of the game with a first quarter score of 10 to 12 for the Mustangs and a halftime score of 22-20 for the Titans. 

 A gradual crescendo of scoring in the second half pulled the Titans ahead 36-31 at the end of the third quarter and final chorus of 56-46 when the final chord was played.

 Lead scoring soloists for the game were Michael Barnett with 15 points, Orion Southwick with 14 points, and Jayden Mink with 10 points. Hitting the boards were Orion Southwick with 10 rebounds, Nathan Kindall with 6 rebounds, and Michael Barnett with 4 rebounds.

 The win over Horseshoe Bend sent Tri-Valley to an encore number the following night against Salmon River with everything on the line to advance to the play-in game. Early foul trouble threw the Titans out of rhythm and into an 18-point deficit by halftime. 

 Third quarter found both teams in low scoring defense battle. The Savages began an early stall that the Titans capitalized on, outscoring Salmon River 20-11, but it wasn’t enough to change the outcome. The Savages 54-46 win claimed second place in the district tournament and they went on to win the play-in game against Deary for a berth to the state tournament. 

 Leading soloists for the Titans on the scoring end were Orion Southwick with 13 points and 6 rebounds, Jayden Mink with 12 points and 5 rebounds, and Michael Barnett with 9 points.  Coach Morris, reflecting on the season, added his own lyrics. 

 “I’d like to take a moment to thank some important people that made this past season possible. First, our boys. We had an excellent group of young men turn out for basketball. They were a fun group to work with. And, I was proud of everyone’s dedication, hard work and effort throughout the journey,” he said.

 “Second, my assistant coaches. Austin was an invaluable help on a daily basis. He makes everything work smoothly. Coach Johnson has been a mentor and a friend. His insight and guidance has always been a positive influence on myself and the team. And I’d like to extend a large thanks to the Titan JV coaching staff. Ray Turnbull and Allen Pickett did a great job this year. We are looking forward to bring up our future varsity team.

 “Third, my bookkeeper and Titan publisher, Cara Southwick Johnson. Cara has never missed a game or made a mistake in the six-plus seasons she has kept the Titan book. I believe her to be our biggest fan. Thank you for everything you’ve done for the boys. I enjoy reading your articles.

 “Fourth, our fans. I’ve been a part of high school basketball as a player, assistant coach, and head coach now for 15 years. I truly believe we have some of the best support in the state. A big thank you to all that came out and cheered on our boys and Titan athletics. We appreciate your support. We cannot do it without you.”

 “Good luck boys as you move forward. I’ll always be a fan.”

 Ronald Regan said, “Life is one grand, sweet song, so start the music.” When I think of the 2018-2019 basketball season, I’ll recall the sweet notes of sacrifice, personal effort, and teamwork that made for a symphony of memories. There’s a lot of music still to make in this life. Play on boys.