San Juan boys overcome challenges for first Region 19 win in Parowan

by Rhett Sifford
Sports Editor
The challenges continue to build for the San Juan High School boys basketball team. Just when they should be hitting their stride, illness and injury hit the team, forcing roster changes and resetting the process of building team chemistry.
Though the Broncos got Dakota Long back from injury during their trip west this past weekend, it looks as though Jerzy Nieves may be lost for the remainder of the season.
On the bright side, the shakeups to the roster are forcing younger players to step up, and they are doing just that while building valuable varsity experience.
On Tuesday, January 3 San Juan played their final non-region game of the season at home against a tough Emery Spartans squad that came into the game ranked third in 3A basketball.
The Spartans exerted their strength from the start, opening up a 19-8 lead after one quarter and extending it to 36-20 at the half. The Broncos battled valiantly in the second half but Emery cruised to a 76-46 win.
Despite the tough loss San Juan had three players score in double digits. Anthony Done led with 12, freshman Jagger Nieves had a breakout game with 11 points off the bench, and Garrett Young scored ten.
Nieves and Young each hit a three-pointer. Done and Collin Baker led the team with six rebounds apiece, Jake Ivins pulled down four, and Young and Ian Johnson got two each.
The Broncos opened 2A Region 19 play with a 717-mile round-trip tour of southern Utah this past Friday and Saturday, January 6-7.
On Friday night they faced the Parowan, which sports one of the best players in the state in Brock Felder.
Felder was indeed impressive, scoring 29 points on the night, but he didn’t have much help and San Juan spread their scoring to pull off a nice 56-52 win over the Rams.
The Broncos led 40-30 heading into the fourth quarter and had to hold off a Parowan rally for the victory. Again they had three players in double-digit scoring.
Young led with 15, Done poured in 14, and Baker scored ten to pace San Juan. RJ Dalley came off the bench to hit three three-pointers and add nine points.
A big part of the win was the Broncos’ strong outside shooting. In addition to Dalley’s three treys Young scored two and Baker got one.
Done led team rebounding again with ten boards. Baker pulled down five and Brigham Nielson three. Nieves, Johnson, Jake Ivins, and Young all collected two rebounds apiece in the win.
It was a good start to the long road trip, but on Saturday the Broncos came up against a tough Kanab team that plays well on their home court and was focused on winning.
The Cowboys led from the start, winning every quarter and downing San Juan 71-49. Anthony Done continued to lead the Broncos with 20 points in the loss.
Johnson was the only other San Juan player to score in double digits with 12, all on three-point baskets. Johnson drained four from beyond the arc.
The Broncos are back home for the remainder of January. They have most of this week to get ready for another back-to-back Region 19 set, and it’s definitely not going to get any easier going forward.
They host the #1 Enterprise Wolves Friday, January 13 at 7 p.m., then the #2 South Sevier Rams Saturday, January 14 at 4 p.m.
Both of those games will be broadcast on Redrock 92 Radio with streaming video at pictureitpalmer.com. Pregame begins 30 minutes before tip time both evenings.