Whitehorse girls split games at Preview

by David Boyle
News Director
The Whitehorse High School girls basketball team went 1-1 at the annual 1A Preview in Richfield this past weekend. In addition to a dominant win, Whitehorse pushed the defending 1A state champs to the wire in a successful opening weekend.
The Lady Raiders rolled over Tintic in their first game of the season on November 22 winning by a score of 72-27. Whitehorse jumped out to a 22-4 lead after one quarter carrying that into a 42-15 lead at halftime.
The Lady Raiders led 60-19 after the third quarter. Hannah Clark led Whitehorse scoring with 16 points in the game. Heidi Clark and Lamyia Benally each scored 15 with Keiarra Martin scoring 14.
Alyssa Eltsosie scored eight points and Lakyara Begay and Malia Sam each scored two points in the game. Benally and the Clark girls all recorded three rebounds. Hannah Clark led the team with four assists, while Benally had seven steals and Martin recorded one block.
The Lady Raiders shot 38 percent from the field, 35 percent from three, and 50 percent from the free throw line.
In game two of the Preview November 23 Whitehorse faced the 2024 1A State Champion Panguitch Lady Bobcats. Whitehorse trailed 14-9 after one quarter but rallied to cut the deficit to 28-27 at halftime.
A stifling defense in the third quarter helped the Lady Raiders take a 34-33 lead at the end of three quarters. They held a 37-35 lead with 6:30 remaining in the game, but Panguitch was able to pull away in the final minutes to earn a 53-43 win.
Teammates Heidi Clark and Keiarra Martin each had 15 points shooting a combined 7-of-8 from the free throw line. Martin had three made three-pointers to go with a two-point basket while Clark had two threes and three other baskets for the Lady Raiders. Hannah Clark finished with five points while Benally and Eltsosie each had four points in the game.
Martin led the effort on the boards pulling down six, and leading the team with four steals and one block. Eltsosie and Heidi Clark each recorded one assist for the Raiders. 
Reflecting on the weekend Coach Joni Dickson said it was a great way to evaluate the team’s strengths and weaknesses.
“Compared to last year’s team, we have a team of guards. So we had a few girls step up and play the forward position.” 
Panguitch was hard to stop with their top big recording twenty boards but the team still gave the defending champs all they could handle.
 “Our games this weekend showcased our strengths as a team and that is: we have at least four players who can score in double digits; the team’s chemistry is solid; and we are a threat at both pushing the ball and getting open for set shots.
“That’s what we’ve worked hard on for the last two years. Our returning players worked all summer for this and we are going to give them their time.”
As for the future Dickson says they’re going to continue to improve. “We are going to continue to work hard, make improvements, and perfect our defense.”
The Whitehorse boys team also opened play this past weekend, going 0-2 on a long road trip north. The Raiders were defeated 69-47 by Tintic on November 21.
The next day they were just about as far away from Montezuma Creek as you can be and still be in Utah. In Wendover, Whitehorse built an 11-9 lead in the first quarter but fell behind 28-15 at halftime.
They won the third quarter, making the score 36-25 but the final score favored the Wildcats 52-39. Both Whitehorse teams are off until after the Thanksgiving break.