One of the best victories in Lone Peak boys basketball history.

It was, quite simply, one of the best victories in Lone Peak boys basketball history.
The Knights endured through an epic battle with Whitney Young to defeat the tall, athletic team from Chicago 72-67 in double overtime Friday night in the semifinals of the Beach Ball Classic at Myrtle Beach, So. Car.
The spectacular play and effort of both teams earned them a standing ovation at the conclusion of a contest which showcased the very best in high school basketball, from sheer talent to determination to sportsmanship.
Lone Peak's stars made their marks, with Nick Emery dropping in 29 points and TJ Haws netting 26. Both added seven rebounds and had multiple steals, but the entire team filled up the stat sheet.
Six players scored, seven had rebounds and five combined for 11 steals in the balanced effort necessary to prevail against a quality opponent.
Brody Berry had five points with three boards, three assists, four steals and a block. Talon Shumway scored five with six rebounds, three assists and a block.
Chase Hansen had an inside-out trey at a critical moment, adding six boards and an unflappable interior presence. Conner Toolson and Josh Buck both provided solid, important minutes off the bench.
The whole team played unrelenting defense the entire contest. The 6-foot-11, 280-lb. center, top-ranked sophomore Jahlil Okafor, did score 28 with 14 rebounds, but he never got anything easy and the rest of his team was contained very well.
"Chase is just a warrior," said Knight coach Quincy Lewis. "He went up against their guy, who's not only big but he can play. He had some good numbers, but without Chase's efforts, it would have been much more.
"Our guys also did a great job helping on him," the coach continued. "Whenever he got the ball, there were two guys right on him and three within a couple of feet. They did a great job overall.
"Especially with the foul trouble, our reserves were critical," he said. "Josh came in and took a charge and boxed out their big guys.
"Conner made the shot to give us the lead back in that second overtime, and then he outjumped their guys to get a rebound," Lewis said. "He really has to have some confidence to go and do those things, and that says a lot about him."
It took Lone Peak some time to warm up offensively, except for TJ Haws. He went 5-for-6 from beyond the arc and was perfect at the foul line for 18 of his team's 28 first-half points.
"TJ got us off to a great start," the coach said. "Nick did not have his best shooting night, but he played a great game and he was there when we absolutely had to have him."
Neither squad ever enjoyed an advantage of more than a handful of points in this back-and-forth gem, which featured 15 lead changes and nine ties. Every time one team would start to pull away, the other would come up with some spectacular play to keep it close.
It appeared the Knights had the game won in regulation when they were up 56-50 with 53 seconds remaining, but the Dolphins came up with a 4-point play and hit another tough shot with three seconds left to force overtime.
Emery hit a long trey and sank a foul shot in the final 30 seconds of the first extra period to keep Lone Peak even.
With two starters from each team fouled out of the game, the Knights made enough free throws down the stretch to secure the win and punch their tickets to the title contest.
"That was two tired teams out there," Lewis said. "They had to make some great plays to get to overtime, and they should get all the credit for that. We just outlasted them. Our toughness and our heart was remarkable. We're excited for tomorrow."
The Knights (7-1) will play Milton (8-4) of Georgia for the tournament championship on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. Mountain time.

The Eagles have made three straight trips to their state's 5A title game and won it in 2010. They start four players listed at 6-foot-5 or taller.

Lone Peak Wins 2OT Thriller

Lone Peak advanced to the championship game of the 31st Annual Beach Ball Classic with a trhrilling 72-67 double overtime victory over Whitney Young.

The game was more like an old fashioned heavyweight boxing match with both teams throwing haymakers. The game featured nine ties, 15 lead changes and neither team led by more than seven points at any time.

With the game winding to what appeared to be the end in regulation, Lone Peak (8-1; Highland, UT) held a 56-50 lead with just 53 seconds remaining. As a big portion of the near capacity crowd made their way toward the exits, Gabriel Snider nailed a long distance 3-pointer and was fouled on the play by Chase Hansen to make it a four-point swing for Whitney Young (6-3; Chicago, IL). The uncommon four pointer fit with the back and forth play of the rest of the contest, closed the gap to 56-54, and stopped the mass exodus of fans as everyone retured to watch the final seconds unfold.

Lone Peak's Talon Shumway missed the front end of a one-and-one with 30 seconds remaining in regulation. Jordan Smith grabbed the rebound for Whitney Young and raced down the court only to have his jumper in the lane blocked by Brody Berry. Whitney Young kept posession as the block went out of bounds. Smith misfired on a jumper from the wing but Jahlil Okafor grabbed the rebound and layed it through the nets with just four seconds on the clock to tie the score at 56-56. Following a timeout to set the final play in regulation, Lone Peak's Nick Emery raced down the right side of the court and put up a 29-foot 3-pointer that hit the back of the rim and bounced away to send the game to overtime.

In the first extra session, Whitney Young scored the first four points of the period to open a 60-56 lead with 38 seconds remaining. Emery then hit two free throws and a 3-point basket after a steal by Berry to grab the lead for Lone Peak at 61-60 with 20 seconds remaining. Following a layup by Okafor that gave Whitney Young a 62-61 lead with 12 seconds remaining, Emery was fouled as he drove down the court and went to the line with just nine seconds remaining. Emery, who hit 10-of-12 free throws for the game, made the first but missed his second shot to leave the game tied once against at 62-62. Whitney Young's trey attempt at the buzzer by Keith Langston missed the mark to send the game to the second overtime.

Emery opened the scoring in the second OT with a pair of freebies before the Dolphins' Okafor hit a turnaround jumper in the lane to again knot the score at 64-64. It was all Lone Peak the rest of the way as the Knights scored six unanswered to match their largest lead at 70-64 with just 17 seconds remaining. Whitney Young connected on just 1-of-4 from the field and turned the ball over twice in the final 1:55.

Emery led all scorers with 29 points while teammate T.J. Haws added 26 points for Lone Peak. Whitney Young was led by Okafor's 28 points and 14 rebounds.

Knights edge Toros in GWS hoops finale

Gut-check time.
After self-destructing against Orem Friday night in the Great Western Shootout, the Lone Peak boys basketball team faced another daunting challenge from Mesa Mountain View, the defending Arizona 5A champion, in Saturday's final round.
Trailing by as many as seven early in the fourth quarter, the Knights fought their way back into it with tight-fisted defense and clutch baskets, eventually pulling out a 41-39 victory.
It was a tough battle in the trenches all the way. The game was characterized by long possessions on both ends of the court as the teams worked the ball around the outside trying to find a little opening to take a shot.
"They ran a triangle-and-two on us," said Lone Peak coach Quincy Lewis. "We've practiced against that, but sometimes it feels a little different in a game.
"It took us a little longer than I hoped to be as aggressive as we needed to be to attack that," the coach continued. "However, the real story of this win is our defense."
One of the challenges of playing the Toros was their interior length, with 6-foot-6 Camyn Boone and 6-8 Payton Dastrup inside. Those two accounted for nearly half of Mountain View's points, but they'd scored much more in the earlier games.
"Talon Shumway, Chase Hansen, and Josh Buck in the first half, just shut those guys down," Lewis said. "In addition, our guards did an exceptional job of pressuring the ball."
That was a critical component of the comeback run. The Knights forced a pair of turnovers on 5-second calls, made five steals and caused several other disruptions in the fourth quarter which helped turn the tide in their favor.
"I thought in that last period, our kids finally showed the toughness and heart that won us a championship last year," the coach added. "Unlike last night, we demonstrated the poise it takes to be a champion. We beat a good team."
Nick Emery had a game-high 15 points, while Brody Berry sank three critical 3-pointers to help Lone Peak keep pace. The third of those was followed by another long bomb from Shumway to draw the team within one point of the leader with 3:10 to play.
TJ Haws had just one field goal but it proved to be the game-winner. He also had six rebounds and four steals.
The Knights (3-1) will visit Skyline (4-1) on Tuesday at 7 p.m. before heading east to play in the Beach Ball Classic national invitational tournament Dec. 28-31 in Myrtle Beach, So. Car.

Named to the Elite 11

Elite 11
Brody Berry, 6-2 170 Sr. DB/WR, Lone Peak
Tireless player was a key to the Knight run. Topped 5A with eight picks, also had 62 tackles, 12 deflections and caused a fumble, plus was the punter and kickoff man.

GREAT WESTERN SHOOTOUT: Knights pound Angels

* Lone Peak 84, Denver East (Colo.) 58: The Knights made it a clean sweep for the Utah teams as they demolished the No. 1 squad from Colorado in the final game of the evening.
In particular, the retooling football players were much more on their hoops game tonight than in last Friday's season opener. Chase Hansen was really good down low on both ends, accounting for eight points and nine rebounds.
Brody Berry scored nine with five assists and Talon Shumway tallied 12 points and five boards with minutes limited by foul trouble. Both had solid all-around floor games. Reserve Conner Toolson added 11 points off the bench, including three treys.
Of course, Lone Peak also got good production from its super guard line. Nick Emery didn't shoot especially well for him, but still contributed a game-high 23 points, including a trio of long bombs. He also had six rebounds.
TJ Haws did a great job of running the floor and ended up adding 17 points and seven boards.
"We'll take that one," said Knight coach Quincy Lewis. "This shows the kind of talent we have. Everybody's a scorer on this team and goes after the ball defensively.
"We still have lots of things to work on, but when we play this way, it makes us very, very hard to contain," he concluded.
Lone Peak 84
Denver East 58
Denver East (58)
Cardoza 5, Thompson 6, Whitaker 2, Carey 20, Dunn-Rhodes 1, Collier 9, Harrell 3, Robinson 9, Davis 3. Totals 18 12-26 58.
Lone Peak (84)
Emery 23, Toolson 11, Haws 17, Berry 9, Hansen 8, Shumway 12, Squires 2 Gibbons 2. Totals 26 17-22 84.

Lone Peak nabs top spot in first KSL Coaches' Poll

The Lone Peak Knights are once again the team to beat in 5A according to the first KSL Coaches' Poll of the season. They are picked to defend their state title and bring back several talented players from last year's team.


Junior guard Nick Emery leads the way for the Knights. The younger brother of former BYU guard Jackson Emery has also committed to play at BYU. Emery averaged 21 points per game last season and scored 30 or more points in a game four times. He's not the only talented player on the Knights roster. Sophomore T.J. Haws started as a freshman and averaged 14 points per game. Talon Shumway is extremely athletic and plays above the rim while having the ability to shoot the 3. Brody Berry brings speed and energy to the backcourt while Chase Hansen provides a physical presence inside.




The Knights are loaded with talent but repeating as champions won't be easy. There are other teams in the state that have the talent to challenge Lone Peak. American Fork is ranked 2nd in the poll. They return forward Quincy Bair and point guard Marcel Davis. Both have signed letters of intent to play for Stew Morrill at Utah State. The Cavemen also return guard Austin Waddoups who will provide perimeter scoring.

FOOTBALL POY: Hansen set example for teammates to follow

Once in a very long while, the right people and circumstances come together to produce a sports season so amazing it seems almost magical.
That's what the Lone Peak football team experienced this year, earning a perfect 14-0 mark to tie the state record, along with securing the 5A championship and a national ranking in the top 75.
No one personified this achievement more than Knight quarterback Chase Hansen.
A superlative player in his own right, he rallied his teammates both on and off the field to help them live the ultimate high school dream together, and for this, he's been selected as the Daily Herald Valley Player of the Year for football.
"It's what he did when the coaches weren't watching that probably made the difference," said senior Brody Berry, a teammate of Hansen's in both football and basketball.
In other venues, Berry said Hansen's personality is quite different from the fierce competitor he became when he donned his uniform and pads. "He's never mad. He is fun-loving, always smiling - just a big teddy, really."
Berry described how Hansen organized what amounted to pickup games for the skill players, both before and during the season. "We'd get together and run our plays," he said. "Besides that, we hung out a lot and became really close friends.

"He always kept us in line," Berry continued. "He never wanted us doing anything that was even questionable. He always wanted us on the straight and narrow. He carried himself like a leader off the field too, and we all responded to that."
As for on the field, Berry said Hansen earned everyone's respect. "He practiced and played so hard, we all wanted to help him out. He wouldn't settle for second; he wanted to be first, and he made us all want it too."
That may be the best way to describe the electricity and energy between the players that even strangers could observe along the sidelines, as well as on the gridiron.
"When he was out there, everyone elevated their games," confirmed Lone Peak head coach Tony McGeary. "He inspired everyone to be better because they knew he had their backs.
"One of the most endearing things about him is he has no ego," the coach continued. "He showed every guy true friendship. They knew he genuinely cared for them, and he rolled right with them whatever the situation was."
McGeary described Hansen as "Tebow-esque" in his approach to football.
"He has such passion for the sport, and he plays it with authority," the coach said. "He has a huge heart when he plays. But as good of a player as he is, he's every bit as good of a person. He's well-rounded and grounded."
As for Hansen himself, he's quick to deflect the credit for his success to others.
"I had the best teammates in the world," he said. "We had the best O-line in the state; they proved that against Fremont and their huge defensive front.
"I had the best receivers too, in Zac, Connor, Talon, Micah and the rest," he went on. "I would just do something little, and they would turn it into a big play. Our defense always seemed to step up at key moments along the way as well.
"We were out there to enjoy the game," Hansen said. "No matter what happened, we tried to play the game the same way. We had each other's backs. If something bad happened on one side of the ball, the other side would pick them up.
"The excitement of every moment was our motivation," Hansen said. "There was never a doubt that we could reach our goal. Someone stepped up every single time we needed something to happen."
What they learned together was the importance of preparation, Hansen said. "In football, as in life, it's the little things that end up making the difference," he explained.
"That little extra effort in practice comes into play so many times, especially when the game is on the line," he said. "We knew we were prepared, and we'd committed to each other to leave it all out there - so we did."
When Hansen walked into the field house at Lone Peak with his teammates following the state title game after they rolled into town with a police car and fire truck escort, the crowd broke into chants of "golden child" - a phrase last intimately connected with former Knight and BYU great Jackson Emery.
Somehow, it just fit.
"He's like Captain America - unbelievable," Berry said. "He's the best athlete I've ever played with, and winning with him is the best experience I've ever had."
It's a sure bet the rest of his teammates would say exactly the same thing.