ST. GEORGE —St. George News sports created a bracket with the 16 games we selected as the best of the 2019-2020 school year, and the public filled it out.
After four weeks of voting, the winner has been named, and it is the Dixie vs Sky View 4A boys basketball championship game.
“For us, of course, it’s the biggest game, right, because we were a part of it, but it’s pretty cool and pretty special to be voted the game of the year in any sport,” Dixie head boys basketball coach Tyler Roberts said. “I think having this long break like we’ve had, with the coronavirus, is that it’s allowed us to reflect on it even longer and enjoy it. We have as players and coaches, been able to enjoy it a little longer and that’s been kind of fun about it.”
Throughout the season, the biggest thing that the Flyers focused on was their idea of family, which Roberts continued to push throughout the season where it climaxed with a 4A state championship.
“In my opinion, the biggest thing as a coach is if you can get a team to buy into each other, the greater of that team and that family atmosphere,” Roberts said. “It’s called the fly fam, and it’s who we are, a bunch of individuals coming together for a team and for a family. This group, team and coaches truly bought into that this year. Those types of things in those situations. When we buy into that is ultimately in my opinion why we won it.”
As for next season, Roberts talked a little about the experience that they are returning. Isaac Finlinson and Ethan Bennett both played key roles in their junior season with their senior season on the horizon. Add in Jeff Cox and Carson Forsey to the mix and you have a solid returning core.
“Going into next year, the biggest thing for us is we’re returning experience,” Roberts said. “We have Isaac (Finlinson) and Ethan (Bennett) that played a ton as sophomores and then a ton last year as juniors, now going into their senior year, so that’s huge. Carson Forsey towards the end of the season ended up playing a lot more then I anticipated because he was playing so well, then Jeff Cox comes in. We don’t even win the championship game if Jeff Cox doesn’t come in and have seven points off the bench. I expect us to be right there at the top and be able to compete with just about anybody.”
As for the competition level in Region 9 next season, Roberts was in agreement that there is a massive amount of talent returning. Teams like Cedar, Desert Hills, Snow Canyon and Crimson Cliffs are returning a number of key players.
Roberts said that he would put Region 9 up against any region in any classification next season.
“I think Region 9 is going to have some crazy good basketball,” Roberts said. “This next year is going to be a whole other level. It’s going to be a grind.”
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