ST. GEORGE — The Dixie High School boy’s basketball team heads to Phoenix this weekend for the Section 7 Event held at State Farm Stadium, home of the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals.
“We are really excited to be invited to play in the largest and best high school basketball tournament in the country,” said Coach Tyler Roberts.
This year’s Section 7 Event features more than 100 teams from 12 states giving high school athletes the unique experience of playing inside a large stadium, where 12 courts are staged side-by-side.
The tournament is a key stop on the recruiting trail and attended by many college basketball programs, including coaches from the five biggest Utah schools, teams in the Pac-12, SEC and ACC.
Dixie went 4-0 at this event last summer. They beat Sunnyslope, a team who had been ranked first in Arizona. In the championship game, Dixie hit 18 treys beating a team fromCalifornia by double digits.
This year, Dixie faces tough competition again against West Ranch, a school from outside Santa Clarita, California. West Ranch won the top bracket at the prestigious Tarkanian Classic in Las Vegas last year and finished the season ranked as the fourth best team in California by MaxPreps.
West Ranch is led by James Evans, who is ranked by ESPN as the eighth best player in his home state. Dixie’s bracket also features state champions from Idaho and Oregon and top teams from Nevada and Florida.
“We are excited to play some of the top teams in the country, like West Ranch in our first game,” Roberts said. “They have some really good players and are coached well but we really just need to focus on us and play our style of basketball.”
The Flyers will be without their three-year starter, one of the nations’ leading passers, Jordan Roberts, who suffered a broken arm earlier in the summer.
“That will be some big shoes to fill but we have depth and a lot of experience,” Roberts said of the injury..
Dixie returns four of their top five scorers from last season, with Roberts, Kyle Lemke, Breckon Robinson and John Southwick. The Flyers have momentum on their side as they beat both teams who appeared in the 5A State Championships Game at a tournament in June while in Salt Lake City.
“If we can execute and play together, I really like our chances,” Roberts said. “It’s fun to play out of state and be with the guys and continue to build chemistry.”
Written by Ben Dennett, for St. George News.
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