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LOGAN — Entering the boys' 4A state championship game on Saturday night, Sky View head coach Kirk Hillyard had a decision to make.
Would the Bobcats go to a man-to-man defense in an attempt to contain Dixie's star center Kyle Lemk, or would they stick with their signature two-three zone defense that helped carry them to the title game?
Ultimately, Hillyard chose to stick to his guns, and the decision paid off.
The Bobcats trailed the Flyers going into the fourth quarter, and Sky View's zone held Dixie to just 2 points in the final eight minutes. And the senior-laded Bobcats pulled away to win 52-44 to claim its first state championship since 2019 and cap off a 23-2 season.
"Credit to these kids for following the defensive game plan," Hillyard said. "As a coaching staff, we thought long and hard if we wanted to try and play man or zone, and we felt like we had our best chance with zone. It turned out to be in our favor. ... Great way to end. Only one team gets to end on a win each year in its classification and we're lucky enough to do that."
Lemk, who averaged 21.1 points per game, was held to just 10 points on eight shots attempts. The Bobcats limited his touches and forced Dixie's offense to work around the perimeter. For the Flyers, it worked well enough for three quarters — they shot 8-of-16 from 3-point range, including four 3s from Kenneth Robinson.
The Bobcats countered every blow, though, and shot 9-of-18 from 3-point range, and got big games out of its senior class. Carter Davis finished with 14 points on 5-of-14 shooting, 12 of which came in the first half. Logan Deal added 13 points, and Hayden Howell had 12 points.
"We've been dreaming of this since we were little," Davis said. "I mean, we've been playing together since first grade. It's just a dream of ours to be in this situation."
In front of thousands of home town fans who filled up several sections of the Glen Dee Smith Spectrum on the campus of Utah State University, the core group played their best ball when it mattered most.
The Bobcats trailed 42-41 going into the fourth quarter, but Deal opened the quarter with a layup and Howell added a key corner 3-pointer in the final minutes to take a 46-42 lead. Dixie looked to get the ball to Lemk late, and he mustered just a handful of floaters and two missed free throws.
Deal finished with an exclamatory dunk with 16 seconds left in the game, and Davis chucked the ball in the air as the buzzer sounded as the Bobcats, who lost to Dixie in the title game in 2020, celebrated the win.
"It mattered the most in that fourth quarter," Davis said. "I mean, for us to hold them to 2 points in the fourth quarter, that's unheard of; it's just so awesome."
"We pride ourselves on kills, which is three shots in a row," Hillyard added. "And I know we had one to start the fourth quarter. I think we ended with one to end the game."
The experience for Sky View, who beat both Logan and Crimson Cliffs by double digits to get to the title game, was even sweeter considering the location. Instead of Ogden or St. George, the Bobcats enjoyed the championship on their home turf.
"But how sweet is it to be in your backyard?" Hillyard said. "You're in Logan, with the stadium full of Cache Valley fans. Fun to take in, fun environment, fun atmosphere. Something that they'll remember."
Dixie capped off the year with a 22-4 record and boasted wins over multiple 5A and 6A schools en route to winning it's region. The team defeated Desert Hills in the quarterfinals and Layton Christian in the semifinals to reach the title game. Dixie returns Lemke, Robinson and Roberts next season, who will be a favorite in 4A next season.
