This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Richfield • Who can ever say which high school basketball team is history's best? Every year and every team is a bit different.
But, in the realm of small-school basketball, an argument could be made that this year's Panguitch girls' team, which completed a 26-0 season by beating Piute 58-28 and winning its second straight Class 1A title, may be one for the ages.
Consider the fact that the Bobcats' smallest margin of victory this season was 21. They beat foes including 3A Dixie and Pine View by an average of 40 points. They won their first state tournament game this year 87-10.
They have won 54 straight games and two straight state titles.
It would be interesting to see how Panguitch would fare against 5A champion Brighton or 4A Sky View this year. Depth might be an issue, but the Bobcats' starting five of Darri Frandsen, Whittni Orton, Catania Holman, Chesney Campbell and Taylor Bennett has the height, speed and discipline to be competitive.
The fact is that even a gutty performance by Piute and Thunderbird star Shaylee Gleave, who finished with 15 points Saturday in the Sevier Valley Center, could not overcome Panguitch, which beat its Region 20 foe for the fourth time this season.
The Bobcats put an exclamation point on their season with this win. After the Thunderbirds scored six straight points late in the second quarter to move within seven, Panguitch put on a clinic.
Holman got things going with a buzzer-beating 3-pointer at the end of the half. Panguitch no doubt has shot better, but its defense gave Piute no chance.
By the time coach Curtis Barney began pulling his starters, it was 57-25.
The coach has won nine of Panguitch's 10 state girls' titles. He said that while all have been special, this one was pretty unique.
"The thing about this team is their athletic ability and ability to put points on the board," he said. "I think we broke the state scoring record for points in a year. And, along with that ability to score, they held the other team to 28 points. So they have that ability to shut out the team on the other floor."
Barney said he would have loved to have tested these girls against a good 4A or 5A school.
"It would be fun, when you have a team like this, to take on some of those others," he said. "This is a great team, one of the best ones for sure. I have had teams that have won five in a row."
Those sentiments got no argument from Piute coach Wade Westwood.
"You leave one girl to go guard another and that girl knocks down a shot," he said. "Every time we had a lapse or a turnover, they would score on us. They are definitely the best team I've been around. They are just solid. They run the whole game. They never look tired. They make wide-open shots. And they have a really good coach."
Panguitch was typically balanced. Holman — who was one of only two seniors on the team, along with Frandsen — had 18 points, including the buzzer-beating 3-pointer at the end of the first half just as Piute was making it close. Orton and Bennett each scored 11, and Frandsen was a force on defense.
Indeed, Panguitch left no doubt Saturday that it will always been in the mix when the best small-school girls' teams of all time are discussed.
Twitter: @tribtomwharton —
Panguitch 58, Piute 28
R Panguitch wins its second straight state title and 54th straight game overall.
• Catania Holman, one of only two Bobcat seniors, scores 18 points, including a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to end the first half.
• Panguitch's average victory margin this season before Saturday was 40 points.