This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Richfield • Panguitch's 34-19 victory over Duchesne on Saturday night in the Class 1A basketball state championship cemented the Bobcat seniors' legacy as perhaps the greatest group of girls in Utah small-town sports history.
As seniors Chesney Campbell, Whittni Orton, Taylor Bennett and Brianne Bremner celebrated the Bobcats' third straight title on the floor of the Sevier Valley Center, there was time to contemplate what the school of 134 students from the small town on U.S. 89 has accomplished since these girls were freshmen.
Since 2012, this group of girls has won three cross-country titles, three basketball crowns, two volleyball gold trophies and two track championships.
Panguitch is now tied with Beaver with 11 state girls' basketball titles, trailing only Mountain View's 14. And the Bobcats' soft-spoken coach Curtis Barney, with 10 titles, is one behind Dave Houle on the all-time state title coaching list.
An emotional Barney said that after he won his seventh title in 2007, he set a goal of winning 10, something he accomplished with this win.
"I am emotional," he said. "They are done. There will never be a team like that at Panguitch High. They were an incredible group of girls that had the will to win. … They were fighters. They changed the way Panguitch played basketball. We played up-tempo and fast-paced and still play defense. It will be hard to match the length, ballhandling and shooters we had."
This Panguitch team isn't as dominant as the two previous years, when the teams were unbeaten and dominated every game. The Bobcats lost to 3A Cedar City and Region 20 Bryce Valley this season.
But Panguitch's attributes of stifling defense and a patient, disciplined offense were on full display against a good Duchesne team.
"Give Panguitch all the credit," said Duchesne coach Eric Jessen. "Curtis does with a good group of girls what should be done and he has sustained it over time. That's tough. It's easy to get lazy or complacent and he has never done that."
The Bobcats found a surprise star early. Duchesne tried to sag down on Campbell, daring junior Brieann Birch to shoot. She scored her team's first four points.
Campbell led a 6-0 run midway through the first quarter and Duchesne never recovered. Panguitch held Duchesne's leading scorer, Mashaylee Giles, to two points.
Panguitch led 21-11 at halftime and, given the Bobcats' length and discipline, they were never seriously threatened in the second half.
The Eagles managed just one point in the fourth quarter as Barney put his girls in a disciplined slow-down game that took big chunks of time off the clock.
The four Panguitch seniors have played together since fourth grade and, in the process, developed an almost eerie calm and confidence. They never seemed to panic.
Campbell, who finished with 12 points, dominated this tournament. Orton, perhaps the top all-around girl athlete in the state this season, talked about four years of fun.
"We had to work a lot harder this year," said Bennett. "I am looking forward to watching the girls coming up. They have seen what we have done. I will remember the memories we have made as friends."
And those four friends and their hard-working coach left Richfield on Saturday night after putting an exclamation point on one of Utah's great small-town athletic legacies.
Twitter@tribtomwharton —
Storylines
R Panguitch center Chesney Campbell is only player on either team in double figures, finishing with 12 points.
• The Bobcats win their third straight state title.
• Panguitch coach Curtis Barney wins his 10th state basketball championship and trails only Mountain View's Dave Houle, who won 11, on the all-time list.
1A girls' basketball
Saturday's Results
At Sevier Valley Center
Championship Game
• Panguitch 34, Duchesne 19
Consolation
• Milford 38, Piute 28
• Valley 44, Rich 34
• Bryce Valley 48, Monticello 31