(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) American Fork's Isaac Johnson shoots as American Fork hosts Olympus in the Utah Elite Eight tournament, Saturday December 9, 2017.
American Fork • Olympus point guard Rylan Jones slung a pass across the court to Spencer Jones. With a wide-open look, Spencer sunk a shot from beyond the arc.
The Olympus fan section launched into its “Titan Triple” cheer, and may as well have continued to chant for the entirety of the game.
The Titans won the Elite 8 Tournament at American Fork High on Saturday with a 92-56 victory over the hosts. The Titans claimed the convincing win with 17 3-pointers, two short of the school record.
“We just came out and proved that we can compete with the best teams in the state,” said Rylan Jones, who led the Titans with 11 assists. Class “5A, 6A, doesn’t matter the size, we’re ready to compete with anybody.”
Olympus, which lost to Springville in last season’s Class 4A state tournament title game, sent defending 5A state champion Bingham and Corner Canyon to the Elite 8 consolation bracket en route to the tournament final.
It was the Titans’ third time at the tournament, and they lost in the first found in each of the previous two years.
“It’s just a great experience,” Olympus coach Matt Barnes said. “It prepares you for the year, and it’s a tough, physical tournament.”
American Fork, a Class 6A team looking to bounce back after a 4-8 region record last year, took out Brighton and Copper Hills on its way to the championship. But the Cavemen couldn’t find a way to limit Olympus’ sharp shooters.
Jeremy DowDell, Spencer Jones and Rylan Jones each put up 20-plus points for the Titans. DowDell led the team in 3s with six, while Spencer Jones and Rylan Jones trailed just behind him with five and four, respectively.
Rylan Jones,a University of Utah commit, showed off a knack for getting the ball to the hot shooter, contributing to DowDell’s streak of three consecutive buckets from beyond the arc in the second quarter and Spencer Jones’ eight straight points in the third period.
“He’s just so unbelievable,” Barnes said about Rylan Jones, “just with how he sees the floor and his control and his confidence and his composure, and he just makes the right play. It’s a luxury to have him as a coach, but to find a point guard in this day and age who’s so unselfish and so excited. Watch him when he kicks one to Jer and Jer hits a 3. He’s as happy as anyone.”
Olympus never trailed Saturday and led by as many as 40 points in the fourth quarter.
To grab their first big lead, the Titans went on a 12-1 run that spanned the end of the first quarter and the beginning of the second. They went up 30-16 as Spencer Jones, Rylan Jones and Harrison Creer each hit a 3.
Olympus yet again came close to doubling the score in the third quarter. A 19-0 run gave the Titans an 82-43 lead.
That dominance gave the Olympus student section the confidence to chant “This is our house” as the final 20 seconds ran off the clock.
The roughly 40-student section decked out in all white, which traveled 30 miles to watch a preseason game, matched the size of American Fork’s student section.
“I mean they came out to American Fork, 45 minutes away,” Rylan Jones said about his team’s supporters. “They’re the best in the state.”
OLYMPUS 92, AMERICAN FORK 56 <br>• Olympus sinks 17 three-pointers, two short of the school record. <br>• Jeremy DowDell leads the Titans with 23 points. <br>•American Fork’s Isaac Johnson scores a team-high 17 points.