San Rafael Girls Team Takes Championship

By PATSY STODDARD Staff
Emery County Progress

The boys and girls basketball teams from Emery and Carbon counties battled it out at San Rafael Junior High in Ferron on Feb. 20 and 21.
In the first game the San Rafael girls defeated the Canyon View girls by a score of 45-27. The next game had the Canyon View boys pitted against the Mont Harmon pirates.
The Canyon View team led at the half by a score of 22-14. The second half was a fast paced game with a lot of players getting in foul trouble. The game ended with CVJH 64 and Mont Harmon 53.
The next matchup was the Helper girls against the Mont Harmon girls this battle ended with Mont Harmon defeating the Helper team.
The boys from San Rafael and the Helper Rams were next out on the floor and their contest ended with the Rams on top.
The championship girls game was played at 5 p.m. on Thursday with Mont Harmon and San Rafael going head to head. The score was 25-16 at half time. The SRJH girls played some tough defense to hold off the Pirates. But late in the third quarter the Pirates came alive and the score was SRJH 26 and MHJH 23 with 3:16 left in the quarter. SRJH put in two foul shots to bring their total to 28. San Rafael’s Alexis Swasey fouled a Pirate which brought them to the line for two foul shots which they made bringing them to within one point of the Bulldogs.
On the other end of the court Swasey was fouled and sank two foul shots to bring the score to SRJH 30, Mont Harmon 27 with 1:30 left to play in the third. On their next possession Mont Harmon turned over the ball on a traveling violation. Two quick fouls on San Rafael players Swasey and Callie Seely put Mont Harmon at the line. But the free shots went astray. Mont Harmon had a reaching foul which brought Adrian McNee to the line. She missed her foul shot and the ensuing scuffle for the ball brought a jump ball call. San Rafael came up with the ball but stepped on the line giving the ball back to Mont Harmon.
The San Rafael girls kept full court pressure on the team from Price which led to much frustration on their part. McNee fouled a Pirate but they couldn’t make their free shot and the score stood at SRJH 30, Mont Harmon 27 at the end of the third quarter. Into the fourth quarter the play was just as intense with McNee going to the line for two foul shots.
Her attempts failed and the ball returned to the Mont Harmon side of the court, but not for long as the ball was stolen away by Natalee Hanson and brought back down the court.
Tahna Merrill of SRJH got in on the fouling which brought a Pirate to the line. She stepped over the free throw line however and the ball returned to San Rafael possession.
A traveling violation sent the ball back to Mont Harmon who in turn traveled with it. The ball was stolen from SRJH and taken down court by the Pirate but it would not drop. San Rafael attempted a three that would not drop.
Tought play continued but at the sound of the buzzerSan Rafael was still on top with a score of 37-30.
The SRJH girls were presented with two trophies, one for the championship and one for tying for first in league play.