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Cottonwood Heights Journal

Brighton boys basketball finds its stride with new coach

Jan 18, 2017 04:53PM ● By Kelly Cannon

One of the members of the Brighton boys basketball team attempts a lay-up. (Garrett Wilson/Brighton High School)

By Kelly Cannon | [email protected]
 
Brighton High School’s boys basketball team is starting to click under the guidance of new head coach Garrett Wilson. The varsity is still young and still finding out how to work under Wilson’s coaching philosophy, but both coach and players are satisfied with the results.
 
Going into league play, the team was 6-5. Wilson said the team is on the up as far as team chemistry and understanding both the offensive and defensive structures laid out by the coaching system. Wilson said he feels the team is a good place moving forward into region play.
 
“We’ve made an effort as a coaching staff to really instill in these guys a defensive attitude and these guys have really eaten it up. They’re working every day. It’s developed to where they really take pride in their defense and have really come a long way in understanding what we’re trying to get them to do,” Wilson said. “Now our offense is starting to click and we’re really starting to get going. We’re putting the pieces together and we feel good about where we’re going.”
 
While there are still things the team needs to work on, Wilson is not worried about them. He believes it means the team hasn’t peaked yet and is still approaching the pinnacle of what they are hoping to get to.
 
“Offensively, we’re still trying to find our rhythm. We’ve been really close and feel like any one of these days it’s going to click and everything is going to be there,” Wilson said. “That’s the exciting part as a coach, that there still are things we can approach at practice and get a little better.”
 
The overall goal for the team is to make it to the state tournament. However, Brighton is in region 3, the same league as both the returning state champion and the returning state runner-up, as well as other competitive programs. However, Wilson said he is proud of what his team is accomplishing, especially the seniors.
 
“I have loved every bit of it. These guys have been tremendous. I couldn’t imagine a group of kids believing any more in a coach than they have in this first-year guy who comes in and really had to earn their respect,” Wilson said. “These guys have given it to me and given me their whole-hearted effort from day one. I appreciate the heck out of it because it makes my job really easy. These seniors I’m going to remember for a long time.”
 
 
Seventeen-year-old senior point guard Tate Weichers also said he is proud of the team despite close losses.
 
“We’ve lost a couple close ones that I think we could have and should have won,” Weichers said. “But I couldn’t be more proud of the team because we got a new coach coming in who is new and who came out ready and we’re in a place where we can make a run at region.”
 
As a senior, Weichers said he wants to leave this team with a state championship.
 
“Anything less than that is not reaching that goal,” he said. “I think doing better than we did last year would be a great way to end the season.”
 
Eighteen-year-old senior shooting guard Andrew Covey also expressed pride in not only how hard the team has worked but also in Wilson.
 
“I think the high has been going to work every day with our guys and the fact we’re getting better every single day. It’s exciting to watch us develop as a team as the season goes on,” Covey said. “I think (Wilson’s) a great coach. He’s positive with us all the time. He keeps everybody upbeat so nobody is breaking down mentally so we all maintain focus while having a positive attitude.”