Last season was a rough one for the Copper Hills boys basketball team, but the Grizzlies are optimistic this season will be different. 

The Grizzlies suffered through a challenging 8-16 year, which included a 1-9 finish in Region 2. It was Copper Hills’ first losing season since the 2012–13 campaign. This year’s Grizzlies’ squad should look a lot different, starting with the coaching staff. New head coach Brian Allfrey is now at the helm of the team, and he has lofty goals from the start, despite this being a youthful group.

“I expect this team to be much improved over last year’s team,” he said. “We are still young, but we were very young last year, and we struggled to finish games because of it. I believe that we have a different mindset going into this season and better understanding of what it takes to be successful. One of our goals is always to win a region championship and contend at a state level. Another goal is to simply get better every day. Our expectation is to show up every day to compete and improve. We are focused on the process, the standards and execution. If we focus on those things, success is simply a byproduct of that effort.”

Last season, the Grizzlies had several close losses. Allfrey is working hard on teaching the players to be more mindful of the little things that happen during a game. He wants the team to be better defensively and increase its effort on the court. 

“We have to be more focused on the small details,” he said. “We need to have more intensity in practice and games than we had last year. We have to improve our defense and rebounding and we have to play at a faster pace.”

On the bright side, Allfrey said the Grizzlies have a big roster with several options to turn to for offense and defense. He likes the team’s ability to hit shots from all over the court. Copper Hills has some fast players who should be able to get up and down the floor and stretch opponents. 

“Our strengths are going to be our speed, our shooting ability and our depth,” he said. “We will look to take advantage of our strengths and create mismatches that allow us to control possessions. I believe that we have 10-plus players that will help us throughout the season in different situations.”

Copper Hills has a solid core of five seniors and four juniors. These players will get the bulk of the minutes and will be those Allfrey looks to for production and leadership. He likes returning senior starters Wesley Curtis and Boston Lambourne, a forward and guard, respectively. Curtis averaged 8.5 points per game and three rebounds an outing a season ago. Lambourne scored 6.7 points and pulled down nearly three rebounds a contest in 2023–24. He also made 45 three-pointers a season ago; Allfrey wants him to make 75 this season. 

Fellow seniors Daxton Nelson, AJ Jacobsen and Asante Gondwe will add depth and experience to the squad. 

“[Gondwe] provides size, strength, athleticism and rebounding,” Allfrey said. “[Nelson] is another shooter that can space the floor. [Jacobsen] is a great team guy who will be the glue that holds us.”

Junior point guard Isaiah Reiser is arguably the top returning player for Copper Hills. He paced the team in scoring last season as a sophomore with 19.8 points a game. He also was the leader in assists with 4.9 a contest. He earned Honorable Mention All-State honors. 

“[Reiser] will be the engine that makes our team go,” Allfrey said. “He’s a great scorer and passer. He will make his teammates better.”

Fellow juniors Jacob Curtis, Austin Ormond and Logan Batt should also be big contributors. Curtis, a forward, is a strong defender and rebounder. Ormond, a guard, is a good shooter and an intelligent player. Batt, a forward, was an accomplished player on the football team this past fall. On the court, Allfrey said he “should provide a spark off the bench on both ends of the floor.”

The Grizzlies lack the height that some opponents will have, so they’ll have to play excellent defense and rebound well. 

“We cannot give teams two to three shots on every possession like we did last year,” Allfrey said. “It is going to take our entire team to be able to do that.”

Though Reiser is a known commodity, the rest of the team is composed largely of role players who will need to step up and fill bigger shoes. Allfrey said playing as a unit will be crucial. 

The season began with a 73-56 victory over West Jordan, the defending Region 4 champions. Copper Hills had five players in double figures in scoring in the victory, led by 16 points from Lambourne. The Grizzlies hosted Davis on Nov. 26 and open December with a game at Layton on Dec. 3. Copper Hills will take part in the Skyridge Tournament Dec. 13 and 14 as well as in the KSA Tournament Dec. 19–21. Region 2 games begin Jan. 10 at home against Corner Canyon. 

Allfrey appreciates the efforts his players give each day, not only on the court but in the classroom. The team’s cumulative GPA in the first quarter was 3.75, so they understand they are first, students and then second, athletes. 

“I enjoy the fact that they want to compete, they want to improve,” Allfrey said. “They want to be coached and want to be pushed. Most kids these days expect things to be handed to them. This group is ready to go earn their success.”