They may not be varsity squad. Heck, half of them may not even shave yet. But the Park City High School freshman basketball team has brought plenty of excitement and spirit to Park City this season.
The freshmen, now 26-0 on the season, have been riding the wave of invincibility since November and, if they keep playing their game, could be the state champions this Monday.
The team just earned its way to the finals in the Judge Memorial [High School] Freshman Boys Basketball Tournament, a state championship of sorts. The young athletes, many of whom have played together since third grade, have been through a lot together and no more so than this season.
This season has been about a lot more than hitting baskets and getting rebounds. Early on, the team knew they had talent. Not only are they an unusually tall team for a bunch of 14-year-olds, with a number of kids standing above six-feet two inches, but they have played together for so long that know what to do in virtually every situation. Park City head coach Kevin Ruda added that the team loves playing together and work on their game year round. They also have Jon Schettler, a freshman phenom who is talented enough to start on Park City’s varsity team. But since the season ended for the older guys, Schettler has been lending his immense talent to his friends on the freshman team.
“It’s always good to have Jon,” Ruda said. “Jon brings extreme athleticism and has the best will to win of any kid I’ve ever seen.”
Winning has meant more and more to them as the season has worn on. Each game became just one step in going undefeated.
Then, tragedy struck.
Two weeks ago, Ruda’s wife, Diane, passed away. A week later, his mother died as well. Ruda’s son, Jordan, is also a member of the team.
The two deaths had a huge impact on the team. Now winning was about more than just a claim to fame. They decided that they wanted to win for their coach and in memory of Diane.
Since then, the team has grown even closer.
“We knew we had to play through it and play for him,” Schettler said.
“It was really tough on Coach and Jordan,” Park City player Britton Buford added. “We had to be there for them. We want to win it for him.”
Ruda said their support and the support of the community has been immeasurable.
“The whole basketball team, all of Park City they rallied around us and for that we’ll be eternally grateful,” Ruda said.
On Thursday evening they got one step closer to going undefeated playing a 4A Murray Spartans team with an 18-3 record as one of the best teams in the state. Park City kept a comfortable lead during the first half, but Murray’s skills started to show in the second half. With five minutes left in the third quarter, the Spartans had cut the Miners’ lead from seven to nothing. The Miners moved ahead a by a few points a couple of times, but hot shooting kept Murray close. Schettler hit a key three-point shot with just 38 seconds left to give Park City a 47-44 edge. But, with just seconds left in regulation, Murray sank a three pointer to tie the game at 49-49 and send it into overtime.
In overtime, Murray scored first about a minute into the period. The Miners quickly answered. The two teams remained in a tie with just seconds left. With what looked to be the final possession, the Miners missed the basket, but Buford grabbed the rebound and put it back for the victory and the ticket to the finals.
“I knew there was no other option,” Buford said after the game.
Schettler, who led the team with a whopping 23 points, said he was never worried about getting the win.
“After I hit that three, I knew me and Britton both knew what we needed to do,” he said.
Ruda was very pleased with the Miners after the game.
“That was the best team we played all season,” he said.
Schettler and Buford agree that the secret to their success has been rebounding and guard play. Both boys are very tall, both play guard, and both are known for good ball handling, good outside shooting and the ability to get to the inside and score. The entire team seems to be good at rebounding and defense, making the Miners a tough team to stop.
For Schettler, the key to winning in the tournament has been the fun factor.
“Varsity is a lot faster,” he said. “This is just fun. They know what they’re doing.”
Buford said that as long as they play their game, they should be able to win the tournament. They will play either Juan Diego or Judge in the finals, but Ruda said that no matter what, the Miners will come out prepared.
“Every time we walk onto the floor, we expect to win,” he said. “We always want to come out and play our best.”
The Miners will play in the finals on Monday night at Judge Memorial Catholic High School in Salt Lake at 7 p.m.