You know a rivalry means business when there isn’t a seat left in the house during the JV game.
the time the JV game came to a close, the varsity tipoff was 40 minutes late, both student bodies were raucous and the “North vs. South” rivalry between host South Summit Wildcats and the North Summit Braves prepared to engage in another chapter in its storied rivalry.
The defending 2A state champion Wildcats rose to the occasion nailing eight 3-pointers, with four coming from senior forward Levi Thompson, who finished with a game-high 22 points en route to a 67-54 win over the Braves Friday night in Kamas.
South Summit received another 15 points from senior guard Trevor Rydalch and nine points from senior Parker Anderson.
One of the stories of the night was the play of juniors Matt Rydalch and Bonner Mitchell, who chipped in a combined 12 points off the bench. The 6-foot-3 Mitchell used his size and strength to dominate the boards and Matt Rydalch helped ignite his team with two 3-pointers.
“It’s been a really good stress-reliever to know that they can come in and score and compete at this level,” Trevor Rydalch said. “It’s nice to be able to count on them to do that.”
South Summit was able to keep the leader of North Summit’s three-headed scoring attack, Keegan McQueen, at bay for most of the night. McQueen, a the junior who came into the game averaging 18 points, 7.5 assists and three steals, finished the game with 20 points, but had to work hard for every point.
Wildcats head coach Jerry Parker said the defensive game plan for McQueen was to get the ball out of his hands. McQueen had a few impressive finishes at the basket, but the sharpshooter who had drilled 29 3-pointers on the year had none against South Summit.
“It was an important game,” Parker said. “We played three really good quarters of basketball.”
The Braves mounted a comeback of sorts after South Summit took a 57-37 lead with 4:20 left in the fourth quarter. Parker said his group of seniors has a tendency to get up for big games, then take their foot off the gas pedal, as was the case Friday.
“We have some things to work on,” he said.
North Summit saw the game get away in the middle of the second quarter when South Summit began to use its size to its advantage on the offensive glass. Then, with McQueen’s third foul at the 4:30 mark in the second quarter, the Braves were without their point guard and leading scorer for a crucial stretch of the game.
“We were both undefeated in region going into that game and (North Summit) was averaging 70 points a game,” Parker said. “They played hard.”
In the third quarter, the Wildcats caught fire from behind the arc as Thompson was often left unguarded and made the Braves pay for it.
“We felt good,” Thompson said. “But this game is always good. It’s always a good rivalry, no matter who’s good or who’s bad that season.”
North Summit (7-7) was also led by junior guard Makay Fristrup who had 10 points and senior forward Preston Pace who finished with seven points and was impressive on the defensive end with numerous blocks.
Parker loves the depth of his team this year and has his eyes on bigger things down the road.
“I have seven players; doesn’t matter which seven are in,” said Parker in reference to his rotation. “Our goal is to win state and to win region.”
According to Parker, South Summit (9-4) hasn’t won a region title in 19 years.
Trevor Rydalch enjoys the rivalry game for what it brings from both sides of the county.
“This is a special game,” Rydalch said. “You get butterflies every game when you wake up and know its game day, but this game, you’re feeling it before the game.
“I love how both crowds are so into the game. I just enjoy the game so much more. No one wants to play in an empty gym and whenever you play North Summit, you can count on it being really intense.”
When asked what it meant to beat his rival, Rydalch wasn’t coy.
“It feels better than the rest,” Rydalch said.
His teammate Thompson has a different view.
“Just another game,” Thompson said.
The Wildcats, now winners of eight straight, have chemistry whether they agree on everything or not.