1A HONORS: Eagles’ Brandon, Panthers’ Higbee share league MVP award
Spring Mountain’s boys basketball team challenged Pahranagat Valley’s dominance in the Class 1A Southern League.
The Eagles equally challenged the Panthers when coaches recently voted on all-league selections.
Spring Mountain junior center Roemello Brandon and Pahranagat Valley junior guard Tyler Higbee were named league Co-Most Valuable Players.
The 6-foot-3-inch Brandon, a dominant force inside most of the season, led the Eagles to a 49-47 victory over Pahranagat Valley on Saturday at Durango to clinch the Eagles’ first 1A Southern League tournament title under the current postseason format.
Higbee, one of the Panthers’ top shooters, helped Pahranagat Valley win the regular-season league title with an 8-0 record that included a 45-44 win over Spring Mountain on Jan. 31.
Each team added two other players with first-team all-league awards. Chase Hansen and Derek Hansen of Pahranagat Valley, and Tyrice Hall and Marqion White of Spring Mountain were also first-team selections.
Spring Mountain’s Ed Cheltenham was named league Coach of the Year.
The teams could meet again in the 1A state title game Saturday in Reno.
Spring Mountain (23-6) will play Owyhee (16-10) at 12:40 p.m. and Pahranagat Valley (18-9) takes on McDermitt (22-6) at 4 p.m. in the 1A state semifinals Friday at UNR.
The all-league first team also included Round Mountain’s Serjio Chavez and Mitchell Doheny, Beatty’s Jose Moreno and Sandy Valley’s Ryan Hagan.
