OGDEN —
The Own Cuff family is new to the American Fork location. However, Caveman basketball coach Ryan Cuff and mainly senior ahead Tanner Cuff made an effect to possibly ultimate for years throughout Friday’s thrilling eighty two-80 triple-overtime win over Davis in the semifinal spherical of the lad’s basketball playoffs.
With just 1.2 seconds left at the clock, Tanner Cuff put the completing touches on American Fork’s top-notch win, breaking unfastened for a layup below the basket to give his team an 82-eighty lead. Davis had one ultimate gasp, but the desperation shot fell short as the Cavemen celebrated wildly and punched their ticket to the country championship game on Saturday.
“I was so happy I was given to redeem myself,” Tanner Cuff, who is in his first 12 months gambling for American Fork after his father, Ryan Cuff, took over the head-coaching obligations, said of his sport-prevailing shot. “I could have hated myself if I hadn’t have made that layup. I’m so that satisfied that I become able to redeem myself and get the win.” Tanner Cuff did have a hazard to win it inside the first additional period; however, one of his two foul shots fell quickly to extend the sport. An extension of any type didn’t appear to favor the Cavemen within the least, however, with four of their five starters having fouled out earlier than the start of the second one overtime duration.
But enter an unheralded bench that changed into as determined because the starters to get it completed, in conjunction with Tanner Cuff, who proved the lone starter final at some point of the sport’s most crucial stretches. Knowing so much was on him down the stretch, the previous Dixie standout placed the scoring weight on his shoulders, scoring 17 of his group’s 19 factors inside the three beyond regular time intervals. “For him to have palms placed round him and be given him, after which for him for you to do some of those matters for his teammates … it’s why we do what we do. … You stay for these moments,” Ryan Cuff said. As for the heroes off the bench for American Fork, none of them stuffed the stat sheet. However, each performed massive in retaining it near and ultimately supporting procure the win.
“They understand the machine, and they’ve given everything all year to play against those guys,” Ryan Cuff said. “The confidence that they got here in and had, and gave me as their train — it’s just very worthwhile.” Key players off the bench for the Cavemen in the time beyond regulation length blanketed Josh Van Schalkwyk, Bridger Flinders, and Benson Brown. To get the game to even one overtime length, that often fell upon the sufficient shoulders of 6-foot-eleven ahead Isaac Johnson, who carried his crew for a maximum of the third and fourth quarters. With Davis leading 50-forty one early inside the fourth zone, Johnson scored 13 of his group’s next 15 factors in bringing the rating to 57-fifty six with simply over a minute closing.
“We knew we had to go to him and get the ball inner,” Ryan Cuff stated of Johnson, who finished with 28 factors. “… I’m simply proud of him that he didn’t quit and kept going, knowing that we nonetheless had some existence left.” American Fork seemed poised to win the sport in regulation till Davis protect Trevan Leonhardt made a 3-pointer with 3.1 seconds left inside the fourth to send it extra time. The groups battled again and forth in all three times beyond regulation intervals, with neither group taking part in greater than a 2-point lead. “You just hate to look all of us lose,” Ryan Cuff said. “You kind of need to hold it is occurring.”
Leading the way for Davis was Tyson Garff, who scored a team-excessive 20 with Leonhardt adding 17 and Sampson every other sixteen. With the win, American Fork advances to the championship game, wherein it’ll take on Pleasant Grove, the same region foe that narrowly beat them in each video game performed within the everyday season. What’s on tap for his crew wasn’t lost on Ryan Cuff amid all of the celebrating for his team’s tremendous win. “You have combined emotions,” he stated. “We’re now in a scenario wherein we’ve no other game to play. …We can’t be happy.”
