Boys basketball: Howe, Olpin lead Weber over Bonneville in 5th consecutive win
Trailing most of the first half, Warriors claimed a halftime lead and never looked back
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- Bonneville freshman Bryson Landis (33) puts up a shot against Weber senior Brandon Crockett (5) during a game on Friday, Dec. 13, 2024, in Washington Terrace.
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- Weber senior Brandon Crockett (5) fights past Bonneville senior Ben Tesch (3) and junior Davis DeGroot (23) during a game on Friday, Dec. 13, 2024, in Washington Terrace.
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- Weber junior Jace Rydalch (4), seated beside Bonneville junior Jackson Call (2), looks for a whistle during a game on Friday, Dec. 13, 2024, in Washington Terrace.
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- Bonneville junior Jackson Call (2) drives past Weber senior Ben Olpin (3) during a game on Friday, Dec. 13, 2024, in Washington Terrace.
WASHINGTON TERRACE — Landon Cosby told his team to cherish its wins.
Adding a fifth consecutive victory, Weber High boys basketball appeared calm and collected in a 58-44 road win Friday at Bonneville. Ryder Howe, Ben Olpin and Brandon Crockett all scored in double figures.
The Warriors (5-3) are learning a thing or two from their wins, too.
“We’re a bunch of brothers,” said Olpin, finishing the night with 13 points. “We’ve been playing with each other for a while now so we have good chemistry. … We played fast, locked in on defense, we’ve watched a lot of film on them and got a lot of steals.”
Howe led Weber with 17 points, matching the output of Bonneville (2-4) first-year center Bryson Landis, and helping the offense build off a first half that was anything but predictable with leads rarely surpassing one possession.
A couple of misguided Bonneville passes turned fodder for Weber senior Brandon Crockett early on, but the Lakers took full advantage of two trips to the free-throw line to manage a three-point lead by the end of the first quarter.
Building momentum, senior Colby Dunyon put his Lakers up 15-9 with a 3-point bucket to begin the second quarter. The long ball was just one of the Lakers’ two made field goals over the next eight minutes as the Warriors seized control.
Bingham provided the boost Weber needed, delivering two tough shots beneath the glass as Bonneville closed the half with two missed opportunities on the other end. Trailing 23-20 at the break, Landis said his group began pulling their punches.
“We’re playing soft,” Landis said. “We’re getting pushed around too easily.”
Weber, opening the second half on an 11-6 run, brought its same juice back to the court.
Layups by Landis and junior Davis DeGroot kept the Lakers within six but Olpin delivered a 5-0 run of his own — burying two free throws and a fadeaway 3-pointer — to help close the third quarter with his Warriors leading by 11.
Bonneville hit a crossroads with three minutes to go in the fourth quarter. Crockett just added another layup for a 15-point Weber cushion and opportunities at the rim were flying out the window. Howe and Olpin added nine combined points in the fourth quarter to end the night.
Howe looked forward to Friday’s road trip, specifically for the chance to play against the freshman Landis.
“(Landis) is a good competitor,” Howe said. “I played with him all growing up and stuff so it was a good battle. It was good to come out and battle again.”
Returning to action on Tuesday, Dec. 17, Weber hosts Woods Cross (7 p.m.) and Bonneville welcomes in Maple Mountain (7 p.m.).
BOX SCORE
Weber High 9 14 18 17 — 58
Bonneville 12 8 10 14 — 44
WHS (58): Howe 17, Olpin 13, Crockett 10, Bingham 9, Packer 5, Rydalch 2, Bowden 2.
BHS (44): Landis 17, DeGroot 8, Tesch 6, Kennedy 5, Call 4, Dunyon 3, Roberts 3.
Connect with prep sports reporter Conner Becker via email at cbecker@standard.net and X @ctbecker.
