The 2024-25 high school basketball season has offered exciting moments in Utah, and the performances of Cyprus and Cedar Valley High Schools reflect teams with contrasting records and styles of play. Here’s an in-depth look at both teams, their stats, and what they bring to the court.

Team Records and Rankings

Cyprus Pirates

• Overall Record: 5-3
• Home Record: 4-1
• Away Record: 1-2
• State Rank: 46
• Class Rank: 10
• Win Percentage: 62.5%

Cedar Valley Aviators

• Overall Record: 1-5
• Home Record: 1-3
• Away Record: 0-2
• State Rank: 103
• Class Rank: 24
• Win Percentage: 16.7%

Scoring Trends

Cyprus is a strong offensive team, averaging 67.9 points per game, well above Cedar Valley’s 55.8 points per game. The Pirates show consistency across all quarters, with their highest scoring average coming in the fourth quarter (19.1 points). In contrast, Cedar Valley struggles to maintain offensive momentum, averaging between 13.5 and 14.8 points per quarter.

Statistical Comparison

Cyprus holds an edge in several key areas:

• Points Per Game: Cyprus (67.9) vs. Cedar Valley (56.4)
• Rebounds Per Game: Cyprus (25.4) vs. Cedar Valley (25.2)
• Assists Per Game: Cyprus (14.8) vs. Cedar Valley (11.2)

Cedar Valley, however, leads in steals (8.8 to 7.0) and blocks (3.6 to 2.4), suggesting a stronger defensive emphasis.

Key Players

Cyprus Pirates

• Beckham Bayles (#3): The team’s offensive leader, averaging 20.3 points and 3.3 assists per game.
• Koli Fosita (#1): A defensive anchor with 6.1 rebounds and 2.3 steals per game.
• Jaxon Neilsen (#15): Leads in blocks with 0.6 per game.

Cedar Valley Aviators

• Decker Yeager (#22): Top scorer with 12.4 points per game.
• Owen Bawden (#31): A standout in both rebounds (5.2 per game) and blocks (2.0 per game).
• Carson Stocking (#3): Paces the team in assists, averaging 3.6 per game.

Common Opponent Analysis

Both teams have faced Mountain View and West Jordan, with mixed results:

• Cyprus: Split their games with a win against Mountain View (76-68) and a loss to Wasatch (54-51).
• Cedar Valley: Claimed a dominant win over West Jordan (70-37) but faltered against Mountain View (72-65).

Strengths and Weaknesses

Cyprus excels in balanced scoring and offensive rhythm, but their defense could improve, allowing 518 points over eight games.
Cedar Valley has a more defensive mindset, leading in steals and blocks, but their scoring struggles, especially in the second half, are a glaring weakness.

Conclusion

Cyprus enters games as a more polished and balanced team, with clear offensive leaders and a strong home court advantage. Cedar Valley has potential, especially defensively, but must improve their offensive consistency to compete at a higher level.

As the season progresses, these teams have opportunities to refine their strategies, make adjustments, and aim for deeper playoff runs. Fans should keep an eye on standout players like Beckham Bayles and Decker Yeager, as they are crucial to their teams’ success.

Will Cyprus maintain its upward trajectory, or can Cedar Valley find a way to turn their season around? Only time will tell.