SLIDESHOW: Layton Christian Academy vs Maeser Prep Academy
LAYTON -- The Layton Christian Eagles flexed their muscles on Monday night, opening Region 14 action with an impressive 86-44 victory over Maeser Prep Academy.
Coach Bobby Porter has enjoyed the Eagles' 5-4 season to this point, and has managed to incorporate two newcomers into a senior-laden squad that has been a solid 2-A contender over the past five seasons.
Porter laughs now at learning of the newcomers -- Hardee Weissohn from Chile and Emmanuel Nakeyene from England.
"I spent a lot of time not being around basketball this past summer (due to having heart surgery)," Porter recalls. Our athletic director (Greg Miller) told me that we had two students that had enrolled and were interested in playing basketball.
"Then he told they were from overseas. We'd had that happen before, so that was OK," the veteran coach added.
"Then he told me one of them was 6-foot-10. I joked about Greg trying to give me another heart attack," he laughed.
Indeed, Weissohn, a 6-10 junior post player from Chile, and Nakeyene a 6-4 senior guard from Great Britain, have been embraced at LCA and are working hard to succeed in the classroom and on the hardwood.
In Monday's league opener, Nakeyene scored 21 points and added eight rebounds and four steals, while Weissohn finished with 14 points, 16 rebounds and five blocked shots.
The rest of the LCA roster played well too. Senior Isaac Pedroza -- also playing his first season at LCA -- finished with 18 points. Seniors Trent Butler and Kevin Aranda tallied 14 and nine points, respectively, from the outside. Micah Shore, a starter, was injured in the opening minute of action.
"We have all kinds of kids come here," Porter said. "We're trying to emphasize the whole high school experience."
"Hardee is a work in progress. Perhaps his biggest transition is working on his English. He's also had to adjust from the international basketball game, and the rules we use her in the U.S."
Weissohn has an uncle who lives in Provo and attends his games.
"Emmanuel is learning to play the guard game," Porter said. "He's such a laid-back kind of guy. He doesn't realize what his potential is."
Both transfers love Utah "and how folks have welcomed them with open arms," Porter added.
LCA lost a couple of close games in the Bishop Gorman Holiday Classic at Las Vegas in early December. "But it was great exposure," Porter said.
"I'm happy with the progress we are making and what the kids are doing," Porter said. "The Bishop Gorman tournament was great exposure. We demand that the kids play hard at all times, and they're doing that."
Porter also praised Maeser Prep, a first-year school.
"They have some talent, and they play good defense," Porter said. "This is our ninth game, and their fifth game."
Looking ahead to the Region 14 and 2-A battles, Porter expects to face plenty of challenges.
"I know South Summit will be tough, and Waterford will be an interesting game with 6-11 Neil Monson playing well," Porter said.
"South Sevier left a bad taste in our mouths last year (a close loss in the state 2-A semifinals), but we really have to take it one game a time. I think we have a good chance to be in the mix. We're getting better every day."
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