Boys basketball: Roy back on the wagon; Fremont drops region opener
KK Kennedy hops off bench early for Roy in balanced 58-47 win, in first trip to Plain City since 2021
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- Roy High’s Boston Greenhalgh drives by Fremont’s Calvin Cooper during a region boys basketball contest on Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025, in Plain City.
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- Roy High’s Lincoln Britt pressures Fremont’s Krew Hannum, right, during a region boys basketball contest on Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025, in Plain City.
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- Roy High’s Jesse Jones lets a 3-pointer fall during a region boys basketball contest at Fremont on Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025, in Plain City.
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- Roy High’s KK Kennedy, left, defends Fremont’s Calvin Cooper, right, during a region boys basketball contest on Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025, in Plain City.
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- Roy High’s Anthony Parker, left, keeps himself upright along the baseline during a region boys basketball contest at Fremont on Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025, in Plain City.
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- Fremont High’s Kourt Duft swings the ball to a teammate during a region boys basketball contest vs. Roy on Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025, in Plain City.
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- Roy High’s Jesse Jones walks down the floor during a region boys basketball contest at Fremont on Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025, in Plain City.
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- Fremont High’s Zach Hancock lines up a free throw during a region boys basketball contest vs. Roy on Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025, in Plain City.
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- Roy High’s Jake Hamblin goes up for a layup during a region boys basketball contest at Fremont on Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025, in Plain City.
PLAIN CITY — One of Northern Utah’s more exciting boys basketball storylines saw Roy’s eight-game winning streak end in a 22-point home loss to West High over the weekend.
Ten days off seemingly revealed themselves on the court and the Royals succumbed to a season-high final deficit, 88-66, to the Panthers in Roy’s first loss since Nov. 21.
It’d lend some extra encouragement to Roy, rescaling the wagon to begin region play Tuesday with a 58-47 win at Fremont in the first meeting between the rivals in nearly five years.
Dropping 28 in the first half, the Royals (9-3, 1-0 Region 1) let a 28-21 halftime lead dwindle within a single point in their return to the second half.
Senior forward Jesse Jones buried a Roy 3-pointer with 50 seconds to go in the third quarter and Fremont (2-9, 0-1) watched yet another one slip away.
Jones tied junior guard KK Kennedy off the bench with 10 points, while adding nine rebounds, and senior Boston Greenhalgh led Roy with a team-high 11. Senior forward Jake Hamblin, junior forward Rock Speredon, and sophomore guard Anthony Parker all added nine points apiece.
Expectations for Tuesday’s meeting never quite settled in Roy coach Ryan Hannah’s mind.
“We had one practice between (Tuesday) and (West), and I was nervous coming into this gym, where the boys haven’t necessarily played in the last few years,” Hannah said. “I thought that they put some ease to my nerves in that regard.”
Kennedy dropped two of the contest’s first 3-point baskets for Roy in the second quarter and added another four points in the fourth. Tuesday’s win marks the third time this season Kennedy’s scored in double figures off the bench.
“KK is an impressive athlete and when he’s locked in, he can do things on that basketball court that nobody else on our team can do,” Hannah said. “I thought he was a really big boost in a big moment there in that first half.”
Fremont did enough from the field early to keep the lid on things, and that minimal production of 21 first-half points served enough of a framework to challenge Roy down the stretch.
A combination of sophomore guard Easton Hansen (16 points), senior guard Cam Campbell (14 points, 17 rebounds), senior big Zach Hancock (eight points), and junior guard Kourt Duft (six points) rallied the Silverwolves well within range of capturing the lead entering the fourth quarter.
Drawing just one whistle in the second half, Fremont finished 7 of 9 from the free-throw line but otherwise, according to stats from Roy, finished 18 of 67 from the field.
“We didn’t shoot the ball very well, and sometimes it’s that simple,” Fremont coach Corey Melaney said.
Jones breached Fremont’s brief containment before the fourth quarter, and Roy carved out three quick lanes to the rim to begin the final frame. Fremont soon turned to the foul game, and the Royals hit just enough at the charity stripe despite finishing the night 13 of 24 overall.
Melaney felt his guys never earned themselves a break defensively.
“Right from the get-go, we had some defensive miscues for several possessions,” Melaney said. “It’s never any one thing. Cutting it to one and carrying a four-point game into the fourth quarter, we’re in this thing — but I think their length got to us a bit and we weren’t patient enough.”
With a ninth win in hand, Roy has its best start since it posted an 8-1 nonregion record in 2016. That same team would drop three of its first four region dates.
“In this region, I think there’s always going to be close games, and I really like the way my boys took care of the ball and defended at a high level,” Hannah said. “I was dang nervous coming into this game because I’ve seen their preseason games, they played a lot of quality opponents, and they’re a much better team than their record may reflect.”
Both squads hit the road on Saturday, with Roy traveling to Northridge (1:30 p.m.), and Fremont paying its first region visit to West Field (2 p.m.).
Connect with prep sports reporter Conner Becker via email at cbecker@standard.net and X @ctbecker.
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