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South Valley Riverton Journal

Riverton Basketball Team Begins A New Era

Dec 05, 2014 10:54AM ● By Greg James
When the lights come on in the Riverton High School gymnasium, new faces will be standing on the sidelines, but the basketball team will still have the same style of play they have used since the school opened in 1999.

Skyler Wilson takes over as head basketball coach after Steve Galley stepped down at the end of last season. Wilson has inherited a team with two returning starters, seniors Jaron Jones and Jeff Arens.

“I am really excited. This team gets along so well, and it has made it fun for me to start coaching them,” Wilson said.

Wilson graduated from Riverton High and was the school’s first all-state athlete. He has been an assistant coach at the school for 10 years. He had been the junior varsity and sophomore coach prior to his being hired as head coach last spring.

The Silverwolves have several players that Wilson said can score consistently. He said that will make them a hard team to defend.

Arens and Jones both averaged double figures last season for the Silverwolves. Both are threats from behind the three-point line: Arens hit 43 and Jones had 21 last season.

“Jaron (Jones) is a good all-around player. He is our tallest kid, so he will play close to the basket, but he can step outside and hit the shot too. Jeff (Arens) is a great shooter. We challenged him in the off-season to work on his ball-handling skills. He is going to help us succeed,” Wilson said.

Joey Andrews and Spencer Anderson played sparingly last season and are expected to be important role players on the team. At 6-foot-3, Anderson is an imposing player other teams will need to learn to defend. Andrews scored 36 points last season. Wilson said he has the ability to get to the basket and score in the open court.

“This team has worked hard in the off season. They do things that are unselfish. We are set up to succeed. The culture we want is already set up. We have a tradition of players that do well in the class room and on the court,” Wilson said.

The Silverwolves will host the Riverton Holiday Tournament, a fundraiser for the team, Dec. 27-31. They have 16 teams scheduled to compete.