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SALT LAKE CITY — We've reached the final week of the regular season in Utah high school basketball, meaning these are the last KSL.com Clean Simple Eats high school hoops players of the week this season.
Boys: Logan Birt (Senior), Northridge Knights
The 5A Region 5 race is coming down to the final week, thanks in large part to 6-foot-4 senior starter Logan Birt helping Northridge dial in down the stretch. The Knights took down Box Elder and Viewmont last week, the latter of which saw Birt post a double-double with 15 points and 11 assists in a 75-60 win.
"I've been playing basketball all my life and this could be my last season, so I've been giving every game everything I got," Birt said. "Ever since region started we have played so well together, and no one wants the credit for themselves. My goal for the end of the season is a state championship banner to hang up."
The Knights close the regular season at home against Woods Cross Wednesday and on the road at Bonneville Friday as they look to improve upon a 9-3 region record and overtake first-place Bountiful at 10-2.
Girls: Jessica Maynard (Sophomore), Mountain Ridge Sentinels
Starting forward Jessica Maynard and the Mountain Ridge Sentinels ended a three-game losing streak with an impresive 20-point upset over Bingham on Feb. 8 on the Miners' home court in South Jordan. Maynard put up 6 points, eight rebounds, two blocks and a steal in the win as the team tries to make a late-season run to the playoffs.
"(Our goal) is just to make a good run at state, get our name out there, and let them know that we're not playing around and we're ready to go," Maynard said of the young Mountain Ridge team led almost entirely by underclassmen. "I think our group has a lot of chemistry and talent and we just all are in it for the win and not individual stats."
The Sentinels took a hit with a 52-43 loss to Corner Canyon Tuesday and finish off the regular season Thursday with a road game at Riverton as they try to make it out of an uber-competitive 6A Region 2.
