The Carbon Dino basketball team welcomed a new head coach this season as Jared Butler took over the program. Carbon started out the season winners of their first three only to lose their next two. It was a very up and down season for the Dinos.

Carbon ended the season 7-15 overall, including a 2-8 record in Region 12 play. Losing only two seniors to graduation the Dinos are expected to have a large number of returners in 2020-21.

Below is a game by game recap of the season:

November 22- Providence Hall- Win 65-36

The Carbon Dino boys started off the season in Herriman against Providence Hall 65-36.

In the first game for new head coach Jared Butler the Dinos entered the season with a very young team.  Senior Kaleb Nelson the 6′ 3” forward led the Dinos with 16 points in a game that was never in doubt. The Dinos got off to a great start and never looked back as they kept attacking the entire game.

Brady Gagon the 6′ senior guard had seven points in a very balanced offensive effort by the Dinos. Nine players scored including the junior trio of Caleb Winfree, Preston Condie and Keenan Hatch each scoring eight points.

The defense was another story holding Providence Hall to 36 points. Carbon held them to seven points in the first quarter and eight points in the second to hold a 34-15 lead at halftime. In the second half they surrendered 21 points to walk away from this one early.

The Dinos have moved on from last years team saying good bye to five seniors. This years squad consists of two seniors, seven juniors and two sophomores and if the first game is any indication they will be fun to watch.

November 26- Uintah- Win 61-56

The Carbon Dinos boys basketball team held their home opener defeating the Uintah Utes 61-56.

Uintah, a 4A team from Region 10 came to Price losing seven seniors off of last years squad, but it was sophomore Josh Speirs that would lead the way for the Utes with 26 points in the losing effort. Junior Kamon Anderson would add 12 points in a game that Uintah would lead at halftime 32-28.

During halftime Carbon made a few adjustments and held Speirs to just seven points in the second half. The Dinos clamped down defensively and momentum would swing their way for the remainder of the contest.

Leading the Dinos was senior Kaleb Nelson with 19 points on 6-of-10 shooting to go along with his 11 rebounds. Senior Brady Gagon had 15 and junior Noah Bradford would score 15 in the second half going 3-of-4 from behind the three-point line.

Carbon has been a fun team to watch in the first two games of the season and coming up is perhaps a bit of a test for them as they will play their next four games on the road in a span of seven days starting on December 4 at North Sanpete. The road trip will take them to American Leadership Academy, Judge Memorial and South Summit before they will return home for a match-up with the Delta Rabbits on December 13.

December 4- North Sanpete- Win 75-63

The Carbon Dinos moved to 3-0 on the young season with a comfortable 75-63 win over the North Sanpete Hawks in Mount Pleasant.

Doubling up the Hawks in the first half, the Dinos took a hefty 40-20 lead into the break. Despite being outscored in both of the final two quarters, Carbon did more than enough to keep a strangle hold on a double-digit advantage leading to the season’s third win.

“North Sanpete has a bunch of big, scrappy kids that rebound well and are very athletic,” said first year head coach Jared Butler. “Our kids didn’t play intimated. Right off the bat they shot the ball well, which is something I’ve been waiting for.”

Led by senior Brady Gagon’s 14 points, the Dinos shot 40-percent from the field in Wednesday’s win. The team produced 26 points in the second quarter, setting a new mark for a season high in any individual quarter.

Junior Merrick Morgan finished with 13 points including three makes from beyond the three-point line. Fellow juniors Preston Condie and Noah Bradford both contributed 12 points, while Kaleb Nelson and Caleb Winfree ended with eight a piece.

The Carbon second unit continues to be a bright spot for the team as they remain one of only three unbeaten 3A teams. Nelson and Gagon currently lead the team in scoring, while juniors Bradford, Winfree and Hatch are averaging more than eight points a tilt.

“We had arguably three of our better players sitting out in the first half with foul trouble,” said Butler. “Our bench play was great. We don’t lose a lot when we go to our bench and that really is huge.”

December 6- American Leadership Academy- Loss 68-55

Starting the weekend with a trip to Spanish Fork, the Dinos suffered a 68-55 loss to American Leadership . The loss was the first of the season for Carbon.

Trailing 20-8 at the end of the opening quarter, Carbon showed signs of life throughout the contest as they slowly chipped away at the deficit. Trimming the lead to single digits in the second half, ALA used one more run to put the game away for good.

Senior Kaleb Nelson led the way for Carbon in the setback, finishing with a team best 17 points and eight rebounds. Preston Condie also reached double-figures as he ended with 12 points and eight boards.

The biggest differential in Friday’s came at the foul line as Carbon connected on just 12-of-21 attempts. ALA ended 23-36, with a large number of opportunities coming in the fourth quarter.

December 7- Judge Memorial- Loss 62-44

Carbon returned to the court the following day with a trip to Salt Lake City to meet Judge Memorial. Despite holding a lead at half time, Carbon was outscored in the final two quarters in 62-44 setback.

Junior Keenan Hatch posted a team high 14 points in the setback. Senior point guard Brady Gagon also reached double-figures with a 13-point performance.

Up 24-20 at the end of the first half, the Dinos were outscored 20-7 in the third quarter. Unable to work out of the nine point deficit, Carbon was outscored again in the fourth 22-13.

December 11- South Summit- Win 63-60

The Carbon Dinos managed to hold off a late South Summit surge to preserve a 63-60 victory in Kamas.

Trailing by double-digits in the second half, the Wildcats unleashed a 16-0 run to draw even with Carbon at the two-minute mark in the fourth quarter. Timely defense and execution inside the paint eventually sealed the game for the Dinos.

Senior Brady Gagon delivered his most potent offensive performance of the season, finishing with a game-high 21 points, while also handing out three assists. Kaleb Nelson logged a double-double with 15 points and 11 boards, while Merrick Morgan notched 16 points in the win.

With less than one minute to play in regulation Nelson gave Carbon the go-ahead lead with a shot inside the paint. Moments later Caleb Winfree used forced a turnover, leading to a transition layup to give Carbon a four point advantage.

December 13- Delta- Loss 48-27

The Carbon Dinos finally had a home game against the Delta Rabbits. After playing even in the first half, the Rabbits used a 15-0 third quarter run to put the Dinos away 48-27.

Carbon had not played in front of the home crowd since November 26, going 2-2 in their 4 game road swing. In the first half of this one the Dinos went into the locker room      tied at 15. Coming out in the third quarter, Delta went on a 15-0 run outscoring the Dinos 19-3 in the quarter. Carbon scored nine in the fourth, but Delta would add 14 putting the Dinos away.

For the Dinos only four players would score on a night that would see Carbon shoot just 22% from the field, and give up 12 turnovers. Brady Gagon would have a team high 13 points with three rebounds and four assists. Preston Condie added eight points and three rebounds. Kaleb Nelson dropped eight points and one rebound and Noah Bradford went for two points, one rebound and one assist.

December 18- Union- Win 64-61

Despite a slow start the Carbon Dinos recovered nicely in a 64-61 win over the Union Cougars at home.

Looking to rebound from a hefty loss last week to Delta, Carbon delivered a 24-point second quarter to erase an early deficit. The two teams remained close throughout, but it was Carbon that came out on top for the win.

Senior guard Brady Gagon connected on five three-point attempts to pace the Dinos with 26 points in the victory. Kaleb Nelson was a force inside as he recorded a double-double with 18 points and 13 rebounds.

Noah Bradford also reached double-figures as he finished with 12 points, including three makes from deep. Carbon ended with a decisive advantage from the three-point line, knocking down 10 shots from the perimeter compared to six for Union.

December 20- Juab- Loss 61-38

The Carbon Dinos were on the road in Nephi to take on the Juab Wasps. The Dinos struggled throughout     falling in this game 61-38.

The Dinos have had issues lately dropping three of their last five games. Carbon had a long string of games on the road, the Delta game on the 13th was the first home game they had played since the end of November, going 2-2 in the road stretch.

Sitting now at 5-4 and they are ranked 12 in the RPI in the 3A classification.

The Wasps had five players in this game score in double figures, leading the way was Kollin Robertson , a 6’5” senior center with 16 points. Senior forward Kai Taylor chipped in with 16 point of the bench. Senior forward Treyson Langford added 14 in the effort.

For the Dinos tonight, senior Kaleb Nelson had a team high 14 points, senior Brady Gagon had nine points and juniors Keenan Hatch and Max Lancaster  added five points each.

The Dinos will now get a 10 day rest, they will travel to Maple Mountain to take on the Golden Eagles in a game that was rescheduled from December 14 due to weather. Maple Mountain sits a 5-1 in the Region 8  5A ranks.

December 30- Maple Mountain- Loss 91-24

In a game that was rescheduled from December 14 because of weather, the Dinos traveled to Spanish Fork to take on the Maple Mountain Golden Eagles from the 5A class. Carbon scored just 10 points in the first half and were outgunned in this one falling 91-24.

Maple Mountain shot 56% from the field in the game compared to the Dinos 17%, as Carbon was outscored 43-10 in the first half.

Leading the way for the Dinos was Brady Gagon who scored eight points to go with two rebounds, two steals and one assist. Keenan Hatch and Kaleb Nelson both added seven points each. Nelson also pulled down six rebounds while Hatch grabbed five.

January 8- South Sevier- Loss 74-46

The Carbon Dinos traveled to Monroe to open region play against the South Sevier Rams. The Dinos came out and were outscored in the first half 34-17 and the Rams would never look back taking the 74-46 victory on their home floor.

South Sevier opened the first quarter on a 17-9 run and would keep up the pace scoring 17 in the second as well. Carbon would come back in the fourth scoring 16 but it was too late as South Sevier had already accumulated an insurmountable lead of 55-30 going into the final quarter of play.

Kaleb Nelson would lead the way for the Dinos. Nelson, who has been averaging just under 12 ppg. would score a team high 17. Preston Condie and Brady Gagon both added six points  while Rylan Hart and Keenan Hatch chipped in five points apiece.

January 10- Emery- Loss 57-52

The Emery Spartans held off a second half run from the Carbon Dinos to secure a 57-52 win in a Region 12 showdown at Carbon High School.

After taking the slim one-point lead Carbon found themselves down three points on two straight late possessions. Each time Carbon attempted a three-point shot to tie, the first from Noah Bradford and the second by Brady Gagon. Despite two good looks the Dinos were unable to force a late tie to send the game to overtime.

Kaleb Nelson poured in a team-high 20 points to go along with eight rebounds to lead the second half comeback. Gagon logged 15 points as he finished with four makes from deep. As a team the Dinos shot a pedestrian 35-percent from the field, but managed to hang around with stiff interior defense.

Junior Keenan Hatch finished with eight points, eight rebounds and five blocks. Merrick Morgan scored six points and Noah Bradford added three.

January 15- San Juan- Loss 69-62

The Carbon Dinos made the long trip to San Juan to take on the Broncos. Carbon came out strong in the first half, and then came out flat in the third quarter losing their third region game 69-62.

Carbon jumped out early  and took a nine point lead into the locker room at halftime. The third quarter would prove to be the Dinos undoing as San Juan would outscore Carbon 24-9. Carbon would be down just six points headed into the final period but the Broncos would keep them at a distance for the remainder of the game.

For the Dinos junior Noah Bradford recorded a team high 14. Senior Kaleb Nelson added 11 and juniors Preston Condie and Keenan Hatch each chipped in with 10 points.

January 17- Grand- Win 60-52

The Carbon Dinos earned their first Region 12 victory of the season by defeating the Grand Red Devils 60-52 at home.

Faced with a six point deficit at the end of the first quarter, the Dinos outscored the Red Devils in each of the next three quarters. The win moves Carbon to 1-3 in region play and snaps a five-game losing skid in the process.

Senior Brady Gagon poured in a team-high 16 points, nine of which came from beyond the three-point line. Junior Keenan Hatch scored 14 points and grabbed eight rebounds. Senior Kaleb Nelson logged a double-double with 12 points, 10 boards and three assists.

The win ends a series of near wins for the Dinos and places them in the win column. Holding leads against o No. 3 Emery and No. 4 San Juan late in the second half, Carbon was unable to finish in eventual losses.

January 20- Layton Christian Academy- Loss 65-60

The Carbon Dinos suffered a 65-60 loss to the Layton Christian Eagles in a special Martin Luther King Jr. Day non-region contest at the BDAC on the campus of USU Eastern.

Playing for the second time in four days, the Dinos held a slim 33-31 lead at the end of the first half. Layton Christian captured the lead entering the fourth quarter and never looked back in the eventual win.

“This is an athletic team, with a couple of really good shooters,” said head coach Jared Butler. “We out rebounded them and we are doing a lot better with our hustle. My biggest concern right now is offensively we are a little bit impatient.”

As a team the Dinos shot just 30-percent from the field, including a 6-28 mark from deep.

Senior Brady Gagon posted a game-high 24 points on eight made field goals. Kaleb Nelson continued his consistent play with 11 points, eight rebounds and two steals. Keenan Hatch recorded 10 points, six rebounds and two assists.

January 22- Richfield- Loss 51-29

Despite finding early success on the offensive side of the floor, the Carbon Dinos failed to keep pace with the Richfield Wildcats in an eventual 51-29 setback at home.

Trailing 15-11 at the end of the opening quarter, the Dinos failed reach double-figures in any of the remaining three periods. The Wildcats used a 32-9 run between the second and third stanzas to pull away for good.

Senior Brady Gagon scored a team best nine points to lead the Dinos. Rylan Hart contributed eight, while Preston Condie and Keenan Hatch each finished with four.

The loss moves Carbon to 1-4 in Region 12 play and 6-10 overall on the season. Ranked No. 14 in the latest RPI update, the Dinos hold a slim lead in percentage points over No. 15 North Sanpete.

January 24- South Sevier- Loss 72-59

Despite trailing by only one entering the fourth quarter, the Carbon Dinos suffered a 72-59 loss to the South Sevier Rams at home.

Slowly chipping away at a nine-point deficit, the Dinos outscored the Rams by eight points between the second and third quarters. The final eight minutes were dominated by South Sevier as they earned a season-series sweep.

Senior Brady Gagon led the Dinos with 19 points, three rebounds and two assists. Fellow senior Kaleb Nelson was once again consistent with 17 points, eight rebounds and two assists. Preston Condie contributed nine.

The loss marks the third straight for the Dinos, dropping the team to 1-5 in Region 12 play and 6-11 overall. The win moves South Sevier to .500 in division play 3-3 and 8-9 overall.

Currently ranked No. 15 in the latest RPI, the Dinos will have an opportunity to get back into the win column when they return to the court on the road against the Grand Red Devils.

January 29- Grand- Win 79-61

The Carbon Dinos earned their second region win of the season by defeating the Grand Red Devils 79-61 in Moab.

Carbon’s dynamic duo showcased their ability once again as once again seniors Kaleb Nelson and Brady Gagon led the team in scoring. Nelson delivered 20 points and while Gagon ended with 16.

Another story in this game was the emergence of Rylan Hart. Ending as an equal to Gagon in scoring, his contributions were felt on both ends of the floor.

A key to the success of the Dinos was a very good start to the game. They outscored the Devils 31-10 in the first quarter and would hold a lead for the rest of the game.

“We had a good energy and finally had a good shooting night,” said Gagon. “If we play like this every night we can compete with any team in the state.”

January 31- Emery- Loss 60-49

The Emery Spartans earned their eighth consecutive win and a season-series sweep over the Carbon Dinos with a 60-49 win at the Spartan Center in Castle Dale.

Junior Preston Condie paced the Dinos with a season-high 16 points at the varsity level in Friday night’s loss. Kaleb Nelson ended with nine points, while both Brady Gagon and Keenan Hatch contributed eight.

The loss for Carbon comes following an impressive 79-61 win over Grand in Moab. Now 2-6 in Region 12 play, the Dinos currently hold an overall record of 7-12.

Ranked No. 14 in the latest RPI, Carbon will have a chance to improve their standing with a road trip to Richfield . The regular season will then come to a close with a home game against San Juan.

February 5- Richfield- Loss 65-36

Despite a competitive first quarter, the Carbon Dinos were unable to keep pace with the Richfield Wildcats in a 65-39 loss on the road.

Going toe-to-toe with one of the top teams in the classification, Carbon trailed 19-12 at the end of the first quarter. The Wildcats won the next three individual quarters, but used a 15-4 run in the second to pull away for good.

Senior Kaleb Nelson led Carbon in the setback with a team best 13 points to go along with five rebounds and one steal. Keenan Hatch poured in eight points and Brady Gagon finished with six.

With the loss now in the books the Dinos sit 2-7 in Region 12 play entering the final regular season contest. Locked in the No. 5 spot in the division, Carbon currently holds an overall record of 7-13.

February 7- San Juan- Loss 71-66

The Carbon Dinos wrapped up the 2019-20 regular season with a 71-66 loss to the San Juan Broncos at home on Senior Night.

Hoping to end the season with a third region win, the Dinos managed to keep the contest close throughout. Despite being outscored in the first three quarters, Carbon erased a double-digit deficit, but could get no closer than six.

Junior Preston Condie posted a team best 15 points to lead the Dinos in Friday’s loss, nearly matching his season-high of 16. Brady Gagon and Kaleb Nelson both finished with 14, while Keenan Hatch also reached double-figures with 10.

The meeting marked the second of the season between the two teams. San Juan also won the first, which was also a back-and-forth battle.

February 15- Judge Memorial- Loss 62-36

Unable to recover from an early double-digit deficit, the Carbon Dinos season came to an end with a 62-36 loss to the Judge Memorial Bulldogs at the USU Eastern BDAC in Price.

A troubling first quarter proved to be the difference in the contest as Carbon found themselves in a 17-4 hole early on.

Trailing 33-13 at half time, the Dinos shot just 16-percent from the field during the first two quarters. The struggles continued into the second half as the team converted just 10 field goals, ending 18-percent for the game.

Senior Brady Gagon scored 10 points and gathered four rebounds in his final game for the Dinos. Fellow senior Kaleb Nelson contributed seven points and five boards, while both Merrick Morgan and Preston Condie each ended with five points.

Entering the 3A State Tournament as the No. 13 seed, Carbon was paired with No. 4 Judge. The two teams met once in the regular season, which also resulted in a Judge victory.

Statistical Leaders in Top Categories:

Scoring

Number	Name	PPG
30	Brady Gagon	12.8
45	Kaleb Nelson	12.2
12	Preston Condie	7.0
33	Keenan Hatch	6.3
15	Noah Bradford	4.4

Rebounds

Number	Name	RPG
45	Kaleb Nelson	8.0
33	Keenan Hatch	5.5
12	Preston Condie	4.4
30	Brady Gagon	3.2
10	Merrick Morgan	3.0

Assists

Number	Name	APG
45	Kaleb Nelson	2.0
10	Merrick Morgan	1.4
4	Caleb Winfree	1.2
30	Brady Gagon	1.2
12	Preston Condie	1.1

Steals

Number	Name	SPG
12	Preston Condie	0.8
10	Merrick Morgan	0.7
4	Caleb Winfree	0.6
30	Brady Gagon	0.6
15	Noah Bradford	0.6