During state quarterfinal action at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City, the Vikings staged not one, but two improbable comeback efforts to upstage Wasatch 66-58.

“It’s been a dream of mine to be part of a game like this,” Brown said. “So it just feels amazing to be a part of this and to have done it here. This team never quits, and we definitely showed that today. So now we’re on to the semifinals, and it feels crazy to say that.”

Crazy is a fitting description of what the Vikings accomplished on Monday.

Down 52-38 at the end of the third quarter, Brown’s teammates set forth a 23-0 run which stretched for almost the entirety of the fourth quarter. Defensive pressure, as it often does, led the way while shots started falling from the arc from just about everyone on the roster with Ashton Palmer’s 3-point make from the corner finally drawing the game even at 52-52 with just under five minutes left to play.

Brandon Gurney, Provo Daily Herald

“They found just enough inside of them, you know,” said Pleasant Grove coach Carsen Williams. “With the love that they have for each other and the toughness that they displayed to just get stops, to find energy that they thought they didn’t have. And then, you know, the ball starts to go in and you get a little bit of energy back.”

Big shots were contributed by players up and down the Viking roster. Leading the way was Brennan Blackett, and his team-high 15 points and three 3-pointers, with Milo Johansson adding 12 points, Brown 11 and Preston White another 10.

The remarkable 23-0 run came on the heels of Pleasant Grove overcoming a 21-4 deficit to begin the game. But the Vikings refocused, settled in and battled back to trail just 42-38 at the half.

Things stalled considerably right after the half, however, with Wasatch setting out on a quick 10-0 run to again put the Vikings at a substantial deficit.

But Pleasant Grove players weren’t ready to pack it in quite then.

Brandon Gurney, Provo Daily Herald

“I said, ‘We’re not going home.’, Brown said during a timeout taken in the third quarter. “We’re going to leave it all out there, and we did on the defensive end. Defense turns to offense, and that’s what we did.”

They did indeed, much as they’ve done all year long under Williams, who is in just his second season coaching at Pleasant Grove. And as mentioned, just about everyone who took the floor made key contributions throughout.

“I think we had three or four guys all hit threes in the fourth quarter, and they were the looks we wanted,” Williams said. “Earlier on, I think the atmosphere got to us a little bit. We missed some passes that we wanted to make that we typically make. And that happens, right? These are teenagers playing in a great environment and sometimes it’s hard…But we got back to it, we got exactly what we wanted.”

The game got a bit chippy toward with Wasatch clearly frustrated with the course of action while Pleasant Grove was determined to not stand down. Technical fouls were issued toward the end of the game as Brown battled for a loose ball, which unfortunately led to teammate Oliver Mosman leaving the bench as coaches struggled to hold him back. The result was a technical foul issued to the Viking big man, who scored nine points and grabbed 10 rebounds on the afternoon, but even more potentially devastating, the prospect of missing his team’s next game due to UHSAA rules mandating one-game suspensions for the action.

“Oliver is incredible. He’s just a load on the inside,” Williams said. “He was great for us tonight, rebounding and getting inside. Just sometimes your brain doesn’t work as a teenage kid, and he’s one of the greatest kids I’ve ever met in my life…But we’re going to celebrate this one today and we’ll worry about (it) tomorrow. Right now we’re just going to kind of relish in this.”

Brandon Gurney, Provo Daily Herald

And, as far as Williams and his players are concerned, with everything they’ve accomplished on the season and on Monday, there’s a lot to relish, to be certain.

Wasatch and Pleasant Grove battle for a rebound during quarterfinal action at the Hunstman Center on Monday. February 23, 2026

Pleasant Grove's Brennan Blackett helped lead his team's thrilling comeback effort and finished with a team-high 15 points scored. February 23, 2026

Pleasant Grove coach Carsen Williams instructs his team during a timeout during 5A state quarterfinal action on Monday. February 23, 2026

Pleasant Grove students celebrate with the team following the Viking's thrilling 66-58 win over Wasatch on Monday. February 23, 2026

Newsletter

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

Email(Required)

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)(Required)

Daily Newsletter

Breaking News

Obituaries

Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper?(Required)

Yes

No