SALT LAKE CITY — Heading into the 2009-2010 season, it would have been easy to bet against the Bountiful Braves. After all the Braves had no seasons and a team full of youngsters.

But when the smoke cleared at a packed Olympus High gym Tuesday night, it was the little team that could dancing into the locker room as Region 6 champions with the 62-58 win.

“This is about winning this championship,” said Bountiful coach Mike Maxwell. “This team, with no seniors, so young, came in here in a noisy, wild crowd and took the Region 6 championship. They earned it. Each one of them believed in what we were doing and didn’t worry about how young they were. They went out and played and never panicked.

“I couldn’t be more proud of a team.”

The Braves trailed Olympus 13-8 after the first quarter and a 20-18 halftime lead.

“Everyone was calm at halftime,” Maxwell said. “The guys were confident.”

And when it looked like Olympus would take a 36-35 lead into the fourth quarter the more experienced Titans were the ones who blinked.

With 2.7 left in the third quarter Olympus turned over the ball. Just enough time for McKay LaSalle to nail a two-point shot from the corner to turn the tide giving Bountiful a 37-36 lead.

“That was a great shot by McKay,” Maxwell said. “Definitely a tough shot and it really gave us a lift.”

The Braves pushed the lead to 59-48 with just over a minute to play but Olympus fired back and cut the lead down to as close as three points with six seconds to play.

LaSalle hit one of two free throws with 5.4 seconds to play and all hopes for Olympus were gone.

“LaSalle is amazing,” said Bountiful’s Nick Williams who played a huge game with the flu. “LaSalle hit so many big shots for us tonight.

“And Mitch Allred coming off the bench for us — man this was great.”

LaSalle finished with 15 points and Allred had eight.

Dillon Salazar kept the Braves in the game in the first half as he attacked the basket to finish the night with 13 points to go with his nine assists.

As for the sick kid, Williams had 15 points.

“We’re going to really enjoy this one,” Maxwell said. “Only in my wildest dreams did I see us doing this when we started back in November.”

“I think we grew up a lot,” Williams said.

sschulte@davisclipper.com