Matchup

Woods Cross solves Highland puzzle

2012-02-12T14:11:00.000-08:00

On Friday, Feb. 10, I covered the Highland-Woods Cross boys basketball game. I wrote the following article, which will appear in the Woods Cross 2011-12 basketball yearbook. I'll write a slightly different article for Highland later.

By Bruce Smith
Matchup

There’s no doubt that Jan. 20 was the worst night of the season for the Woods Cross Wildcats.

For days afterward, coach Todd Street admitted all he saw were Highland shots filling the basket en route to an 81-42 win over the home team.

Three weeks later, the Wildcats turned the tables.

Hayden Grant and Luke Jowers had the best games of their careers Friday as Woods Cross went to Highland and earned a 59-57 overtime decision in a Region 6 game.

It was the same Ram team that had dominated them earlier. But these weren’t the same Wildcats, who won their fourth straight and moved into a three-way tie for second place with two games remaining.

“A 40-point turnaround,” said Street, with a big smile on his face. “We changed our defensive scheme from last time. We didn’t play any zone, and this time we played zone 95 percent of the time. We just made plays.”

Grant made the most. He had seven points at halftime, but finished with 23, including a long three-pointer that doused the home crowd’s excitement and sent the game into overtime. He also started the extra session with a three-pointer and his steal led to a pair of free throws that ended up being the deciding points.

Jowers, a sophomore who got more playing time on this night than he had all season, scored 15 points. He was almost automatic from the free-throw line (9-of-10) and likely will remember this game as being his best all season.

“He earned it the way he has played in practice,” Street said. “I put him in and he had the hot hand. I rolled the dice and let him stay in there and he just kept making plays. He had a couple of big buckets for us.”

Grant, Jowers and Mike Jacobson also made a huge effort on defense, hustling along the perimeter to prevent a repeat of the earlier game.

Last time, Highland guard David Divver was on fire. He made four three-point shots and the Rams finished with 14 from beyond the arc. Highland led 33-8 after the first quarter and it only got worse.

On this night, the Rams made just 2-of-14 three-pointers. The Wildcats’ defense blocked attempts out there than the Rams made.

Still, the game could have gone either way. Woods Cross led most of the game, and had a six-point advantage late. But Divver made his only three-pointer of the game and added a couple of free throws with 16 seconds left for a 49-46 lead.

Woods Cross almost lost the ball on the ensuing possession, but was awarded a timeout. Grant quickly took a pass and nailed a trey from well beyond the three-point line to tie the game.

The Wildcats kept the momentum into overtime and Skyler Farnes’ free throw gave them a 59-57 lead with 32 seconds left. Highland looked for a good shot but couldn’t find an open three-pointer, so the Rams fed Todd Connolly for an 18-footer from the top of the key.

The shot looked on target, but was six inches short, and Woods Cross players flooded the court in celebration.

As bad as those memories of Jan. 20 have been for the Wildcats, the night of Feb. 10 was just as good.

GAME SUMMARY
Woods Cross 15 9 12 13 10 - 59
Highland 12 11 8 18 8 - 57

WOODS CROSS (59) – Filipo Mokofisi 1-8 0-2 2, Skyler Farnes 3-5 4-5 10, Brady Cowley 0-1 0-0 0, Mike Jacobson 1-3 4-6 6, Hayden Grant 8-14 4-4 23, Luke Jowers 3-6 9-10 15, Luke Hansen 0-0 0-0 0, Nick Elg 1-1 1-2 3, Seth Jackson 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 17-40 22-29 59.
HIGHLAND (57) – Liam Thomas 5-11 6-7 16, Lennon Betonney 3-5 1-2 8, Max Bradshaw 4-6 1-2 9, Todd Connolly 1-5 2-2 4, David Divver 4-16 4-4 13, Riley Tucker 2-2 3-5 7, Matt Barker 0-0 0-0 0, Hayes Hicken 0-0 0-1 0. Totals 18-46 17-23 57.
Total fouls: Woods Cross 23, Highland 19. Fouled out: None. Technical fouls: None.
Three-point shooting: Woods Cross 3-12 (Grant 3), Highland 2-14 (Divver, Betonney).
Rebounds: Woods Cross 27 (Farnes 7), Highland 30 (Bradshaw 10).
Turnovers: Woods Cross 13, Highland 15.

2012-02-12T14:07:00.001-08:00

I'm finishing last year's Skyline baseball yearbook and recently completed a feature article on one of its players - Mike Pell. Take a look.

Mike Pell:
Known for his great athletic ability,
he helped two teams to fine seasons

By Bruce Smith
Matchup

Growing up, Mike Pell was a standout athlete. Whatever team he was on, he was the guy in the middle.

At Skyline High School, he was the quarterback on the football team. He also was a key member on the Eagles’ baseball squad, where he pitched, played third base and was an outfielder.

That’s how he remembers high school. Wherever he went, success followed … on the field and in the classroom. He was a good student (barely missing the all-academic team his senior year), but athletics was his highlight.

It wasn’t surprising he went out a champion.

“The best part (of baseball) was beating Cottonwood … both times,” he said. “From football, they were a big rival. They beat us in football my senior year, so it was good to beat them twice.”

The two wins, of course, were important and paved the way for the Skyline baseball team to win its first region title since 2004.

Most people, however, will remember Pell for football. At Skyline, football was king in 2010-11 and a lot was expected from its quarterback. Pell earned the starting QB position and ended up guiding the Eagles to a 6-5 record. They finished fourth in Region 2, but accomplished a lot.

One of Pell’s highlights was when the team traveled to Hawaii to play Keleakehe and won 30-16. Afterward, Pell said assistant coach Steve Marlowe said it was the first time any team had come from the Mainland and won at Hawaii. The Eagles also reached the 5A playoffs and defeated Kearns in the first round.

“When we beat Kearns, that was a big deal,” Pell recalled. “I rushed for a season high and threw a touchdown pass and it was an all-around good game. It meant a lot that Skyline had never lost a home playoff game.”

Pell expected a lot from himself when baseball began a few months later. He was a big part of the team the previous year, when the Eagles finished 17-6 overall, but finished second in the region to Cottonwood, which beat them twice.

“My junior year, we actually made it further in the post season (beating Davis and American Fork) and I felt more involved,” Pell said.

Pell played in almost every game as a senior, but was used primarily on defense. Skyline coach Erik Hansen said he liked having Pell in the lineup. However, he had more hitters and needed to find ways to get them in the lineup.

“I really didn’t hit at all my senior year,” Pell recalled. “I had problems with the coach on that subject. When I did hit, it was at the bottom of the lineup.”
Pell was a decent hitter prior to his senior season, and he went on to excel everywhere else. Pell, in fact, was on the mound when Skyline officially clinched the region title with a 15-7 victory at Murray.

“That was my best game,” Pell said. “I don’t remember much of a celebration afterward. I don’t really know why, but it happens.”

That game was actually full of big hits and Skyline had a big lead most of the way. Pell, in fact, smacked a home run, and Mike Staes and Josh Stephens did, too.

After the season ended, Pell stayed in the area and attended the University of Utah, where he majored in Mechanical Engineering. He said he relished his athletic career at Skyline and stayed in touch with friends like Sam Trout, Carter Allen, Devan Gomez and Mike Staes. He planned to follow the football and baseball teams in the future.

Viewmont gains repect in beating Granger

2012-02-04T08:58:00.000-08:00

On Friday, Feb. 3, I attended the Viewmont at Granger boys basketball game. The purpose was to write an article for this year's Viewmont basketball yearbook. You can see the story below.

By Bruce Smith
Matchup

It’s about time someone said it. The Viewmont Vikings are on a roll.

Coming into their game with Granger with a 7-9 overall record, the Vikings were 5-0 but not getting much respect. Friday night, they earned it.

Haden Heath scored 14 points and McKay Butler came off the bench and provided an essential spark as the Vikings whipped Granger 69-39 and remained on top of the Region 2 standings.

The win should turn a few heads. Viewmont may not have the athletic ability of some of 5A’s best, but the Vikings played better as a team than anybody.

“Thanks. It’s good to hear that,” said Viewmont coach Jeff Emery. “We had a good game, but we have to get better defensively. We are starting to stop people. We held them (the Lancers) to 35 percent. I can live with that.”

The Vikings aren’t necessarily tall, and perhaps not as athletic as a top team should be, but they make up for it with exuberance and spirited play. That was noticeable from the start. Viewmont never trailed. Heath scored six of the Vikings’ first eight points, but the real difference occurred when Butler came onto the court.

Butler, 6-foot sophomore, scored all 13 of his points in a short span in the second quarter. In fact, he had a highlight reel starting with about 5:20 left in the second quarter. In a short span, he smothered a shot by Granger’s Nick Wetenkamp, raced after the loose ball, corralled it and dribbled downcourt, where he made a beautiful, twisting layup and was fouled.

Less than 30 seconds later, he scored on another amazing play that even impressed the Granger fans.

“We have a lot of players stepping up,” said Emery nonchalantly. “Butler is starting to come around. He’s starting to learn to play at this level.”

Butler had another great game in Viewmont’s home win over Granger earlier this season. This time, on the Lancers’ home court, the Vikings were more dominant. A sign of improvement?

“We’re playing well right now,” said Emery. “We have a long ways to go if we want to play with the best, and people are expecting us now that we’re on top of our region.”

The Vikings played without junior McKay Richins, who suffered an appendicitis a few days before the game and is likely out at least two weeks. Granger was without seniorguard Mo Valladolid, the team’s second-leading scorer, and sophomore point guard Israel Tademy.

The Lancers’ offense was centered around senior Isaiah Tademy, who scored 19 points but Viewmont harassed him with various zone and box-and one defenses. Taylor Pili added nine points.

What hurt Granger was its 24 turnovers. Most were courtesy of Viewmont’s active defense, which smothered Kearns, Taylorsville and West in previous games.

None of that will matter next Tuesday, when the Vikings play host to Hunter in a game that will likely decide the region title.

“It’s a big one, that’s for sure,” Emery said. “We’ll see what happens.”

GAME SUMMARY

Viewmont 15 27 14 13 - 69
Granger 10 14 7 8 - 39

VIEWMONT (69) – Travis Tilner 2-5 0-0 5, Tanner Gamble 3-5 0-0 9, Brody Bagshaw 0-6 0-0 0, Jarom Tye 3-6 0-0 7, Haden Heath 7-10 0-0 14, McKay Butler 5-7 1-1 13, Trent Anderson 4-9 2-2 10, Aaron Dalton 2-2 0-0 4, Aaron Hewlett 1-1 0-0 2, Brody Howell 0-0 0-0 0, Spencer Nash 0-1 0-0 0, Michael Steinicke 0-2 0-0 0, Doug Hintze 0-0 0-0 0, David Black 1-1 -0 2, Jordan Alldredge 1-1 1-1 4, Brad Stafford 0-0 0-1 0, McKay Johnson 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 27-56 4-5 69.
GRANGER (39) – Arob Mandang 1-4 0-0 3, Isaiah Tademy 6-20 3-4 19, Taylor Pili 3-3 3-3 9, Nick Wetenkamp 1-6 0-0 2, Zack Ashman 1-2 0-2 2, Makol Mawien 1-1 0-1 2, Alonso Delatorre 0-0 1-2 1, Davion Jones 0-0 1-2 1, Gabe Reyes 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 13-36 8-14 39.
Total fouls: Viewmont 19, Granger 12. Fouled out: Pili. Technical fouls: None.
Three-point shooting: Viewmont 7-15 (Gamble 3, Butler 2, Tiner, Tye). Granger 5-16 (Tademy 4, Mandang).
Rebounds: Viewmont 30 (Anderson 5), Granger 26 (Tademy 6).
Turnovers: Viewmont 13, Granger 24.

Orem whips rival Provo in mock title game

2012-02-02T08:34:00.000-08:00

On Tuesday, Jan. 31, I went to Orem to cover the Orem-Provo boys basketball game. Normally, I try to avoid games that the local media covers, but they were all there on this night - with photographers, too. My story - for Orem's yearbook - appears below.

To read the other articles, click on these links: Deseret News, Salt Lake Tribune, Provo Herald.

By Bruce Smith
Matchup

Coming into the season, the Orem Tigers felt they might have a special team. But if the Tigers were going to have the success they hoped, one thing had to happen.

Step aside, Provo.

On Tuesday night, the Tigers took another step toward that goal.

Josh Pollard scored 21 points, Dalton Nixon added 18 and Cooper Holt game off the bench to ignite a first-quarter flurry as the Orem downed Provo for the second time this season, 82-65. The win improved the Tigers to 14-1 overall and 8-0 in Region 8.

It was the fourth straight win over the Bulldogs, meaning second-year coach Golden Holt has never lost to his main rival - which has 18 state titles in its history (the most of any Utah school) and has been a constant thorn to the Tigers.

“My speech before the game was this was for the (region) championship,” Holt said. “Provo hadn’t lost since the last time we played them and the game had a championship feel to it.

“I said let’s go play for a championship and see if we’re ready for state.”

Only time will tell, of course. But unlike most of Orem’s previous region games, Provo didn’t try to dictate the tempo. So, Orem did. The Tigers never trailed. They shot nearly 70 percent from the field in the first half and took a 48-26 lead.

“We just told the kids to go out there and ‘man up,’” Coach Holt said. “We got ahead and there wasn’t anything they could do about the tempo.”

Cooper Holt entered only a few minutes into the game and scored 10 points in a span of just a couple of minutes. In fact, just as Provo’s fans started singing, “Daddy’s boy,” Holt nailed four baskets, including a couple of treys.

Provo coach Craig Drury noted the difference in the game immediately.

“Holt just killed us,” he said. “He came in there and hit those shots from everywhere. I thought we were a good defensive team, but we didn’t show it.”

Holt’s play got the Tigers on a roll and, for long stretches, Orem could do no wrong. They shot 63 percent through the third quarter before Coach Holt started substituting. The Tigers’ largest lead was 75-50 with 4:50 remaining in the game.

Drury said the Bulldogs’ 52-50 win over another rival – Timpview – just four days earlier might have affected his team. Playing on Orem’s home floor without Christopher Moore, who was out with a sprained ankle, also didn’t help.

Regardless, the real difference seemed to be the usual factors – Orem’s length, depth, shooting ability, rebounding, etc…

Provo didn’t go down without a fight. Dallin Bosco, the son of the legendary BYU quarterback, had 25 points and nailed four three-pointers to keep the Bulldogs close until he grew tired near the end. Center Jonny Flake was a thorn inside and finished with 12 points and six rebounds. Adam Finch added 11 points.

Provo, however, couldn’t stay with Orem at that pace. They came closer – 60-49 – three weeks ago and other Region opponents followed Drury’s idea to slow the pace. On team – Springville - even stalled profusely to get Orem out of its element.

Drury, who has won more state titles than any other Utah coach, didn’t have any coaching magic tonight.

“There are still six games left and they (the Tigers) still have to perform, but we’re going to have a tough time getting that No. 1 seed (in the 4A state tournament).”

The 82 points Provo gave up was a season high (to date). The Bulldogs narrowed the gap in the third quarter, but Pollard. Nixon and Zach Hunsaker kept them from getting too close.

GAME SUMMARY

Provo 11 15 20 19 - 65
Orem 23 25 15 19 - 82

PROVO (65) – Adam Finch 5-10 0-0 11, Dallin Bosco 10-18 1-2 25, Wesley Bosco 2-7 3-3 7, Cole Gordon 0-1 0-0 0, Jonny Flake 3-6 6-7 12, Russell Isom 0-1 2-2 2, Kameron Hamilton 0-0 2-2 2, Jordan Tanner 0-0 0-0 0, Brian Carter 0-0 2-2 2, Bryson Hunter 0-1 0-0 0, Robert Dean 1-1 2-2 4. Totals 21-45 18-20 65;
OREM (82) – Zach Hunsaker 6-9 2-4 16, Quinn Peters 0-3 4-4 4, Jordan Darger 1-4 2-3 4, Josh Pollard 8-9 5-8 21, Dalton Nixon 7-10 2-2 18, Cooper Holt 5-8 0-0 12, Christian Clark 1-3 0-0 2, Cole Payne 0-1 0-0 0, David Runyan 1-1 0-0 2, Jago De Piano 1-2 0-0 3, Ethen Chatterly 0-0 0-0 0, Parker Overly 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 30-50 15-21 82.
Total fouls: Orem 20, Provo 19. Fouled out: Darger. Technical fouls: None.
Three-point shooting: Provo 5-18 (D. Bosco 4, Finch). Orem 3-14 (Hunsaker 2, Nixon 2, Holt 2, De Piano).
Rebounds: Provo 17 (Finch, Flake 5). Orem 28 (Darger 6).
Turnovers: Provo 16, Orem 15.

Bingham football yearbook: Tuifua profile

2012-01-30T13:31:00.000-08:00

Here is my feature article on Bingham senior running back Tisi Tuifua. This article is being published in Bingham's 2011 football yearbook.

Tisi
Tuifua:

His run got Bingham to a good start,
but football was just part of fine year

By Bruce Smith
Matchup

Tisi Tuifua admitted he was looking forward to his senior season for a long time.

Tuifua, a 6-foot-1, 210-pound running back, was part of Bingham’s two state championships. As a junior, he carried the ball sparingly but moved into the starting lineup in the Miners’ title-game victory over Fremont at Rice-Eccles Stadium.

Bingham’s depth at fullback and his own shyness put him on the bench to start 2011. Tuifua said he wanted to showcase his skills. It didn’t take long.

On Bingham’s third play, Tuifua entered the game, took a handoff from quarterback Brady Lail, found a hole and sprinted 80 yards for a touchdown.

“I had never scored a (varsity) touchdown until then,” Tuifua said. “The best part was I was able to see my dad’s reaction. The play was ’31-zone.’ My tailback (Daniel Palepoi) blocked for me and he had a wonderful block. I’m sure anyone could have scored, but I ran fast.

“I used my speed for the weight I didn’t have,” he added.

The quick score gave Bingham a 7-0 lead. It was one of four touchdowns Tuifua had during the season. The Miners were deep at fullback, and Tuifua split time with two other players, including his good friend, Shinji Ishigaki. He finished with 238 yards on just 19 carries, but that set the school’s season record for highest average yards per carry.

He also caught three passes for six yards. But what made him the most proud was his grades, scoring well on the ACT exam and being named to the Region 4 All-Academic team.

“Getting good grades has always been important,” he said. “I want to get an academic scholarship (into college.”

He set himself apart doing both.

His quick touchdown was important for the Miners, who were wondering what kind of success they would have after dominating the previous two years. Tuifua’s 4.4 speed (in the 40-yard dash) made a big difference.

That play also put a damper on West Jordan’s upset hopes. The Jaguars, the Miners’ neighborhood rival, believed they had one of their best teams ever but quickly found themselves behind 20-0.

Bingham coach Dave Peck admitted afterward how happy he was to see the Miners came out and play well after losing so many talented players the year before.

“I don’t think these guys know they aren’t as good as previous Bingham teams,” Peck said. “They think they’re the next great Bingham squad.”

Overall, the season didn’t go as well as the previous two years, but Tuifua wasn’t disappointed. He said there were too many great accomplishments, including some of his own.

“Obviously, it had a disappointing end,” he said. “We did get better through the season; we just didn’t get good enough. It was still a good year, and I developed a lot of friendships, especially with the younger kids.”

Tuifua played a big role – on and off the field. Tuifua admitted he has a good singing voice and was part of the school’s Glee Club. In addition, he served as a Student Body Officer as Vice President of Records. It’s a role he relished and kept him busy throughout the year. When he wasn’t at the many Bingham workout sessions and practices, he was representing the SBOs at other school events.

Truth this, Tuifua accomplished quite a bit since moving over from Riverton when he was 14 years old.

Tuifua said his favorite memory was the bus ride home from Rice-Eccles Stadium after beating Fremont his junior year. He also appreciated the relationship the Bingham football and volleyball teams had as they supported each other at games.

When the football season ended, Tuifua’s great experiences continued. As an SBO, he continued to be active in every school event. He planned to attend college. He may not have had the statistics to get a football scholarship, but he had too much going for him to continue to find success.

Skyline girls top Oly in region rivalry game

2012-01-27T21:41:00.000-08:00

On Jan. 27, I watched the Skyline girls beat Olympus in a battle for supremacy in Region 7. It was a pleasure to watch these teams. I know the coaches well and understand all the effort they put into their teams. Here's the article I wrote for their basketball yearbooks.

Tuinei, Aberton spark Eagles to rivalry win

By Bruce Smith
Matchup

It was rivalry night at Skyline and Olympus high schools. While most of the fans likely jammed Oly’s gym to watch the boys game, it was a busy night at Skyline where the girls decided first place in the Region 7 race.

Miquelle Askew scored 15 points and Ashley Aberton had 13 as the Eagles downed the Titans to take a two-game lead in the region standings. At least, that’s how the media reported it.

If you were there, you had to see it much differently.

Ta’a Tuinei had just two points. That was well below her 7.8 points per game average, but she and Aberton seemed to be all over the court. Together, they created havoc on both ends of the floor as Skyline won its ninth straight game.

Tuinei had 14 rebounds as Skyline held a 36-18 advantage in that department. She also lunged out the perimeter in the Eagles’ zone defense and blocked four shots.

“She was the key,” said Skyline coach Deb Bennett. “She’ll probably leave here as the career leader.”

Aberton, meanwhile, used her superior speed and quickness to break Oly’s press and pass the ball to open teammates. The Titans had far more depth, but no defender could catch up to her.

She was credited with just one assist, but what she meant on the court was far more.

“She has an extra gear that nobody else has,” Bennett said.

The win improved Skyline to 11-5 overall and 5-0 in region. The Eagles have a two-game lead in the standings with just five to play. Olympus had its chance, but fell to 8-7 overall and 3-2.

Oly coach Kael Ashton said he was feeling pretty good early because the Titans got the shots they wanted. Oly had a couple of nice scoring runs early in the game and actually had a four-point lead at one point. Ashton, however, noted that Skyline got transition baskets off blocks, missed shots and 18 Titan turnovers to put the Eagles back in front.

Skyline led 23-19 at halftime, and held Oly scoreless for the first four minutes of the second half. The Eagles slowly built the lead behind the scoring of Askew, who also snared 11 rebounds, Aberton and sophomore Sydnee Taylor (nine points).

“Other teams have double-teamed and thrown a box-and-one on Miquelle, but other players are stepping up,” Bennett said. “It all starts at the point, though, where Ashley has that leadership role, and she wants it.”

Oly’s superior depth (the Titans used 11 players) wasn’t much of a factor. Rachel VanderToolen had a fine performance, with 17 points, but she was the only player who consistently tried to go to the basket.

That fact surprised Ashton, especially after they had done it so many times in recent games.

“We had a lot of missed opportunities,” he said. “We are a senior-laden team and are used to playing in big games. We were jittery.”

GAME SUMMARY

Olympus 9 10 7 6 - 32
Skyline 10 13 10 11 - 44

OLYMPUS (32) – Janie Egan 1-3 0-0 2, Rachel VanderToolen 4-5 7-13 17, Kenzie Droubay 3-8 0-1 6, Lily Besler 0-2 0-0 0, Jen Nichols 1-5 0-0 2, Kristan Smith 0-3 0-0 0, Morgan Oliphant 1-4 0-0 2, Lizzie Egan 1-2 0-0 3, Ellie Gillet 0-0 0-0 0, Jessie Mahas 0-1 0-0 0, Alyssa Meredith 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 11-35 7-14 32.
SKYLINE (44) – Ashley Aberton 3-7 7-9 13, Ta’a Tuinei 1-6 0-0 2, Miquelle Askew 7-15 1-2 15, India Phidnis 1-1 0-1 2, Sydnee Taylor 3-9 3-8 9, Mia Mortensen 1-1 1-1 3, Caroline Li 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 16-39 12-21 44.
Total fouls: Olympus 16, Skyline 13. Fouled out: J. Egan. Technical fouls: Li.
Three-point shooting: Olympus 3-9 (VanderToolen 2, L. Egan). Skyline 0-4.
Rebounds: Olympus 18 (VanderToolen 5), Skyline 36 (Tuinei 14).
Turnovers: Olympus 18, Skyline 16.

Bingham 2011 football recap

2012-01-27T15:09:00.000-08:00

Here's the article I wrote for the Bingham 2011 football yearbook, which looked back on the Miners' season.

You can’t win them all
Miners fell short in bid for third title
but the program is still at its peak,
and continued to play at a high level

By Bruce Smith
Matchup

These days, a lot is expected from the Bingham Miners football team.

Coming into the 2011 season, they were the two-time defending 5A state champions. They had won 24 straight games and were nationally ranked. The local media suggested coach Dave Peck’s 2010 squad was the best Utah high school football team ever.

“We had a lot to live up to,” admitted Peck. “And we won’t back down from any challenge. The kids know this is big-time football and they are part of it.”

The Miners didn’t quite make it to a third straight title, but it wasn’t without trying. Bingham finished with a 9-3 overall record and second place in Region 4. Its winning streak eventually reached a school record 26 games. Bingham lost to a quality Southern California school and the two teams that eventually met for the state title – Lone Peak and Fremont.

“If you would have asked me at the start of the season, I’d say, ‘9-3 is good,” Peck said. “But at the end, I felt like we could have been in that state championship game. Losing to Fremont was a letdown and the kids wanted another shot at Lone Peak.”

Bingham lost 15 Division I players from last year’s team, and a lot of younger players were asked to step up. The Miners also got big plays from guys like Jared Afalava, Brady Lail, Daniel Palepoi, Hayden Weichers, Will Nasilai, Poasi Taukeiaho and others.

“We played a lot of kids,” Peck said. “We had 13 sophomores and some freshmen come up. That should pay dividends.”

Bingham won its opener 45-28 over West Jordan, but it was costly. The Miners were immediately hampered by injuries. They lost wide receiver Josh Davis, offensive lineman Thomas Hippler and linebacker Taylor Hansen. An injury (concussion) to Palepoi midway through the Lone Peak game played a key role in that outcome.

Running backs like Tonga Manu, Tisi Tuifua and others stepped up, and the strong-armed Lail provided a more precise passing attack. Peck said Bingham won’t accept any kind of dropoff. Bingham will lose 34 seniors, but everything is in place these days for the Miners to simply reload.

The future looks bright. The Miners’ junior varsity and sophomore teams each finished with 7-1 records. With Lone Peak and Fremont being senior-laden, Bingham should again be a candidate to win it all in 2012.

Peck said there were many highlights of 2011. Bingham had its share of local media attention. The Miners played before huge home crowds and were usually the primary game on every opponent’s schedule. Bingham played on a local television a couple of times, defeated rival Alta for the fourth straight time at Rice-Eccles Stadium, visited sunny Southern California over Labor Day weekend, thrilled its home fans with a thrashing of Cottonwood at homecoming and made it to the 5A quarterfinals.

Three players – Afalava, Palepoi and Taukeiaho – made the all-state team. At press time, Afalava proved to be the lone Division I recruit, signing a letter-of-intent to play at Nebraska. He anchored a defense that will go down in history as one of the school’s best ever.

While the offense had its bright points, the defense gave up an average of less than 16 points per game. If you don’t count the night Lone Peak put up 45 with its MVP quarterback – Chase Hansen – that statistic is even more impressive.

After the Lone Peak loss, the defense gave up just seven points – a single touchdown – in wins over American Fork, Pleasant Grove and Lehi, plus its first-round playoff opponent, Kearns. Three straight shutouts tied a school record.

“What impressed me the most was how we came back from the Lone Peak game,” Peck said. “The kids were disappointed, but they played their guts out after that.”

There were no region or state championships this year, but Bingham football is still at its peak. After over 100 years, the football program is a driving force in the student’s tradition and confidence. It continues to make everyone associated proud to be a Miner and – for that – there is no end in sight.

Bingham football yearbook: Palepoi feature

2012-01-27T15:01:00.000-08:00

Here's an article I wrote on Bingham High School running back Daniel Palepoi for the team's football yearbook.

Daniel Palepoi:

Bruising running back was key figure
in Miners’ bid for another state title

By Bruce Smith
Matchup

Daniel Palepoi’s high school football career certainly didn’t follow a straight line.

Palepoi, a bruising 5-foot-11, 225-pounder, was the youngest of 14 kids and moved to Salt Lake from Las Vegas prior to his junior year and lived with his sister.

Although he had been used primarily on the defensive line and at linebacker, Bingham coach Dave Peck knew his brother, Anton, was in the NFL. Peck immediately viewed Daniel as the successor to Harvey Langi, the Miners’ all-time rushing leader who graduated last year.

“We saw him as being our ‘go-to’ guy,” Peck said.

Palepoi remembered how the change took place.

“Bingham wanted me at fullback or linebacker,” he recalled. “Coach Keith (Chatelain) saw me catch some passes and that’s how it started.”

As a junior, Palepoi carried just 20 times and averaged 10 yards per carry. As a senior, he opened the season with a 170-yard performance against West Jordan and was a workhorse the next week against Alta, carrying the ball 29 times at Rice-Eccles Stadium.

Perhaps just as importantly, he helped the Miners dominate time of possession and keep it out of Alta’s hands.

“My offensive line made me look better than I was,” Palepoi said. “It was tough for a guy like me to come in after Harvey Langi. I was kind of scared to fill his shoes.”

That fear didn’t last long. Palepoi had injury issues all year, but finished with 1,180 yards and scored 12 touchdowns. He averaged 6.5 yards per carry and was an even bigger workhorse than Langi. He carried the ball 182 times, despite missing 2.5 games with a concussion suffered against Lone Peak and the outcome still in doubt.

“I don’t remember much about that game,” he said.

Most everyone else did.

In front of a full stadium and a locally televised audience, they remember that Palepoi had 113 yards on 19 carries in the first half as Bingham trailed just 21-17. The Miners actually took the lead in the third period on a run by Tonga Manu, but the offense couldn’t keep up.

Palepoi watched the rest of that game from the sidelines, and Peck had to find an alternative until he was ready to return.

“It was tough because Daniel gives you the power and the speed combination," Peck said. "I wasn’t taking any chances with it. At that point in the season, the No. 1 thing was getting healthy."

With the defense dominating opponents, Palepoi wasn’t necessarily needed. He remained out until Bingham’s “Senior Night” game against Pleasant Grove. Remembering that contest put a big smile on his face. He rushed for 212 yards on just 14 carries and scored three touchdowns.

“That was my best game,” Palepoi said. “The week before, they (the Vikings) had lost to Lone Peak by just 17-0 and they were all hyped up.”

Palepoi had scoring runs of 2, 72 and 55 yards in the 41-0 victory. He enjoyed being on the field that night and admitted to having an extra skip in his step. Putting Palepoi in the backfield again also fueled his teammates, who wanted another shot at Lone Peak with him at full strength.

It never happened, of course, but that only left questions of “what if.” Still, there were too many good memories to be disappointed.

“I think I’ll remember the Alta game most,” Palepoi said. “It was well-publicized and they said they would beat us and everyone had us as the underdog. Coach Peck told me that I might have 30 carries, but I didn’t believe he was serious.”

It turned out that was Palepoi’s introduction to how important he would be for Bingham this season, regardless of how he got there.

Kearns rallies to beat Granger

2012-01-25T20:41:00.000-08:00

On Tuesday, Jan. 24, I attended the Kearns-Granger boys basketball game. It was a close contest between west-side rivals. I wrote a nice article for the Kearns yearbook, which you can see below. I didn't get a chance to interview the Granger coach (Bernie Graziano), but hoped to get him later. Here's the story:

By Bruce Smith
Matchup

Kearns coach Dan Cosby came into Tuesday night’s game against Granger trying to find an offense that seemed disorganized.

The Cougars came in averaging less than 50 points per game. Even worse, Region 2 leader Viewmont had held them to 25 a few days before. Turns out it was the defense that inspired the offense in Kearns’ 52-45 win over rival Granger.

Taylor Yager scored 14 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter as Kearns rallied from an 11-point deficit to pull out the win on its home court. Dayon Goodman added 17 points. However, despite those impressive statistics, it was the defense that saved the game.

“We had really been struggling over the last … seven quarters,” said Cosby. “We have really been trying to find our identity.”

Trailing 31-25 entering the fourth quarter, Kearns employed a box-and-one defense against Granger’s Isaiah Tademy. The gimmick worked well. Tademy still scored all 14 of Granger’s points in the final period, but Kearns forced several turnovers and changed the games momentum.

“We knew he (Tademy) liked to shoot the outside shot, and didn’t want to go inside,” Cosby said. “We made him pass the ball and see if the other guys could beat us.”

They couldn’t. Tademy finished with an amazing 33 points. The 6-foot-6 senior was obviously the best player on the court. His statistics were extraordinary. He showed his three-point shooting ability, but also connected on 18-of-20 free throws and added 10 rebounds.

Funny thing, thought. When Kearns adjusted its defense to focus on him, Granger only tried harder to feed him the ball.

Going into the fourth quarter with a 31-26 lead, Granger recognized that Kearns had increased its defensive pressure and just handed the ball to its star player and asked him to make a play. He scored on four consecutive possessions to give his team a 39-34 lead.

He couldn’t keep it up, however, and Granger’s problem was turnovers. They had 26 of them, and Kearns became a fast-breaking club in the fourth quarter with Yager leading the way. After Dayon Goodman scored to tie the game with 3:28 left, Yager swept to the basket, thanks to a nice screen from teammate Afuvai Le’iato, and scored on a layup and Kearns had its first lead.

The small, but vocal Kearns crowd went crazy and the players recognized it. Quickly the game got out of hand.

Goodman scored inside and then Yager poured it on with six straight points. In less than two minutes, Kearns had built an eight-point lead.

“Taylor wants to play at the next level (college) and I told him, ‘you have to show you are’ and he did that tonight,” Cosby said.

Cosby also praised Jarvis Andrews (7 points, 11 rebounds) and Kyle Runyon for their play. The 27-point fourth quarter was a season high and also gave Kearns momentum for the future.

Only time will tell if it lasts.

GAME SUMMARY

Granger 12 9 10 14 - 45
Kearns 5 8 12 27 - 52

GRANGER (45) – Israel Tademy 0-4 0-1 0, Zach Buchanan 1-5 3-3 5, Mo Valladolid 2-7 0-0 4, Isaiah Tademy 6-10 18-20 33, Taylor Pili 1-6 0-2 2, Makol Mawien 0-0 1-2 1, Arob Mandang 0-0 0-0 0, Nick Wetenkamp 0-1 0-0 0, Alonso Delatorre 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 10-33 22-29 45.
KEARNS (52) – Taylor Yager 6-11 8-10 20, Afuvai Le’iato 1-7 1-4 3, Skyler Peterson 0-1 0-0 0, Jarvis Andrews 3-7 1-4 7, Dayon Goodman 6-10 3-5 17, Kyle Runyon 0-1 0-0 0, Jordan Harvey 0-4 1-2 1, Tanner Westenskow 0-0 1-2 1, Darrell Allen 0-0 0-0 0, Lehi Afatasi 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 17-41 15-27 52.
Total fouls: Granger 23, Kearns 20. Fouled out: Pili. Technical fouls: Buchanan, Yager.
Three-point shooting: Granger 3-11 (Isaiah Tademy 3). Kearns 3-6 (Goodman 2, Yager).
Rebounds: Kearns 28 (Andrews 11), Granger 24 (Isaiah Tademy 10).
Turnovers: Granger 26, Kearns 23.

I'm back - and BUSY

2012-01-25T09:43:00.001-08:00

I've been working with a lot of different people regarding my "Matchup" business, including a guy who has informed me how important social media can be. I'm so busy, and doing a lot of writing, so I'm going to once again begin posting my articles here on this blog. That way, you can see them and note what I'm doing.

So, here we go. Look for a bunch of new blogs soon.

BRUCE

Olympus Beats Bingham

2009-12-16T07:57:00.000-08:00

High school basketball in Utah is in full swing and, on Dec. 15, I attended a game between top-ranked Bingham and Olympus.

I was considering the West Jordan at Brighton contest, but I received word that the Deseret News would be there. Since part of my goal is to cover games the other media doesn't, I chose Oly-Bingham because I thought it would be a great matchup.

It was. Nicholas Paulos scored 22 points, and Paulos, Ben Sonntag and Joe Bourne hit some key free throws down the stretch as the Titans held off Bingham 68-63 in a non-region game.

It was Bingham's first loss. The game had a great high-school atmosphere. Oly led for most of it, but Bingham made a nice rally to make it close at the end. Certainly Bingham wasn't happy to lose, but the Miners played hard and showed a lot of grit.

To read my game story, click here, and then scroll to the game.

Afterward, I found Bingham coach Mark Dubach and asked to interview him. Dubach is a volatile coach during the game, but was very nice afterward. However, he declined to be interviwed. He said, "I only talk after wins."

I guess we can add that little eccentricity to our knowledge of Dubach. I had spoken to him earlier in the day, and he seemed like a nice guy. There's a lot more to learn about him, so now I know.

I found Olympus coach Matt Barnes, and he always likes to talk to the media. Barnes said he and Dubach attended Olympus High together back in the mid-1980s. Barnes was the school's basketball star (judging from all the school records he owns) and he said Dubach was the school's baseball phenom.

Barnes talked about his team. He said Paulos is still recovering from mononucleosis, but is getting into form on the basketball court. Paulos had a great game, nailing 6-6 free throws (the fans call him "automatic") and a couple of three-pointers. He's a good guy to have the ball near the end of the game.

Will Watkins sported a cut near is right eye in practice Monday. The cut was covered with a bandage during the game, but reopened when he got hit while battle Shad Sommerville for a rebound. He had to leave the game with a trainer, but returned shortly afterward.

What makes Olympus so impressive is they four players who are 6-6, one 6-5 and three 6-4 guys. And they can all play.

If Oly could get Bourne to shoot a little better (2-6 on free throws tonight), they would be a state title contender.

Here are a few other things I noticed:

* - Bingham's MVP was Sommerville. The guy is dynamite. He had 23 points, and seemed to score whenever Bingham needed it. If I had to pick one guy from Bingham's lineup for my team, he would be my choice.
* - Ben Clifford is good, too. He's 6-8, and had a nice game with 19 points and seven rebounds, even though he was in foul trouble. He also seems to be a man of many talents. Late in the game, Bingham set up a play for Clifford to shoot a three-pointer. It was a nice shot, but missed. Still, the fact that the play was set up for him says something.
* - Late in the game, when Clifford had four fouls, Oly tried to get him to commit another. Several Bingham players came to his aid, and that was impressive, even to Oly fans.
* - I was also impressed with Oly's Andrew Pellatt. He's the 6-5 guy who was often matchup against Clifford. Pellatt didn't show me much against Box Elder, but he was awesome against Bingham. He had six points and six rebounds, and made several big plays. He's also another example of how deep Olympus seems to be.
* - Lastly, Bingham's three top players (Sommerville, Nate Girsberger and Clifford) accounted for 58 of Bingham's 63 points. The Miners need more help from guys like Ty Hannay, Michael Arnell, Spencer Brown, Logan Parker, etc... If Bingham is going to win the 5A state title, at least one other guy has to step up.

Covering Olympus-Box Elder

2009-12-04T22:04:00.000-08:00

Today was a fun day. I was getting ready to attend a local high school basketball game when James Edward, the prep editor of the Deseret News, called and asked me to cover a game.
He suggested the Olympus-Box Elder matchup, so I headed over there tonight. There wasn’t a big crowd, but it was an entertaining game.
Olympus won 50-36, but only pulled it out at the end, scoring the game's final 16 points. Afterward, I thought Box Elder coach Keith Mecham might be bent out of shape, but he was a class act.
I also debuted my new stat sheet, and it worked beautifully. There is a box score at the bottom of this blog (below). Now I'm able to keep multiple stats faster. I'm excited to cover future games.
As for this game, here are a few things I noticed:
* - Oly can't shoot. At least not yet. They hit just 35 percent of their shots (3-16 from three-point land). Point guard Joe Bourne threw up several bricks. He was 0-4 from the field and 2-5 from the free-throw line. Oly really doesn't have a true point guard. Bourne is the closest thing. He does other things well, but hit shot is off.
* - Box Elder guard Brant Mecham hit 0-12 shots, but at least he kept shooting. That's what a shooter does. Eventually those shots will fall. I know he was disappointed tonight, but he'll have great games, too. Coach Mecham wasn't worried.
* - Guard Nicholas Paulos didn't score. I kept waiting for him to make a difference in this game, but he never did. Coach Barnes said he has mononucleosis. Well, now I understand. I hope he gets better soon. He makes Oly a lot better team.
* - I got to the game early and spoke to a lot of Oly people, including coach Barnes, football coach Mike Smith, counselor (and amateur photographer) Julie Fairbourne and a few others. I like Olympus, and I also met some new people. It's also worth it to arrive early and get "in" to the game before tipoff.
Below is my game story, which I submitted to the Deseret News. There's also a detailed box score at the bottom. It appears I may also get to submit game stories to the Utahsportsaction.com website soon. I spoke to them today. That should be fun.

By Bruce Smith
For The Deseret News

Imagine the Olympus Titans as a light switch. For three and one-half quarters Friday night, it’s questionable whether or not it was working.
But for the last four minutes, there was no doubt.
Will Watkins scored 16 points, including the go-ahead three-point basket, as Olympus scored the game’s final 16 points and beat Box Elder 50-36 in a non-region game.
Obviously, the game was closer than the score indicated. Olympus led most of the way, but the Bees rallied behind the inspired play of guard Cody Eyre to take a 44-39 lead going into the final quarter.
“We played a good game. We limited them, and they’re a legitimate 70-point run-and-shoot team,” said Box Elder coach Keith Mecham.
That was true. Olympus was as a hot-shooting team last season, but this year’s team hasn’t looked so promising yet. Sharpshooter Nicholas Paulos has been hampered by an illness, and the team has yet to show the same marksmanship.
But the Titans scored the first four points of the fourth quarter and regained the momentum, forcing Mecham to quickly call a timeout. Unfortunately, it didn’t help.
“It is a gutty win,” said Olympus coach Matt Barnes, whose Titans improved to 3-0.
Barnes, of course, was more concerned with Oly’s third-quarter problem, an eight-minute time frame when Box Elder outscored the Titans 14-7. He noted that his team has had trouble immediately after halftime in each game this season, although that was only evident the last two games.
The Titans erased Box Elder’s lead quickly, forcing five fourth-quarter turnovers. Watkins, Connor Brady, Manny Riak, Joe Bourne and Spencer Harris scored to put the game away.
Box Elder didn’t score the last four minutes of the game. Eyre, who led the Bees with 13 points, hit some amazing shots early, but ended up 6-14 from the field because he always seemed to have a hand in his face in the fourth period.
The Bees’ leading scorer, Brant Mecham, also was handcuffed, but for the entire game. Mecham, the team’s leading scorer last year, whiffed on all 12 of his shots Friday. His only points came on 3-4 free throws.
“We did a nice job on him. He lit us up last year,” noted Barnes. “We really did turn up the defense in the last quarter.”
Keith Mecham noted that, too. He said once Watkins’ big trey gave Oly a 39-36 lead, his team also played differently.
“We were trying to put them away too early,” he said. “Once Watkins hit that shot, we kind of panicked.”
Box Elder was also forced to foul and Olympus, which hit just 13-22 charity shots for the game, hit most of them down the stretch.
Brady backed up Watkins with 15 points and Riak, who started in place of Paulos, had 10. Justus Brown and Chad Talbot had six points each for Box Elder. Talbot also had a game-high nine rebounds.

Box Elder 10 10 14 2 - 36
Olympus 13 9 7 21 - 50

BOX ELDER (36) – Munns 2-5 0-1 4, Eyre 6-14 0-1 13, Brown 3-7 0-0 6, Talbot 3-8, 0-0 6, Mecham 0-12 3-4 3, Barlow 1-2 2-3 4, Clawson 0-1 0-0 0, Mund 0-0 0-0 0, Jensen 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 15-49 5-9 36.

OLYMPUS (50) – Riak 4-10 1-2 10, Bourne 0-4 2-5 2, Watkins 5-10 5-6 16, Brady 6-11 2-3 15, Sonntag 2-5 0-2 4, Pellatt 0-1 0-0 0, Paulos 0-2 0-0 0, Harris 0-3 3-4 3, Reynolds 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 17-47 13-22 50.

Total fouls: Box Elder 20, Olympus 13. Fouled out: None. Technical fouls: None. Three-point goals: Box Elder 1-15 (Eyre 1), Olympus 3-16 (Riak, Watkins, Brady). Rebounds: Box Elder 31 (Talbot 9), Olympus 35 (Bourne, Brady 7). Turnovers: Box Elder 17, Olympus 9. Blocked shots: Box Elder 4 (Brown, Talbot, Mecham, Clawson), Olympus 1 (Bourne).

Basketball season begins

2009-12-02T08:29:00.000-08:00

The Utah high school basketball season has started and, on opening night, I decided to check out the Cottonwood at Taylorsville game.

Why that game? It was convenient. I will try to see each team in the area at least once this season, choosing the best games of the night. I also want to make sure I don't go to the same games the local media is covering.

There was a decent crowd at Taylorsville, and it was a good game. Afterward, I visited with both coaches and learned a lot more about their teams. I also used a new scoresheet, which helped me compile game stats.

Here is a game story I wrote, as well as statistics. I hope to cover 1-2 games a week from now on.

By Bruce Smith
MatchupUT.com

TAYLORSVILLE – In the season opener for both teams, the Cottonwood Colts left the gym with a good feeling, while the Taylorsville Warriors wondered what might have been.
The Colts got 17 points from senior Raymond Chavez, and blitzed the Warriors with steady three-point shooting, to earn a 56-53 victory in a non-region game.
Afterward, however, Taylorsville coach Ron Burnside was upset that this one got away. He felt Taylorsville had a lot more it could have shown the home crowd.
“We had our big guy out and that hurt us,” said Burnside, referring to 6-foot-7 senior Yai Ajak, who reportedly had a death in his family. “We didn’t rebound. We needed to have that big guy.”
Ajak’s departure basically meant this was a battle between two evenly matched, perimeter-oriented teams, and Cottonwood came away with the win for two reasons.
* - The Colts were able to bury three-pointers. As a team, they connected on 9-16 shots from beyond the arc, led by Chavez and Parker Vassau, who had three apiece.
* - The Colts hit a big basket, and prevented Taylorsville from doing the same. Holding a three-point lead with two minutes left, Cottonwood held the ball for a minute before Chavez found Tim Glenn on a backdoor cut, and Glenn responded with a layup. Taylorsville had a chance to tie the game in the final seconds, but never got a good look on a three-point shot.
Cottonwood coach Dave McConnell was happy how his team responded in key times, especially near the end.
“We wanted to put them to sleep and make them think we were going to stall,” he said.
McConnell said Glenn, a senior who had four points and four rebounds, was his team’s player of the game.
“He did a lot of things tonight without the ball, so he gets the game ball,” he said. “We couldn’t have done it without him.”
Besides the Colts’ late-game basket, there were two other times that Cottonwood responded well.
Trailing 12-7, Cottonwood opened the second quarter with eight straight points, including a pair of threes by Chavez, and never trailed again. Then, after a scoreboard snafu caused caused a brief delay in the third period, the Colts came out and put in a pair of treys.
Taylorsville was able to stay close, thanks primarily to the play of Andrew Togiai, who led the Warriors with 15 points, and the shooting of the Wright brothers – Wesley and Brady – who added 14 and 13.
“We competed well as a team,” said Burnside. “We have two slashers and two shooters, and that showed tonight. But I sure would like to see how we would do if we were at full strength.”

Cottonwood 7 17 23 9 - 56
Taylorsville 12 8 19 14 - 53

COTTONWOOD (56) – Chavez 4-7 6-8 17, Carter 0-2 1-2 1, Glenn 2-2 0-1 4, Kristensen 1-3 3-3 5, Dooley 1-4 0-0 2, Smith 3-6 2-4 10, Lundquist 2-4 0-1 5, Vassau 3-3 1-1 10, Malugin 1-2 0-2 2. Totals 17-35 13-22 56.
TAYLORSVILLE (53) – Togiai 5-9 3-3 15, Meters 1-3 2-2 4, W. Wright 6-10 0-0 14, McCloyn 2-7 3-4 7, Roper 0-1 0-0 0, Saelim 0-1 0-0 0, B. Wright 4-7 3-4 13. Totals 18-40 11-15 53.
Total fouls: Cottonwood 12, Taylorsville 17. Fouled out: None. Technical fouls: McCloyn. Three-point goals: Cottonwood 9-16 (Chavez 3, Vassau 3, Smith 2, Glenn). Taylorsville 6-19 (Togiai 2, W. Wright 2, B. Wright 2). Rebounds: Cottonwood 22 (Glenn 4), Taylorsville 24 (Togiai 4). Turnovers: Cottonwood 17, Taylorsville 17.

Alta does it again

2009-11-07T11:05:00.000-08:00

For the second consecutive week, I had the chance to cover the Alta High School football team. The Hawks defeated Cottonwood 37-13 in a 5A quarterfinal contest at Alta.

It was a beautiful day for football. Sunny skies, only a little bit of wind, with temperatures in the upper 50s. I wore a coat, but didn't need it until late in the game.

Alta is a great team. The Hawks don't beat themselves. They make you beat them. Cottonwood and Alta faced off in the first game of the regular season, and the Hawks dominated, 59-20. QB Jordan Brown is the offensive leader, and had a great game. But to beat Alta, you have to hold down their receivers.

Zach Liston, Skyler Mayne and Tyron Morris each had great games, and they made Brown look good. Alta's offensive line usually gave Brown time to throw, and Cottonwood couldn't keep up. With the win, Alta advanced to play Bingham in one 5A semifinal game at Rice-Eccles Stadium. In the other game, Hunter will play Davis.

I'm trying to avoid disrespecting Hunter and Davis, but you have to figure the Alta-Bingham winner will be favored in the 5A championship game. Alta is the two-time defending 5A champion, but Bingham should be favored to win next week's game because the Miners edged Alta earlier this year.

Cottonwood looked good in the first quarter of this game. QB Crosby Jensen hit Tim Glenn a few times and RB Nadan Hosea earned the majority of his yardage. The defense also stopped Alta on its first two drives. The Colts hurt themselves, though, when Jensen threw an interception that led to Alta's points. Cottonwood also settled for field goals, instead of touchdowns, and couldn't gain a lot of momentum.

This is Cottonwood's first year back in 5A, and the Colts were respectable, although they believe they should win it all. They simply don't have the depth and talent like Alta and Bingham ... not yet at least. Cottonwood finished with an 8-4 record, and lost to teams that are still playing. Cheers for Cottonwood for playing a tough schedule, and for challenging itself to be the best team possible.

Cheers also for both teams in that they played with class. In the first game they played, there was some on-field talk between the teams, and it may have lacked sportsmanship. This game was different.

So, what do I remember most from this game?

* - Realistically, it wasn't that memorable, except I believe I learned more about Alta's football team. That may come in handy next week when I watch the big semifinal contest. Steve Luhm was there, representing the Salt Lake Tribune. I used to work with Steve when were both at the Tribune, and he is a good guy. He's a big asset to the Trib's sports department, and it was a pleasure to hang out with them at this game.

* - Alta's receivers aren't that fast, but they're quick. They also broke a lot of tackles that led to big plays. Alta had four pass plays over 40 yards. What's sad is they are in the same region as Jordan's great receivers, so it's possible some of those guys won't make first team all-region, even though they might deserve it.

* - Cottonwood's uniforms. The Colts' colors are yellow, black and white, and they sometimes differentiate their uniforms for each game. I like that. Alta wears all black at home, with grey numbers. The numbers are somewhat difficult to read from a distance, but I've noticed a number of teams are going with that kind of design.

* - The homes that overlook Alta's field. They are above the stadium, on a small hill, and it gives the homeowners great views of the games. There are some disadvantages to east-facing homes, but if I lived there, I would host parties every night Alta plays at home.

* - The game started at 4 p.m., and it was a bright afternoon. Alta was on the west side of the field, and in the shade. Cottonwood was in the sun for most of the first half, and it couldn't have been comfortable. I noticed a lot of people there trying to shield their eyes from the sun. Steve and I stayed on Alta's sideline in the first half, then moved to the Cottonwood side after the sunset.

* - Parking. Last week, I found a nice parking spot. This time, I had to park in a nearby neighborhood. Still, the stadium wasn't full. It helps to arrive early, it seems, to get the best parking spot.

I got to the game late, so my statistics weren't as good as usual. However, the Cottonwood statisticians provided me with some info, so I was able to catch up. Here they are:

Cottonwood 3 3 0 7 - 13
Alta 3 13 21 0 - 37

A – FG Vance Bingham 41
C – FG Riley Harper 27
C – FG Harper 28
A – Tyron Morris 67 pass from Jordan Brown (Bingham kick)
A – FG Bingham 23
A – FG Bingham 28
A – Morris 70 pass from Brown (Bingham kick)
A – Skyler Mayne 3 run (Bingham kick)
A – Mayne 21 pass from Brown (Bingham kick)
C – Jason Lundquist 10 pass from Crosby Jensen (Harper kick)

Team statistics

First downs: Alta 20, Cottonwood 17
Rushes-yards: Alta 26-74, Cottonwood 28-116
Passing yards: Alta 432, Cottonwood 188
Passes: Alta 20-25-0, Cottonwood 17-45-1
Fumbles: Alta 0-0, Cottonwood 2-2
Penalties: Alta 8-77, Cottonwood 7-45
Punts: Alta 3-38.3, Cottonwood 4-50.2

Individual statistics

RUSHING: Alta – Eyring 10-34, Finnerty 7-33, Mayne 5-22, Jefferson 1-7, Brown 3 -(-14). Cottonwood – N. Hosea 25-98, K. Hosea 2-13, Carter 1-5.

PASSING: Alta – Brown 19-24-0-424, Handley 1-1-0-8. Cottonwood – Jensen 16-38-1-188.

RECEIVING: Alta – Liston 8-173, Mayne 8-86, Morris 3-166, Eyring 1-7. Cottonwood – Glenn 8-103, Lundquist 5-55, Roberts 2-16, N. Hosea 2-10, Beveridge 1-9, Jensen 1-(-1).

Alta opens playoffs with narrow win

2009-10-30T19:58:00.000-07:00

The Utah high school state football playoffs started tonight and, unfortunately, there were no real upsets.

I was at the Fremont at Alta game and, while Fremont put up a good fight, it was all Alta in the second half. The Hawks won 38-14 to advance toward what could be their third straight 5A state championship.

There were a couple of games that surprised me. Syracuse beat Skyline 31-7 and Delta whipped Judge Memorial 41-7. Those would have been my upset picks. I found later, however, that Skyline's RB - Algernon Brown - was injured in the first quarter and didn't play after that. Judge? Well, Judge hasn't played to its potential all year.

The game I was at was played Alta. It was a cold afternoon, thanks to a southerly wind that finally died down at halftime. You can read my game story in the Deseret News, but here are the highlights.

Fremont played well. For being the fifth seed from Region 1, the Silverwolves had Alta worried. Fremont's QB, Brody Garr, played a great game. Fremont scored its first touchdown on a fake field goal, where Garr took a pitch and hit 6-foot-6 Tate Lewis wide open for a touchdown.

That gave Fremont some momentum. They lost it a while later when Alta when a big QB sack turned into a safety a couple of plays later. Garr was at his best when he got rid of the ball quickly. But he was sacked for a 17-yard loss. Then, under heavy pressure, he threw the ball away from the end zone. There were no receivers in the area so the referees awarded Alta two points. It was a legitimate call.

To make a long story short, Fremont scored on a nice screen pass to take a 14-12 lead, but there was still over a minute left. Alta doesn't need much time, and QB Jordan Brown led a nice drive that culminated with a 9-yard TD pass to Tyron Morris.

The score was 20-14 at halftime, and the second half was dull. Alta dominated, on both offense and defense. The Hawks scored on their first possession and, the way their defense was playing, the game was never in doubt.

I have to admit ... I like upsets. I also like close games. So, maybe I'm a bit one-sided on this subject. I appreciate Fremont giving Alta a decent game. That's the fan in me. I like the NCAA basketball tournament for that reason.

But Alta was obviously the better team. The Hawks had too many penalties, but it didn't make a difference in the game. Here are a few things I noticed:

* - Alta's offensive and defensive lines dominated. They held Fremont to minus-41 yards rushing, thanks to six sacks. On offense, Alta rushed for 243 yards. If that's not a season high, I'll be surprised.

* - Alta has great receivers, but my favorite is No. 10 - Tyron Morris. It was no surprise that's who Brown often threw to when he needed to make a play. Morris caught a 9-yard TD pass late in the second quarter that was one of the big plays of the game.

* - Late in the game, a funny thing occurred. Brown got the snap, faked to a running back, and then went sprinting to the right. Most of the Fremont players (and the fans) followed the running back and ... well .. so did most of the officials. When he was tackled, a referee blew his whistle. At the same time, Brown was running with the ball and was eventually tackled near the sideline after a short gain. Then an official threw a flag as they tried to figure out what happened. Turns out it was a great fake. The officials didn't know what to do, so they called a "do over." I've never seen that happen before. Great fake, Jordy.

* - Fremont should be congratulated. The Silverwolves were obviously outclassed. Alta has too many talented players. But Fremont played within itself and didn't make many mistakes, so it stayed close. Alta coach Les Hamilton told me later that coach Bosgieter was a great coach who won a state championship at Weber back in 1998. I never confirmed that, but it makes sense.

Alta knew it was in a game. I kept statistics during the game, and here they are:

Fremont 7 7 0 0 - 14
Alta 7 13 8 10 - 38

A – Jordan Brown 1 run (Vance Bingham kick)
F – Tate Lewis 20 pass from Brody Garr (Corey Craynor kick)
A – FG Bingham 39
A – Safety, intentional grounding penalty in end zone
F – Nick Vigil 17 pass from Garr (Craynor kick)
A – Tyron Morris 9 pass from Brown (Brown run)
A – Brown 5 run (Morris pass from Brown)
A – FG Bingham 24
A – Bryan Finnerty 2 run (Bingham kick)

Team statistics

First downs: Alta 28, Fremont 12
Rushes-yards: Alta 47-243, Fremont 15(-41)
Passing yards: Alta 213, Fremont 216
Passes: Alta 17-24-1, Fremont 21-35-2
Fumbles lost: Alta 0-0, Fremont 0-0
Penalties: Alta 12-143, Fremont 5-39
Punts: Alta 1-45.0, Fremont 5-34.8

Individual statistics

RUSHING: Alta – Eyring 18-99, Finnerty 16-71, Brown 9-49, Liston 1-13, Jefferson 3-11. Fremont – Vigil 5-8, Wilson 1-1, Bitton 1-(-1), Stucki 1-(-6), Garr 7-(-43).

PASSING: Alta – Brown 17-24-1-213. Fremont Garr 21-35-2-216.

RECEIVING: Alta- Mayne 5-87, Morris 4-61, Liston 4-40, Sylvester 2-14, Eyring 1-8, Brady 1-6. Fremont – Lewis 5-62, Bitton 5-44, Vigil 4-54, Craner 4-30, Willie 3-25.

Jordan advances to playoffs

2009-10-28T08:54:00.000-07:00

On a cold, wintry evening in October, the Jordan Beetdiggers qualified for the 5A playoffs, and they proved they deserved to be there by advancing the hard way.

The Beetdiggers defeated Brighton 35-30 in a 5A play-in game played at Hillcrest High School. It may have been the best game I have seen all season.

There were heroes on both sides of the ball. I like games like that. In reality, one play didn't win it or lose it for either team. It was a combined effort. A game both teams will remember the rest of their lives.

Despite the excitement that lasted throughout the game, it ended sadly. Jordan deserved to win. The Diggers played better than Brighton in two straight games. I don't believe they will match up well against their next opponent - top-ranked Bingham - but that doesn't matter.

Why do I feel this way? Simple. Brighton has a lot of talent, and the Bengals made a name for themselves this season with their defense. If Brighton is to win, it has to do it with defense. In this game, Jordan's defense outplayed them. Brighton cannot give up 35 points and expect to win.

As the game was winding down, Brighton QB Derek Newell appeared to score on a 16-yard run through the blowing snow. It was nullified by an illegal block penalty. I never saw the infraction. After the game, I spoke to Bingham coach Dave Peck, who was watching the game from the concourse level. He said he saw it. The block likely sprung Newell for the score. He said without the block, Newell probably would not have reached the end zone, but Brighton would be very close.

Newell threw an interception on the next play, which happens so often in sports. Jordan then ran out the clock. As the players congratulated each other, the referees had to walk (run) past the Brighton fans, and they were booed as they left the field.

If there was a sad point to this game, it was that an official's call decided the outcome. Sure, there probably was a penalty on that play. Too bad it couldn't have happened with five minutes left in the game, instead of the final minute.

Now, Brighton's season is over. The Bengals finished 6-4 and may have won the title in another region. But this is Region 4. Don't be surprised if Region 4 has at least three teams in the 5A semifinals.

Will Jordan be one of them? Hard to say, but the Diggers showed something on this night.

The game was played in cold temperatures, and it snowed frequently. Midway through the game, the Brighton Booster Club arranged for gas-powered heating units to be placed on each team's sidelines. That was a class act on their part.

Hart never took advantage of it. He was too involved in the game. He completed 22 of 32 passes for 327 yards and was in great form. He combined short passes over the middle, with occasional lobs down the sidelines that were on target.

His favorite receiver was Braden Hammond, who set a Utah state record this season for most receptions. Hammond caught all four of Hart's touchdown passes, including a 58-yarder when be broke several tackles.

Jordan's offense has earned the headlines all season, but the defense was the difference. Even with Heimuli starting at center, Jordan held its own. Plus, the Diggers made big plays. They forced a fumble that Grant Gary returned 16 yards for a touchdown. Earlier, the Diggers also blocked a punt that Bill Vavau returned that set up a score.

Brighton had its share of big plays, but all by the offense and special teams.

Stephen Robinson, who botched a punt that helped Jordan win the previous game, returned the opening kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown. Robinson also caught a 68-yard pass from Newell for another score just before halftime.

Jace Felix, who was the team's QB for much of last season, completed a 65-yard scoring pass to Zane Smith with about five minutes left that set up the pivotal ending.

Here are a few other things I noticed:

* - Taylor Loomis. Anyone see this kid? He was No. 7 in Jordan's defense. He also punted and kicked off. Loomis played a huge role in this game that few fans may have noticed. Loomis also played at Brighton last year (as a freshman), but transferred to Jordan, which drew the ire of many Brighton players and parents. Anyway, Loomis made several big tackles, including at least two on kickoff returns that might have saved scores. He also had a nice night punting under difficult conditions.

* - Anyone notice Big Budha? Channel 13's morning show personality was on Jordan's sideline during the game. He has a son that plays on the team, he said. Before I could ask his son's name, I was shooed away. Still, it was cool to see him there. If his kid's even half his size, he's probably pretty good.

* - Brighton's exuberance. In last week's game, Brighton coach Ryan Bullet said his team didn't show enough emotion. They were better this time, but very vocal in the final quarter. That's how Brighton MUST play to win. When they do, they're very tough to beat.

* - Heimuli played in his final high-school game. It was a great season, and he will advance to play college ball somewhere. He made a huge difference on defense. Jordan still threw for over 300 yards, but their rushing yards were way down.

* - Media coverage of this game was pretty good. I roamed the sidelines on both sides of the field and saw plenty of TV cameras, and a Deseret News reporter (John Coon). Apparently, Tony Jones of the Salt Lake Tribune was there, but I didn't see him. He's from Florida, though, and probably sat in the press box. In his game story, he wrote that the game was played in blizzard-like conditions. He needs to live here longer. It was snowy, but I only wore a light jacket. I did need two glasses of hot chocolate, though. It was very good.

Since I didn't cover this game, I didn't keep statistics. I wish I had. That would have been interesting.\

Next up? I'll be at the Fremont at Alta game Friday night. Let's hope it's a little warmer.

Jordan upends Brighton

2009-10-23T23:12:00.000-07:00

It's Friday night in the fall, and that means I'm at another football game.

And what a great game it was. This time, I was at the Brighton vs. Jordan football contest. It had a lot of buildup. It was "senior night" at Brighton, meaning it was the final home game of the season. It also was a big game because it could decide the fourth - and final - playoff berth in Region 4.

Brighton had a 3-2 region record, while Jordan was 2-3. Thus, Brighton had the advantage. But Jordan won the game, 28-20. It was a great game, but it was missing something. I couldn't figure out what it was until afterward.

The atmosphere once the game ended was a mess. Since it was "senior night," Brighton was acknowledging all of its senior players. Of course, they were disappointed, but the show must go on.

I spoke to Brighton coach Ryan Bullett, and he finally informed me what it was. Brighton wasn't inspired. When I was on the sidelines for the Brighton-Alta game, their whole sideline was involved. It was exciting. But not this time.

Brighton's star player, Ricky Heimuli, didn't play. He was hurt. I noticed that immediately, and asked him what was wrong. Heimuli was brooding. He told me about his injury, and he appeared meek. This guy is 6-4, 295 pounds, but he was a head case.

I told him - and I probably should not have done this as an independent bystander covering the game - that he needed to be his team's biggest cheerleader. He didn't take my advice (why should he?).

Coach Bullett said his team wasn't inspired, and I believe it. Brighton is a good team, with a great defense. But it has to be inspired to show it. If not, they may not even make the playoffs.

Jordan deserved to win the game. I spent the second half on the Jordan sideline, and it was impressive to watch. Everyone on that sideline was involved, and so were the Jordan fans.

I got a chance to interview Jordan QB Alex Hart after the game. He was a class act. He's going to Utah State next year, and he may end up starting for them someday. I hope he does because he threw some great passes and has great knowledge of Jordan's playbook.

In the interview, he showed me that he knew when he made great plays, and he knew when he screwed up. He accepted both. That's the sign of a great player. I became a fan of Alex Hart right there.

Jordan runs the spread offense, but its receivers aren't that fast. The thing about the spread is that it's the QBs job to get the ball into the hands of the receivers, using short, pinpoint passes, and then the receivers make the yards.

Jordan doesn't seem to have that game-breaking receiver, but Hart does a nice job of getting the ball to them anyway. He passed for 328 yards, which is an off-night for him.

Brighton's offense wasn't impressive. It took a while for Brighton to get going. The Bengals benefited from a 90-yard kickoff return on a reserve by Sosiah TaKai, but the offense had just two first downs at halftime.

TaKai ended up with 96 yards, and became a force in the second half. QB Derek Newell couldn't hit the long ball (and he tried several times), but had good luck throwing short and letting his receivers do the work.

Stephen Robinson, who fumbled a punt late in the game that made a big difference, also showed that he has the potential to do a lot of good things. Robinson was the hero in Brighton's win over American Fork last week, and he will be a hero again, I'm sure. He caught a 77-yard TD pass from Newell.

Jordan and Brighton meet again Tuesday night. Here's a thought: Get the ball to Robinson more. While Jordan played consistently on this night, Brighton has the game-breakers, and Robinson is one of them.

OK. Enough of that. Here are a few other things I noticed from Friday's game:

* - It was "senior night" and Brighton traditonally shoots off fireworks afterward. It was a great show, and it kept the fans there after the game. That was great. Keep it up.

* - Brighton and Jordan have to play their playoff game on a neutral site. Brighton chose Hillcrest; Jordan chose Alta. Why? Brighton wanted to play on grass; Jordan on turf. Does it really matter? Yes. Because Brighton can't practice on turf. They viewed that as an advantage for Jordan. I asked Brighton principal Charisse Hilton (in a jokingly matter) if she had an extra $500,000 to put turf in the stadium. She answered very nicely, "No. We like playing on grass." She's right. So do I.

* - The other day, I discovered this website called utahsportsaction.com. It has a lot of potential. It's a website dedicated to the coverage of Utah sports, especially high-school athletics. Their Facebook site is great. I liked it because that's where they place game photos. They had a photographer at the Brighton-Jordan game, too. I spoke to their leaders Friday, and they were at this game. I want to learn more about them, and see if we can help each other. There's big potential there.

* - I got to know Jordan coach Eric Kjar and I met athletic director Mark Hunter after the game. They were classy guys. I was impressed with Jordan's professionalism. Their fans, though, are another story. They were bad-mouthing the referees the entire time. I don't know what to say about that. It was ... disappointing.

* - One last thing. I met a woman on the Jordan sidelines. I didn't get her name. But her last name was Babka, and her son is No. 52. Wow. She was wearing Jordan athletic gear, and she looked impressive wearing it. She was taking photos of the game. I spoke to her briefly. I wonder if No. 52 knows her mother is hot? I don't know how old she is, but she still has "it." Her husband is some big muckety-muck named Beau Babka. I remember his name because he used to be associated with the police. Beau, if you ever read this, I hope you realize how fortunate you are.

Ok. That's enough of that.

I kept statistics from the game, of course. Here they are.

Jordan 7 14 0 7 - 28
Brighton 7 7 0 6 - 20
J - Bill Vavau recovered fumble in end zone (Cory Rodgers kick)
B - Sosiah Takai 90 kickoff return (Anthony Mares kick)
J - Steve Morgan 8 pass from Alex Hart (Rodgers kick)
J - Morgan 17 pass from Hart (Rodgers kick)
B - Stephen Robinson 77 pass from Derek Newell (Mares kick)
J - Hart 1 run (Rodgers kick)
B - TaKai 7 run (kick blocked)

Team statistics

First downs: Jordan 24, Brighton 10
Rushes-Yards: Jordan 30-56, Brighton 29-80
Passing yards: Jordan 328, Brighton 148
Passes: Jordan 30-50-1, Brighton 9-20-0
Fumbles-lost: Jordan 3-0, Brighton 2-1
Penalties: Jordan 5-37, Brighton 2-16
Punts: Jordan 6-37.2, Brighton 7-32.1

Individual statistics

Rushing: Jordan - Hart 15-10, Spillman 9-23, Malaga 4-12, Hill 2-1. Brighton - TaKai 18-96, Newell 8-(-6), Lotulelei 1-3, Woodland 1-2, Felix 1-(-5)

Passing: Jordan - Hart 30-50-1-328. Brighton - Newell 9-20-0-128.

Receiving: Jordan - Hammond 8-107, Morgan 7-67, Hill 5-37, Hunt 3-47, Spillman 3-20, Malaga 2-15, Demis 1-6. Brighton - Robinson 3-104, Smith 2-18, Lotulelei 2-16, hansen 1-5.

Missed field goals: None

Skyline blows past Murray

2009-10-22T22:08:00.000-07:00

The nice thing about this week is that we have prep football on Thursday and Friday nights. The Deseret News asked me to cover the Jordan at Brighton game Friday night, but I wanted to go out early.

So, on Thursday night, I went out and watched the Skyline at Murray game. I'm very familiar with Skyline, having helped the school's booster club publish its preseason program. I wanted to see Murray, though. The Spartans have had a breakout season, and I wanted to be part of it.

Skyline won the game, 59-35. The Eagles' offense was impressive. QB Chase Dunford had a great game and RB Algernon Brown was unstoppable. Skyline reached the playoffs for the 24th consecutive season, and that's impressive. The Eagles will play Syracuse next week, and they have a chance to pull off the upset.

This was my first time attending a game at Murray since I used to work for the Salt Lake Tribune in the early 1990s. I was disappointed in the crowd. The Murray crowd was rather small, and Skyline also didn't travel well.

Later, I found out I might have been mistaken. Football games, as most people know, is a social occasion. A lot of the Murray fans weren't sitting in the stands. They were congregating at the south end of the stadium. Unlike me, they weren't interested in the game. So, I learned something.

So, what made this game stand out?

I don't know. I suppose, at the start of the season, when Skyline was looking at its schedule, this was written as an automatic victory. Skyline did blow Murray out in the first half. But the second half, when Skyline was playing its reserves, the Spartans did come back.

Coach Dan Aragon should be proud because his team did not give up. The Spartans put up 35 points on Skyline. I look forward to Murray competing even more in the future. It appears he's on the right track.

Skyline, of course, has been on track for some time. After the game, I interviewed coach Roger Dupaix. He and I know each other. I've interviewed him a number of times. He's such a class act. I hope that when he finally retires, they rename their stadium after him.

Here are a few other tidbits:

* - Dunford throws a nice ball. He only passed the ball (officially) three times, and completed two for 70 yards. But his throws were on target. Ironically, he had one pass that resembled a "wounded duck" and Murray had a chance to intercept it. They missed it, but the play was wiped out by a penalty anyway.

* - Brown is a monster. He can outrun opponents, and run right through them. Syracuse will have its hands full. In the playoffs, Brown will get the ball more, I'm sure. Skyline even has him returning punts. Not a bad idea.

* - No Brian Orr tonight. Turns out Skyline's star receiver was injured last week in an off-the-field incident. He's out for the season, and may not be able to play basketball until the region season. Skyline missed him. He has a chance to make all-state.

* - Murray QB Dee Hamala isn't what I expected. He's a lot smaller, but he makes good decisions. Besides playing QB, Murray has him returning kicks and he had a couple of nice returns tonight. I'll be curious to see if he plays college ball.

Of course, I kept statistics during the game. Here they are:

Skyline 14 28 7 10 - 59
Murray 7 0 14 14 - 35

S – Algernon Brown 2 run (Izak Yapius kick)
S – Matt hew Newman 10 run (Andrus Jones kick)
M – Kamron Sanders 26 pass from Dee Hamala (Zack Battenfield kick)
S – Brown 46 run (Yapius kick)
S – Brown 37 pass from Chase Dunford (Jones kick)
S – Andy Rounds 23 run (Yapius kick)
S – Dunford 1 run (Jones kick)
M – Bronson Gray 9 pass from Hamala (Battenfield kick)
S – Taylor Lithgow 65 run (Yapius kick)
M – Hamala 24 run (Battenfield kick)
S – FG Jones 18
M – Kamron Sanders 25 pass from Drew Rindlisbacher (Battenfield kick)
S – Mike Pell 58 run (Yapius kick)
S – Sanders 58 pass from Rindlisbacher (Battenfield kick)

Team Statistics

First downs – Skyline 17, Murray 17
Rushes-yards – Skyline 37-388, Murray 33-73.
Passing yards – Skyline 70, Murray 316
Passes – Skyline 2-3-0, Murray 20-41-0
Fumbles lost – Skyline 1-0, Murray 3-2
Penalties – Skyline 6-58, Murray 5-54
Punts – Skyline 1-40.0, Murray 3-29.3

Individual statistics

Rushing – Skyline – Dunford 9-87, Pell 5-78, Brown 4-65, Rounds 5-45, Newman 7-36, Lithgow 1-65, Ubani 1-9, Johansen 5-3. Murray – Hamala 18-67, Prestwich 5-18, Jensen 3-8, Fisihetau 3-5, Rindlisbacher 2-(-10), Sanders 1-(-1).

Passing – Skyline – Dunford 2-3-0-70. Murray – Hamala 15-31-0-189, Rindlisbacher 5-5-0- 127.

Receiving – Skyline – Brown 1-44, Hultquist 1-33. Murray – Sanders 7-146, Flitton 5-79, Miller 4-35, Moore 2-30, Gray 2-25.

Bingham wins Region 3

2009-10-18T10:12:00.000-07:00

It’s mid-October and, surprisingly, the weather isn’t too cold tonight. It’s also nice to be at Bingham High School because it plays on artificial surface, which isn’t as cold as the grass was last week at West Jordan.

Tonight’s game was between Riverton and Bingham. It’s also Bingham’s homecoming. I’ve grown tired of watching homecoming activities at halftime, so I made sure to duck out during that time.

This was my first time at Bingham’s stadium, although I feel like I know it so well. I published Bingham’s preseason football guide, so I know more about Bingham’s football program than most. I’m glad the Deseret News asked me to cover this game, though, because I was anxious to see Riverton play, and I wanted to see what the atmosphere was like at this stadium.

First, the atmosphere. The stadium was packed. Perhaps it was just homecoming, but Bingham fans were involved. At halftime, I left the field and grabbed something to eat. There were plenty of different options (hamburgers, hot dogs, popcorn, even carmel apples). I was impressed. I could smell the barbecue all night from the field.

Parking wasn’t bad, even though the place was packed. The stadium has a nice setting, with the mountains providing a nice backdrop and the nearby temple looked nice. This time of year, it gets dark at about 7 p.m. I was told by a local photographer that Bingham’s stadium lighting is better than most.

On the sidelines, I didn’t see any other reporters. Afterward, I saw a lady from Channel 5 (I forget her name, but she’s very attractive), and Comcast was there. I don’t understand Comcast. It’s a cable TV company, and they have a representative there interviewing coaches and players after the game.

As for the game, Bingham won 35-7. The outcome was never in doubt. Bingham is so much better than any other team in Region 3 that it’s not even funny. Riverton’s offense had trouble moving the football. The Silverwolves will earn a playoff berth, and even a first-round home game. But they’ve never won a playoff contest, and it’s unlikely it will happen this year.

This was the only time I’ve seen them play, and they lost, so it’s likely that I didn’t see them at their best. I would like to see Riverton win, but they’re going to open the post-season against the third-place team from Region 4 (Lone Peak, Pleasant Grove or Alta) and will probably get crunched again.

This wasn’t one of Bingham’s best games. RB Harvey Langi had 122 yards rushing and two touchdowns, including a nice one with just a few minutes left in the game. Still, I was impressed with Bingham’s defense. Riverton only moved the football once.

Bingham led 21-0 at halftime, but the third quarter belonged to Riverton. There were so many personal foul penalties in that quarter that it was tough to keep track of them all. Riverton scored in the third quarter and – briefly – it was a game again. But it didn’t last long.

Bingham’s Braden Anderson was on the bench. He injured his hamstring the week before against West Jordan, and won’t play until the post-season. That kid’s a stud and worth at least seven points each game.

What do I remember most of this game? Afterward, I interviewed Bingham coach Dave Peck, but Riverton left the stadium quickly, so I never got a chance to talk to Riverton coach Mike Miller. That disappointed me. It’s not his fault; it’s mine. I blew it, and it affected my game story.

I did keep statistics from the game. Here they are:

Riverton 0 0 7 0 – 7
Bingham 14 7 0 14 – 35

B - Baker Pritchard 7 pass from Ty Hannay (Derek Loveless kick)
B – Kamron Coon 26 interception return (Loveless kick)
B – Josh Smith 10 pass from Hannay (Loveless kick)
R – Dillon Draper 1 run (Matt Sullivan kick)
B – Harvey Langi 2 run (Loveless kick)
B – Langi 40 run (Loveless kick)

TEAM STATISTICS

First downs – Bingham 20, Riverton 9
Rushes-yards – Bingham 35-198, Riverton 25-58
Passing yards – Bingham 133, Riverton 77
Passes – Bingham 10-14-0, Riverton 8-14-2
Fumbles lost – Bingham 0-0, Riverton 4-0
Penalties – Bingham 7-89, Riverton 4-37
Punts – Bingham 2-31.0, Riverton 6-29.5

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING – Riverton Luau 8-50, Draper 8-6, Zymola 3-3, Evans 4-17, Thoreson 2-(-18). Bingham – Langi 18-122, Vakapuna 4-33, Hannay 6-20, Cantwell 6-16, Stephens 1-7.

PASSING – Riverton, Thoreson 8-14-2-77, Bingham, Hannay 9-13-0-112, Peck 1-1-0-21.

RECEIVING – Riverton, Bowman 4-52, Draper 3-10, Hansen 1-15. Bingham, Copier 2-49, Smith 2-22, Afalava 1-21, Vakapuna 1-16, Fackrell 1-13, Pritchard 1-7, Langi 1-3, Cantwell 1-1.

MISSED FIELD GOALS: Bingham (2) – Loveless (46, 45)

Bingham dominates its rival

2009-10-18T09:42:00.000-07:00

I love rivalry games. It brings out the best in both teams ... usually. Fans turn out in record numbers, there is passion on the field. It's high school sports at its best.

Bingham vs. West Jordan used to be a great rivalry, but it has gone south. Years ago, when West Jordan High School opened, it took a lot of its students from Bingham. The kids are neighbors, they've played each other in Little League, and they know each other well.

In football, Bingham has built a tradition. West Jordan hasn't yet. This game showed it, as Bingham won 41-7. The game wasn't close, but I can see that the Jaguars are making progress.

Last season, I covered a West Jordan game (at Olympus) and was very impressed with the team. The Jaguars won all their non-region games, but then collapsed in region. During the offseason, Oly's coach joined West Jordan as an assistant and he brought his "spread" offense with him. This year, the Jaguars are scoring a lot of points.

A week or two ago, though, they lost their starting quarterback, Adam Boelter, to injury. Tonight, they started freshman Michael Moorehead. The offense isn't the same, and that showed. Moorehead has a lot of potential, but he is still a freshman. Boelter is a junior, and was on a record pace when he was hurt (against Riverton).

West Jordan lost the Riverton game, 14-6. After the Bingham loss, I interviewed coach Mike Morgan and he Boelter got a concussion. "We couldn't understand his reads in that game," Morgan said. Turns out he had a concussion. That's why. That's probably why West Jordan only scored six points.

Anyway, Bingham dominated this game. West Jordan's only hope was to match Bingham's scoring, and never could. Bingham RB Harvey Langi had two touchdowns in the first quarter, and finished with 127 rushing yards. He could have had a lot more, but Bingham coach Dave Peck recognized that this game was not going to be competitive, so he instructed his QBs to try to work on their passing attack, which they will need later.

Bingham didn't scored in the second quarter, so it was still a game at halftime. But the Miners put up 20 points in the third period, including a 52-yard interception return by Manoa Pikula. That made the clock run faster (due to the 35-point "mercy rule). I found out later that Pikula's INT return marked the third straight game Bingham had returned a pick for a touchdown.

The passing attack wasn't great, but had its moments. QB Ty Hannay completed 6 of 18 passes for 165 yards. The other QB - Stefan Cantwell - didn't play as much. He was just 1 of 3 for 7 yards. DB Braden Anderson had a nice night with two interceptions, and a TD reception on offense. He also had a couple of nice punt returns.

Anderson was injured late in the game (hamstring) and his status is uncertain. That hurt, but Bingham is so deep that it should be able to wrap up the Region 3 title without him.

Bingham just doesn't have a weak spot. If I had to find one, I'd say quarterback. That's because they play with two QBs, and that's usually not a good thing. Hannay didn't have a good game at Trinity, but he has been just fine against Utah schools. Bingham doesn't need him to win games; just don't lose them. As long as Hannay understands that concept (Bingham has plenty of guys who can win games), the team will be fine.

By comparison, look at Alta. The Hawks need their QBs to win games. Same could be said for West Jordan.

So, what were the highlights of this game:

* - First, I froze. It was a clear, cold night. I'm wearing tennis shoes next time. I wore my nice shoes on this night, and my feet got cold. I won't make that mistake again. I noticed coach Peck wasn't even wearing a jacket, and he was fine. He probably had a lot of adrenaline running through him.

* - Second, I looked for my high-school friend, Jeff Nicol, but didn't find him. His stepson, Dalton Fackrell, plays for Bingham. Fackrell wasn't suited up on this night (injury). He's a big kid who might be able to play college football. Like I said, Bingham is loaded.

* - Third, credit West Jordan's fans. Bingham led 21-0 by the end of the first quarter, and they stuck it out. When the Jaguars finally scored - on an 18-yard pass from Moorehead to Deshawn Perkins - they cheered loudly.

* - After the game, I interviewed coach Peck and then looked for West Jordan's coach - Morgan. He and the team had already vacated the field and were in the locker room. Since the game ended early, I waited for him. I'm glad I did. It was a rough interview at the start, but he and I got to know each other. He's a class guy. That was one of the best interviews I've had with a coach this season.

I kept statistics from this game, too. Here they are:

Bingham 21 0 20 0 - 41
West Jordan 0 0 0 7 - 7

B - Harvey Langi 12 run (Braden Loveless kick)
B - Langi 22 run (Loveless kick)
B - Braden Anderson 20 pass from Ty Hannay (Loveless kick)
B - Langi 62 pass from Hannay (Loveless kick)
B - Josh Smith 23 pass from Hannay (Loveless kick)
B - Manoa Pikula 52 interception return (Loveless kick)
WJ - Deshawn Perkins 18 pass from Michael Moorehead (Alex Giordani kick)

Team statistics

First downs - Bingham 13, West Jordan 7
Rushes-yards - Bingham 27-119, West Jordan 16-86
Passing yards - Bingham 172, West Jordan 120
Passes - Bingham 7-21-0, West Jordan 11-30-4
Fumbles-lost - Bingham 1-0, West Jordan 1-1
Penalties - Bingham 7-51, West Jordan 3-20
Punts - Bingham 5-34.0, West Jordan 4-29.8

Individual statistics

RUSHING - Bingham, Langi 9-127, Cantwell 5-(-4), Hannay 4-(-7), Vakapuna 2-4, Housel 1-2, Tausinga 1-(-1). West Jordan, Moorehead 10-62, Maestes 3-10, Peacock 2-11, O'Neal 1-3.

PASSING - Bingham, Hannay 6-18-0-165, Cantwell 1-3-0-7. West Jordan, Moorehead 11-30-4-120.

RECEIVING - Bingham, Smith 3-59, Langi 1-62, Copier 1-32, Anderson 1-20. West Jordan, Perkins 6-81, Redmond 1-7, Collins 1-3, O'Neal 1-(-8).

MISSED FIELD GOALS - None

Juan Diego's trip to Idaho

2009-10-18T08:59:00.000-07:00

It was another Fall trip to Eastern Idaho, and this time the weather wasn't so good. A cold front recently blew it and, when it's cool in Salt Lake, that means it's cold in Pocatello.

The Deseret News sent me to Poky to cover the Juan Diego at Highland (Idaho) game. Actually, I volunteered to do it. I enjoy Pocatello and, this time, I was able to bring my kids. I have two daughters. They don't enjoy football much, but they did enjoy staying in a hotel, walking around the Minidome (Holt Arena). Plus, since this game was played on a Thursday night, we incorporated it with a visit to Boise to celebrate my birthday and see relatives.

We drove up the day of the game, with an hour stop at Smith & Edwards in North Ogden. I hadn't been there in years, and the kids loved browsing. We also found a bunch of old things (candy mostly) that you can't find these days. It brought back a lot of memories.

Once we arrived in Pocatello, we checked in at the Holiday Inn and spent an hour in their indoor swimming pool. I wanted to go to my favorite restaurant - Buddy's - but we didn't have time. We saved it until after the game.

The game didn't go well ... at least for Juan Diego. Highland won 28-3, and looked good doing it. More bad news for the Soaring Eagle. They had three players who seemed to be hurt seriously (DL Dan Jimenez, RB Lars Gunderson and LB Bryson Pitcher). Afterward, JD coach John Colosimo said they could be out for the season. Playing this game could hurt the team's post-season chances in Utah.

Highland dominated the line of scrimmage, especially on defense. JD never got its running game going. The Soaring Eagle's biggest plays came when QB Cody Stevenson connected with Keegan Anderson on a flare pass out of the backfield. Anderson would go in motion, then Stevenson would hit him immediately on a laser throw as he turned upfield. Highland never stopped that play, but JD only ran it twice.

Stephenson also seemed to have trouble on snaps. JD only had a one or two fumbled snaps, but the snaps just didn't seem crisp, and Stephenson sometimes didn't get the ball cleanly. Perhaps they should snapped the ball from the shotgun formation? I don't know. I'm not a coach.

Highland's QB, Tanner Nielson, had a decent night throwing the football. The Rams use a ball control passing offense and JD had trouble stopping it. Thus, Highland controlled the time of possession and, in a 48-minute game, that also limited JD's possessions.

There were some highlights for the visiting team. Here's what I noticed:

* - The team traveled well. That is, there were a lot of JD fans, almost as many as the home team. I know it wasn't a pleasant trip back to SLC but they do support their team.

* - Lighting in domed stadiums is often not too good. I spoke to a JD photographer, and she pointed out that the lighting was great. Judging from her photos, which you can find at www.shootingstar.photoreflect.com, that was true. The people who operate this site shoot photos for Judge Memorial, Juan Diego, Westminster and more. It's awesome.

* - Juan Diego kicker Jaron Bentrude scored the team's only points - a 46-yard field goal. He boomed it, and it cleared the crossbar with plenty of room to spare. Afterward, I spoke to Bentrude on the sideline and he said, "I didn't hit it well." There were others on the sideline that said ISU (Idaho State) kickers can't do what Bentrude did. I hope that made him feel better.

* - I interviewed both coaches after the game. As you can guess, JD coach Colosimo was rather solemn. The loss didn't both him much, but the injuries did. And I don't think you can blame the artificial surface. Highland just beat up JD. The busiest person on JD's sideline were the trainers. There were a lot of delays because of the injuries. I don't recall Highland having too many injuries, though.

* - Highland coach Gino Mariana said his team went 3-1 against Utah schools this year, and wants to play more Utah teams next year. I guess his league will lose a team next season, which will mean he will need another non-league opponent. He would like to play Highland (Utah) again, Mountain Crest or Sky View. He figures Judge Memorial and Juan Diego won't want a rematch because Highland dominated them this year. I'm very familiar with Highland football. They have good talent, but playing here in the dome is a big home-field advantage for them.

* - Highland publishes its own game program. It's about 20 pages, black-and-white. It sells for $1. It's not a beautiful publication by any means, but it is put together by school's Advanced Journalism class. I found that interesting. It's the only school that I know that does that. Good for them.

Overall, I felt badly for Juan Diego. Nobody likes to see injuries, especially so many of them. It was a good experience for the team, though. When I played, road trips often brought the team closer together. This could hurt them (due to the injuries), or it could help. Only time will tell.

I did keep statistics from the game. Here they are:

Juan Diego 0 0 0 3 - 3
Highland 7 7 14 0 - 28

H - Kai Campbell 3 pass from Tanner Nielson (Paul Muzzo kick)
H - Tanner Nielson 1 run (Muzzo kick)
H - Kai Campbell 14 pass from Tanner Nielson (Muzzo kick)
H - Ean Filiaga 15 run (Muzzo kick)
JD - FG Jaron Bentrude 46

Team statistics

First downs - Juan Diego 11, Highland 20
Rushes-Yards - Juan Diego 30-80, Highland 30-100
Passing yards - Juan Diego 78, Highland 197
Passes - Juan Diego 5-11-2, Highland 20-29-0
Fumbles - Juan Diego 3-2, Highland 1-0
Penalties - Juan Diego 8-45, Highland 7-69
Punts - Juan Diego 2-34.0, Highland 2-42.0

Individual statistics

RUSHING - Juan Diego, Vea 13-73, Gunderson 6-13, Garn 3-9, Stevenson 8-(-15). Highland - Filiaga 6-34, Campbell 6-24, Gonzales 6-22, Castillo 3-9, Nielson 5-3, Rasmussen 1-(-4).

PASSING: Juan Diego, Stevenson 5-11-2-78. Highland, Nielson 20-29-0-197.

RECEIVING: Juan Diego, Bentrude 2-29, Anderson 2-25, Gunderson 1-24. Highland, Rasmussen 6-79, Castillo 5-49, Filiaga 3-24, Campbell 3-14, Schiess 2-27, Evans 1-4.

MISSED FIELD GOALS: None

* -

Brighton Upsets Alta

2009-10-12T09:32:00.000-07:00

The weather has started to change ... finally. Temperatures in the 90s are fine, but it's just not right for football season.

Here in mid-September, the first real cold front is coming and, while it was still warm on Friday evening, the rain has hit the mountains. It's just windy in the valley, but it won't be long before the rain hits here, too, and then the cooler weather arrives.

Rain is a sports writer's worst enemy. It means you can't take notes during the game, as long as you're on the football field. I spent the first half in the press box. In the second half, it was just windy. That's a sports writer's second-worst enemy because it blows your notebook pages. But at least it's better than rain.

Snow is OK. It adds to your story. Actually, though, a sports writer's worst enemy is deadline. But I've been in this business a long time, and can handle most deadline pressures.

Tonight's game is Alta at Brighton. The Bengals have a great home field, with the mountain in clear view. It's also homecoming here, and the stadium is packed. Alta brought a nice crowd to its sideline, but Brighton's side is overflowing. And everyone is dressed in orange or dark blue. On a sunny day, it makes for pretty pictures.

Speaking of pictures, I met a good friend on the sidelines. His name is Ted Cordingly. He is a professional photographer, and Brighton has hired him to shoot their games. His photos are great. I used a few of them in last year's Brighton football yearbook. He and I talked briefly during the game. He showed me a few of his shots from this game. As usual, they were great.

My good friend, Marty Renzhofer, was also there. Marty is a sportswriter for the Salt Lake Tribune. He and I go way back, when he was a sports writer in Pocatello, and I worked in Nampa. I used to enjoy covering sports events with Marty. He's an opinionated guy, and often gives too much opinion during games. Still, it's always a pleasure to cover a game with him. Marty's one of the best.

This was also a great game. Brighton won 21-10, handing Alta its first Region 4 loss. It also means Brighton is back. Bengals coach Ryan Bullett needed a "signature" win and he got it. This was probably the biggest victory in his coaching career.

Coach Bullett is a good guy. I don't know if he's a great coach. I'm not a good judge of that. But I'm glad to see him have success. Brighton has a good football tradition, and it's nice to see them win again. I covered last year's Brighton-Alta game at Alta, where the Hawks won 45-0.

Ricky Heimuli had a good game. He's a 6-4, 295-pound lineman and he was all over the field. The Brighton defense was awesome. Alta still moved the ball at times, but Brighton's defense made plays, and forced three turnovers. That was the killer.

On offense, Brighton has a little running back who moved in from Cedar City. His name is Sosake Takai. He rushed for over 100 yards, including along TD run that broke the game open.

QB Derek Newell can run, too. Newell is not a great passer, but when the running game is working, it makes him better. Newell is a junior, and he is only going to get better. He plays basketball, too. He has scholarship potential somewhere.

Alta was all about QB Jordan Brown. He threw it, he ran it. He was a one-man show. Alta also has great receivers, but I felt they were too one-dimensional. Alta needs to find someone who can break a game open ... besides Brown. The Hawks have a RB named Bryant Finnerty. He ran for 28 yards, but he has potential. He just didn't handle the ball enough.

Alta was behind the whole game, so Brown had to throw it. He threw 30 times. Alta lost the game because of turnovers and that it couldn't handle Brighton's physical play.

Overall, this was probably the best game I've seen this season. It was broadcast locally on the radio. I liked it because it was an upset, which doesn't happen much in Utah high school football. I was also glad to see Brighton get that win for coach Bullett.

Now there are four good teams in Region 4. Brighton still has to prove itself some more to make the 5A playoffs. Alta is still a "lock," but the Hawks have to show up to win.

Here are my game statistics:

Alta 0 10 0 0 - 10
Brighton 0 14 7 0 - 21

B - Sosaki Taki 45 run (Anthony Mares kick)
A - FG Vance Bingham 24
B - Stephen Robinson 57 pass from Derek Newell (Mares kick)
A - Zach Liston 35 pass from Jordan Brown (Bingham kick)
B - Andy Jones 8 run (Mares kick)

Team Statistics

First downs - Alta 16, Brighton 16
Rushes-Yards - Alta 26-80, Brighton 40-198
Passing Yards - Alta 317, Brighton 114
Passes - Alta 20-30-1, Brighton 5-13-0
Fumbles-Lost - Alta 2-2, Brighton 0-0
Penalties - Alta 9-95, Brighton 4-25
Punts - Alta 1-41, Brighton 40-30.8

Individual Statistics

RUSHING - Alta, Finnerty 8-28, Brown 12-25, Eyring 3-18, Jefferson 2-2, Liston 1-7. Brighton, Takai 29-160, Newell 10-30, Jones 1-8.

PASSING - Alta, Brown 20-30-1-317. Brighton, Newell 5-12-0-114, Jones 0-1-0.

RECEIVING - Alta, Morris 6-123, Mayne 5-78, Liston 4-58, Finnerty 2-17, Jefferson 1-13, Brady 1-11, Richards 1-4. Brighton, Robinson 1-64, Felix 3-43, Chaus 1-7.

Greetings from Pocatello

2009-10-09T23:42:00.000-07:00

It's early September and the weather is still pretty nice in Pocatello. I kind of "volunteered" to cover the Rocky Mountain Rumble here at Holt Arena because I enjoy coming here.

Why? For the football, of course.

Hardly. Pocatello is the home of Idaho State University, and the Bengals have been pathetic since my freshman year in college. That was a long time ago, although I do remember that vividly.

Anyway, a couple of weeks ago I noticed that four Utah teams would be playing four Idaho teams here in the Rocky Mountain Rumble. Since I am from Idaho, and know the Idhao teams, too, I thought it was a good idea. It also gave me a chance to get out of town and hit Buddy's, a local Italian restaurant in Pocatello and well worth the visit.

First, let me hit on Buddy's. This restaurant is known for its salads. It has a garlic viniagrette dressing that is amazing. It keeps me coming back.

I left Salt Lake early Saturday morning and made it plenty of time for the 11 a.m. kickoff for the first game (Sky View vs. Lake City, which is from Coeur d'Alene). I suppose they scheduled this game so Lake City could hop on its bus and have plenty of time to head home afterward.

Sky View buried Lake City, 41-7. The game was close early, but then Sky View was the dominant team. QB Kyler Carlson had a decent game passing the football, completing 18 of 29 passes for 205 yards and three TDs.

Frankly, I was most impressed with Sky View's ability to rally. Since this game was Saturday, I was supposed to send text messages to James Edward, the prep sports editor for the Deseret News, to keep him informed. He was doing a radio show that morning. That way, he could provide the listeners with score updates. It was 7-0 Lake City after the first quarter.

But Sky View came back with 20 points in the second period. When it was time to send him a text, his radio show was over. So, most people, I figured, thought Lake City was rolling to a victory.

It didn't happen. The big play was when Sky View blocked a punt and then Jamison Carroll recovered it in the end zone for a touchdown. That gave Sky View a 20-7 lead and Lake City never recovered. They should have just got on the bus after that.

I wrote my game story, and then it was lunchtime. I skipped the first half of the Bear River-Minico game and went to my hotel, and then over to Buddy's, where I put down one of their amazing salads. Ahhhhh.

I got back at halftime. Minico, which is from Rupert, Idaho, had this one in hand. The Spartans led 15-7 and Bear River fans thought they were in trouble.

The Bears rallied in the second half, though, and won 31-21.

The Rocky Mountain Rumble people in the press box were having trouble with their computerized statistics program, so they couldn't help me. Hey, I missed the first half.

So, after I interviewed the coaches and players, I interviewed a few others to get first-half info. I spoke to some great Bear River fans, and I also found the Bear River radio announcer. Apparently, the game was broadcast on the radio back to Tremonton. Sweeet. I got lucky.

I met a lot of neat Bear River fans. They were class acts and, when I told them I was representing the Deseret News, they were more than happy to help me. In return, I told them about the best restuarant in Pocatello. I hope many of them went to Buddy's before they left town.

There were two late games. Mountain Crest played Pocatello, and then the two Highlands met. I was anxious to see Mountain Crest, especially QB Alex Kuresa. He wasn't that impressive, though, because Pocatello blitzed him to death. He was running for his life on almost every play.

Speaking of that, the first play was great. Mountain Crest kicked off, and its kicker hit a line drive that nailed the Poky player right in the helmet at the 20-yard line. The ball bounced straight ahead and Mountain Crest recovered.

The Mustangs scored within the first minute of the game. Soon afterward, it was 12-0. After that, Poky started blitzing and Kuresa was in trouble. Keep in mind, too, that the Indians had thousands of fans and soon gained the momentum.

Mountain Crest didn't recover until the fourth quarter, and then put together a couple of drives to beat Pocatello. It wasn't the Mustangs best game, but it was good enough to grab the win. I wouldn't give Kuresa the game ball, but he did show a lot of agility while trying to evade the Poky pass rush.

Afterward, I interviewed the Pocatello coach. He was a great guy, and he told me that they had put a lot of thought in how to beat Mountain Crest. Poky had a detailed game plan, and it wasn't good enough.

The last game was the Highland (Idaho) vs. Highland (Utah). I didn't know it at the time, but I guess these teams played back in 1976. I'll have to check on that. I was somewhat worried about this game.

Why? Well, it was supposed to start at 8 p.m., but it was later. It was also a game between two schools named Highland, both named Rams and they had the same school colors. Just so you know, Highland, of Salt Lake, opened six years before Highland of Pocatello. So, if you want to know who copied who? Now you know.

This was a great game. Highland of Idaho won 19-17. I know that's important, but I was more impressed with how both teams handled themselves during the game - and afterward. This was an intense contest that wasn't decided until Highland (Idaho) kicker Paul Muzzo nailed a short (21-yard) field goal with four seconds left.

When it was over, I went onto the field of the ISU Minidome, which is now called Holt Arena. I walked right near both teams, and they were class acts. After such an emotional game, they both had respect for each other, and it showed.

Frankly, these teams should play each other EVERY year. Why not? Highland vs. Highland? What a great rivalry.

Highland, of Idaho, had an impressive passing game led by QB Tanner Nielson and RB Kai Campbell. Highland, of Utah, showed a strong running game led by RB Toi Taufa. He's a big 225-pounder who carried a bunch of guys on his back. Taufa finished with 139 yards on 20 carries. This guy was a stud.

Highland, of Utah, turned the ball over too many times early, which caused it to fall behind. However, they came back to even took the lead 17-16 late in the game. Everyone was on their feet in the final minutes until the game was decided.

But nobody left. After the game, the Rocky Mountain Rumble people handed out trophies and everyone cheered. It was an amazing event.

I could post statistics from each game, but it's not important. I stayed overnight at the Holiday Inn and had a great time. Yes, the games were indoors, and on astroturf, but I didn't see any bad injuries.

Highland, of Utah, coach Brody Benson told me afterward that his team had made "turned a corner" in that game. He believed it, and so did I.

It was a pleasure to be there.

Olympus Whips Copper Hills

2009-10-09T23:20:00.000-07:00

It was a warm Friday night on Labor Day weekend when I covered the Olympus vs. Copper Hills football game.

Olympus won the game, 24-7. It was a pretty decisive victory for the Titans, whom I had seen play earlier this season against Hillcrest. It was a pleasure watching them again, and I was also happy to get to know their new coach, Mike Smith, a little bit better. He was a classy guy in the post-game interview.

This was also my first time covering Copper Hills. I had been to the school many times, but never for an actual sports event. Their football stadium is very nice. They have apparently set up a deal with the Sonic Drive-Inn to provide food at the stadium. Smart idea.

The athletic director at Copper Hills is Brad Tingey, whom I had met when he was at Hillcrest. Brad's a decent guy. I met his parents when I was a travel agent, so it means something special to me to deal with him.

Brad showed me the Copper Hills preseason football guide and it was very impressive. The photography was very nice. It's a classy production. I'm hoping I might be able to help them with it in the future, but that's another story.

I also met the photographer who provided most of the photos. His name is Terry Cullop, and he is one of the best I've seen. He gave me his website address while we talked, and I was impressed. The guy can shoot.

Now, back to the game.

Olympus pretty much dominated. Titans' running back Terry Isaia had a big night, including a long touchdown run. Isaia is one of those few backs who can run between the tackles, and outrun the secondary, too. He has a chance to play college ball.

Isaia finished with 154 yards rushing, but because Copper Hills had to focus on him, it also allowed QB Spencer Harris to make some big plays. Harris only threw for 121 yards, but he ran for 50 more and had a big impact on the game, just like he did against Hillcrest.

Copper Hills' QB, Quin Wright, threw some nice passes when he had time to throw the football. He tends to hang on to it too long, though, and that allowed Oly to get some sacks.

When he threw quick passes, that's when Copper Hills moved the football. The Grizzlies have a running back, Colton Fogarty, who had a good night, rushing for 133 yards on 24 carries, but the star of this team is Chandler Johnson. He plays WR, and he is quick and fast. When Johnson got the ball, he could score at any time.

So, what do I remember most about this game? Copper Hills tried several times on fourth down, and failed pretty much every time. Oly had that happen to it at the Hillcrest game a couple of weeks ago. Ironic, isn't it?

Here are some stats from this game:

Olympus 7 10 0 7 - 24
Copper Hills 0 0 0 7 - 7

O - Isaia 1 run (Hendriks kick)
O - FG Hendriks 26
O - Lindsley 34 pass from Harris (Hendriks kick)
CH - Fogarty 1 run (Newbold kick)
O - Isaia 52 run (Hendriks kick)

First downs: Olympus 13, Copper Hills 13
Rushes-yards: Olympus 35-205, Copper Hills 35-183
Passing yards: Olympus 121, Copper Hills 122
Passes: Olympus 12-17-0, Copper Hills 9-22-2.
Fumbles-Lost: Olympus 2-1, Copper Hills 1-1.
Penalties: Olympus 1-5, Copper Hills 4-36
Punts: Olympus 1-35, Copper Hills 1-31.

Highland vs. Hunter

2009-08-28T22:13:00.000-07:00

I covered the Highland vs. Hunter prep football game tonight at Highland. The Rams won 27-3 and looked good doing it. Hunter didn't impress me at all. To read my game story in the Aug. 29 edition of the Deseret News, click here.

I thought this game would be more competitive, but Highland dominated the line of scrimmage and spent a lot of time in Hunter's backfield. The Wolverines never put together a serious drive.

Highland led 14-0 at halftime. The Rams got the second-half kickoff and, on their first play from scrimmage, fumbled the ball. Hunter recovered and, if they could have moved the ball into the end zone, it might have changed the game.

Hunter didn't. It took the Wolverines eight plays to go 15 yards - and they got five of those via penalty. That's pathetic. They kicked a field goal. Highland got the kickoff and scored a touchdown in five plays. Game over.

So, what will I remember from this game?

* - Highland needed this win. The Rams were demolished 49-28 last week by Mountain Crest, but their defense showed up. How a team goes from giving up 49 points to 3 is ... well ... amazing. High school kids are so impressionable. I hope coaches understand how impressionable they are. That's why it's so important to have a good coach. A bad coach can screw up a kid and affect their future.

* - Hunter beat Kearns 13-0 last week, and that's saying something. Hunter is also known for being a physical team. I didn't see that tonight. You know, when the Jazz don't show up to play a game sometimes, I attribute that to the fact they're all making $6 million a year and they're playing 82 games. In high school, you're playing for pride. I didn't see that tonight from Hunter, and that was disappointing.

* - Highland has a running back named Christopher Lloyd. He's a good running back. He carried the ball just four times tonight, and got nailed for losses twice. The other times, he ran for touchdowns. This seems to be a special kid. I say give him the ball, and let him make plays. Judging from just two games so far this season, that's what he will do.

* - During the game, I met some people while walking the sidelines. I'm not always gawking at the cheerleaders. I met the Highland team photographer (and arranged for him to send me a few photos), the head of the Highland booster club and the school principal. They were talkative. While I was on the Hunter sidelines, nobody said anything. I attribute that to game's outcome.

* - Highland's principal, Paul Schulte, is a man of interest. That's because I know his brother, Chris Schulte. I worked with him years ago at the Salt Lake Tribune. I liked Chris, but he didn't like me. I learned that Chris is the sports editor for the newspaper in Wausau, Wis. He's been divorced twice and is now with his third wife. His kids, whom he loves a lot, I'm sure, live with one of his previous wives in Montana. That has to hurt. Nobody deserves that. I wouldn't trade places with him.

* - Lastly, I stopped at Arby's (across the street from Highland) and they had a deal $5 for 5 Arby's roast-beef sandwiches. I didn't want five sandwiches, but it costs $2.69 for one. So, why not? I bought five. I thought about trying to eat them all, but ... didn't. I have two left in the fridge. Perhaps this means food is more important than football? LOL.

I kept detailed statistics from this game that the media will never print. So, I'll show them here. Here you go:

Hunter 0 0 3 0 - 3
Highland 0 14 7 6 - 27

Highland - Lloyd 3 run (Hicken kick)
Highland - Fakahafua 7 pass from Keller (Hicken kick)
Hunter - FG Jex 23
Highland - Lloyd 58 run (Hicken kick)
Highland - Keller 5 run (kick failed)

TEAM STATISTICS

First downs: Hunter 8, Highland 17
Rushes-Yards: Hunter 32-83, Highland 38-287
Passing Yards: Hunter 20, Highland 2
Passes: Hunter 4-12-2, Highland 1-7-0
Fumbles-Lost: Hunter 1-1, Highland 2-1
Penalties: Hunter 5-42, Highland 9-105
Punts: Hunter 4-29.8, Highland 3-30.3

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING: Hunter - Bloomfield 21-79, Tavo 2-13, L. Tanuvasa 3-4, Lunceford6-(-11). Highland - Taufa 12-93, Keller 12-75, Lloyd 4-48, Payne 4-38, Lauti 2-25, Fakahafua 1-12, Coleman 2-(-4).
PASSING: Hunter - Lunceford 4-12-2-20. Highland - Keller 1-7-0-2.
RECEIVING: Hunter - Pulu 1-8, Davidson 1-7, L. Tanuvasa 1-4, Tavo 1-1. Highland - Fakahafua 1-2.

* -

Game 1 - Hillcrest vs. Olympus

2009-08-22T09:23:00.001-07:00

The high school football season started in Utah today, even though temperatures were near 100 degrees at kickoff. I was given the opportunity to cover the Hillcrest-Olympus game, and I was happy to get it.

I figured this would be a close game between two rebuilding schools. Hillcrest, of course, is always rebuilding. Olympus has a new coach and not much was known about how much different the Titans would be from previous years.

I got a chance to meet Oly's new coach - Mike Smith. I've talked to him on the telephone before regarding other matters (he teaches a sports marketing class at Olympus). I also heard he had a hot-shot running back as an adoped son - Terry Isaia.

It was a great game, and Olympus ended up winning 10-7. The game went right down to the wire. Both teams could have pulled it out, although Olympus probably deserved it more, based on the fact that its offense could move the ball more easily and that Hillcrest turned the ball over three times.

However, Olympus failed three times on fourth downs. The biggest one came with less than two minutes left, when the Titans tried tried a fake punt on its own 29 yard-line, and Hillcrest stuffed it. Personally, I thought it was a great call because it was one play where Olympus had a chance to win the game. Hillcrest coach Kirk Merhish said it should have cost Oly the game.

Turns out, both guys are right. Oly won the game, but it could have gone either way. I was at the game, and you can read my game story by clicking here.

I thought this was a good article. It was a lot better than the season-opening story I wrote last year. The Salt Lake Tribune reporter was there, too, and I read his article. He looked like a decent guy, but it's funny how are statistics were different. I've learned that, with my background, I trust my stats more than anyone else.

Anyone who knows me recalls the time I started keeping statistics for KBOI Radio (the Voice of the BSU Broncos) starting in seventh grade, and then I was BSU's official statistician for football and basketball through high school. I also worked in the University of Idaho's sports information office for over four years. Lastly, I've covered prep sports for ... good God ... it's been a long time.

Anyway, it was great to be on the field again. If you want to see my game stats, they're lower on this blog. But here are a few things I noticed at the game:

* - Olympus QB was Spencer Harris, who started all season last year and did a great job. But coach Smith brought in a sophomore - Scott Porter - in the first quarter and he did well until he was injured in a jarring tackle. Porter should be OK. Coach Smith said he didn't bring him back into the game as a "precautionary measure." We really didn't see all Porter's talents, but they have to be there. There's no way coach Smith would have put him in otherwise. I mean, why would you replace your senior starter for a sophomore? Coach Smith knows more than we do.

* - Hillcrest has a good home-field advantage. The Huskies were on the west side of the field and in the shade, while Oly was baking in the sun. Temperature at game time had to be in the mid-90s or more.

* - Hillcrest may never develop into a winning program, simply because it doesn't have enough players. They're gamers, though, and put up a tough fight. They just need a few more quality kids. The Huskies had a chance to win this one, but their top players need to make the plays. Bridger Dallimore is a gutsy kid, but he couldn't come up with a TD pass and then the pass intended for him late in the game was intercepted by Oly sophomore Cole Benson. Guys like Dallimore have to make those plays.

* - Terry Isaia is a tough runner for Olympus, and I'm sure Skyline will look at the tape of this game and the coaches will scratch their heads. He's a good-sized kid and a bruising runner. He also has game-breaking speed. He ran for 124 yards in this game, but didn't really have a long run. Hillcrest also frustrated him at times, and he showed he might have a temper. Oly can't afford to have him booted from a game.

* - I'd say the difference-maker in this game, though, was Spencer Harris. In the second half, he carried the ball 18 times and allowed Oly to dominate the time of possession. Last year, he threw the ball a lot, but this year's team is different and he won it with his running.

* - Hillcrest didn't show much on offense. Its quarterback - Tanner Kemp - is decent, but he does not have a fluid throwing motion. He takes too long to throw it. He had a nice game against Oly, though, and his only interception was a nicely thrown pass that the Oly kid made a nice play. Hillcrest just couldn't run it.

* - Oly didn't turn the ball over, while Hillcrest lost it three times (two fumbles, and an interception). Dallimore also caught a pass in the third quarter and was tackled at his own 10 yard-line. While struggling for more yardage, he coughed it up but the referee ruled he was down. I was right there, and the official could have ruled it either way. From the way he acted, I think Dallimore thought he fumbled. A turnover there would have given the ball to Oly in the "red zone." Hmmm, based on my comments I don't want to be too tough on Dallimore. He's a talented player, and will have better games.

* - Coach Merhish's son is Nick (Merhish). He's a strong kid and a great linebacker. I wish I could have seen the defensive stats because he was all over the field. He played running back a couple of times, too. He has the potential to earn a college scholarship, perhaps at a JC or small school. I think Hillcrest's eventual record may limit him, but he can play.

GAME STATISTICS

Olympus 7 0 0 3 - 10
Hillcrest 7 0 0 0 - 7

TEAM

First downs - Olympus 17, Hillcrest 8
Rushes-yards - Olympus 52-301, Hillcrest 21-31.
Passing yards - Olympus 59, Hillcrest 155
Passes - Olympus 7-14-0, Hillcrest 11-17-1
Total offense - Olympus 66 plays, 360 yards; Hillcrest 38 plays, 186 yards
Fumbles-lost - Olympus 2-0, Hillcrest 4-2
Penalties - Olympus 7-62, Hillcrest 4-25
Punts - Olympus 2-39.0 avg., Hillcrest 4-26.8 avg.

INDIVIDUAL

RUSHING: Olympus, Isiah 22-124, Harris 20-99, Lignell 3-59, Porter 3-8, Sonntag 1-8, Hendriks 1-6, Kacinski 1-0, Young 1-(-3). Hillcrest, Pecht 4-12, Merhish 4-7, Kranz 2-6, Li 3-5, Thompson 2-3, Kemp 2-0.
PASSING: Olympus, Harris 6-13-0-49 yds, Porter 1-1-0-10 yds. Hillcrest, Kemp 10-17-1-155 yds.
RECEIVING: Olympus, Johnson 3-27, Young 2-27, Isaia 2-5. Hillcrest, D. Thompson 1-61, Dallimore 4-49, Li 3-26, A. Thompson 2-19.

-END OF TRANSMISSION-

Brighton Does It Again

2009-02-06T21:35:00.000-08:00

It has been a month since I last updated my blog. I've been busy, putting out programs, dealing with difficult printers, trying to keep my website up to date, publishing game programs and trying to see where this business is going.

It is going. That's for sure. This is a great time of the year, and I need to spend more time at games because that's the exciting place to be.

Tonight, I was at Brighton High School, watching the Bengals take on Skyline in a boys basketball game. I've wanted to see Skyline play for a long time, and this was a great opportunity. I also figured Rick Osterloh would be there. Skyline's top player is Ryan Osterloh and Rick is his dad. I have talked to him on the phone several times, and he has helped me in a few situations.

I delivered game programs to Brighton during the mid-afternoon and, while stopping by, I saw that someone had decorated this window in one of the entry doors to the gym. Ironically, Brighton's maintenance crew had cleaned the window by game time.

Brighton won 59-53. I expected Skyline to win this game because Brighton is playing without its leading scorer - Corbin Miller - who is likely out for the season due to an injury. Turns out the Bengals are playing better than ever.

Skyline started quickly, jumping to a 16-4 first-quarter lead. The Eagles had plenty of fans and they got into it with the Brighton cheering section, and it added to the atmosphere. Both teams were class acts. There was one time where the Skyline cheering section over-applauded the Brighton drill team.

I also noticed that, while Brighton's head coach is Lyndon Johnson, he has plenty of help. Sometimes, it was difficult to tell who was the head coach and who were the assistants. I guess coach Johnson understands he had good help around him. I doubt if Brighton gets outcoached too often by its opponents.

So, here were some other highlights (from my perspective):

* - I didn't see a state championship team. I was more impressed with Brighton because the Bengals got more output from several different players than Skyline.

* - Brighton forward Sam Wanderli has an uncanny ability to get rebounds. He had 11 tonight. Wunderli is 6-4, but he can leap and he is often in the right place at the right time.

* - Skyline's Kevin Wagstaff is fun to watch. He was the QB on the football team. On the basketball court, he never sits still. I'll bet the guy covered 20 miles, and he never showed signs of being tired. He led the team with 23 points, too. I'd hate to see where Skyline would be without him.

* - The player of the game was Austin Hudson. Brighton's 6-6 forward is only a sophomore, but he had 13 points and six rebounds, and he hit some big shots. Brighton needed a guy to step up and Hudson did that.

* - Fouls played a big role in the game. Brighton's Will Cannon played maybe 10 minutes and picked up five fouls. I almost felt sorry for the guy. Some nights are like that. Cannon could have sulked, but he came back in the fourth quarter and scored five points, including a three-pointer.

* - Ryan Osterloh only had six points. He is apparently not a "take charge" guy on the court. He lets the game come to him, and it didn't reach him much this time. He had foul trouble, too. He hit just one three-pointer, but it's apparent he has a sweet shot. I'd love to watch him when he gets hot.

* - What was the difference in this game? Brighton couldn't shoot, but the Bengals could rebound. The outrebounded Skyline 33-23, and also made it to the free-throw line a lot more.

I kept detailed statistics at the game. Here is my box score:

Skyline 16 15 13 9 - 53
Brighton 6 21 11 21 - 59

SKYLINE (53) - Wagstaff 9-18 1-2 23, R. Osterloh 2-7 1-2 6, Taylor 5-7 2-2 14, Judkins 0-2 2-2 2, J. Osterloh 0-1 1-2 1, Orr 1-1 0-0 3, Weixler 2-5 0-2 4. Totals: 19-42 7-12 53.

BRIGHTON (59) - Richards 1-3 4-4 7, Newell 0-5 1-2 1, Cannon 1-4 2-2 5, Felix 0-2 0-0 0, Masina 0-0 2-2 2, Wertz 0-3 0-0 0, Wunderli 2-8 7-8 12, Lotulelei 4-8 3-4 13, Ricketts 1-2 0-0 2, Hudson 3-4 5-8 11, Barker 3-7 0-0 6. Totals: 15-46 24-30 59.

Total fouls: Skyline 22, Brighton 17. Fouled out: Judkins (Skyline), Cannon, Ricketts (Brighton). Rebounds: Brighton 33 (Wunderli 11), Skyline 23 (Weixler 8). Turnovers: Skyline 11, Brighton 9. Three-point goals: Skyline 8-18 (Wagstaff 4, Taylor 2, R. Osterloh, Orr). Brighton 5-18 (Lotulelei 2, Wunderli, Cannon, Richards).

Olympus Buries Highland With Threes

2009-01-09T22:29:00.000-08:00

We're in the middle of the Utah prep basketball season now, and watching hoops is a great way to escape the doldrums of January.

I'm not a skier anymore, so prep sports has become my passion at this time of year. I like to follow - in particular - the schools in Region 6 because they are often so competitive.

Tonight I watched the Olympus at Highland game. I went there for a couple of reasons:

* - Recently, I met Tony Parks, who is the best PA announcer in the valley, and I wanted to see him in action.
* - I wanted to meet with Highland football coach Brody Benson on a particular matter.
* - I had heard that Highland had one of the best home-court advantages in the valley, mostly because their fans really get into it. I found that to be true.

It's the students ... really. Highland has good student involvement at its football games. It also has a band - at least it did for a portion of the first quarter. Those kinds of things really help a basketball team get wins on its home court.

Olympus won the game 51-35. Will Watkins and Corbin Green scored 13 points apiece as the Titans built a lead in the second quarter and never let Highland within six points.

Highland's problem was that it couldn't shoot. The Rams were 14-50 from the field (28%), and were particularly bad from three-point range (2-18).

Highland's coach is Keith West, and I like him. He preaches defense. The Rams are among the state's best in that category, and they force opponents to change their game. The Rams also had a 35-23 rebound advantage, so they got second chances on some of their missed shots.

For Olympus, the Titans couldn't find an inside scoring threat, but they have at least a half a dozen players who are comfortable shooting the three-pointer. Watkins was 3-3 from three-point land. Green, Connor Brady, Nick Paulos and Spencer Harris also canned long shots.

Last year, Spencer Hille was the top scorer but he is not the main player in this year's offense. Hille also seems to have a temper that he needs to control. I don't think he has found his niche on this year's team. When he does, this team will be tough to beat.

Green was funny. He's a big kid who can score inside and shoot the three-pointer. He didn't get a break on this night. He had foul troubles, although it wasn't his fault. When he got nailed with his second foul, the referees made a mistake and called it on him when the foul should have gone to another player. He sat out most of the second quarter. Still, he came back to nail a bunch of free throws in the second half and he played a decisive role in the outcome.

I figure Oly will challenge West for the Region 6 title. Highland might be lucky to earn a post-season berth. It needs to find someone who can score. Spenser Bowen, Taylor Brightwell or Jordan Crayton would be good candidates. We'll see what happens.

The next morning, I discovered there was a Deseret News reporter at the game - John Coon. I read his story, and he did a nice job. The mark of a good reporter is one who tells you things you didn't know, even if you were at the game. John did that here. I should have introduced myself to him. Oh well. Maybe next time.

While at the game, I kept detailed statistics. Here they are:

Olympus 14 12 8 17 - 51
Highland 12 4 8 11 - 35

OLYMPUS (51) - Hille 1-3 1-3 3, Bourne 0-3 2-4 2, Watkins 4-6 2-2 13, Green 1-5 10-13 13, Brady 2-5 0-0 6, Paulos 2-4 1-2 7, Harris 2-2 0-0 5, Spafford 0-0 2-2 2. Totals: 12-28 18-26 51.

HIGHLAND (35) - Bowen 1-7 0-0 3, Brightwell 3-9 0-0 7, Orchard 1-7 2-2 4, Crayton 1-4 0-0 2, Heimuli 4-6 1-2 9, Angstman 0-1 0-0 0, Jensen 3-7 0-0 6, Fakahafua 1-8 2-2 4. Totals 14-50 5-6 35.

Total fouls: Highland 17, Olympus 10. Fouled out: none. 3-point goals: Olympus 9-16 (Watkins 3, Brady 2, Paulos 2, Harris, Green). Highland 2-18 (Bowen, Brightwell). Rebounds: Olympus 23 (Green, Brady 4), Highland 35 (Heimuli 13). Turnovers: Olympus 11, Highland 12.

Is Granger for real?

2008-12-21T09:16:00.000-08:00

On Friday night, I noticed that the Granger Lancers upset the Jordan Beetdiggers in the first round of Jordan's "holiday" tournament. That struck me as the biggest upset of the day.

I like upsets. It makes sports interesting. That's why I closely monitor the NCAA basketball tournament and I relish watching games like Boise State-Oklahoma. It's nice when the little guy wins once in a while.

I went to Jordan the next day because I wanted to see if Granger was for real. I watched the end of the Lehi-Jordan game, and then all of the Granger-Riverton contest, which was to be for the tournament championship.

Here are some things I noticed:

* - The guy who runs the show for Lehi is Jacob Obiamo. I would like to see Lehi be successful because the deck seems stacked against them in Region 4. The Pioneers had a tough football season, and it's great to see them win. Without Obiamo, they wouldn't be. He ran the offense and, in the final seconds, he was the guy with the ball. He made some nice moves, then flipped it to his center for a layup and the 60-58 victory.

* - Granger was a disappointment. The Lancers don't know how to play team basketball. They have a lot of athletic ability, but Riverton schooled them. The Silverwolves are 8-0 because they play team ball. Granger's first four shots were from three-point land. They ran plays only after timeouts. Then it back to playing one-on-one basketball. Tre Musgrow is about the only guy who can do that with any success.

* - One of Granger's other good players - T.J. Tapusoa - was given a lesson. It's questionable whether he learned it or not. Tapusoa hit the game-winning three-pointer to beat Jordan the night before. Against Riverton, he hit another three to start the game, but then it went to his head. As the clock was winding down in the first quarter, he got the ball. He tried to dazzle the crowd with his dribbling, then he went for the shot. Everyone knew it, including Riverton. Three guys converged on him and his shot was blocked. There might have been a foul, but it doesn't matter. Tapusoa got upset, and got a technical. He sat on the bench for several minutes of the second quarter. When he got into the game again, he was whistled for a foul and mouthed off to the ref (again). He was ejected.

* - Granger needs to sit down and watch "Hoosiers." Granger could win Region 6, or finish last. It's up to them. Play the game like it's supposed to be played guys, and you will be successful. Riverton won 55-35.

* - The fan support for the games I watched was dismal. Jordan has a beautiful gym, but the thing I noticed the most was the lack of student support. During the Riverton-Granger game, I noticed six Riverton students making noise. That's all. But I didn't see any Granger students. Maybe they were there, but they were silent.

* - What's the story with the Jordan holiday tournament? What's the purpose of it? I like the idea of holiday tournaments, but it's missing something. It's missing student support, of course. I'd like to talk to Jordan athletic director Marc Hunter and see what can be done to make it better.

* - Riverton's Scott Friel is fun to watch. He's a good, but not great, player who just does everything to help his team win. He was the tourney's MVP, and he deserved it. He has the size and skills to help his team. He's the primary reason Riverton is 8-0.

Since I was at the game, I kept detailed statistics. Here is my box score:

Granger 5 12 6 12 - 35
Riverton 13 15 11 16 - 55

GRANGER (55) - Thorup 0-3 0-0 0, Musgrow 2-9 8-12 12, Scott 1-5 2-3 5, Tapusoa 2-5 0-0 5, Koyom 1-8 1-2 3, Ulugia 0-1 3-4 3, Caputo 1-2 90-0 2, Algic 1-1 0-2 3, Daniels 1-1 0-0 2. Totals: 9-35 14-23 35.

RIVERTON (55) - M. Trujillo 1-3 4-4 7, Friel 5-10 1-1 11, Neilson 2-5 4-6 8, Valdez 0-1 3-4 3, Thomas 3-8 0-1 6, Gunderstrup 4-6 1-1 9, Tanner 2-2 2-4 6, A. Trujillo 0-1 1-2 1, Peterson 1-1 0-0 3, Gamblin 1-1 0-1 2. Totals: 19-38 15-22 55.

Total fouls: Granger 17, Riverton 16. Fouled out: None. Technicals: Tapusoa 2 (ejected). Rebounds: Riverton 30 (Friel, Thomas 7). Granger 24 (Koyom 7, Thorup 6). 3-point shots: Granger 3-9 (Scott, Tapusoa, Algic), Riverton 2-6 (M. Trujillo, Peterson). Turnovers: Granger 16, Riverton 13.

West Jordan-Brighton game recap

2008-12-14T17:40:00.000-08:00

I try to attend as many high school sporting events as possible. This weekend, I chose to go to the West Jordan vs. Brighton basketball game?

Why? The Deseret News has West Jordan ranked No. 1 among 5A schools. Also, I view Brighton as an up-and-coming team, even though the Bengals are in last place in their region.

It was a great game. It was a good atmmosphere. West Jordan had its gym "open." The facility itself is huge. It has three basketball courts. They can close them off, but they didn't Friday night. It's a great facility, and eliminates the scheduling problem of all the groups that need gym time.

West Jordan beat Brighton 58-49. Jordan Weirick scored 21 points, and he and D.J. Tialavea controlled the rebounds in the second half as the Jaguars rallied for the victory.

Brighton jumped on the Jags early in the game, taking an 18-10 first-quarter lead and 33-25 at halftime. At the start of the third quarter, West Jordan got back into it, tying it 40-40 and never looking back.

Here are some things I noticed:

* - West Jordan may be No. 1 by the Deseret News, but have a ways to go. Brighton outplayed the Jags in the first half with crisp passing. The Bengals hit 14-25 shots in the first half, primarily due to its passing.

* - West Jordan played like a championship team in the second half. Weirick was a star on both offense and defense, but the real key might have been Reyes Gallegos. He had an "off" night offensively, only scoring 10 points. But he had to guard Brighton's Corbin Miller. The sophomore guard hit three treys in the first half, but then Gallegos pressured him into moving further away in the second half, and he was never the same.

* - Early in the second half, Miller threw up an air ball from way past the three-point line. The Jaguars' fans really got on him, and I think that made a difference. He was not the same player. Miller may eventually become all-state, but if he wants the attention, he has to accept what might happen. Gallegos won this battle.

* - Where were the Brighton fans? The only noise I heard - and I was sitting in the Brighton cheering section - was from the home (West Jordan) crowd. Even though you're in an opponents gym, you can still cheer for your team. I also saw few Brighton students ... only adults.

* - West Jordan has four great players - Weirich, Gallegos and potentially Tyler Holt and Mason Sawyer. Tialavea can rebound, but he doesn't seem to understand the game. Who does West Jordan go to when they need points? Weirich had 21 points, and Gallegos took control a few times ... but there didn't seem to be a clear leader.

* - Sam Wunderli is Brighton's best player. He scored 15 points and had nine rebounds on this night, and was a pleasure to watch. He was always in the middle of things. Miller has potential (he had four three-pointers for 12 points), but he's the only outside threat. Brighton's point guard, Neil Richards, is not a scorer, and that means both opponent guard can focus on Miller on the perimeter. Someone ... and someone big (like perhaps Moses Lotulelei) needs to come outside and set screens for Miller, so he can score. Miller can potentially change games with his shooting. The kid is for real.

I was able to keep detailed statistics during the game. Here they are:

Brighton 18 15 9 7 - 49
West Jordan 10 15 22 11 - 58

BRIGHTON (49) - Richards 0-1 0-0 0, Cannon 3-10 2-8 8, Miller 4-12 0-0 12, Wunderli 7-11 1-2 15, Ricketts 2-3 0-0 4, Hudson 2-2 0-0 4, Lotulelei 2-2 0-1 4, Barker 1-4 0-0 2, Masina 0-0 0-0 0. Totals: 21-45 3-11 49.

WEST JORDAN (58) - Sawyer 2-13 2-2 7, Weirick 7-12 6-6 21, Holt 5-6 1-2 11, Gallegos 3-8 2-4 10, Udy 2-7 0-0 4, Tialavea 2-3 0-0 4, Herrin 0-1 0-0 0, Knighton 0-1 0-0 0, Ashton 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 21-51 12-16 58.

Total fouls: Brighton 19, West Jordan 12. Fouled out: None. Three-point shooting: Brighton 4-13 (Miller 4), West Jordan 4-10 (Gallegos 2, Weirick, Sawyer). Rebounds: Brighton 30 (Wunderli 9), West Jordan 33 (Tialavea 9, Weirick 8). Turnovers: Brighton 17, West Jordan 18.

Cottonwood-Hillcrest great game recap

2008-12-06T08:00:00.000-08:00

I attended the Cottonwood vs. Hillcrest basketball game last night. The reason? It was at Cottonwood, which was a convenient location, and this game is a good rivalry on the hardwood.

I wanted to go to a game that involved both schools where I handle game programs. I also felt the local media would not cover it (it wasn't a marquee game on the schedule), and it turns out I was correct.

It was a great game, too. Hillcrest won 55-50. There was a near melee with 6:03 left in the game, and Cottonwood's Alo Moli and an assistant coach were ejected.

Frankly, I agreed with the referee's decision. Moli and Hillcrest's Kyle Maughan got tangled up on a rebound and Moli seemed to take Maughan down. He also swung one of his arms, which could be viewed as a punch. One of the players - Maughan or Moli - was also grabbing the other's uniform and that contributed to both players hitting the floor.

I can't really fault the Cottonwood assistant. He ran out onto the court to get two of his players away from the melee. He never contributed to the incident, and was only trying to help end it. After Moli and Maughan went down, the referees blew their whistles and were trying to separate them. At the same time, players were running toward the scene and it could have been violent.

The game was close, and both teams were feeling the pressure. Hillcrest might also have become a bit frustrated because Cottonwood had the momentum - and the lead - at the same. Hillcrest had led most of the game.

I was sitting above the Cottonwood bench at the time, and the Colts coach - Dave McConnell - knew immediately that his assistant would be ejected. He confronted his assistant immediately and informed him that he was not allowed to the leave the bench area, regardless of what happened the court.

The result? Moli and the assistant was ejected. Moli was also given a flagrant foul. Unlike the assistant, though, he stayed on the bench. Moli is a gifted athlete, but was not a factor in this game. He never got a chance after the melee. I hope he learned his lesson.

Maughan went to the line and hit 1-of-2 free throws. The Huskies then got four more free shots (for the technical on Moli and the assistant) and Jeremy Ulrich nailed all of them.

Hillcrest then got the ball back and hit a basket, which turned into a 38-31 lead, which they never relinquished.

It's sad that the memory of this game will be that near-melee. At least the fans stayed in their places. Cottonwood principal Garett Muse, who was still dressed in a suit, and assistant principal Mitch Nerdin stayed in front of the Colts' loudest fans to make sure they didn't leave their spot.

Additional police were called, and they were placed near the Hillcrest fans, but they weren't needed. This matter DID NOT get out of hand. The referees handled it well, as did the Cottonwood hierarchy.

After about a 10-minute delay, the game restarted and was very entertaining. It was a good win for Hillcrest.

I have to congratulate both coaches. They showed their smarts in this game.

* - For Cottonwood, coach McConnell recognized early that Hillcrest was slowing the game and that would not benefit his team. The score was just 6-5 late in the first quarter. He sped it up by extending his defense to midcourt, then put in full-court pressure. Hillcrest didn't handle it well many times and it resulted in 26 turnovers.

* - For Hillcrest, coach Brad Tingey recognized McConnell's move and placed his best player, Maughan, on the perimeter (inside of down low), so his guards had a player who could catch a pass, break the press and take pressure off the guards. Tingey also called key timeouts late in the game when Hillcrest was having trouble breaking the press. That likely prevented two turnovers and additional Cottonwood points. I believe the Huskies score after each case, too.

In the last month, I have developed a new statistical sheet and I put it to use for the first time Friday night. Here are my unofficial statistics, but everything adds up correctly.

Hillcrest 6 15 11 23 - 55
Cottonwood 8 11 12 19 - 50

HILLCREST (55) - Dallimore 1-5 6-10 8, Maughan 4-5 10-17 18, Jackson 2-5 0-0 5, Blackmore 1-5 3-4 5, Jongejan 1-4 0-0 2, Ulrich 2-4 6-6 12, Lao 1-4 2-4 4. Totals 12-32 28-43 55.

COTTONWOOD (50) - Glen 0-2 1-4 1, Chavez 4-9 2-2 13, Lundquist 1-3 2-3 4, Nelson 4-9 0-0 8, Moli 1-4 2-4 4, Lundquist 1-2 0-0 2, Reynolds 3-7 4-6 10, Baricic 1-3 0-2 2, Ziegler 3-3 0-0 6. Totals 18-42 11-21 50.

Total fouls: Hillcrest 16, Cottonwood 25. Fouled out: Reynolds. Rebounds: Hillcrest 31 (Lao 9, Blackmore 8), Cottonwood 24 (Komenda 5). Turnovers: Hillcrest 26, Cottonwood 19. 3-point shooting: Hillcrest 3-10 (Ulrich 2, Jackson). Cottonwood 3-12 (Chavez 3).

Cottonwood-Orem

2008-11-01T09:42:00.000-07:00

I covered the Cottonwood-Orem football game Friday afternoon (Oct. 31) at Cottonwood's home field. It ended up being a great game.

It was also an afternoon contest, and the weather was great, except for a persistent south wind. Cottonwood jumped ahead 17-0 at halftime, and then made it 24-0 after three quarters.

Orem had a great rally in the fourth quarter, cutting the lead to 31-24 and then recovered a fumble. The Tigers threw a long pass that put them at the Colts' 18 before Cottonwood's defense came alive and stopped the threat.

I have compliment Orem on its comeback. I roam the sidelines during the game and, in the second half, I was on Orem's side of the field. There are some big kids on that team, and their QB - Josh Hamblin - throws a nice ball. This game had two good QBs as Cottonwood's Steve Romero is also among the best.

Cottonwood has a little tailback - Isi Sofele - who is a shifty little guy who makes people miss. He ran for 124 yards on 28 carries. In this game, Sofele never broke loose for any long runs. Cottonwood also hurt itself with over 100 yards in penalties, and had three touchdowns called back because of those issues.

Afterward, both coaches were not unhappy. Orem's Robert Steele said that if his team had not lost to Tooele and Springville, they would not have had to play a team as powerful as Cottonwood in the first round. I can understand losing to Springville, but Orem must have just caught Tooele on a good day. The Buffaloes only won three games this year.

Cottonwood coach Cecil Thomas was also unhappy. I like Coach Thomas. He's a good guy. He's a big fellah with a deep voice, and you can't help but fear or respect him. Cottonwood is so intent on making the 4-A finals and playing Timpview. I can't say they were overlooking Orem (certainly they weren't in the first three quarters), but ...

I spoke to some Orem players during the game and asked them to compare Cottonwood and Timpview. The Orem players said they thought Timpview was the better team. "They hit harder," one player said.

I wrote a decent article about the game, which you can access from my website - www.matchupUT.com - or you can find it on www.deseretnews.com.

I also got a request from a reader that, since I keep statistics during the game, to publish the detailed report here. So, I will do that from now on. Here it is:

Orem 0 0 0 24 - 24
Cottonwood 14 3 7 7 - 31

C - Sofele 1 run (Curtis kick)
C - Lundquist 22 pass from Romero (Curtis kick)
C - FG Curtis 26
C - Sofele 7 run (Curtis kick)
O - Boulter 20 pass from Hamblin (Hamblin run)
C - Sofele 8 run (Curtis kick)
O - Boulter 14 pass from Hamblin (Jones pass from Hamblin)
O - Jones 17 pass from Hamblin (Huntbach pass from Jones)

Orem Cott
First downs 22 22
Rushes-yards 33-54 35-146
Passing yards 310 250
Passes 24-38-1 18-28-1
Fumbles-lost 3-2 3-1
Penalties 5-40 11-105
Punts 4-44.0 2-41.0

RUSHING: Orem - Boulter 11-49, Huntbach 4-16, Villagra 3-2, Habel 3-2, Hamblin 12-(-15). Cottonwood - Sofele 28-124, Romero 6-21, Thomas 1-1.
PASSING: Orem - Hamblin 24-38-1-310. Cottonwood - Romero 18-27-1-250. Sofele 0-1-0.
RECEIVING: Orem - Boulter 10-89, Jones 5-76, Egbert 4-39, Poulsen 3-72, Huntbach 2-28. Cottonwood - Larsen 7-99, Lundquist 6-106, Moli 2-28, Sofele 2-9, Payne 1-12.
MISSED FGs: None.

The Manu Samani Show

2008-10-12T11:39:00.001-07:00

Last Friday night (Oct. 10), the Deseret News sent me to cover the Granger at Olympus game. It was the Titans' homecoming, and it was COLD. Fortunately, the game was probably the best I've seen all year.

The reason? Granger put on a show, especially running back Manu Samani. He rushed for 289 yards on 30 carries and also caught three passes for 81 yards.

Olympus led 27-6 at one point and its offense was playing the best it had all season. Quarterback Spencer Harris was hitting his receivers and the Titans scored every time they had the ball.

When it was 27-6, though, Granger started giving the ball to Samani. Quarterback Brentt Phillips would often just hand him the ball on dives up the middle. He would also seemingly push him through the line. On several occasions, Samani would not go down, even though he was in a lot of traffic.

He had Granger's first score, a 79-yard run, in the first quarter. But his last touchdown was even better, a 93-yarder.

This was my first time covering Granger. I wasn't impressed with the team's overall football knowledge. For example, Oly kicked a field goal on its second possession, but was given a first down when a Granger player was caught roughing the kicker. It was obvious, but the Granger kid acted like he was surprised.

Granger does have a lot of athletic ability. Besides Samani, receiver/defensive back T.J. Sapusoa was fun to watch. He caught a pass in the back of the end zone that I thought was way overthrown.

Granger is also entertaining. On the game's first play, the Lancers successfully went with the onsides kick. They also had at least three successful fourth-down plays.

After one touchdown, they went for a two-point conversion. Phillips got the snap, turned around and acted like he was going to hand off to Samani. Instead, he flipped the ball high into the air (over his head), where Tapusoa was waiting.

Fortunately for Olympus, a couple of alert players were watching intently and prevented Tapusoa from catching it. I've watched football for a long time, but I've never seen a play like that.

Overall, it was a great game. Olympus had been winless in Region 6 play, and needed the victory but both teams deserved it. Samani's rushing yardage has to be one of the best performances by a back this year in Utah.

It was a pleasure to watch the game.

The Best Teams I've Seen

2008-10-05T09:04:00.000-07:00

Every week, the Deseret News requests that I cover a football game. Of course, I agree. It's one of the highlights of my week. There's no place I would rather be on a Friday night, except in the arms of a good woman. But that's another story.

Two weeks ago, I covered the West at Cottonwood game. The Colts won, 40-0, in a blowout. In fact, it was 40-zip at halftime. Cottonwood has separated itself as the best team in Region 6, although I have not seen East play yet. We'll see what happens there this weekend.

Last week, I was at Brighton at Alta. I didn't expect this game to be close, and it wasn't. I've watched Brighton play, and the Bengals just don't have the offense to keep up. It seems like it's "three and out" almost every time. The defense is on the field most of the time, gets tired and ... game over.

Brighton's defense is decent. But if it gives up more than 20 points, it's game over. And there's no way Alta is going to be held to less than 20 points.

I like to walk along the sidelines. I feel it gives me a better look at the game. Besides, if I'm covering it for the newspaper, I want to be able to see things that the fans, who are in the stands, can't see.

I've covered prep football for over 20 years, and I've found it helps to stay in shape because you need to be able to run when you're on the field.

I predict Alta and Cottonwood will be in the 5-A and 4-A championship game. I don't see anyone beating Alta. Cottonwood is talented, but has to face Timpview. I haven't seen the Thunderbirds play, but I hear they might be the best team in the state. Regardless, the Cottonwood-Timpview final will be a good game. Cottonwood is fast.

With three weeks left in the season, here are my MVP picks. I'll pick them by region, and only the regions I know best - 2, 3 and 6.

Region 2 MVP - Ammon Olsen (Alta)
Region 3 MVP - Alamoti Vaenuku (Kearns)
Region 6 MVP - Tana Afeaki (West)

I base my picks on what players are the most important to the success of their teams. If these schools didn't have these guys, they would not be as successful as they have been.

In all likelihood, the media and coaches won't pick them, except for Olsen perhaps. The media will likely go for Olsen, Jake Soffe (Bingham) and Isi Sofele (Cottonwood).

George Felt column

2008-09-24T09:17:00.000-07:00

George Felt is a Salt Lake City resident who is a big fan of high school sports. He has published a book entitled, "Utah High School Football." Because of his knowledge, he has also become a weekly guest columnist for the Deseret News.

I met Mr. Felt last week and wrote a small article in last week's issue, of "Matchup," your football game program. Mr. Felt sent me his column this week, and I'm placing it here on the blog. Enjoy.

Week 6 Preview

The Undefeated and the Winless

Just one team – Alta – lost for the first time last week, leaving 11 unbeaten teams. There’s one game between undefeateds this week: North Summit at Manti (both 5-0) in a 2A-North showdown. NS is enjoying the second-longest current winning streak, 17 games, well past its previous school record of 12 set in 1974. Of course, Timpview expects to defeat Mountain View and tie Rich’s state-record 28-game winning streak, set from ’94-’97. The third longest current win-streak belongs to the other nine 5-0 teams.

There’re only two more possible matchups between undefeated teams the rest of regular season: Juan Diego at Delta on Oct. 24 and, depending on the NS-Manti winner, either Manti at Juab next week or Juab at North Summit on Oct. 15.

The only Class 5A team still undefeated is West Jordan. Last week, the 5-0 Jaguars matched their best-ever start set in 1999. However, this week’s opponent, Bingham, has won six straight over WJ and leads the series 20-7. In 4A, Cottonwood, Sky View and Timpview remain unbeaten.

Cottonwood (5-0) will match its best-ever start with a victory over West. In 37 years, the Colts have been 6-0 three times before, including last season.

Delta hasn’t been 5-0 since starting 9-0 in 1994. The Rabbits lead the state in shutouts this year with three.

Millard and Snow Canyon picked up their first victories last week, leaving 10 winless schools. That’ll go down by at least one as Payson visits Provo in this week’s only matchup of winless teams.

Most-Improved

Uintah has gone from 1-9 last year to 4-1 so far this season and Hurricane from 3-8 to 5-0.

This Week's Most-played Rivalries (series leader listed first)

Murray and Cyprus battle for the 70th time; Murray leads 37-28-4….Kanab meets Parowan for the 67th time; the Cowboys have won 44 straight over the Rams and lead 61-4-1 in the state’s most lopsided series. Parowan last beat Kanab in 1970….Delta and North Sanpete clash for the 63rd time; Delta dominates this series, 51-9-2, but North Sanpete won last year, 20-13….American Fork plays Spanish Fork for the 53rd time; AF leads 36-15-1, but Spanish Fork won in ’06 (22-20) and ’07 (22-16).

Other Game Notes

Hunter has taken 14 of 18 from Kearns….Copper Hills holds a 5-4 edge over Riverton, but Riverton has won the last three. Highlight of the series: CH won a double-OT thriller, 61-60, in 2000….Northridge has defeated Layton 11 of the 16 times they’ve met. Layton won last year, 28-10, after Northridge claimed the previous 10….Bonneville gave Sky View its only region loss last year.

Also, Skyline leads its series with Alta 7-4, but the Hawks have won the last three….Fremont has a 5-3 edge in its series with Viewmont….Carbon and Emery clash in the Coal Bucket game; the Spartans have captured the traveling trophy 17 of the 19 times they’ve played since starting the series in 1989. Carbon won it in 1994 and 2000.

First time meetings

Salem Hills at Juan Diego and Box Elder at West Oaks Academy (Orlando), a private, Christian school. The Flame defeated Florida Christian, Beacon of Hope Christian and Potter’s House Christian before losing to South Florida Christian last week.

Milestones

In addition to Kory Bosgeiter and Rhett Jackson’s quest for win #50, Marshall Sheriff is going for his 75th victory at Millard….West Jordan’s Mike Morgan is coaching his 100th game.

Bear River is playing its 750th game, Richfield, its 650th and Riverton, its 100th contest.

Newcomers

Three small, private schools have recently added football programs. Abundant Life Academy, Diamond Ranch Academy and Sorensen’s Ranch all play independent schedules, mostly against out-of-state schools or each other. And all are schools for troubled teens – many from out of state – that usually stay for just one year before returning home.

Abundant Life Academy (Kanab) began to play 8-man football in 2006. In ’07 and ’08, the Warriors played a mix of 8- and 11-man games. Bob Fredrickson, a California transplant, leads ALA.

Diamond Ranch Academy (Hurricane) also played an 8-man schedule its first year of football, 2007. This season, the Diamondbacks play a single 8-man contest and six 11-man games. One of those is at Park City on Oct. 24. Former Dixie High and Dixie State standout Robbie Dias direct DRA.

Sorensen’s Ranch (Koosharem) is in its first season of football. Coached by Tevita Vakautakakala, who was an assistant at nearby Richfield High, the Mustangs have just three 11-man games and one 8-man contest on their schedule.

ALA plays its 11-man home games at Kanab High, DRA hosts at Hurricane High and Sorensen’s Ranch uses South Sevier High.

The addition of those three makes 99 schools fielding football teams this season.

Big Turnaround

Grantsville was held to a total of minus-nine yards by Delta on Sept. 5, but the next week against Carbon, Grantsville amassed 532 total yards, the highest of any team this season.

From last week

Copper Hills posted its first shutout since 1998, a span of 101 games, and only the second in its 14-year history. Manti also claimed its first shutout since 2003, a span of 53 contests, while Roy suffered its first whitewash since 2003, 53 games ago.

2008 Single-Game Performances

With the regular-season half over, here’re some of the top performances as reported from various sources (corrections and additions are welcomed). This is only place you’ll find records for single games; season stats appear in MaxPreps.com and the Deseret News, among other places.

Total Offense (Rushing Plus Passing)
385, Junior Cole, Northridge (9/12 vs. Weber)
369, Jeff Manning, Logan (9/29 vs. Highland, Idaho)
368, Alex Hart, Jordan (8/30 vs. Washington (Massillon), Ohio)

Net Rushing259, Adam Timo, Snow Canyon (9/5 vs. Las Vegas)
251, Nick Orchard, Highland (8/29 vs. American Fork)
248, Dylan Chynoweth, Park City (8/22 vs. Canyon View)

Rushing Touchdowns5, Brennon Hunt, Beaver (9/5 vs. Milford)

Rushes33, Adam Timo, Snow Canyon (9/5 vs. Las Vegas)
31, Anthony Heimuli, Mountain View (9/2 vs. Payson)
30, Brennon Hunt, Beaver (9/5 vs. Milford)

Passing Yards
387, Kyler Carlsen, Sky View (8/30 vs. Campbell County, Wyo.)
347, Josh Soter, Copper Hills (8/22 vs. Payson)
332, Ammon Olsen, Alta (9/29 vs. Grant (Sacramento), Cal.)

Touchdown Passes
6, Kyler Carlsen, Sky View (8/30 vs. Campbell County, Wyo.)
5, Jeff Manning, Logan (8/22 vs. Murray)
5, Josh Soter, Copper Hills (9/19 vs. Taylorsville)
5, Ryan Workman, Viewmont (8/22 vs. Orem)

Passing Attempts
51, Jordan Smith, Lehi (9/12 vs. Kearns)
47, Jeff Manning, Logan (9/5 vs. Sky View)
46, Alex Kuresa, Mountain Crest (9/5 vs. Northridge)

Passing Completions31, Jordan Smith, Lehi (9/12 vs. Kearns)
26, Alex Kuresa, Mountain Crest (9/5 vs. Northridge)
25, Josh Soter, Copper Hills (9/12 vs. Pleasant Grove)

Receiving Yards
200, Travis Van Leeuwen, Timpview (8/29 vs. Spanish Fork)
164, Josh Thompson, Logan (9/12 vs. Judge Memorial)
162, Anthony Heimuli, Mountain View (9/19 vs. Tooele)

Receptions
10, Spencer Hille, Olympus (8/22 vs. Hillcrest)
9, Chandler Allen, Copper Hills (9/5 vs. Hillcrest)
9, Chandler Allen, Copper Hills (9/12 vs. Pleasant Grove)

Touchdowns Responsible For
6, Josh Soter, Copper Hills (1 rush, 5 pass – 9/19 vs. Taylorsville)

Sacks
5, Dylan Stadel, Lehi (8/29 vs. Springville)

Interceptions
3, Dayton Deloach, Delta (9/5 vs. Grantsville)

Field Goals
3, Parker Brown, Timpanogos (8/29 vs. Hunter)
3, Parker Brown, Timpanogos (9/5 vs. Orem)
3, Dallin Lund, Hunter (8/29 vs. Timpanogos)
3, Carson Smith, Box Elder (9/5 vs. Bear River)

Extra Points
9, Roberto Taddeo, Juan Diego (8/29 vs. Grantsville)
8, Michael Stephenson, Pine View (9/19 vs. Canyon View)
8, Brock Warren, Sky View (9/12 vs. Box Elder)
8, Brock Warren, Sky View (9/19 vs. Roy)

Season Touchdowns Responsible For
20, Jeff Manning (5 rush, 15 pass), Logan
18, Junior Cole (8 rush, 10 pass), Northridge
16, Justin Ence (13 rush, 3 pass), Pine View

Longest Plays Of The 2008 Season (90 yards min. unless indicated)Rushing
93, Bryce Delnort, Park City (8/22 vs. Canyon View)

Passing
96, James Taylor to Dax Cederholm, Bear River (9/5 vs. Box Elder)
95, Nick Wood to Corie Blackham, Parowan (9/12 vs. Gunnison)
92, Alex Kuresa to Ethan Rasmussen, Mountain Crest (9/12 vs. Woods Cross)
90, Jeff Manning to Stephen Gwynn, Logan (8/29 vs. Park City)

Interception Returns
97, Zach Bigelow, Alta (9/12 vs. Hunter)
91, Dominick Cagle, Kearns (8/22 vs. Brighton)

Kickoff Returns (99 yd. min.)
99, Dee Hamala, Murray (8/29 vs. Hillcrest)
99, Devin Miner, Orem (8/29 vs. Snow Canyon)

Fumble Returns
96, Evan Pettit, North Sevier (8/29 vs. Gunnison)

Field Goals (50 yd. min.)
54, Parker Brown, Timpanogos (9/5 vs. Orem)
53, Parker Brown, Timpanogos (9/5 vs. Orem)

News from the week

2008-09-11T15:07:00.000-07:00

Another week of prep football. We're already approaching Week 4 and some teams are starting region play. Now, it gets even more interesting.

Last week, I was at the West Jordan at Olympus game. I covered the game for the Deseret News and wrote one of my better articles. I started the season slowly, but I'm getting into it now. All of my articles have been on the D-News web site only, but perhaps they'll see that I'm improving. I have over 15 years of sports writing experience. Every week, I should be doing the job well.

West Jordan-Oly was a good game. I usually stand on the sidelines. In the third quarter, I switched over to the Oly sideline and saw a man I knew. It was Shane Smith. Shane is the head custodian at my kids' elementary school. But he also is an assitant coach at Oly. We talked for a while. I see him at my kids' school frequently, so now we have more in common.

West Jordan is 3-0, but I learned this week that its football stadium has been undergoing renovations and still isn't finished. Athletic Director Dan Cowan said the school is putting in new bleachers and a new track, and it's still not done. Cowan was pretty upset on the phone. So, this week's game against Taylorsville will be a road game for the Jaguars. That's tough.

It seems that stadium problems are rampant here. Last year, it was Jordan. This year, it's Judge Memorial, Bingham and now West Jordan.

"The district just wants to keep improving our facilities, and this is just a hardship," Cowan said. "But they (the construction company) have had more than enough time."

West Jordan only had three home games this year - now the most it will have is two, unless the Jags make it to the postseason.

* - Every week, I have to deliver game programs to the schools. Currently, there is heavy road construction on 10400 South (near Bingham) and 3600 West (near Granger). You would think roads near schools would undergo construction during the summer, when school is not in session. Granger has had four home games to start this season, so I have been by there every Thursday or so this last month. I still can't see where the construction company has made any progress.

* - The big game this week is Bingham vs. Jordan because the Miners' are inaugurating their new stadium, with all its amenities. I've never covered a game at Bingham. I'll be at Brighton, which is hosting Spanish Fork. Other good games are Highland at East, Logan at Judge Memorial (being played at Juan Diego) and Kearns at Lehi. I'm also anxious to see if West Jordan improves to 4-0. With the Jags playing all their games on the road so far, that's a great story.

* - The game to miss is probably Cottonwood at Murray. I covered that game last year, when it was at Cottonwood, and the Colts won 47-0. Frankly, it wasn't that close. Cottonwood linebacker Lynn Katoa was all over the field. He earned a scholarship to the Univ. of Colorado. I figure Cottonwood will do the same thing to Murray this year.

What a Game

2008-09-05T22:41:00.000-07:00

I just got home after covering the West Jordan at Olympus football game. It was the best game I've seen all year. West Jordan is 3-0, but Oly has its spread offense going.

Good game for everyone, especially since not everyone can win. I sent my game story to the Deseret News already. If you'd like to read it, here it is:

By Bruce Smith
For the Deseret News

West Jordan and Olympus each learned a lot about themselves Friday night, while playing an entertaining game in front of a near capacity-crowd.

But only West Jordan is 3-0.

The Jaguars drove 80 yards in less than three minutes to nip Olympus 35-28 in a non-region battle.

Quarterback Jace Rogers hit his giant tight end – D.J. Tialavea – on a 5-yard scoring pass that ended up being the winning points.

“I knew they gave us too much time,” said Rogers, explaining how he felt after Olympus tied the game with 3:25 remaining. “We were keeping our cool.”

West Jordan coach Mike Morgan couldn’t be prouder. He wouldn’t answer – but only smiled - when asked how he felt about being 3-0.

“These kids overcame adversity to win this game,” he finally said. “We responded after (Olympus) scores. We came up with the plays.”

There was plenty of adversity – on both sides. West Jordan rushed for 352 yards, but gave almost half that back in penalties.

One penalty – an illegal block – came when Tyson Udy intercepted a pass in the end zone and ran 100 yards for a touchdown. The block was behind the play and likely would not have affected Udy’s run.

Olympus coach Mark Smith also noticed the ups and downs. But despite the loss, he was pleased the Titans’ have shown improvement in each of their three games.

The Titans’ spread offense put up a season-high point total. Olympus, which trailed 20-7 at halftime, came out in the second half and quarterback Spencer Harris hit sophomore Carter Young on a 64-yard touchdown pass on the first play.

Shortly afterward, Olympus recovered a Jaguars’ fumble. Then Harris tossed a short pass to basketball star Spencer Hille to give the Titans their first lead.

“We hit on maybe four cylinders in our first two games,” said Smith, who couldn’t help but smile despite the loss. “But tonight we hit on 5½. I was very proud of the improvement we made.

“Preaseason (non-region) is over, and we’ve made progress. I’m looking forward to doing more of this in region.”

Olympus starts Region 6 play next week at home against Cyprus.

On this night, though, the Titans turned things around in the third quarter. Their two quick scores seemed to surprise the visiting Jaguars, and West Jordan took a while to recover.

Finally, the Jaguas started riding the back of running backs Damien Maestes, who had 126 yards on 28 carries, and Brandt Henslee, who added 110 yards on 11 attempts.

The Jaguars moved the ball and finally scored on a 5-yard run by Maestes. West Jordan then added a two-point conversion on one of its favorite plays - a short toss to Tialavea - who caught five passes on the night.

Olympus retaliated, taking advantage of two pass interference penalties, and tied the game when Hille caught his second touchdown pass, but there was still 3:25 left in the game.

Maestes did most of the damage, but was helped by Henslee and the shifty Devon Paraso, who added 60 yards on the ground. Finally, with Oly’s defense confused and intent on stopping the run, Harris found Tialavea for the winning score with 37 seconds left.

“We have a lot of weapons with that offense,” Morgan said. “We proved that in the Mountain View game (a 40-37 win last week).”

The Time Has Come

2008-09-05T08:33:00.000-07:00

It has been several weeks since I posted a blog, and I apologize for that. The MatchupUT.com website has been taking a lot of my time, as well as designing, writing and publishing programs for 24 Salt Lake-area schools.

Football season has started. Tonight marks the third week of the schedule. Besiding doing all that I mentioned above, I also cover games for the Deseret News. Tonight, I will be at West Jordan at Olympus. That should be a fun game to watch. I'm anxious to see West Jordan because the Jags are 2-0 and both of their wins have been close, entertaining games.

The last time I covered a game at Olympus was many years ago, when I worked as a sportswriter for the Salt Lake Tribune. Oly must have been playing at team from Weber County because Dennis Larsen, a reporter from the Ogden Standard-Examiner was there, too. It was pouring down rain. One of the worst rainstorms I can remember. That year, it rained at a lot of the games I attended and it forced me to buy really good rain gear.

I can't find that rain gear now, but the forecast looks good. I haven't seen Dennis for a long time. He was a good guy, and always fun to talk to. I always look forward to seeing other newspaper reporters when I cover a game.

It has been a busy year so far. My schedule goes like this: On Saturday, I'm working on my computer, updating my website (http://www.matchupUT.com) and the upcoming week's programs. This week, for example, I'm handling game programs for 13 schools.

I do that on Sunday, too, so I can get as much information as possible to my printer - Steve Wells at Action Printing in Murray. I'm usually finishing things up Monday, but then I have to spend a lot of time at the printer's office, editing the programs. This week, because of the Labor Day holiday, we did everything a date later than usual.

On Tuesday, we finish printing and I deliver game programs on Wednesday. That usually takes all day. I end up driving all over the valley, from Lehi through Grantsville. Fortunately, my car gets good gas mileage.

The latter part of the week is now spent improving the program, talking to coaches and athletic directors, fixing any errors, etc... I can adjust my time, so I can do things with my kids, but I really don't have a weekend.

The first week we handled 17 programs, and we had some screwups. We (myself and the guys at Action Printing) found ways to improve our editing. We did not have any problems the second week. This week, I almost forgot the Hunter at Brighton game.

I could never do this without Action Printing. I've known the guys there for several years, and their customer service is fantastic. They go above and beyond the call of duty and, unfortunately, I take advantage of that.

We're getting a lot of compliments. I think the advertisers in the program - Comcast, The Deseret News, Rocky Mountain Power, SLCC and LDS Business College - are happy. In addition, I got a call from Paul Pugmire, who is running for Salt Lake County Council, and he asked to advertise in the programs involving West Valley teams.

One woman, a realtor who saw the program at a Judge Memorial game, asked to advertise but I haven't heard from her recently. There is ad space available, although it's minimal. I'm still learning what we can do.

But enough of this. I'm slowly becoming more of an expert on local high school football. Here are some questions I can answer:

* - What teams have surprised you so far? Copper Hills, Riverton, Kearns, West Jordan and Bingham. Those first four teams are unbeaten, while Bingham is 0-2. And I'm surprised for those reasons. What's also noteworthy is all of those schools are from the west side. Alta seems to be the dominant east-side school and that will probably always happen until a new high school is built in Draper.

* - You deal with a lot of people. Who are your favorites? People who will help me. That is, people who will return phone calls, etc... The biggest problem with putting together these game programs is getting a calendar of upcoming events from the schools. A lot of schools have not updated their websites since last May. Also, I'll never understand why school personnel cannot email. A lot of them don't know how. The excuses I received were "I never learned," or "I'm too old." Just think what would happen if some student gave something close to that excuse. Learn people. Learn.

* - What are the biggest games this week? I'm happy covering West Jordan at Olympus, but I'd also like to see Alta at Kearns. I don't see Alta losing this year, but this one has possibilities. I also want Kearns coach Bill Cosper to be successful. I met him last year, and instantly liked him. There's a great article that the Magna newspaper did on him that tells his story. Basically, his son got a football scholarship to Weber State and Bill picked up the rest of his family to follow, so they could watch him play. Bill was a football coach in Texas, and he is bring his knowledge and experience to Kearns.

* - Since Bingham has lost its first two games, are they done? No. All Bingham has to do is fare well in Region 3 and it will make the 5-A playoffs. Playing Skyline and Alta might have been a good move because the Miners will know how much they will have to improve in the playoffs. Plus, they have a new stadium field, scoreboard and more. I wouldn't write them off.

* - Lastly, the Deseret News asks me every week to put together a list of my Top 25 Utah high school teams. It's a lot of guesswork. I basically followed Parry's Power Guide, which is published each week on my website and in the game programs. Alta is No. 1 and Bingham No. 2. Next week, I'll change that vote because you can't put an 0-2 team at No. 2. I'll probably move Skyline up the list because I've learned you can never count out those guys.

That's it for this post. I will post more often now - maybe even daily. Thanks for your interest in Utah high school football and Matchup.

Stadium Woes for Judge

2008-08-01T10:06:00.000-07:00

Last year it was Jordan. This year it seems Judge Memorial is going to be the Salt Lake City area school with field problems that means it will not be able to play on its home field.

The Salt Lake Tribune published a story today (Aug. 1) with the news. I knew something was up. I drove past Judge a couple of weeks ago and noticed its artificial-turf field was not on the ground (see photo).

Here is the article the Tribune published. Good job, Trib.

The Judge Memorial High football team will be forced to play its home games at Juan Diego, according to a source close to the Bulldogs program, because renovations to its field are progressing slowly.

The source, who spoke with The Tribune by cell phone Thursday, confirmed that Judge had hoped repairs on McCarthy Stadium would be finished in time for the season opener. But, repairs have been slow in coming, forcing the Bulldogs to look elsewhere for a home.

"Nobody wants to take responsibility for repairing the stadium," said the source. "It's a shame because it's the kids that are getting screwed."

The stadium, which seated 1,600, opened last season. But the problems began in January when the retaining wall broke. There are also a number of sinkholes in the field, which had to be dug up.

All of that has led to the Bulldogs not having a place to call home.

"They were calling around and they called us," Juan Diego coach John Colosimo said. "We're happy to give them a place to play. Our dates meshed, so it looks like there will be football on every Friday night. Judge is going to have a great team, so I hope that takes some of the sting out of it. I know it's got to be frustrating for [Judge coach] James Cordova."

Under the agreement with Juan Diego, Judge will play all of its home games there except for East.

The schools, natural rivals, will be in the same district starting next season. Logistically, playing essentially on the road for Judge is a nightmare. This means the team will have to get on a bus for every game and practice.

Judge, which advanced to the Class 3A state championship game last season, is again expected to challenge for a state title with the likes of Keenyn Walker and Dee Crandall.

To read the actual article on the Trib's website, click here.

Busy Football Season Approaches

2008-07-16T10:42:00.001-07:00

It's going to be a busy high school football season for me, starting in about one month, when I start preparing the game programs for the season openers, which will be Aug. 22.

I will be handling the game programs for 24 different Salt Lake-area schools, and the first week looks like it will be the busiest. So, it will be important to have any glitches worked out immediately.

I'm still selling advertising for the programs, but the future looks bright. Here is a list of games where you will be able to find the "Matchup" game program.

Friday, Aug. 22 (17 games)
Hillcrest at Olympus, Cyprus at Tooele, Snow Canyon at East, Logan at Murray, North Sanpete at Judge Memorial, Clearfield at Cottonwood, West Jordan at Lehi, Spanish Fork at Alta, Wasatch at Grantsville, Skyline at Bingham, Northridge at Jordan, Davis at Hunter, Payson at Copper Hills, Taylorsville at Granger, Kearns at Brighton, Timpanogos at Riverton, Juan Diego at West.

Friday, Aug. 29 (9)
Murray at Hillcrest, Kearns at Cyprus, East at Skyline, Bingham at Alta, Juan Diego at Grantsville, Roy at Granger, Springville at Lehi, Taylorsville at Riverton, West at Tooele.

Friday, Sept. 5 (12)
Hillcrest at Copper Hills, Juan Diego at Cyprus, Ogden at Granger, American Fork at East, Murray at Taylorsville, West Jordan at Olympus, Pine View at Cottonwood, Provo at Lehi, Skyline at Highland, Layton at Jordan, Delta at Grantsville, Alta at Kearns,

Friday, Sept. 12 (14)
Riverton at Hillcrest, Taylorsville at West Jordan, Spanish Fork at Brighton, Jordan at Bingham, Carbon at Grantsville, Pleasant Grove at Copper Hills, Alta at Hunter, Logan at Judge Memorial, Kearns at Lehi, Cyprus at Olympus, Highland at East, Cottonwood at Murray, West at Granger, Orem at Tooele.

Friday, Sept. 19 (10)
West Jordan at Hillcrest, Spanish Fork at Hunter, Skyline at Kearns, Judge Memorial at Juan Diego, Copper Hills at Taylorsville, Riverton at Jordan, Cottonwood at Cyprus, East at Murray, Granger at Highland, Olympus at West.

Thursday, Sept. 25 (3)
West Jordan at Bingham, Copper Hills at Riverton, Hunter at Kearns.

Friday, Sept. 26 (7)
Jordan at Hillcrest, Brighton at Taylorsville, Murray at Cyprus, East at Granger, West at Cottonwood, Highland at Olympus, Salem Hills at Juan Diego.

Thursday, Oct. 2 (1)
Kearns at Bingham

Friday, Oct. 3 (13)
Timpview at Tooele, Skyline at Hillcrest, Brighton at Alta, Taylorsville at Jordan, West Jordan at Riverton, Copper Hills at Hunter, American Fork at Lehi, Cyprus at West, Olympus at East, Granger at Murray, Cottonwood at Highland, Park City at Judge Memorial, Bear River at Grantsville.

Friday, Oct. 10 (15)
Hillcrest at Alta, Skyline at Taylorsville, Jordan at Brighton, Hunter at West Jordan, Bingham at Riverton, Copper Hills at Kearns, Timpanogos at Lehi, East at Cottonwood, Highland at Olympus, Murray at West, Granger at Olympus, Payson at Tooele, North Sanpete at Juan Diego, Wasatch at Judge Memorial, Ben Lomond at Grantsville.

Wednesday, Oct. 15 (10)
Brighton at Hillcrest, Taylorsville at Alta, West Jordan at Copper Hills, Hunter at Bingham, Riverton at Kearns, Cyprus at East, Olympus at Murray, Cottonwood at Granger, West at Highland, Union at Judge Memorial.

Friday, Oct. 17 (1)
Carbon at Juan Diego

Thursday, Oct. 23 (7)
Kearns at West Jordan, Bingham at Copper Hills, Riverton at Hunter, Pleasant Grove at Lehi, East at West, Murray at Highland, Olympus at Cottonwood.

Friday, Oct. 24 (5)
Hillcrest at Taylorsville, Skyline at Brighton, Alta at Jordan, Pleasant Grove at Lehi, Granger at Cyprus.

The Hype Gets Started

2008-07-15T07:18:00.000-07:00

High school football in Utah is still over one month away, but already the excitement is starting to build. I'm sure the players, and perhaps the fans, are thrilled that fall is approaching, but most of the excitement starts with the media.

I listened to "The Prep Fan's" radio broadcast Saturday on 1320-KFAN. It wasn't an excited broadcast, but it was fun to listen to and I'll try to catch it each week. Who knows? Perhaps they'll invite me as a guest as soon as I'm more well known (following the season openers).

The Salt Lake Tribune's three prep writers - Maggie Thach, Chhun Sun and Tony Jones - have already started by attending "unofficial" practices and writing previews about teams. On Monday, for example, the Tribune highlighted Jordan High School.

I figure Jordan should be pretty good ... again. Last year, the Beetdiggers started well and then died. They lost their last three games. I attended two of them. But Jordan's coach, Alex Jacobsen, is a good motivator and his offensive coordinator knows what he's doing. Thus, the Diggers will always be able to score points.

Their problem last year was defense, and the fact they got tired. I noticed several of their players were playing both ways - offense and defense. It was really no surprise when they were beaten in the first round of the playoffs.

Jordan was also hurt by the fact that its field was unavailable. That's actually an interesting case, and I might pursue that a bit more later. Jordan spent the money to have a new - artificial turf/grass - field placed in its stadium. To my knowledge, no other school had this problem.

Look around. These new fields are up at Judge Memorial, Cottonwood, Juan Diego and now Alta and Bingham are putting them in. Hmmm. All these schools are east-side schools, too. When I went to visit Cyprus High last spring, it was apparent that it could use a field like that, too. But because more money is available on the east side, it's not likely to happen.

Regardless, I decided to visit Jordan the other day. I stopped by and looked at the Diggers' field. I also snapped a few photos (see above). It looks nice. It appears to be done, but the goalposts are not on the field yet, and there was a little bit of construction being done on the south end. The field is also surrounded by a track, and the lanes were not marked. That's not necessary for football, but I noticed it.

I have never attended a game at Jordan. There appeared to be nice restrooms on the south side, but I didn't see any kind of concession stand. Maybe it's just me, but I expected more. Well, I can't judge yet. Let's start the season. After I attend a game there, I'll provide a more-informed opinion.

I appreciate the Tribune's preseason coverage, and hope the Deseret News starts its coverage soon. You can read each on the links I've provided on the Home page of this site.

Local schedules are out

2008-07-11T12:31:00.000-07:00

I just looked through the Deseret News web site and obtained copies of the 2008 football schedules for the Salt Lake City-area schools. They look pretty interesting.