Momma Bears

Timp Sports Weekly

December 29, 2009

Publisher's Message

For this week's issue, we look at the Lehi Pioneer girls' thrilling home game against the Bear River Lady Bears, AKA the Momma Bears. The game was a classic case of a team coming back from a huge road loss to win a nail biter at home. Let's get to that story.

Dean Von Memmott

Publisher

deanmemmott@hotmail.com

Lehi Pioneer Girls' Hoop Team Redeems Self In Close Win Against Bear River Momma Bears

By Dean Von Memmott

Timp Sports Weekly Publisher

After experiencing a 30-point loss in a girls' basketball game at Judge Memorial a week before, questions abounded as to whether the Lehi Pioneers would be able to hop back to win a game at home before taking time off for the Holidays. Well, Lehi did prove it could do that when it posted a 39-36 at home over the Bear River Lady Bears, AKA the Momma Bears, Dec. 22.

Lehi Coach Troy Gifford said, "I was proud of my girls. I was down two starters in this game. Brooke Barnes and Jackie Cattoni were out for tonight's game. Brooke was hurt and Jackie was out of state for a family get-together back East. We changed our staring line-up. Gabby Grantham got into a good groove at point guard. Though she didn't hit in double-figures, she did a good job of showing leadership on the floor."

Even though the game opened with Momma Bear Kelli Smart getting the opening tipoff, Bear River lost the ball on a bad pass. Lehi's Katie Rogers capitalized on that turnover. She hit two foul shots that sent the Pioneers rowing out to an 8-2 lead through shots from Aerin Ogden and Briar Sands.

The Momma Bears didn't let the first quarter end in complete Lehi domination. Bear River's Jessica Olsen hit a three-pointer and an inside shot to cut the lead to 8-7. Before the Momma Bears could sneak ahead, Sands sank a three-f00t shot to send Lehi with a 10-7 lead into the next quarter.

It opened with a Sands bucket sparking an 8-0 scoring run for the Pioneers. With Rogers sinking two buckets to fuel that rally for Lehi, the Pioneers soon commanded an 18-7 lead. Bear River called a time-out in hopes of making adjustments to keep Lehi from flooding the Momma Bears out of the gym. Late in the second quarter, two Ogden buckets helped to swell the Pioneer advantage to 24-10. Lehi held the Momma Bears to four points in the second quarter.

The Pioneers maintained their double-digit lead all through the third quarter. Two Anau Faleano buckets stretched the Pioneer lead to 28-12, but after a Rogers bucket had put the score at 30-14, Karah Jeppson hit an inside shot that opened a comeback for the Momma Bears. With each team scoring only six points in the third quarter, the Momma Bear comeback picked up steam in the final period. 

"We and Judge went into our game as two undefeated teams. We stayed with them until the third quarter, and the game went downhill for us." Gifford said, "Tonight, Aerin Ogden came up with some big rebounds for us, especially in the second half. Faleano played much better in the second half than she did in the first. Sadie Johnson proved to be a force to be reckoned with on the floor."

It opened with Jeppson sinking an inside shot. Olsen and Jeppson led the Momma Bears in outscoring the Pioneers 9-2 in the final period's first three minutes. When two Jeppsen foul shots had put Bear River within 32-27, the game's outcome was no longer predictable. Lehi had to rely on Rogers foul shots and Faleano buckets in order to stay narrowly ahead. After two Sands foul shots had put the score at 39-33 in the last seven seconds, Lehi finally had the game put away. Still, Momma Bear Shayla Buxton hit a trey just before the final buzzer to remind the Pioneers what could have easily happened to them, had there been a couple of more minutes left on the clock.

"We wanted to shut down No. 32 [Buxton]," Gifford said. "Whitney Cook and Chelz Ato did a job of keeping No. 32 from doing much doing. She scored only five points during the night."

Rogers led Lehi with 11 points while Sands added another eight. Olsen led the Momma Bears with 18 points while Jeppsen added another eight.

AF Hoops

Timp Sports Weekly

December 22, 2009

Publisher's Message

While last week's issue focused mainly on Lehi sports, we're going to look this week at the Awesome American Fork Cavemen and Cavewomen's wins in preseason basketball at home. We will also look at the Lehi Pioneer wrestling team's home win over the Timpanogos Timberwolves, AKA the T-Pups.

Let's get to those stories.

Dean Von Memmott

Publisher

deanmemmott@hotmail.com

Awesome AF Cavemen Edge Out Timpview Millionaires 60-57 in Exhibition Game

By Dean Von Memmott

Timp Sports Weekly Publisher

The Awesome American Fork Cavemen improved their winning streak at 4-0 by outlasting the Timpview Thunderbirds, AKA the Millionaires, 60-57 in a non-league, boys' basketball game at American Fork December 15.

The last minute of the game went down as one of the longest moments of the contest. Two Josh Warner foul shots tipped the Millionaires within 58-57. The Cavemen then sought to run down the clock until Timpview would not have enough time to pull down a defensive board that would enable the Millionaires to be able to force an overtime or win on a three-point shot. However, a Timpview player made a fatal mistake of fouling Marcel Davis at the 0:03 mark. The Caveman guard went to the foul line and hit both of his free throws. Timpview thereupon took a gamble on a 20-foot shot. It dropped shot of the hoop as the buzzer sounded.

During the course the game, the Millionaires, led by Ky Raymond and Elis Robison, secured a 17-11 lead in the first quarter. However, in the second period, the Cavemen made an awesome comeback as they outscored Timpview 20-11 through shots launched by Ben Beddes, Ty Flinders, Marcel Davis, and Chase Hansen. American Fork outscored the Millionaires 14-8 to take a 45-31 lead into the final quarter. In the last period, Timpview outscored American Fork 21-15.

"To pull off the comeback, we were just trusting each other," Beddes said. "We knew what to do. We were watching opportunities. Marcel Davis handled the pressure well in those last seconds of the game when he hit those two free throws."

American Fork Coach Doug Meacham said, "I thought we played well defensively, and we attacked their 1-3-1 zone press the whole. We got some real big rebounds from Ben and Marcel. Our game was to attack their zone press. Every we drove into the paint, we managed to get a rebound or a basket."

Flinders led American Fork with 19 points while Davis and Hansen each added another 17. Raymond led the Millionaires with 14  points while Robison contributed another 10.

Awesome Cavewomen Break 2-Game Losing Streak By Taking Down Macho SF Lady Dons

By Dean Von Memmott

Timp Sports Weekly Publisher

The Awesome American Fork Cavewomen's basketball team broke its two-game losing streak Dec. 17 by winning 55-42 over the Macho Spanish Fork Lady Dons at home.

After having posted a 6-0 record at the start their preseason, the Cavewomen fell into a slump when they lost to the Springville Red Devils, AKA the Helltown Hellions, and the Skyline Eagles, alias the Blue Tweeties. Spanish Fork's manly girl cagers came really close to causing American Fork suffer its third straight loss.

In the first quarter, Spanish Fork's Brynne Nielsen got the tipoff. Cavewoman Laini Kalumbi stole from her and fed the ball to Grace Farnsworth for a short shot that opened the game's scoring. American Fork's 2-0 lead quickly became painted over by a 6-0 scoring run sparked by a Hayleigh Emerine bucket. American Fork's efforts to regain its first-quarter lead proved frustrating. Through her boarding and scoring, Erin Redd led Lady Dons in a successful effort to stay ahead for the entire period. Kalumbi led American Fork within 6-5, but that turned out to be the closest the Cavewomen could get to pulling ahead. After Makenzie Moea'i had put American Fork within 10-8, a Jen Huntsman bucket left the Dons with a 12-8 lead at the end of the first quarter.

In response to an Emerine bucket at the second quarter, Amy Krommenhoek scored five straight points to open an American Fork comeback. Krommenhoek's shooting spree put the Cavewomen within 14-13. A Kalumbi bucket put American Fork ahead 15-14. A Redd free throw tied the game at 15, but a Moea'i jumper broke the tie. The Macho Lady Dons pulled back out in front 19-17, and Nielsen hit a trey. It was not enough to break the Cavewomen's spirit. Seconds before halftime, a Krommenhoek trey put Americcan Fork within 24-22.

The third quarter opened with Farnsworth hitting a go-ahead three-pointer for the Cavewomen. Even though Spanish Fork did slip back out front 28-25, Moea'i scored on an offensive rebound, and Krommenhoek hit a trey that sent American Fork on a 10-0 scoring run that broke Spanish Fork's hold on the momentum. Besides beating Dons to some crucial rebounds, Shelby Carson nailed shots that helped the Cavewomen maintain a tight hold on the led By the end of the third quarter, American Fork led 43-34.

Spanish Fork's efforts to contain American Fork proved vain in the fourth period. Krommenhoek and Kalumbi led a successful attempt to keep American Fork ahead all through the last period. Both Cavewomen came up with steals and swished foul shots that soon gave their team a 51-40 lead. Free throws by Krommenhoek and Farnsworth put the game ahead in the final minute.

American Fork Coach Corey Clayton said, "For the third period, we switched our defense from man to zone. We played man in the first half, but Spanish stayed ahead of us for much of the time. We were able to switch well to zone. That helped to shut Erin Redd down. She's their go-to girl. She pretty runs the floor. They know where to get the ball to her. Amy Krommenhoek was missing shots in the first half, but she came hot in the third period. She got some good looks. Shelby Carson pulled down some key defensive rebounds for us in the third period."

While Redd led the Macho Lady Dons with 19 points, Kalumbi led American Fork with 17 points. Among American Fork's other high scorers, Krommenhoek posted 14 oints, Farnsworth 11, and  Carson 10.

Lehi Wrestlers Stick Timpanogos T-Pups In 45 Minutes

By Dean Von Memmott

Timp Sports Weekly Publisher

At a Region Seven wrestling dual meet at Lehi Dec. 16, it took the Lehi Pioneers only 45 minutes to win 60-24 over the Timpanogos Timbewolves, AKA the T-Pups.

Lehi Coach Dan "Mr. Nice" Rice said "They [Lehi] wrestled had. They pinned when they needed to."

The T-Pups did well at onset of the meet. Taking a 5-1 lead over Pioneer Riley "The Swedish Stud" Anderson, Timpanogos' Jacob "The Full Moon" Smith pinned him with just one minute left in their 160 weight class match. In the 171 weight class showdown, T-Pup Tanner "The Naughty Pup" Preswich pinned Braxton "The Slick" Southwick 49 seconds into their bout.

The T-Pups' 12-0 couldn't survive a strong Lehi comeback. A deluge of Pioneer falls began with Taylor "Il Toro" Savio sticking T-Pup Tagen "The Pack Leader" Herrick in the first period of their 189 weight class match. Lehi's Garrett "The Tricky" Bolles pinned Timpanogos' Sam "Huff 'n' Puff" Ahmu halfway through the first period of the 289 weight class match.

Lehi's 103-pounder, Logan "The North Briton Laddie" Passey toyed with Gabe "The Wild Dane" Olsen for a little while, then stuck him.

In the 119 weight class match, Timpanogos' Tyler "Duke Howler" Reese broke the string of Lehi wins by pinning Steve "Sir Doom" DuBose in the second period. Their match had begun on a promising note for Sir Doom when he scored a takedown to secure the first lead. However, Duke Howler wrestled back to score the fall.

Dallin "The Purple Stallion" Rice of Lehi pinned Hayden "Swift Paws" Knudsen, a 125-pound T-Pup, in the first 30 seconds. Lehi's Koy "Squeeze Toy" Ash pinned Brian "Senor Lobo" Meza at the end of the first period of the 130 weight class match.

The 140 weight class match saw Pioneer Justin "The Throttle" Cottle take a 4-0 lead over T-Pup Zach "The Wicked Wolf" Peck. From there, The Throttle went on to pin The Wicked Wolf.

Lehi's streak of wins suffered another interruption when T-Pup D.J. "The Widowmaker" Argyle pinned Logan "The Hoppin' Hound" Brown.

 The evening ended with Lehi's Trevor "The Handsome" Hansen sticking Jake "Superpup" Beveridge.

Lone Peak-Lehi Basketball

Timp Sports Weekly

December 14, 2009

Publisher's Message

For this week's issue, we look at Lehi wrestling and two Lehi boys' basketball stories. One of those stories will deal with the theme of the decade-long rivalry between the Lehi Pioneers and the Lone Peak Knights, AKA the Loners. Their rivalry is as fierce as the one between the Knights and the Awesome American Fork Cavemen. The Dec. 11 game between Lone Peak and Lehi showed how intense the rivalry could get at times. Let's get to those stories.

Dean Von Memmott

Publisher

deanmemmott@hotmail.com

Lehi Pioneers Skin Kearns Kittens 63-37 in Exhibition Game December 8

By Dean Von Memmott

Timp Sports Weekly Publisher

After having exorcised the Springville Devils, AKA the Helltown Hellions, by three points on Dec. 7, the Lehi Pioneers rowed back into town Dec. 8 and skinned the Kearns Cougars, AKA the Kittens, 62-37 in boys' basketball.

The triumph improved Lehi's preseason record at 4-0. Lehi Coach Craig Gladwell said, "Our inside kids did a great job with getting the close shots in for us. We had a tougher time at Springville last night. So tonight's game was a little easier for us. Our defense did a really good job in closing off their passing lanes in the third period, so we were able to keep them from rushing back."

With Lehi's Willie Walker sinking a layup to open the night's scoring, the Pioneers took swift control of the game. After Ryan Chistofferson had put the lead at 4-0, Morino Moore nailed a jumper to put the Kittens on the scoreboard. Kearns suddenly went cold in scoring. Walker and Jordan "Mr. " McGregor led Lehi on an 8-0 scoring run. A Dalton Noble shot opened a 9-4 scoring run that put the Cougars within 16-11 at the end of the first quarter.

In the second quarter, Kearns kept Lehi from pulling farther ahead than 23-12. Two Moore foul shots sparked another rally for Kearns. Moore and Sammy Sweat moved the Cougars within 25-18. Moore wowed spectator with a layup that he made right behind him. That shot trimmed the lead to 25-18. Lehi's Cody Hauver answered that shot with a jumper made on a Walker assist. After Christofferson and Cougar Brady Sawsak had each swished two foul shots, Noble hit a three-point shot during the buzzer, cutting the lead to 29-23.

In the third period, McGregor hit an inside shot that stirred up an impressive display of firepower. At the same time, Lehi held the Kittens to six points during the entire third period. It ended with Lehi leading 45-27.

Lehi's Josh Scott opened the fourth quarter with scoring four straight unanswered points. Zach Stanley's foul shooting pushed the Pioneer lead past the 20-point mark. The Cougars couldn't do much in scoring on the floor. They had to settling for picking up the majority of their fourth-quarter points from the foul line.

When the game ended , Scott led Lehi with 15 points while Walker added 14, Christofferson 11, and McGregor eight. Noble led the Kittens with 10 points.

Lehi Grapplers Open Home Season With 56-18 Win Over Orem Tiggers

By Dean Von Memmott

Timp Sports Weekly Publisher

The Lehi Pioneer wrestlers opened their home season with a 56-18 win over the Orem Tigers, AKA the Tiggers, Dec. 10.

Lehi Coach Dan "Mr. Nice" Rice said, "We have showed tonight to be good at 119, 125, 135, 189, and 215. Our 215 wrestler ran out of gas in his match tonight, though."

The Region Seven dual meet opened on a thrilling note with a 171 weight class match between Lehi's Braxton "The Slick" Southwick and Orem's Josh "The Blue Razor" Steele. Scoring a takedown first, The Blue Razor built up an 8-3 lead over The Slick. Southwick battled back to tie the match at 12 by the end of regulation. In the overtime phase, Southwick took Steele down to win 14-12.

The 189 weight class match saw Lehi's Taylor "Il Toro" Savio take Orem's Seth "Low Blow" Snow down and pin him within a minute. 

In the 215 weight class match, Lehi's Bubba "The St. George Dragon" Demke took a 2-0 lead over Orem's Trevor "Mr. Exterminator" Gruwell. The lead changed hands a few times during the match. Shortly before regulation time was to expire in the second period, Mr. Exterminator pinned the St. George Dragon.

Lehi's Garrett "The Tricky Stud" Bolles didn't let that fall go unanswered. In his 289 weight class match, he pinned Henry "The Orem Matador" Sanchez 75 seconds into the bout.

Lehi received a reminder that it was still going to lose matches in the dual meet. The 103 weight class match saw Orem's Jovani "The Yoyo" Tolayo pinned Lehi's Logan "The North Briton Laddie" Passy.

After the Pioneers had improved their lead at 21-12 on Andy "Baron Dandy" Tilley's forfeit win, Lehi's 119-pounder, Steve "Sir Doom" DuBose grappled in a tight match against Orem's Robert "Bad Boy Bobby" Salinas. Sir Doom won his match 6-4.

After Lehi's 130-pounder Koy "Squeeze Toy" Ash had overcome Vince "The Driller" Miller 10-1, Pioneer Tanner "The Earl of Destruction" Eastmond pinned Jacob "The Super Tigger" Simpson in their 135 weight class match. That pin set off a series of swift Lehi wins. Justin "The Throttle" Cottle, Logan "The Hoppin' Hound" Brown, and Trevor "The Handsome" Hansen each scored a pin for Lehi. The dual meet ended with Orem's 160-pounder, Taylor "Lord Mac" McNeil sticking Lehi's Colby "The Lightning Bolt" Massa.

Lone Peak Loners End Lehi Boy Hoopsters Winning Streak

By Dean Von Memmott

Timp Sports Weekly Publisher

The Lehi Pioneer boys' basketball team knew that its latest winning streak would come to an end at some point this season. The Pioneers simply didn't want the ending to occur during their Dec. 11 game at home against the Lone Peak Knights, AKA the Loners. However, in the game's last 10 seconds, a Nick Emery shot gave the Loners a 52-50 over Lehi.

The rivalry between the schools showed itself shortly before the opening tipped. The two balconies of the main gym became packed with students and other spectators. Dressed in white shirts, Lehi students "read" newspapers while the announcer shouted out names of the Knights' starters. Those kids then tore up their newspapers when they heard the names of their team's starters.

Lehi students cheered hysterically when Pioneer Ryan Chistofferson hit a three-pointer to open the game's scoring. Soon Knight Brody Berry stole the ball and got fouled. He hit a free throw that Lone Peak used as a base for a 6-0 scoring run. Two straight Emery treys put the Knights ahead 7-5. Zach Stanley hit a go-ahead trey for the Pioneers. A seesaw fight ensued. The first quarter ended with two Jordan McGregor foul shots putting Lehi ahead 11-9.

With Knight Chris Childs tying the game at 11 during the start of the second period, the Pioneers quickly found out that they would have serious problems with other Loners besides Emery. Shots from Childs and Tannon Pedersen enabled the Knights to swipe back the lead as soon as Lehi had secured it. The Knights led by as far as 26-22 in the period. Christofferson and Willie Walker's efforts inside the key kept the Pioneers close to the 5-A powerhouse. The half ended with a McGregor foul shot trimming the Loners' lead to 26-23.

With Pioneer Zach Stanley tying the game at 28 on a trey early in the third period, Josh Scott put Lehi ahead 30-28. The Pioneers led for the rest of the quarter, even though the Loners did tie the game at 35 and 38 on a Pedersen three-point play and an Emery three-pointer. At the end of the quarter, Walker sank a layup that gave Lehi a 46-43 lead.

In the fourth quarter, Emery became a bigger threat both inside and outside the perimeter. Emery's shooting made Lehi's hold on the lead slippery. After a Scott foul shot had improved Lehi's lead at 50-47 in the last minute, Emery hit a three-pointer to tie the game at 50. Under the immense pressure of the tied score, Lehi lost control of the ball. The turnover proved fall. At 0:07, Emery hit his go-ahead shot. Lehi gambled on a corner shot which flew over the hoop. 

Scott led Lehi with 12 points while Walker and Stanley each contributed 11 points.  Pedersen led Lone Peak with 22 points, and Emery added another 19.

Three-Zip

Timp Sports Weekly

December 8, 2009

Publisher's Message

For this week's issue, we look at three high school basketball teams that have managed to evade defeat during their first two weeks of play. They include both of the Lehi Pioneers' varsity basketball teams and the Awesome American Fork Cavemen. Let's get to the stories about those teams.

Dean Von Memmott

deanmemmott@hotmail.com

Lehi Pioneer Girls Win 69-68 Over Macho Spanish Fork Lady Dons

By Dean Von Memmott

Timp Sports Weekly Publisher

By winning 69-68 over the Spanish Fork Dons, AKA the Macho Lady Dons, Dec. 3, the Lehi Pioneer girls' basketball team finished last week with a best start in three years.  The one-point win improved the Pioneers' record at 3-0.

In talking about the strong unity that his players showed in the one-point win, Lehi Coach Troy Gifford said, "We haven't beaten Spanish Fork in two years. They came in here, thinking they were going to get us again. I'm proud of my girls showing much unity in playing against a tough team like Spanish. 

"Brooke Barnes and Jackie Cattoni shot some big threes that enabled us to come back in the second half after being down by almost 10 points. Briar Sands played an outstanding defense for us tonight. She came up with steals that enabled us to stay in the game. 

"Even though Erin Redd was their top shooter tonight, the Spanish Fork girl we wanted to guard the most was Brynine Nielsen. We held her to nine, and most of her points came on foul shots."

At the start of the game, Katie Rogers produced a three-point play to put the Pioneers onto the scoreboard first. Lehi's first lead didn't last long. Two Shea Johnson foul shots and a short, Nielsen jumper put the Macho Lady Dons ahead 4-3. A seesaw battle ensued and raged throughout the first quarter. Redd and Jen Huntsman provided a string of rebounds that kept the Dons from falling way behind in the game. Gabby Grantham and Cattoni frequently bothered Spanish Fork with steals and three-point shots. One Grantham trey put Lehi within 16-15 near the end of the quarter. An Redd bucket kept a Cattoni three-point goal from tipping Lehi ahead. Cattoni hit a trey during the buzzer to shave the lead to 18-17.

The second quarter opened with Redd sinking an inside shot that gave the Dons the momentum they needed to stay ahead clear till halftime. Redd's shooting proved to be so accurate that Lehi caught up only once in the quarter. During that one time Barnes hit trey cutting the lead to 27-25. Grantham sank an a bucket that tied the game at 27. Haleigh Emerine broke the tie, sparking another series of trades in the led.                                        

In the third quarter, Nielsen and Shae Johnson scorched Spanish Fork with a series of inside shots stretched the manly Lady Dons' lead out to as wide as 44-35. A Sands bucket ignited a 13-4  rally lead by Cattoni, Barnes, and Grantham. The third-period rally climaxed with a Rogers free throw tying the game at 48. Just before the quarter break, Grantham sank a bucket, which got canceled out by a Lehi foul.                                                                

At the start of the fourth quarter, Barnes hit a go-ahead three-pointer for Lehi. Spanish Fork didn't let the Pioneers hop too far ahead. The Macho Lady Dons stayed within two points of the Pioneers for much of the quarter.

The game's last three minutes went down as a frantic affair. Syd Butler and Redd's shooting tipped Spanish Fork ahead 60-58. A fierce seesaw fight began. Treys from Grantham and Spanish Fork's Kelly Hales kept holds on the lead slippery. When Sands put a shot back in to give Lehi a 66-63 lead in the final 39 seconds, the Pioneers looked as though they might be able to pull away. However, a Shae Johnson trey enabled Butler to tie the game at 68 before fouling out in the final 10 seconds. With only eight seconds left on the board, Cattoni hit a tie-breaking foul shot. The Pioneers followed it up with the blocking of a Spanish Fork shot.

Cattoni led Lehi with 21 points while Barnes added 18, Grantham 12, and Rogers 11. Redd led Spanish Fork with 15 points while Hales, Johnson, and Nielsen each contributed nine points.

Awesome AF Cavemen Overpower Timpanogos T-Pups 75-58 Dec. 4

By Dean Von Memmott

Timp Sports Weekly Publisher

By the way last week ended for the Awesome American Fork Cavemen's basketball team, they looked as though they would finally be enjoying a great season after experiencing two straight frustrating seasons. In opening their home season with a 75-58 win over the Timpanogos Timberwolves, AKA the T-Pups, Dec. 4, they put their young season record at 3-0.

The other two teams taken down by them were the Mountain View Bruins, AKA the Teddy Bears, and the Provo Bulldogs, alias the Bullpuppies.

Led by Jake Blackhurst and Austin Waddoups, the Cavemen dominated the first quarter. It ended with American Fork leading 22-9 over the T-Pups.

In the second quarter, Marcel Davis and Quincy Bair worked well in concert with each other to help the Cavemen maintain their double-digit lead. Davis often fed passes to Bair for shots. Meanwhile, Beddes and Blackhurst dominated the boards. American Fork kept T-Pup center Ryan Van Pelt from doing much damage inside during the second quarter, even though Timpanogos did answer American Fork point for point in the period. It ended with American Fork leading 40-26.

American Fork's hold on the tempo spilled over into the second half. After Beddes had opened it with a foul shot, Bair wowed Caveman fans with a dunk shot that put the lead at 43-28. Two straight buckets by Chris "Moby Dick" Melville stirred up a T-Pup comeback. A little while passed before the Cavemen realized that the T-Pups were howling back into the game. Brothers Ryan and Ty Hamilton sank shots that enabled Nielsen to reduce the Caveman led to single digits. Through producing a three-point play and sinking a foul shot, Brandon Porras enabled Van Pelt to put the T-Pups within 49-46. Beddes scored on an offensive rebound at the buzzer to go on a shooting spree that killed Timpanogos' comeback.

In the fourth quarter, Beddes scored six straight unanswered points to stretch the lead to 57-46. As the game turned into a rout, Davis stole the ball during one moment and passed it to Bair for a jumper. Sophomore Chase Hansen had a fine fourth quarter in scoring. The Cavemen shut down Van Pelt and Melville. Waddoups, Blackhurst, and Beddes had held well under pressure to sink foul shots to keep the lead in double figures.

At one point of the game, American Fork fans taunted T-Pup Tanner LeBaron, a former Caveman, shouting, "Shouldn't have transfered! Shouldn't have transferred!" LeBaron joined Melville and Van Pelt in fouling out.

American Fork Coach Doug Meacham said, "In the first half, we settled too much for threes. In the second half, we shot only five threes. I'm okay with us shooting threes, but I prefer us to get the ball inside to score. 

"We were more aggressive in tonight. We created a lot of chances for steals. We had about 22 steals. Our pressure forced them to lose the ball more frequently. Ben Beddes and Jake Blackhurst are our senior leaders, and they showed tonight why they're that."

Waddoups led American Fork with 14 points while Hansen, Beddes, and Blackhurst each contributed 12 points. Melville led the T-Pups with 22 points, and Van Pelt added another 11.

Lehi Pioneer Boys Open Home Season With 55-48 Win Against Juan Diego Dec. 1

By Dean Von Memmott

Timp Sports Weekly Publisher

In boys' basketball action Dec. 1, the Lehi Pioneers opened their home season by washing away the Juan Diego Soaring Eagles, AKA the Screamin' Canaries, 55-48.

Lehi Coach Craig Gladwell said, "It's great to get a win like this at home at the start of the season. We were up against a very athletic Juan Diego team that gave us a challenge with their zone.  Their No. 23 [Ajay Pizza] did very well inside for them. We had Jordan McGregor guard him much more in the second half. McGregor shut No. 23 down.

"Their zone was the first one we saw this year. We were patient and kept our composure as we handled their zone press to stay ahead. As this year goes on, we'll learn and show what we can do against a zone."

With Lehi's Will Walker getting the tipoff, a Josh Scott bucket sent Lehi hopping ahead 2-0. However, a Morgan Heslop trey put the Soaring Eagles ahead 3-2, and a seesaw fight followed. Two straight Zach Stanley treys put Lehi ahead 11-6. However, even Pizza attempted to get a rally going for the Soaring Eagles, Walker's control of the boards permitted Lehi to lead by as far as 19-10 during the first quarter. It ended with Pizza trimming the lead at 19-12.

Early in the second quarter, Jalin Ames and Pizza guided the Soaring Eagles within 19-17. Layups by McGregor and Rupp gave Lehi the momentum it needed to keep Juan Diego from catching up with it, even though a Heslop trey did cut the Pioneer lead to 26-23. A McGregor three-point left Lehi leading 29-23 at halftime.

Even though the third period opened with Scott sinking a layup, the Soaring Eagles refused to let themselves get flooded out of the game. Logan Mortensen swished in five straight points to send the Soaring Eagles flapping within 33-30. A Ryan Christofferson trey gave Lehi enough push to stay narrowly out in front, even though Juan Diego did pull within 36-33 on two Pizza foul shots.

Heslops, Mortensen, and Pizza's shooting prevented the Pioneers from securing a 10-point lead over the Soaring Eagles in the final quarter. Christofferson and Stanley warned up at the foul line in the final quarter to help the Pioneers lead by as far as 49-40. Walker became hot in the final period to keep the momentum in Lehi's hands.

Stanley led Lehi with 15 points while Walker added another 12 and Scott 10. Hitting four treys, Heslop tied Pizza as Juan Diego's leading scorers with 12 points each. Mortensen added another 11.