Thanksgiving Eve Hoop Tournament

Timp Sports Weekly

November 30, 2010

Publisher's Message

For this week's issue, we look at two preseason boys' basketball games won by the Ferocious Pleasant Grove Vikings and the Awesome American Fork Cavemen at the recent Zuke Challenge, played Nov. 24 at Utah Valley University's McKay Events Center. In defeating the Orem Tigers, AKA the Tiggers, and the Springville Red Devils, AKA the Helltown Hellions, respectively, Pleasant Grove and American Fork have demonstrated that they could very well go extremely far in 5-A basketball this winter. Let's get to those stories.

Dean Von Memmott

Publisher

deanmemmott@hotmail.com

Ferocious PG Vikings Win Over Orem Leaves Tiggers Bounceless

By Dean Von Memmott

Timp Sports Weekly Publisher

The Ferocious Pleasant Grove Vikings opened their boys' basketball season by showing they could easily rob the Orem Tigers, AKA the Tiggers, of their bounce. In a Zuke Challenge game at Utah Valley University's McKay Events Center Nov. 24, the Ferocious Vikings flattened Orem 59-44.

Ferocious Viking Coach Randy McAllister said, "Orem hit us with a zone all through the game. Their doing that kept them close to us until we hit some transition buckets in the last couple of minutes of the first half to give us a 10-point lead. We made adjustments at halftime, and we handled their zone much better in the second half."

The game was not the first time that Golden Holt, the Tiggers' new coach, had dealt with the Ferocious Pleasant Grove Vikings. When he played basketball for the Bingham Miners, AKA the Pickers, in the 1970's, he had guided them to a 22-point win over the Ferocious Vikings in a state 3-A quarterfinal game. Unlike the Ferocious Viking team of 1974-75, Pleasant Grove's 2010-11 boys' basketball team quickly proved it was not going to be a squad of patsies for any team mentored by Holt, now a straight-haired blond, not the fluffy-haired one that he was during his Bingham days.

As soon as Ferocious Viking Forrest "Jump" Pinnock had gotten the opening tipoff, teammate Cade Wilkes received a pass and sank a jumper that sent Pleasant Grove rowing out to an early 7-1 lead. Wilkes' shooting and Alan "Tall Al" Hamson's rebounding enabled the Ferocious Vikings to lead by as far as 13-3 in the first period. Tricky Dalton Nixon's three-point play got the Tiggers to bounce within 13-7 at the end of the quarter.

Using a zone effectively on both sides of the court during the second period, the Tiggers gave the Ferocious Vikings a fright. Chris Clark and Josh Pollard guided the Tiggers in a 10-3 scoring run that almost sunk Pleasant Grove. When a Pollard set shot put Orem within 19-17 midway through the quarter, the Ferocious Vikings realized that they now faced a really strong prospect of the Tiggers bouncing ahead of them sometime before halftime. In the half's final four minutes,  Cory McAlllister and Taylor "Needles" Allred came up with three-pointers that turned the tempo back to Pleasant Grove's favor. As soon as a Nixon three-pointer had put Orem within 24-20, McAllister and Allred each swished in a trey to give Pleasant Grove a 30-20 lead at the half.

Early in the second half, McAllister hit another trey to spark another long scoring run for Pleasant Grove, which held the Tiggers to two points in the third quarter's first five minutes. After a Hamson bucket had improved Pleasant Grove's lead at 35-20, Pollard hit an inside bucket in hopes of prodding the Tiggers of bouncing back into the game. However, rebounding by Hamson and Zach "Arctic" Faux kept the Tiggers from getting a rally going.  Also, Faux scored on two straight steals that knocked the springs out of the Tiggers and gave Pleasant Grove a 41-22 lead. A Nixon bucket opened a 6-2 scoring run for Orem near the end of the third quarter. Afer Orem's Bandon "The Lucky" Erickson hit a foul shot, Pollard sank a trey to cut lead to 41-28. Allred produced a three-point play that sent Pleasant Grove cruising with a 44-28 lead into the final quarter.

Allred produced another three-point play in the fourth quarter, and a Hamson foul shot clutched the game early. That didn't stop the Tiggers from attempting to bounce back into the game. Nixon hit two straight treys to cut the lead to 57-35. That turned out to be the closest that Orem could get to Pleasant Grove in the half. Still, Tigger fans did have something to cheer about when their Brennan Adamson hit a late fourth-quarter trey and Dave Runyan, not to be confused with mythical logger Paul Bunyan, scored a layup on a steal.

Cory McAllister led the Ferocious Vikings with 13 points while Hamson added another 10. Nixon led the Tiggers with 11 points while Pollard contributed another 10. Hamson led Pleasant Grove with five rebounds.

Awesome American Fork Cavemen Exorcise Springville Red Devils 68-51

By Dean Von Memmott

Timp Sports Weekly Publisher

The Awesome American Fork Cavemen opened their boys' basketball season by exorcising the Springville Red Devil, AKA the Helltown Hellions, 68-51.

Not once at any time during the game could the Hellions take possession of the lead. Those Hellions' fate got determined early on. As soon as American Fork's Nate "The Peak" Ensign got the tipoff, he passed to Quincy Bair, son of Dalton Bair, for an easy layup. Two Mikey Wells treys created an 8-0 lead for the Awesome Cavemen. Springville's Nate "Brimstone" Israelson hit a three-point shot that sent the Hellion burning back into the game. During the ensuing 9-3 scoring run, Israelson and Jackson "Speed Demon" Ogiles produced shots that gave the Cavemen a brief scare.  When an Ogiles field goal cut American Fork's lead to 11-9, the Hellions seemed certain of either catching up with the Awesome Cavemen or passing them. However, two straight bad Springville passes permitted American Fork to take its two-point lead with it into the second quarter.

Early in the second quarter, Marcel Davis passed to Bair for a baseline shot. Soon afterwards, Bair stuffed a shot that pretty much decided the game's outcome in the long run. After a Davis shot had ended American Fork's 6-0 scoring run in the early second quarter, Israelson sank an inside shots. The Hellions suddenly couldn't but say, "Oops!" when they saw Austin "Shagadelic" Whaddoups score five straight unanswered points through a steal and a three-point play. Whaddoups efforts produced a 21-11 lead for the Awesome Cavemen. Shots from Davis and Alex Bair, a "distant" cousin of the famous Betsy Ross,  kept American Fork up by 10 for much of the first half's final four minutes. Neal "Hell-Raiser" Gardener and Matt "The Tasmanian Devil" Sumsion's free throw shooting guided the Hellions within 26-21 by halftime. 

In the second half's opening minutes, Davis became really hot everywhere inside the perimeter. Davis' shooting paced a  12-5 scoring  for the Awesome Cavemen. Sumsion tried to do some serious damage to American Fork when he guided his Hellions within 30-26. When a Kaden McMurtrey layup had improved American Fork's lead at 36-26, the game started getting away from the Hellions. Bair sank two second shots and nailed two foul shots in the third quarter to keep the Awesome Caveman lead in double figures. Also, Whaddoups and Wells produced steals that cooled the Red Devils' comeback efforts.

Through much of the fourth quarter, the Cavemen stayed up by more than 10 points. Midway through that period, McKay "Pandemonium" Murphy hit a trey that put the Red Devils within 49-41. Whaddoups and Wells soon sunk layups that enabled the Awesome Cavemen to stay more than 10 points ahead for the rest of the game, which ended with a Sumsion three-point shot.

"It was great to start this season with a win, especially over a good team like Springvile," Ensign said outside the Awesome Cavemen's locker room."

Holding his award for being named the game's MVP, Davis said, "We just did a good job in running the fastbreak against Springivlle. Matt Sumsion was a big challenge for us. We did a good jog of fronting him with our poasts."

American Fork Coach Doug Mecham said, "We did a good job in how we went up a good team like Springville. {Chris] Kitchen does a good job in getting the most out of his players. We did a great job in controlling the boards against their bigs. We pulled some big defensive rebounds that kept the game in our favor. When we play good like we did this afernoon, we can hold our own against any team. We're going to be playing Taylorsville at West Jordan Dec. 3."

Bair led American Fork with eight rebounds while Davis contributed six and Ensign five. Also American Fork's top scorer, Bair posted 17 points while Wells and Waddoups each posted 11 and Davis 10. Sumsion and Israelson led the Hellions with 11 points each while Murphy added another seven.

Championships in Cross Country, Volleyball, Swimming

Timp Sports Weekly

November 16, 2010

Publisher's Message

For this week's issue, we look at champions in a post-season cross country meet, a non-league volleyball match, two recent state volleyball tournaments, and the Utah County Invitational. Let's get to those stories.

Dean Von Memmott

Publisher

deanmemmott@hotmail.com

Two AF Harriers Win Championship Trophies at Pre-Footlocker Meet Nov. 6

By Dean Von Memmott

Timp Sports Weekly Publisher

With the Awesome American Fork Cavemen having recently won a second straight boys' state championship in 5-A cross country, they hosted a Pre-Footlocker meet at their high school Nov. 6.

The meet gave the Awesome Cavemen and Cavewomen one more chance of racing on their home course before taking season-ending trips to Arizona and Southern California.

The meet drew entire cross country teams from Salt Lake Valley, Summit County, and southern Utah County. Even a runner from Evanston, Wyo., participated in the meet, which featured two races. Among the schools having their entire teams compete in the races were Park City, Salem Hills, Mapleton Mountain, and Harriman.

What no team scores were kept in the meet, it still saw American Fork domination of both the girls and boys' divisions. The American Forkers relished at seeing two of their own take away champioinship trophies for both races. Awesome American Fork Cavewomen Jamie Lee won the girls' division in 19:54. Clayton Young won the boys' race.

Lee said, "Though there weren't as many girls in this race as the one I ran at state, I still wanted to run faster than I did at state. I was going for time today today, not a trophy. It was a bonus to win. I'm going to be running in the junior division at Footlocker in California this December. Footlocker is going to be fun."

American Fork Coach Bruno Hunziker said, "Jamie Lee's time today was the best one she's posted in the off-season. She was 20 seconds faster today than she was in the weeks since state."

Young said, "Winning first today was a good way to follow up my success at state. I needed this kind of race to get ready for Arizona. With us being ranked No. 1 in the country in going to that meet. Coach [Timo] Mostert has been doing  a good job in getting us ready for the national meet in Arizona."

Among the other Awesome Cavewomen who ran at the Nov. 6 meet, Jasmyn Hildebrandt finished third, Lakyn Lux ninth, Diane Leach 12th, Makayla "The Italian Filly" Bernardo 13th, Taylir Garrison 21st, Ashlyn Hatch  29th, Kylie Buckwalter 32nd, Megan Borden 33rd, Mia Hart 34th, Page Leyba 37th, Terilyn Westphal 43rd, Krissy Eakins 48th, Jen Squires 52nd, and Melissa Hirsch 71st.

Among the other Awesome Cavemen who competed in the boys' race, Austin West took second, Nafe Richardson fourth, Mack Morrison fifth, Derek Day seventh, Kevin Judd 12th, Danny Keller 14th, Josh Savage 17th, Dallan "Wally World" Griswold 25th, Jake Healey 37th, Connor McMillan 36th, Kaden "I'm not Jerry" Springer 50th, Dallan Day 53rd, Ty "Tinker" Bell 58th, Spencer Herzog 65th, Logan Segmeller 67th, Ty Straton 70th, Jason Jarman 75th, Con Hoopes 87th, and Zach "Duke" Wellington 88th.

Loners Dry Up Lehi Spikers in Final Non-League Match Before State

By Dean Von Memmott

Timp Sports Weekl Publisher

Before they went off to compete at that state 4-A and 5-A volleyball tournaments at UVU's McKay Events Center, the Lehi Pioneers and Lone Peak Knights, AKA the Loners, faced off in a non-league match at Lehi on Nov. 2. In the five-game match, the Loners drained the Pioneers, AKA the Froggies, by scores of 25-17, 16-25, 21-25, 25-18, 15-11.

The match saw players from both teams wear pink shirts, hinting that the game was being played to help raise cash for research for finding ways to cure women and men of breast cancer. Lehi assistant volleyball coach Angie "T-Bear" Roberts knows that disease all too well. Battling it two years cost her all of her hair. It has since all grown back, and T-Bear is currently healthy enough to keep teaching at Lehi High.

In Game 1 of the match, a Bre Elle Bailey tip sent Lehi rowing ahead 2-0. However, an Anna Hubert kill sparked a Loner comeback. The Loners quickly charged ahead 5-3. Bailey's serving and hitting enabled  Makayla Dunford and Cousin Madi Memmott to lead the Froggies to tie the game at seven. The game stayed tight until Loner Kix Adolfo registered a kill that tied the game at 15. Breaking the 15-15 deadlock, the Loners pulled away through the hitting of Whitney Johnson, Marquelle Funk, and Ashlan "Buck" Rogers.

The Loners couldn't take control of Game 2. Hunger to settle scores with the Loners, the Froggies leaped out to an early 8-1 lead through the hitting of Cousin Madi, Bailey, and Shelby Ford. Lehi's speedy seizure of control of the game stunned the Loners. They couldn't get an effective attack going for a little while. Finally, Funk, Rogers, and Johnson orchestrated a respectable comeback. It put Lone Peak within 17-11. However, the Froggies didn't let the Loners rush any closer to them. A Bailey kill gave Lehi a 25-16 win and forced a fourth game.

Lehi also dominated Game 3. Cousin Madi, Hailee Rupp, Anau Faleo, and Bailey pooled their efforts together to keep Rogers, Johnson, Funk, and Hailee Huntsman from doing anything to demolish Lehi's resolve. Lone Peak stay really close to Lehi this time, but the Loners could never pull ahead in the game. When Lehi won the third game 25-21, the Froggies looked certain that they would be able to flood Lone Peak away in the fourth game.

Even though Lehi took a 1-0 lead in Game 4, Lone Peak implemented adjustments that it made during the break between Games 3 and 4. Rogers, Johnson, and Adolfo quickly spotted holes that they would spike the ball into. Before long, the Loners commanded a 18-8 lead. Kills by Rupp and Dunford sent the Froggies hopping back within 19-14, but hits from Adolfo and Hubert sparked Lone Peak to pull far enough away to keep Lehi from having any fresh chance of catching up.

Winning the fourth game 25-18, the Loners went into the fifth game very much aware that the Froggies might not fall to pieces like the Ferocious Pleasant Grove Vikings did against Lone Peak in an early October match. Kills by Bailey and Cousin Madi sent Lehi rowing ahead  5-1. A Hubert kill sparked a Loner comeback. Lone Peak quickly tied the game at seven. A Funk ace broke the 7-7 tie, but the Loners didn't secure complete control of the momentum. The Froggies soon tied the game at 11. An Adolfo block put Lone Peak back out front, and this time the Loners stayed ahead for good.

Lone Peak Coach Deanna Meyer said, "I think they [Lehi] gave us really strong competition. They served really against us, and the match showed what we needed to work on between now and state. We're going to be working on the basics until we play Viewmont in the first round of the state tournament."

Cousin Madi led Lehi with 13 kills while Dunford contributed another 10 and Bailey nine.

Lehi Froggies Open State 4-A Playoffs With Octafinal Win Over Mountain Crest Ponies in 3-Game Match Nov. 5

By Dean Von Memmott

Timp Sports Weekly Publisher

The opening week of November opened on an unhappy -- or as they would say in Lehi an unhoppy -- note. First Lehi's volley ball team dropped a five-game home match to the Lone Peak Knights, AKA the Loners. As if that was not sad enough, the Lehi Pioneers, AKA the Froggies, lost their head football coach, Derrick Peyton, through his annual coaching contract not being renewed for the 2011 season. (Don't worry! He's doing okay. He's going to continue teaching physical education classes at Lehi.)

In the octafinals of the state 4-A volleyball tournament at Utah Valley University's McKay Events Center Nov. 5, though. Lehi had something to croak about. The Froggies hopped all over the Mountain Crest Mustangs, AKA the Ponies, in a three-game match by scores of 25-12, 25-17, 25-25-16. 

Lehi Coach Jamie Ingersoll said, "We had great serving from Reagan Lindsey and Shelby Ford. Our offense was not that great, but our defense was outstanding.

Assistant Lehi Coach Angie "T-Bear" Roberts said, "Our serving won the game for us. We had six aces, and Shelby Sorenson made four of them."

Cousin Madi Memmott led the Froggies with 11 kills and Hailee Rupp contributed another eight.

In the first game, a Mikayla Dunford kill put the Froggies ahead 1-0. However, the game went down on as a seesaw fight. Natalie Gregory and Jordanne Wilden frequently registered kills that sent the Ponies slipping ahead. A Marisa Nielsen block gave Mountain Crest an 11-9 lead, but the Froggies battled back to tie the game at 11. Tandy Muse guided the Pioneers ahead 13-11, and they never trailed again in the game. The Froggies did experience a brief scare when the Ponies galloped within 20-19. A Mountain Crest service error ruined the Ponies' comeback attempt, and Bre Elle Bailey's hitting gave the Froggies the momentum to take the first game by a score of 25-21.

The second game opened with a Sorenson ace. Pony Taylor Coombs blocked the next serve, and the Ponies pulled out to a 3-2 lead. Lehi quickly capitalized on a Mountain Crest service error, and the Froggies built up a 10-4 lead. Bailey, Rupp, and Cousin Madi held their own against Coombs, Wilden, and Gregory at the neet. When Cousin Madi put the score at 20-9, Lehi, through a kill, Mountain Crest was done for. Soon, a Sorenson block gave the Froggies a 25-17.

After having played so welll against Lehi in the first two games, the Ponies came out flat in the third game and they fell to pieces. Spurred on by three straight Sorenson aces, the Froggies built an 11-0 lead before you could say Ali Lamb Chop. As soon as the Ponies got onto the scoreboard, courtesy of a Lehi violation, Nielson and Coombs tried to get them galloping back into the game. However, their terrible performance at the start of Game 3 came back to haunt them as Rupp and Bailey delivered punishing blows to them. A Dunford kill scored the match point for the Froggies.

Ferocious PG Vikings Survive 5-Game Match Against Riverton Silverpups in 5-A Volleyball Octafinal

By Dean Von Memmott

Timp Sports Weekly Publisher

Defending state 5-A volleyball champs, the Ferocious Pleasant Grove Vikings survived an attempt by the Riverton Silverwolves, AKA the Silverpups, to dethrone them during the Nov. 5 octafinals of the state tournament at Utah Valley University. Pleasant Grove defeated Riverton by scores of 22-25, 25-18, 25-23, 26-24, 15-10.

In the first game of the octafinal thriller, a Kim Dahl kill and a Makell Hymas ace gave the Ferocious Vikings a 2-0 lead. The Silverpups quickly tied the game at 2-2. A seesaw fight ensued. Silverpups Bailey Bateman and Lexi Hartgrove gave Dahl, Audrey Biggs, Delyane Daniel, Le'o Fotu, and Annie Jenkinson much trouble at the net. When Fremont pulled ahead 20-19 on a Ferocious Viking violation, the Silverpups sank their fangs tightly into the momentum, and Pleasant Grove couldn't pry it loose from them. With Bateman blocking a key Dahl hit near the end of the game, the Silverpups soon won it 25-22.

Even though Fremont took a 2-0 lead in the second game, the Ferocious Vikings rowed back through Karen Lloyd's serving. Hits from Dahl and Daniel soon produced a 9-3 lead for Pleasant Grove. Acquiring a 19-5 lead, the Ferocious Vikings dashed Fremont's hope for sweeping them away in three games. The Silverpups still made a strong comeback. Through the heroics of Bateman and teammate Stephanie "The Fairest One of All" Harris, the Silverpups howled back within 23-17. However, a Dahl kill spiked the Silverpup rally, and the Ferocious Vikings won Game 2 25-18.

In the third game, a Fremont service error put the Ferocious Vikings on the board first. However, Harris' hitting produced a 3-1 lead for the Silverpups. Through Daniel and Dahl's hitting, Pleasant Grove battled back to a 4-3 lead. The tone of the game became set at that point. The entire game went down as a seesaw fight. Soon, Pleasant Grove did build up a 19-11 lead at one point. The Ferocious Vikings' eight-point lead didn't discourage the Silverpups. Bateman and Harris battled Dahl and Daniel fiercely at the net. When a Preslee Patton tip put the Silverpups within 24-23, Pleasant Grove seemed destined to blow its chances for winning Game 3. However, a Silverpup service error gave them a 25-23 win.

Even though the Ferocious Vikings took a 3-1 lead early in Game 4, a Patton tip sparked another howling comeback for the Silverpups.  When they took a 5-4 lead, they turned game into a long seesaw fight that saw McKell Staheli, a niece late of the Dixie basketball player Kip Staheli, deliver some go-ahead hits. When Pleasant Grove secured a 24-22, the Vikings battled hard in a play on which hung their hopes of quarterfinal play. A Bateman kill almost aborted those hopes, for Fremont soon tied the game at 24 right afterwards. A Viking hitting error gave the Silverpups a 26-24 win and forced a fifth gane.

Fremont took a 2-1 lead in it, but Dahl and Daniel's combined hitting hammered together a 4-2 lead for the Vikings. Though Fremont tied the game at five and eight, Pleasant Grove never let the Silverpups lead again. A Karen Lloyd ace lifted Pleasant Grove to the quarterfinals, where they disposed of the Cottonwood Colts, AKA the Ponies, by scores of 25-11, 25-23, 25-14. Highlights of that Ferocious Viking win included Dahl's producing 15 kills and 10 digs.

Of the win against Fremont, Ferocious Viking Coach Jamie Schapper said, "We are fighters. After losing a first game, we always come back. We need to keep coming back. Karen Lloyd produced five aces for us, and Sydney Johnson gave us 44 assists. Kim Dahl had 29 kills, Delayne Daniel 12, and Annie Jenkinson eight."

PG Spikers Take Down Bingham Pickers in 5-Game Volleyball Semifinals

By Dean Von Memmott

Timp Sports Weekly Publisher

When the Lone Peak Knights, AKA the Loners,  brushed aside the Davis Darts, AKA the Tarts, in the Nov. 6 semifinals of the State 5-A volleyball tournament at Utah Valley University's McKay Events Center, many folks figured the other finalists would be the Bingham Miners, AKA the Pickers, since they did vanquish semifinal opponent Pleasant Grove in a five-game match two months before. However, the Ferocious Pleasant Grove Vikings shocked experts by outlasting the Pickers in the second semifinal match by scores 13-25, 25-20, 20-25, 25-19, 15-11.

With Danika Youngblood and Jessica Thompson controlling the net in the first game, the Pickers took an early 3-1 lead. Dahl and Daniel guided the Ferocious Vikings into tying the game at three. For a little while, Game 1 stayed a nail-biter. After Bingham had tied the game at nine on a Thompson block, the Pickers pulled away through Youngblood's devastating hitting. Pleasant Grove couldn't come back any closer than eight points. Bingham took a 25-13 lead into Game 2.

Those, who thought Pleasant Grove would be finished off quickly in the next two games, received a shock in the second game. Spurred on by Karen Lloyd's awesome serving, the Ferocious Vikings took a 6-1 lead on Dahl's hits. Before long, a Delayne Daniel kill improved the Vikings' lead at 15-5. Bingham didn't let Pleasant Grove coast away to an easy triumph. Finally taking the Ferocious Vikings seriously, Bingham battled back within 20-16 though kills that Youngblood, Nakiska Wilden, and Daisy Gisa made on Cortney Godfrey's serving. Pleasant Grove kept the Pickers from catching up with them. An Annie Jenkinson kill forced a fourth game.

In the third game, the lead frequently switched hands as Dahl and Daniel struggled to contain Thompson and Youngblood. After Bingham and Pleasant Grove had battled to an 11-11 deadlock, the Pickers pulled ahead 12-11, and they never fell behind again in the game. Bingham createad leads as wide as 21-14. Sydney Johnson and Dahl did pace the Ferocious Vikings within 21-18, but they couldn't get any closer to Bingham. A McKenna Tait kill quickly lead to the Pickers winning 25-20.

With their backs against the proverbial wall in the fourth game, the Ferocious Vikings played with more aggressiveness than they had done in the first three games. After the two teams had fought to a 10-10 tie, Pleasant Grove pulled ahead 11-10 on a Picker violation. Dahl led a successful defense of the Vikings' lead as Karen Lloyd, McKell Staheli, and Makell Hymas came up with good serves that soon produced a 25-119 win for Pleasant Grove.

In the fifth game, serving by Daniel gave the Vikings the encouragement they needed to stay cool under the immense pressure of semifinal action. Pleasant Grove never trailed once in the fifth At the same time, Dahl held her own against Youngblood, Thompson, and Tait at the net. Still, the Pickers fought to get within 12-11 of Pleasant Grove. After disabling a Thompson block, Dahl registered a kill that sent the Ferocious Vikings into the championship match against the Loners.

Lone Peak Loners Dethrone Ferocious Vikings in 5-A State Title Match

By Dean Von Memmott

Timp Sports Weekly Publisher

The Nov. 6 5-A State volleyball championship match went down as a continuation of a Utah high school sports tradition dating back to the start of the 21st Century. The tradition involved the Ferocious Pleasant Grove Vikings and the Lone Peak Knights, AKA the Loners, playing each other for a state volleyball championship. Last year, the Ferocious Vikings snatched the state title from the Loners. However, on Nov. 6, it was Lone Peak that dethroned Pleasant Grove by scores of 25-15, 16-25, 25-19, 25-22.

Loner Coach Deanna Meyer said, "Tonight was a rival match. Pleasant Grove has played us for the state championship every year for the past several years, even when we were 4-A. Tonight was a match where we really had to step up. Ashlan Rogers, Anna Hubert, and Whitney Johnson had their best game of the season tonight."

In the first game, the Ferocious Vikings took an early 2-0 lead. However, the Loners soon took control of the net. Johnson, Rogers, Hubert, and Hayley Huntsman worked in concert to keep Ferocious Kim Dahl in check during the opening game. The Loners' control of Dahl soon netted a 15-5 lead for them. Ferocious Viking attempts to overcome the double-deficit proved vain. When the first game ended in a 25-15 win for the Loners, the Ferocious Vikings looked as though they would lose their state crown in three games.

After a Kix Adolfo kill gave Lone Peak a 1-0 lead in the second game, Pleasant Grove made a fierce attack. Led by Dahl, Delayne Daniel, and Sydney Johnson, the Vikings fought their way out to a 9-4 lead. Lone Peak narrowed it to 11-7, but an Annie Jenkinson kill slowed the Loners down. Dahl and Audrey Biggs' hitting kept ther Ferocious Vikings ahead all throughout Game 2. Meyer confessed, "What really hurt us in the second game was that we didn't get our serving down. We did get it down in the next two games."

Spurred by Johnson and Huntsman in the third game, the Loners secured a 9-3 lead. Dahl stirred up a rally that brought the Ferocious Vikings back within 10-7. A Huntsman kill slowed down the comeback. Nevertheless, Pleasant Grove managed to march within 17-15. the Loners didn't let the Ferocious Vikings catch up with them. After a missed Viking serve gave the Loners a 25-19 win at the end of Game 3, Game 4 presented questions of whether Pleasant Grove would avoid falling apart.

The Ferocious Vikings did not do that. They stayed with the Loners all the way though the fourth game. Late in it, Ferocious Viking Annie Jenkinson registered two straight kills that tied the game at 18. This gave Pleasant Grove hopes of forcing a fifth game. However, the Ferocious Vikings missed a serve. Lone Peak capitalized on that service error and stayed narrowly ahead through Rogers' serving. The Loners won the state title on a double block.

Meyer said, "We have a lot of respect for Kim Dahl. She's a hard one to defend against."

Asked what she liked the most about the recent volleyball season, Dahl answered, "My team. They were absolutely awesome."

Froggie Spikers Finish 5th at State 4-A Tournament

By Dean Von Memmott

Timp Sports Weekly Publisher

AKA the Froggies, the Lehi Pioneers finished fifth at the State 4-A volleyball tournament, held Nov. 5-6 at Utah Valley University's McKay Events Center.

Lehi's dreams of a state championship got dried up during a four-game match against the Olympus Titans, AKA the Midgets, in the quarterfinals. The Midgets drained Lehi by scores of 25-17, 16-25, 25-18, 25-12.

AFter that hearbreaking loss, the Froggies took their frustrations out on the Skyview Bobcats, AKA the Bobkittens,  in a three-game match Nov. 6. Led by Cousin Madi Memmott and Bre Elle Bailey, Lehi flooded away the Bobkittens away by scores of 29-27, 25-19, 25-18. Cousin Madi led the Froggies with 13 kills. 

Lehi then finished its season by stinging the Box Elder Bees, AKA the Queen Bees, by scores of 25-16, 27-25, 25-10.

The first two games were nail-biters. Led by Sommer Reeder, the Queen Bees took an early 6-3 advantage over Lehi in the first game. However, the Froggies refused to croak. Cousin Madi, Bailey, and Hailee Rupp produced a fierce efforts that soon created a 19-10 lead for Lehi. Soon a Tandy Muse ace gave Lehi a 25-16 win. Even though the Queen Bees took a 3-0 lead in the second game, Lehi swam back to toke a 9-7 lead on Bailey's hitting. Reeder gave Lehi's front line much trouble in the second game, seeing the lead frequently change hands. Lehi won the second game 27-25 on a Queen Bee hitting error.

In the third game, Box Elder buzzed ahead 3-1, only to become stuck like a drone trapped in honey. Kills by Haylee Rupp and Cousin Madi sent Lehi rowing ahead ahead 5-3. Box Elder gave up playing well at that point, and the game became a proverbial massacre at the Froggies hopped all over the Queen Bees.

Lehi Coach Jamie Ingersoll said, "I'm proud that the girls were able to rebound after the loss to Olympus last night. They stayed united today. For the Box Elder match, Madi had 12 kills and Bre Elle 11. Tandy Muse made 24 successful serves for us."

Awesome Caveswimmers Win Both Divisions of the Utah County Invitational

By Dean Von Memmott

Timp Sports Weekly Publisher

The Awesome American Fork Cavemen and Cavewomen won the boys and girls' divisions of the Utah County Invitational, held at the Orem Recreation Center Nov. 12-13. This marked a second straight year that American Fork High's boys and girls' swim teams had won county.

American Fork won the girls and boys' 200-yard medley relays.  American Fork also won the boys and girls' 400-yard freestyle relays. Camille Okleberry won the girls' 200-yard  and 500-yard freestyle races. Jamie Nebeker took the girls' 200-yard individual medley title. Morgan King took county in the girls' 100-yard freestyle.

Caveman TJ. Murphy took the gold medal in the boy's 100-yard fly, and teammate Wade Healey won the boys' 100-yard freestyle, and he took second in the men's 200-yard freestyle. Caveman Seth Wynn took the 100-yard men's backstroke title. Chris Nielson took second in the boys' 500-yard freestyle. Daryk Roberts finished second in the boys' 100-yard brestoke.

American Fork Coach Kathy King said, "I was really pleased that our lower-seeded kids swam as aggressively as our top-seeded ones did. That motivated our top-seeded swimmers to want to perform better."

Pleasant Grove's Matt Rameson won the boys' 500-yard freestyle, and he took third in the b0ys' 200-yard freestyle. Christie Bunnell took second in the girls' 100-yard butterfly. Pleasant Grove Coach Lisa Harris said, "I was pleased with kids cutting down their times much since the Cedar City Invitational. Today wasn't our best day for our relay teams. We had regular anchors missing. Some kids did step up and swam their best as substitute anchors in the relays." 

Lone Peak won the boys and girls' 200-yard freestyle relays.  Taking second in both the girls' and boys' divisions, the Lone Peak Knights, AKA the Loners, had the team of Sam Scoresby, Cate Woolston, Brittani Finlayson, and Kira Hamilton, take second in the girls' 200-yard freestyle. Brittani Finlayson of Lone Peak won the girls 100-yard breaststroke. Cate Woolston won the girls' 50-yard freestyle race and finished second in the girls' 100-yard freestyle. Lone Peak's Connor Christiansen won the boys' 50-yard freestyle and finished second in the boys' 100-yard freestyle. Chris Nielson took first in the boys;' 200-yard freestyle.

Scoresby took second in the girls 200-yard and 500-yard freestyle races.

Lone Peak Coach Chad Reimschussel said, "This meet showed us what we needed to do to make a lot of improvement between now and region."

Lehi's Sam Blackburn took second in the boys' 100-yard butterfly. Michelle Grant finished 12th in the girls' 200-yard freestyle. Bailey Tuttle took ninth in the girls' 50-yard freestyle. Lehi Coach Dennis Meyering said, "We were pleased with having Tanner Frandsen finish under a minute in the 100 fly. He finished sixth in it."