AF Girls' Soccer Win Over Bingham, Lehi Volleyball Season Opener, Lehi Froggie Football Win, and AF Volleyball

Timp Sports Weekly

August 27, 2013

Publisher's Message

With high school fall sports now underway, we will look at stories about the Awesome American Fork Cavewomen's wins in soccer and volleyball last week. We will also take a look at the Lehi Pioneers, AKA the Froggies, washing away the Brighton Bengals (AKA the Bad Old Puddy Tats) in volleyball and the Murray Spartans (AKA the Spear Boys) in football. As they say Lehi, let's stroke straight to those stories.

Dean Von Memmott

Publisher

magnanovelist@gmail.com

Awesome AF Cavewomen Kick Bingham Pickers Aside 2-0 in Girls' Soccer Game Aug. 19

By Dean Von Memmott

Timp Sports Weekly Publisher

After having dropped their first two girls' soccer games of the season, the Awesome American Fork Cavewomen finally picked up win Aug. 19 when they kicked aside the Bingham Miners, AKA the Pickers, 2-0 in a preseason game at South Jordan Middle School.

"We have beaten Bingham before, but this is the first time that we have won at their place," said American Fork Coach Margie Stringam. "We played very good defense against them. Kenzie Jorgensen did really good in the goalie position. We applied today what we had learned from our loss at home to Hillcrest last Thursday, and unlike in that last game, we made sure today that once we got on the board we stayed ahead all the way. Bingham has a lot of seniors. So I told my girls to come out playing really hard against them."

Sydney "The Sly Sloth" Olsen, Caitlyn "The Mark" Stainbrook and Marly Olsen led frequent Picker penetrations deep into American Fork territory. However, the Pickers encountered much resistance from Jorgensen, Jenna Shepherd, and Audrey Searle, the daughter of former American Fork girls' soccer star Ali "Lamb Chop" Searle. 

Fans saw many nail-biting moments involving Awesome Cavewoman Lizzy Newman and Benson battling for the ball. More often than not, Newman would manage to dribble past Benson.

Ten minutes into the game, Awesome Cavewoman Brooklyn Voglesberg scored the first goal from the top of the Picker penalty box. The game then grounded down into a classic goal-keeping duel between Jorgensen and Bingham's Ashlee "Duchess" Palmer.

The game got so intense that a referee ejected an American Fork dad from the field. However, the two teams' players and coaches managed to keep their cool, so none of them got shown the door like that one father had been.

The game's second goal occurred in the final two minutes of regulation play. Receiving a corner kick from comic strip character Beetle Bailey's "distant cousin" Marissa Bailey, Shepherd scored the goal.

Lehi Froggies Leap Past Bad Old Brighton Puddy Tats in 4-Game Volleyball Aug. 22
By Dean Von Memmott
Timp Sports Weekly Publisher

In a non-league volleyball match at Lehi Aug. 22, the Lehi Pioneers, AKA the Froggies, leaped past the Brighton Bengals, AKA the Bad Old Puddy Tats, in a four-game match by scores of 18-25, 25-13, 25-16, 25-18.

Game 1 gave the illusion that the Bad Old Puddy Tats would rip the Froggies apart in three games. Yes, the opening game did go down as an unhappy -- correction, unhoppy experience for Lehi. Even though the Froggies, led by Faitoto Falaeo and McKayla Houghton, did hop back to the tie game at eight, they couldn't pull ahead of those Bad Old Puddy Tats. Jenna "Orange Bear" Markey, Shannon "Don't Worry, Be Happy" McPherron, Nana "The Sea" Mariner, and Montana "Poison" Ivey dominated the net all the way through the opening round. Nevertheless, the Froggies kept battling back, pulling within one point thrice. However, the Froggies had jumped within 19-17, the Bad Old Puddy Tats proceeded to pull away.

In the second game, Brighton and Lehi battled to a 2-2 draw. Suddenly, the Froggies capitalized on some Bad Old Puddy Tat violations and took control of the moment. Even though the Bad Old Puddy Tats tied the game at six, Froggie Ashley "The Adventuress" Robbins registered a kill that stirred up momentum for Lehi. Despite the Bad Old Puddy Tats tying the game at eight, they couldn't pull ahead this time. A Faleao kill sent Lehi hopping ahead. Soon, the Froggies commanded a 14-7 lead. Despite desperate efforts from Dani "Miss Meow" Barton and Orange Bear Markey, the Bad Old Puddy Tats couldn't claw their way back into the game. Once a Robbins ace put the Froggie lead at 21-11, doom had become inevitable for Brighton. With a Reesie Tua kill winning the game for Lehi, the Bad Old Puddy Tats couldn't help but groan, "Thutherin' Thucatsh!"

The third game opened with a Tua kill sending the Froggies stroking out to a 4-0 lead. Barton and Markey guided an effort that enabled the Bad Old Puddy Tats to tie the game at five. However, some key Faleao hits sent Lehi ahead 9-6. Houghton and Rylin Roberts, a niece of Mountain View Teddy Bear sports legend Josh Roberts, guided the Froggies in keeping ahead of the Bad Old Puddy through the rest of the game. Tua's hitting late in the third game enabled the Froggies to clutch the round.

Even though the Bad Old Puddy Tats got their paws on a 1-0 lead in the fourth game, Tua, Roberts, and Houghton combined their efforts to produce a 9-3 lead for Lehi. Markey and Barton guided their Bad Old Puddy Tats back to take a 12-11 lead on a Kassidy "Butch" Siddoway kill. However, Lehi tied the game at 12 on a double block, and Roberts' hitting earned the Froggies a 14-12 lead. Though Brighton tied the game at 14, Courtney Walker registered a kill that gave Lehi momentum to pull ahead. Sydney White's serving tightened the Froggies' hold on the momentum, and a bad Brighton bump gave them the match point. As Brighton's arch rivals, the Alta Tweeties, would say, those poor Bad Old Puddy Tats didn't know what got them.

Lehi Coach Jamie Ingersoll said, "We couldn't build big momentums in the first game. In the second and third game, we had some big serving runs. In the fourth game, we mainly went through the motions."

Houghton posted 11 kills and Roberts added another 10. Robbins served up six aces while Digger Lund came up with 24 digs.

Lehi Froggies Open Football Season With 60-20 Win Over Murray Spear Boys Aug. 23
By Dean Von Memmott
Timp Sports Weekly Publisher

The Lehi Pioneers, AKA the Froggies, opened their football season with a 60-20 win at home over the Murray Spartans, AKA the Spear Boys, in preseason action Aug. 23.

The game gave the Froggies' much frustrated fans hope about them hopping all the way to a state 5-A title this November. While we wait to see whether Lehi can swim away with that accomplishment, I will have you know that the Froggies are going to be spending this Labor Day weekend in Saint George, playing the Dixie Flyers, not to be confused with the Dixie University Partyin' Red Storm.

Lehi Coach Dave Hastings said, "I think we played really good defense, especially when they got into the red zone in the game's early minutes. When they fumbled the ball on our 1-yard line, that gave us a real big break."

The game opened with Froggie Ryan Absher returning the ball to the Lehi 28-yard line. Guided by quarterback Derek Beeston, the Froggie offense stroke all the way to the Murray 45-yard line. The Spear Boy defense stopped the Froggies there. Soon, Murray running back Mason Burnett rushed the ball clear to the Froggie 13-yard line. Teammate Taylor Liston, an "extremely distant cousin" of famed boxer Sonny Liston, then carried the ball to the Lehi 1-yard line. The Froggies suddenly appeared destined to get stomped like they had been in nine of their games last year. However, Murray fumbled away the ball, and Froggie Daeton Taylor recovered it on the 5-yard line. The turnover led to Froggie Caden Calton scoring a touchdown. Lehi tried for a two-point conversion, but failed to score one.

Lehi's 6-0 lead couldn't last long. During an 80-yard march from the Spear Boy 20-yard line, quarterback Riley Richmond connected a six-yard pass to Burnett for a tying touchdown. Cordell 'Winkie" Martindale kicked a PAT to put the Spear Boys ahead 7-6.

During the first quarter's final two minutes, Beeston fired a 24-yard pass to running back Spence Blackham. That big pass soon led Lehi to getting inside the Spear Boys' 10-yard zone. On a fourth-down play, Absher caught a 19-yard touchdown pass. Though Lehi failed to score another two-point conversion, the Froggies commenced turning the game into a contest that they would croak proudly about for weeks to come.

Early in the second quarter, Froggie Colton Sampson sacked Richmond for a five-yard loss, prompting Murray to punt to the Froggie 37-yard line. A 38-yard pass from Beeston to Austin Wetzel and a Murray personal foul put the Froggies inside the Spear Boys' 10-yard zone. Taking a handoff from Beeston,  Derek Hastings scored touchdown on a five-yard carry. Hayden Hunt kicked in an extra point for the Froggies. While attempting to recovering from that Froggie TD, Murray funmbled away the ball on the Froggie 19-yard line. Though Maxs Tapi sacked Beeston for a five-yard loss, Lehi recovered quickly in time for Calton to score his second touchdown during a nine-yard carry. On a 95-yard kickoff return, Spear Boy Mitch Rasmussen scored a touchdown, but the Froggies didn't let Murray score an extra point.

In the third quarter. the Froggies drenched Murray in a scoring rally. Early that quarter, Wetzel returned a punt 50 yards into the Murray end zone. Beeston's long passes to Dyreke Terrell and Ryan Absher resulted in Hastings scoring a TD on a 12-yard run. Froggie fans then croaked excitedly as they watched Absher picked off pass and race the interception 15 yards into the Murray end zone. Absher's Colton topped it with a 36-yard touchdown rush. Rasmussen gave Murray fans something to cheer about when he caught a  28-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Drew Cash. That play turned out to be the last successful Murray drive of the game.

The Spear Boys didn't let the Froggies trample them in the final quarter, but Murray couldn't recover from the third quarter. At 3:03 in the last quarter, Brandon Kopinksy recovered a Murray fumble in the Spartan end zone for Lehi's final touchdown.

Awesome AF Cavespikers Defeat South Summit Mountain Kitties and Bonneville Barnacles Skyline Volleyball Tournament
By Dean Von Memmott
Timp Sports Weekly Publisher

On Aug. 24, the Awesome American Fork Cavewomen finished their final day of the Skyline Volleyball Invitational by defeating the South Summit Wildcats (AKA Mountain Kitties) and the Bonneville Lakers (AKA the Barnacles).

The South Summit match opened with a Shalae Steinbridge ace putting the Mountain Kitties on the board first. Before long, the Mountain Kitties commanded a 3-1 lead. Cassidy "Butch" Roberts, Whitney "Herman" Hess, and Maddie "Colonel" Sanders guided an Awesome Cavewoman comeback effort. After American Fork had tied the game at six, Sanders swatted a kill that put the Awesome Cavewomen ahead 7-6. South Summit tied the game at eight, but American Fork pulled back out in front again. Jensen Meyers, Lexie "Locked" Hatch, and Jamie "How Do You Do" McNeil paced the Mountain Kitties in keeping close to the Awesome Cavewomen. However, American Fork never let South Summit slip ahead of it again. A Hess ace won gave American Fork a 23-17 win in the first game.

The second game opened with the Awesome Cavewomen rolling ahead 8-1 on Sanders and Roberts' hitting. Great front-row efforts from Kylee Buckner, Afton Law, Tristan Tusinga, Jessie Akin, Abby Ensign, and Ohanna Lenz helped American Fork build up a 20-10 lead. The Awesome Cavewomen cruised to a 25-13 win, sweeping their match against the Mountain Kitties.

American Fork had to go three games in its match against the Barnacles. Bonneville dominated the Awesome Cavewomen. A niece of BYU football legend Junior "Puncher" Filiaga, Sam Filiaga guided the Barnacles out to an early 5-1. Hess, Whitehead, and Sanders stirred up a comeback try that enabled the Awesome Cavemen slip ahead 10-9, but a Taylor Anderson kill tipped the momentum back to the Barnacles' favor. Courtney Porter, Ellie "Mae" Jensen, and Bailey Balaich registered kills that kept Bonneville narrowly ahead the rest of the game. When an Anderson kill gave the Barnacles a 25-23 win in Game 1, the Awesome Cavewomen looked as though they would be sunk quickly like ships.

Despite a Filiaga kill giving Bonneville an early 1-0 lead, Kills by Law and Sanders sent American Fork ahead 3-1. Sanders' hitting enabled the Awesome Cavewomen to stay narrowly ahead. Strong serving helped American Fork to keep the Barnacles at bay, even though Bonneville did cruise within 15-13. An Ensign kill powered American Fork to pull away at that point. A Law kill gave the Awesme Cavewomen a 25-18 win.

In the third game, the two teams battled to an 8-8 tie. A Sanders kill broke that deadlock. The Barnacles pulled within 10-9 and 11-10, but a Tusinga kill staved them off, and American Fork went on to win 15-11.

Awesome AF Cavewomen's Loss to the Hillcrest Puppies in Girls' Soccer

Timp Sports Weekly

August 20, 2013

 Publisher's Message

This week's issue deals with the Awesome American Fork Cavewomen's preseason soccer campaign with a particular attention on their  2-1 loss at home to the Hillcrest Huskies, AKA the Puppies, on August 15. Let's get to the story of that exciting game.

Dean Von Memmott

Publisher

magnanovelist@gmail.com

Awesome AF Cavewomen Suffer a 2-1 Loss to the Hillcrest Puppies in Preseason Overtime Thriller

By Dean Von Memmott

Timp Sports Weekly Publisher

In opening their girls' preseason soccer schedule last week, the Awesome American Fork Cavewomen  got defeated 2-1 by the Hillcrest Huskies, AKA the Puppies, in an overtime thriller played on American Fork High's softball field Aug. 15.

The Awesome Cavewomen has had a long history of getting clobbered by the Puppies in girls' soccer. However, in the latest game, American Fork kept playing well enough to have a strong chance, even in the overtime portion, of pulling out a win.

Puppy Rosa Cortez initiated the first deep attack of the game. Hillcrest moved the ball really deep for a chance to get a good shot selection. However, Awesome Cavewoman goalie Kenzie "Take Off For the Great White North" Jorgenson picked off a Puppy shot.

The twin sister of Awesome Caveman baseball player Dallin Searle and the daughter of American Fork girls' soccer legend Ali "Lamp Chop" Searle, Audrey Searle initiated a strong Awesome Cavewoman attack up through the Puppy center. Defender Amy Cyr guided a strong Puppy effort that delayed American Fork from scoring the first game's first goal.

Ten minutes into the game, Awesome Cavewoman Anna Stevenson kicked in the afternoon's first goal. In fact, it was American Fork's very first goal of the season. (The Jordan Beetdiggers, AKA the Plowgirls, had defeated American Fork 2-0 Aug. 13.) Stevenson's successful shot created the impression that the Awesome Cavewomen would finally score their first win over the Puppies for the first time in the history of the two teams' 21-year rivalry.

The Puppies didn't let American Fork enjoy its 1-0 lead for long. After Cyr had rebuffed one Awesome Cavewoman attack, Puppy Makayle Hill, a "distant cousin" of Fox cartoon character Hank Hill, delivered a kick that sent the ball deep into American Fork's territory. Soon, fellow Puppy Jenna Hansen kicked in a goal on an angle shot.

The game then grounded down in a deadlock that saw great defensive efforts by both the Awesome Cavewomen and the Puppies. Awesome Cavewomen Laken Flinders, Taylor "T.J." Thompson, and Tin Lizzie Newman stepped forward to come up with some thrilling steals from quick-moving Puppies like Emily "Flaming" Sorge, Halah "Chaka" Kanh, Sadie "Hawkins" McLachlan, and Karra "Pretty Face" Gourley. Puppy goalie Nicole "The Foal" Jessen gave Cyr strong backup clear into the game's overtime portion.

Early in the overtime, the Awesome Cavewomen had some great shot selections. However, none of them could get any kicks to fly past Jessen.

When the Puppies took control of the ball, they put a quick end to the game. From the top of American Fork's penalty box, Skye "Pilot" Jefferies booted in a successful shot.

While the Puppies howled joyfully about their thrilling win, the Awesome Cavewomen slowly cleared the field for a post-game meeting with their head coach, Margie Stringam, wore a defected look. It was why I did not bother interviewing her after the game.

I did talk to the Puppies' head coach, Megan Beckstead, though. Wearing a tiny, diamond stud on her nose, Beckstead said, "They [the Puppies] played really hard until the final shot in overtime. They never gave."

The Final Two Rounds of the UBAL 17-Under Age Division Playoffs

Timp Sports Weekly

August 6, 2013

Publisher's Message

As a very biased sports journalist, I must sadly report that my Awesome American Fork Cavemen fell a round short of winning this year's Utah Baseball Academy League's 17-under age division state pennant. That honor went to their arch rivals, the Ferocious Pleasant Grove Vikings. So as they celebrate their first state baseball title in years, I will present two stories about last week's final two rounds of the UBAL's 17-under age division playoffs. The first account will deal with Pleasant Grove sinking my Awesome Cavemen in a nine-inning semifinal. The second account touches on how the Ferocious Vikings buried the Bingham Miners, AKA the Pickers, 11-1 in the championship game. Let's get to those stories.

Dean Von Memmott

Publisher

magnanovelist@gmail.com

Ferocious PG Vikings Defeat Awesome AF Cavemen 6-5 in 9-Inning Semifinal July 29

By Dean Von Memmott

Timp Sports Weekly Publisher

The Awesome American Fork Cavemen's dreams of a summer state baseball pennant sank in a nine-inning Utah Baseball Academy League semifinal played on the Ferocious Pleasant Grove Vikings' home field July 29. With the 17-under age division state title on the line, the Ferocious Vikings defeated the Awesome Cavemen 6-5.

By the way the first inning went it, the game promised that American Fork would have its hands full, but the Awesome Cavemen would still take home a close victory, despite aggressive hitting from the Ferocious Vikings.

The game opened with Awesome Caveman Emmett Green singling into center. After the Ferocious Vikings had pinched Green in a fielder's choice play at second, pitcher Jade Smoot walked Austin Pitcher. Koy "Squeeze Toy" Dibb doubed in Kody "Coco" Hall and Pitcher. A nephew of American Fork wrestling legend John "Superstud" Bartholomew, Andy Bartholomew smacked a standup double that drove Dibb in. A Logan Flinder sacrifice groundout scored Bartholomew, but through intercepting a Riley Winter fly ball, center fielder Zach Peterson shut down the Awesome Cavemen's rally.

Peterson followed up that interception through doubling in Ben Eldredge during the bottom of the first. After pitcher Craig Brailsford struck out Easton Walker, Smoot doubled in Peterson. A grandson of Pleasant Grove wrestling coaching legend Daryl "The Anchor" Henry, Payton Henry hit into a double play that stopped Pleasant Grove.

With Smoot not letting any Awesome Cavemen get on base in the top of the second, the Ferocious Vikings came out blasting with hits in the bottom of that inning. Its lower half opened with Brody "Blackie" Blackhurst and Chase Merrell whacking singles deep into the outfield. Soon a Chanzt Cook sacrifice groundout scored Blackhurst. Brailsford grounded out Matt "Bub" Wilde, and Green caught a Brandon Coombs fly ball, preserving American Fork's 4-3 lead.

Smoot frustrated the Awesome Cavemen's attempts to widen their lead during the third and fourth innings. In the third, for example, Pitcher singled off Smoot, but the chucker put him out at second a few minutes later, ruining American Fork's best chance for getting a run that inning. In the fourth, Smoot retired two batters while third baseman Wilde grounded out Bartholomew to keep the score at 4-3.

Finally in the fifth's top half, Green doubled into left to spur American Fork into loading the bases on one out. Green scored a run, but Pleasant Grove socked the Awesome Cavemen with a double play. Third baseman Flinders turned up a double play himself to end the fifth with American Fork still leading 5-3.

In the sixth, Bartholomew singled into center one out, giving American Fork hopes of scoring more insurance runs. Pleasant Grove kept him chain on base, however.

Doubles from Walker and Smoot gave the Awesome Cavemen big worries in the bottom of the sixth. Those worries came true, for a Payton Henry sacrifice groundout scored Walker while a Merrill single brought Smoot for a tying run.

In the top of the seventh, Smoot posted two strikeouts, and shortstop Walker snared a Hall fly to keep American Fork scoreless. With Cook getting beaned by a Hall pitch in the bottom of the seventh, the Awesome Cavemen seemed done for. Suddenly, reliever Hall got Cook out in a fielder's choice play at second. Soon, Coombs hit into a double play that forced the game into extra innings.

In the top of the eighth, Pitcher hit an infield single, but he got stuck at second, costing American Fork another golden opportunity. Reliever Hagan "Speedster" Holmstead held the Ferocious Vikings scoreless in the bottom of the eighth while posting two strikeouts.

On two outs in the top of the ninth, Green hit an infield single. He then tried stealing second, but a throw from catching Henry to second baseman Ben Eldredge put the Awesome Caveman out.

The ninth's lower half opened with Smoot singling into center, and a Henry, left-field double moved him to third. Blackhurst singled him in for the winning run.

"The game with AF was a baseball classic," said Ferocious Viking Coach Darren "That's Bush League" Henry.

Ferocious PG Vikings Defeat Bingham Pickers 11-1 for UBAL State Pennant

By Dean Von Memmott

Timp Sports Publisher

Although still the defending state 5-A baseball champs, the Bingham Miners, AKA the Pickers, got served a reminder July 30 how easily they could come out losing in a championship game. In the Utah Baseball Academy League's 17-under age state championship game at Pleasant Grove that day, they got hammered 11-1 by the Ferocious Pleasant Grove Vikings.

During the game's five innings, Picker fans looked on with horror as Ferocious Viking pitcher Brandon Coombs held Bingham to four hits and one run throughout the entire contest. Who would have thought that Coombs would have pulled off such a feat with a team known for having produced baseball legends like George Sluga and Brian "Axel" Hardy, who had wisely rejected a pro baseball contract in favor of a BYU baseball scholarship? Coombs' incredible feat earned Pleasant Grove its first state baseball championship title in a generation.

During the top of the first, Picker Cody "Frying Pan" Kitchen tripled off Coombs, and Kyle "Sunflower" Fleischman singled him. After catcher Payton Henry lobbed a throw to second baseman Zach Peterson to put Fleischman, Coombs struck out Ty Zupon and then grounded out Sean "Senator" Keating.

In the bottom of the first, pitcher Kitchen beaned Ferocious Viking leadoff batter Ben Eldredge. Suddenly Peterson flew out to first baseman Keating, who then tagged Eldredge to complete an unassisted double play. Pleasant Grove quickly recovered from it. Also beaned by a Kitchen pitch, Easton Walker got moved to third on a Jaden Smoot double. Henry doubled in Walker and Smoot. Kitchen struck out Brody "Blackie" Blackhurst.

The next inning opened with Kitchen striking out Colin "Gordy" Gordon. The pitcher then grounded out Connor Goff and Nick Plaga, a grandson of prep baseball legend Gene Plaga, who had coached the West High Panthers, AKA the Black Kittens, a generation ago. The second inning pretty much summed up how the rest of the game went for Picker hitters. The Ferocious Vikings practically plugged up all possible holes for Bingham batters to hit into. Zupon did single off Coombs at the start of the fourth, but that Picker got stuck on base. In the fifth's top half, Brayden "Fiddle" Diddle singled on one out, but got  put out at second. Diddle's single turned out to be the last Bingham hit for the game. Meanwhile, Coombs posted five strikeouts in the game.

Despite Coombs slugging a second-inning single, Pleasant Grove's lead stayed at 2-1 until the bottom of the fourth. With it opening on a Blackhurst single hit into center, one-run doubles from Chase Merrell and Chantz Cook unleashed a three-run rally for Pleasant Grove. After Matt "Bub" Wilde singled in Coombs, Bingham shut down the rally, but the Ferocious Vikings stayed aggressive.

In the fifth's lower half, Henry singled off reliever Plaga to score Walker, setting off another scoring rally. During it, Blackhust doubled in Smoot to give Pleasant Grove more momentum. One-run singles from Chase Merrell and Chantz Cook drove Bingham into a corner that it could not escape from. With bases loaded, Logan Bullock hit a two-run double that ended the game.

 Ferocious Viking Coach  Darren "That's Bush League" Henry said, "That was the best Coombs has thrown for us this year. We were going to have a guy relieve him in the top of the sixth, but the game got over before we could send in our reliever. Coombs pretty much kept Bingham in check after the first inning. We hit the ball very well. We had 11 hits in today's game. Though Bingham is the defending state champion, today's game shows that for them to win region and state next year, they're going to have to get through us."