Final Week of Lehi Froggie Girls' Basketball

Timp Sports Weekly

February 17, 2015

Publisher's Message

This week's issue deals with the final two girls' basketball games that the Lehi Pioneers, AKA the Froggies, hosted for this season. For Lehi, both of them ended on an unhappy -- correction, unhoppy note. So as they say in Lehi, let's jump straight to the stories of those two games.

Dean Von Memmott

Publisher

magnanovelist@gmail.com

Riverton Silverpups Howl Past Lehi Froggies 59-28 in Region 4 Girls Hoop Action Feb. 10

By Dean Von Memmott

Timp Sports Weekly Publisher

In Region Four girls' basketball action at Lehi Feb. 10, the Riverton Silverwolves, AKA the Silverpups, howled past the Lehi Pioneers, AKA the Froggies, 59-28.

The game went down as one of Lehi's worst moments this season. Save for the second quarter, the Froggies didn't show any life in their performance on the floor. For example, they let the Silverpups hold them to 13 points in the entire second half. That statistic didn't come as much as a surprise, given what occurred in the first quarter.

It opened with Froggie Lia Smith hitting a jumper to give her team a 2-0 lead. Before Lehi could extend it any further, the Froggies went ice cold in scoring. In fact, they didn't make another basket until late in the first period. In the meantime, the Silverpups had a howling great performance on the floor.

In going 2-3 at the foul line, Silverpup Kirstie Spencer tied the game at two. She soon broke the 2-2 tie. Shots from her teammates Tia "Jazzy" Yazzie and Beck "Frugal" McDougal soon produced a 10-2 lead for the Silverpups.

Froggie Lia Smith attempted to put sparks into the Froggies' efforts during the first quarter. She pulled down some rebounds and blocked a Yazzie layup. Smith even hit a trey that cut the Silverpup lead to 10-5. Smith's efforts couldn't turn Lehi's fortunes around, even though she did put forth a great performance throughout the entire game.

With the first quarter ending on a Yazzie trey sunk a second before the buzzer, Lehi fans had to wonder  how worst Period 2 was going to turn out to be for their Froggies. The next period unfolded with Yazzie nailing another three-pointer and then sinking a layup on a steal.

Producing a theft herself, Froggie Addy Clements sank a layup, which put a jolt of life into Lehi's offense. However, with McDougal and fellow Silverpup Tiena "Big T" Afu dominating the boards, the Froggies couldn't put together a rally strong enough for them to overcome the double-digit deficit that came upon them in the second quarter. Taylor Takahashi did give Froggie fans something to croak joyously about when she stole the ball on a blocking of a Silverpup shot midway through the quarter. Fellow Froggie Lexy Granthem came up with a couple of steals and sank a shot that helped Lehi rack up 10 points in the second quarter. With Yazzie, Afu, and McDougal guiding the Silverpups in producing 16 second-quarter points, Riverton took a 29-15 lead into the second half.

During the third quarter, the Silverpups held Lehi to four points. Riverton, meanwhile, stayed hot in scoring. After the new half had opened with a Yazzie three-pointer, Spencer stole the ball and connected a pass to McDougal for a bucket. Tess "Soupy" Campbell joined McDougal and Afu in pulling down defensive rebounds that the Silverpups quickly turned into buckets made by Lovely Olivia Neilson. By the end of the third period, the Silverpups outscored the Froggies 15-4.

The next quarter, Lehi didn't make any points until the final three minutes of play. Meanwhile, Riverton let its entire bench see action on the floor. For example, Maci McCleary, a niece of Awesome American Fork Cavewoman basketball legend Rhonda Cook, joined fellow jayvee Jaydeen Burgess in pulling down boards and contributing to Silverpup scoring. With three minutes of regulation play left,
Shelby Jenkins opened Lehi fourth-quarter scoring with a set  shot, and teammate Hadlee Labrum contributed a three-point play. The game ended with Froggie Mikayla Nelson hitting a set shot. 

Clements led the Froggies with 10 points while Nelson, Smith, and Bryanna Raff each contributed another four points. Jazzy Yazzie led the Silverpups with 14 points while Neilson added another 10.

Lehi Froggie Girls' Hoop Season Ends With Home Loss to Westlake Shockers Feb. 12

By Dean Von Memmott

Timp Sports Weekly Publisher

AKA the Froggies, the Lehi Pioneers ended their girls' basketball season with an eight-point loss at home to the Westlake Thunder, AKA the Shockers, Feb. 12. Barely staving off a fourth-quarter rally, the Shockers defeated Lehi 47-39.

Lehi played much better against the Shockers than it did against the Riverton Silverpups two nights before. The game opened with Shocker Amie "Hailstone" Cochran receiving the opening tipoff. The Shockers soon lost the ball on a bad pass. It ended that Westlake had gone into the game, unwilling to take the Froggies seriously.

Hitting a three-point shot to open the game's scoring, Hadlee Labrum demonstrated that Lehi was still to be taken seriously, despite its winless Region Four record. The Froggies enjoyed their 3-0 lead for a little while. Suddenly, Shocker Jennaka Christensen hit the first of her three straight treys to tie the game at three. Shocker Kaitlyn "Quick K" Smith hit a tie-breaking foul shot, and Macie "Lacy" Peterson swished in a laup to put Westlake ahead 6-3. Though a Lexy Granthem layup cut the lead to 6-5, a Cochran trey put the Shocker lead at 9-5 at the end of the first quarter.

The second quarter opened with Froggie Bryanna Raff nailing an inside shots to give Lehi a chance at tying the game. however, Leilani "Heavenly Flowers" Hansen hit a trey that sent the Shockers on a 9-0 scoring run, highlighted by further Christensen and Hansen treys. When the Shocker lead had grown to 18-7, Katy Peck hit a three-pointer to launch a 6-0 scoring run for Lehi. With the half ending on two Shelby Jenkins foul shots cutting the lead to 18-13, the Froggies still had a prayer for hopping from behind.

At the start of the third period, Quick K Smith scored on an inbounds pass from Christensen in hopes of  creating another double-digit lead for Westlake. Though shots from Lia Smith and Emily Anderson put the Froggies within 20-17, Lehi got slapped with two technicals that knocked them out of their momentum and enabled the Shockers to create another double-digit lead. Foiur straight Cochran foul shots created a 28-17 lead for the Shockers. They eventually put it at 33-17. Lexy Granthem stole the ball late in the third quarter to open a 6-0 scoring run for the Froggies. Sunk just before the third quarter break, an Addy Clements jumper cut the lead to 33-23.

Aided by Christensen's third straight trey, the Shockers built up a 37-23 lead in the early fourth quarter. In being able to pull down 12 offensive boards for the night, the Shockers looked as though they would dry up Lehi by a double-digit lead. The fourth quarter proved that scenario was not going to be so. After Froggie Terra Tahbo pulled down a big defensive rebound, the Froggies executed a rally lead by Clements and Peck. Shots and rebounds from Christensen permitted the Shockers to stay in double figures for a spell, but layups from Clements and Abby Padilla sparked the Froggies into leaping back within 43-39 in the final two minutes. The Froggies' chance of forcing the game into overtime vanished through Cochran hitting a 10-foot shot. Free throws from Quick K Smith and Kai Ah Quin clinched the win for Westlake.

Peck led Lehi with nine points while Clements added another eight. Christensen lead the Shockers with 15 points while Cochran and Hansen each contributed another 11.

The Return of Frankie Jackson and PG-Lehi Boys' Hoop Action

Timp Sports Weekly

February 10, 2015

Publisher's Message

For our cover story this week, we look at the Feb. 3 boys' basketball game that  the Lone Peak Knights, AKA the Loners, played at Lehi, home of the Pioneers, AKA the Froggies. The game marked a one-night return of Frankie Jackson, who played one seasons for the Froggies before choosing to play for the  Loners. He had an impressive performance in the game, even though former schoolmates constantly called him a traitor throughout the game. Let's stroke straight to the story of the game. It was quite riveting -- correction, ribbiting.

Dean Von Memmott

Publisher

magnanovelist@gmail.com

Lone Peak Loners Soak Up Lehi 87-72 in Boys' Hoop Action Feb. 3

By Dean Von Memmott

Timp Sports Weekly Publisher

In boys' basketball action Feb. 3, the Lone Peak Knights, AKA the Loners, drained the Lehi Pioneers, AKA the Froggies, 87-72.

The game marked a one-night return of Frankie Jackson, who played basketball for Lehi a couple of years ago. Having remembered that he was once a Froggie, Lehi students called him a traitor several times through the course of the game. Frankie pretended that he didn't hear them as he guided his Loners in drying up Lehi in a game that was downright riveting -- correction, ribbiting during the course of the night.

Though Frankie got the opening tipoff, he passed to Chris "Pops" Popoola for the night's first basket. 

Shots from Tyson "Roamin'" Doman, a nephew of former Mountain View Teddy Bear Carl Pollard, created a 7-1 lead for the Loners. A Jake Barnes bucket ignited a 6-5 scoring run for the Froggies. Frankie got really hot in scoring. His shooting improved the Loners' lead at 22-6. A "distant cousin" of pioneer rocker Chuck Berry, Chase Berry sparked a comeback, triggered by a Tanner Nygren trey. The quarter ended with Froggie Blaze Nield hitting a three-pointer to cut the lead to 24-11.

In the early second period, Chase Berry proved to be as good with the ball as his "distant cousin" Chuck was with a guitar. He came up with steals and shots that powered a 7-0 scoring run for the Froggies. Taking a pass from Nygren, Briggs Jensen sank a layup that put Lehi within 24-21. 

Aided by Frankie's shooting, Talmage Gunther hit a trey that put the lead at 31-21. This time, the Froggies didn't let the Loners enjoy a double-digit lead for long. Despite great offensive efforts from Frankie and Popoola, Jensen engineered a 15-7 scoring run for Lehi through frequent rebounding and shooting, including hitting a key three-pointer. The rally climaxed with Jensen stealing the ball and sinking a layup at the buzzer to cut the lead at 38-36.

Nick Curtis, Doman, Poppoola, and Frankie pooled their efforts together in the third period to sabotage Lehi efforts at catching up. Beginning with a Curtis bucket, the Loners stretched their lead out 45-36. Aided by Marcus Draney's rebounding, Berry, Nygren, Jensen, and Alex Pittard guided the Froggies within 45-42. Frankie hit a trey, and quicker than you could say Ali Lamb Chop, the Loners took command of a 55-44 lead. The period ended with Doman stealing the ball.

Frankie got hotter in scoring in the fourth quarter. Every Froggie effort to shut him down failed. His shooting enabled the Loners to keep the Froggies from hopping any closer than 59-51. Aided by Popoola, Doman, and Curtis' rebounding, Frankie's shooting kept the Loners in double figures for the rest of the game.

He led the Loners with 40 points while Popoola added another 17 and Doman 14. Berry led the Froggies with 17 points while Nygren added 15 and Jensen 14.

Ferocious PG Vikings Row Back to Defeat Lehi in Froggie Boys' Final Home Game of Regular Season
By Dean Von Memmott

Timp Sports Weekly Publisher

After having gotten drained by the Lone Peak Knights, AKA the Loners, Feb. 3, the Lehi Pioneers, AKA the Froggies, could have let the Ferocious Pleasant Grove Vikings dry them up early in a Region Four boys' basketball game at Lehi Feb. 6. However, the Froggies gave the Ferocious Vikings a big scare in the first half, giving the impression that Lehi would actually end its home season with washing Pleasant Grove away. However, through two straight, four-quarter steals by a senior, the Ferocious Vikings rowed from behind to soak up Lehi 73-57.

Ferocious Viking Coach Randy McAllister said, "We came out really cold in  the first half. We made all sorts of mistakes that allowed Lehi to take double-digit leads over us. During halftime, one of my assistants challenged our players to really step it up in the second half. [Jimmy] Court made two straight steals within 90 seconds of each other and sank layups on them to change the momentum for them. Brody Childs pulled down some great defensive boards that allowed us to control the tempo in the third quarter. When we are able to pulled lots of defensive boards, we can turn them into baskets easily."

The opening quarter showed that the Ferocious Vikings had not yet shaken off their Feb. 3 loss to the Awesome American Fork Cavemen. For example, seconds after Ferocious Viking Braden Wellman, a "distant cousin" of former Awesome Caveman point guard Robert "Bobby" Wellman, got the opening tipoff, Pleasant Grove threw the ball away. That turnover gave Froggie Briggs Jensen to shine. He hit the first of three first-quarter treys that gave Lehi firm control of the momentum. Childs hit an inside shot in response to Jensen's first three-pointer, but the Ferocious Vikings' flat performance prevented them from cruising ahead of the Froggies. 

Pleasant Grove did receive a chance to tie the game when a Ty "Ro" Bott bucket positioned the Ferocious Vikings within 6-4. Aided by two Jake Barnes foul shots, Jensen's second straight trey sparked a 6-3 scoring run for the Froggies, giving them a 17-7 lead by the end of the period.

As they looked at the scoreboard during first quarter break, Pleasant Grove fans faced the temptation of gulping with embarrassment. On paper, their team should have been the one leading by double figures, not the Froggies, who were sporting a 1-6 region record. However, the scoreboard made clear that if the Ferocious Vikings continued with putting on a sorry performance on the floor, Lehi would surely flood them out of the gym by 20 or more points.

In the second quarter, the Froggies relied heavily on three-pointers to keep them ahead in the game. In fact, they made only three two-point field goals during the first half. As risky as their reliance on treys was, it proved to be a good gamble for the Froggies, because the Ferocious Vikings couldn't pull at any point during the second quarter, despite good performances from Bott, Childs, and Court. After Court had hit two foul shots to open second-period scoring, Blaze Nield hit a trey to improve the Froggie lead at 20-11.


Through rebounding and shooting, Childs, Bott, and Court led a Ferocious Viking attack on the Froggies' 11-point lead. When two Welllman free throws had put Pleasant Grove within 23-20, Ferocious Viking fans became optimistic that their guys could snatch the lead really soon. However, a Barnes trey popped that hope, and two Tanner Nygren layups solidified the Froggies' hold on the tempo.


For Nygren second-quarter second layup, Barnes pulled down a defensive board and connected a crosscourt pass to Nygren for the shot, putting the score at 30-21. Pleasant Grove managed to saw the lead down 30-25. Helped by a Chase Berry free throw, Nield hit a three-pointer just before the halftime buzzer to put the lead 34-25.

The opening of the second half showed a willingness of the Ferocious Vikings to take the Froggies seriously. Danny Diehl hit a three-pointer to spark a 10-1 scoring run for Pleasant Grove. After Dusty Tafoya had hit a foul shot, Court, Diehl, Bott, and Child took command of the boards, denying Lehi chances for second shots. When a Court foul shot tied the game at 35, Pleasant Grove fans again became optimistic that their Ferocious Vikings would sail ahead of the Froggies this time. However, two straight Nield treys put the Froggies ahead 41-35. Nield then stole the ball, but missed a layp, which Childs rebounded. The combined shooting of Court and Childs put Pleasant Grove within 41-40. Tyson Rupp hit a jumper in hopes it would give the Froggies enough momentum to leap far ahead again like they had done in the first half. However, after Diehl had hit an inside shot, Court stoled the ball twice in a 90-second period and sank layups on those steals to put Pleasant Grove ahead 46-43. The period ended with a Nygren shot cutting the Ferocious Viking lead to 46-45.

With Childs pulling down a critical defensive rebound at the start of the final, Haydyn "Banger" Wall hit a foul shot that helped to keep the Ferocious Vikings' momentum going strong. A Marcus Draney bucket tied the game at 47, but before the Froggies could leap ahead again, Childs pulled down defensive rebound which lead to Diehl's tie-breaking three-point play. It became another pivotal moment in the game, for Pleasant Grove went on a 10-0 scoring run led by Bott and Court. A "distant cousin" of rock legend Chuck Berry, Chase Berry hit a three-pointer that cut the lead to 57-50. Before the Froggies could stir up a rally, Diehl, Court, Bott, and Childs went wild in scoring. The Froggies tried hard to shut those four Ferocious Vikings down, but that quartet's combined firepower proved to be too much for the Froggies to contain. Before long, the Ferocious Vikings had a double-digit lead.

When he saw the Froggies' cause was now lost, Lehi Coach Bobby Barnes let all of his jayvees see action on the court. Lehi scoring ended with Braydon Cuff, a very close relative of former Richfield Kitty Cat basketball legend Rob Cuff, sinking two free throws.

Court led the Ferocious Vikings with 31 points while Diehl added another 11 and Bott nine. Hitting five treys, Jensen led Lehi with 15 points while Nield added another 14.