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.
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