Timp Sports Weekly
December 13, 2013
Publisher's Message
This week's blog is a special double issue covering a string of recent home basketball games hosted by the Lehi Pioneers, AKA the Froggies. This double issue will also look at a recent dual wrestling meet between my Awesome American Fork Cavemen and the Lehi Froggies. We will also look at a Saturday high school swim meet held at American Fork's Legacy Center. As they say in Lehi, let's stroke straight to those stories.
Dean Von Memmott
Publisher
magnanovelist@gmail.com
North Sanpete Gobblers Gobble Down Big Win Over Lehi Froggies in Girls' Basketball
By Dean Von Memmott
Timp Sports Weekly Publisher
In a non-league girls' basketball game at Lehi Dec. 11, the North Sanpete Hawks, AKA the Gobblers, gobbled up a big win over the Lehi Pioneers, AKA the Froggies. The Gobblers went home to Mount Pleasant quite thankful about their 57-43 win over their web-footed hosts.
When the game unfolded, North Sanpete looked as though it would not have anything to gobble about. Kaylee Bartholomew swished in a trey and then a 17-foot jumper to send the Froggies jumping ahead 5-0. However, Gobbler Taylor Gordon proceeded to make the game riveting --- correction, ribbiting.
That Gobbler scored two straight unanswered baskets to put North Sanpete within 5-4. Two Terra Tahbo foul shots extended Lehi's lead to 7-4 in hopes that the Froggies would continue dominating the quarter. However, a Jacey Dunn jumper enabled Gordon to put North Sanpete ahead 8-7. The Gobblers' first lead got devoured as quickly as a turkey's white meat on Thanksgiving Day. Hadllee Labrum swished in a three-pointer to tip the Froggies back out in front 10-8. Lehi couldn't croak joyfully about that lead for long. A Gordon hit a go-ahead trey of her own that sparked am 11-0 scoring run that spilled over into the second quarter.
In the second quarter, the Froggies drew a lot of travel calls that snapped them out of their ribbon and enabled Gordon, Dunn, and fellow Gobbler Keisha Jorgenson to have a heyday in scoring. Also, Jorganson and Dunn controlled the boards even though Kierra Pulham did do some good rebounding for Lehi in Period 2. Froggie scoring renewed at the 1:30 mark when Bartholomew hit a trey after the Gobblers had extended their lead to 22-13. Lehi outscored North Sanpete 9-7 in the half's final 1 1/2 minutes. The combined firepower of Gordon and Ashley "The Sewing Machine" Nuttall enabled the Gobblers to take a double-digit lead into the next half. First half ended with Froggie Lia Smith hitting a three-pointer.
The disastrous second period haunted Lehi through the rest of the game. In the third quarter, the Froggies continued drawing further travel calls. They suffered a big blow when Faitoto'a Falaeo got hurt and had to spend the rest of the game on the bench. Also, the Froggies couldn't cool Gordon and Dunn down. Those Gobblers stayed very accurate in their shooting. Meanwhile, Lexy Grantham joined Bartholomew and Tahbo in trying to stir up a comeback. After a Jorgensen bucket had put the lead at 31-19, Tahbo slashed it down to 31-27, but Dunn and Gordon undermined Tahbo's efforts despite Grantham swishing in a trey. The third quarter ended with North Sanpete leading 46-31.
Early in the fourth quarter, a Crystal Coates field goal sparked the Gobblers into trotting out to a 53-31 lead. Grantham orchestrated another Froggie rally at that point. Aided by three Addie Pearson free throws and a Jessie Tedrow set shot, the Froggies outscored North Sanpete 12-4 to pull within 57-43. However, the rally had occurred too late to save Lehi from getting dried up by the Gobblers.
Bartholomew led Lehi with 13 points while Grantham and Tahbo each contributed 10 points. Dunn led North Sanpete with 22 points while Gordon added another 19 points.
Taylorsville Road Warriors Soak Up 80-74 Win in Boys Basketball Action at Lehi Dec. 11
By Dean Von Memmott
Timp Sports Weekly Publisher
In a preseason boys' basketball game at Lehi Dec. 11, the Taylorsville Warriors, AKA the Road Warriors, soaked up an 80-74 win over the Lehi Pioneers, AKA the Froggies.
The game snapped a two-game winning streak that the Froggies had been enjoying. Of course, during the course of the Dec. 11 contest, they looked as though they would run the Road Warriors off the road. Lehi had outstanding scoring performances from Tanner Nygren, Derik Beeston, and Gavin Rasmussen. However, their performances couldn't the outstanding playing of Road Warrior Sid Freeman whose breathtaking treys and steals enabled Taylorsville to outlast Lehi in the riveting -- correction, ribbbiting contest.
Freeman was not the only Road Warrior to have a blazing night at Lehi. So did teammate Manuel "Pastor" Evangelista. He hit a free throw and a jumper to put Taylorsville out in front 3-0. The Road Warriors' first lead didn't last long. After Rasmuusen had put the Froggies on the scoreboard, a Beeston three-pointer put them out in front 5-3. A seesaw battle ensued. After Road Warrior Aaron "The Redwood Road Baron" Caneperi had tied the game at five, Freeman swished in his first three-pointer to put Taylorsville back out in front, and an Evangelista bucket improved the Road Warriors' lead at 10-7. Lehi battled back to take a 13-10 lead on a Nygren shot. Freeman swished in his second trey to tie the game at 13. Two Caneperi foul shots prodded the Road Warriors to build up a 17-13 lead at the end of the first quarter.
In the second quarter, Remi "Foxy" Prince stole the ball and swished in a layup in hopes of strengthening the Road Warriors' hold on the lead. However, a bad Taylorsville pass allowed a Nygren trey and Tyson Rupp set shot to put the Froggies within 19-18. Manny "Mammoth" Suarez nailed a three-pointer that gave Taylorsville 22-18 lead, but it proved not to be a strong enough cushion to keep Lehi away. Despite rebounding and shooting efforts from Road Warrior Jumpin' Jevin Warren, Ethan Tucket and Nygren still led a 6-2 scoring run that tied the game at 24. Freeman's third trey broke the 24-24 deadlock, and Taylorsville outscored the Froggies 11-6 in the final two minutes to take a 35-30 lead into the second half.
In the third quarter, the Froggies took control of the momentum. Taylorsville's top scorer that period, Evanagelista created leads of 41-34 and 44-36 for his Road Warriors. The son of Richfield Kitty Cat basketball legend Rob Cuff, Landon Cuff swished in a three-pointer that set up an 11-2 scoring run led by Rasmussen and Jacob Barnes. When a Rasmussen foul shot put the Froggies back out in front 47-46, their fans croaked excitedly, expecting that Lehi would row way ahead of the Road Warriors. That expectation did not turn out to be the case. Tommy "Mr. North Briton" MacKay hit two foul shots and a three-pointer to give his Road Warriors a 51-47 lead. Barnes and Nygren guided the Froggies within 51-50, 53-52, and 57-56 during the quarter's concluding two minutes. The period ended with Nygren nailing a buzzer-beating trey which put the score at 57-56.
The final quarter opened with Nygren giving the Froggies a 58-57 lead. Before Lehi could improve quickly upon it, Freeman went on a crime wave. He made several steals which he converted into layups. Aided by a Cuff set shot and a Marcus Draney tying free throw, Beeston and Rasmussen stepped forward to attempt to reverse the damage that Freeman was dishing out to the Froggies. Beeston and Rasmussen's efforts gave Lehi leads of 64-63 and 67-65. The combined foul shooting of Freeman, Prince, and Warren severely damaged the Froggies' efforts to pull out a third straight win. After Beeston tied the game at 70 and 72, Warren had a heyday at the foul line. Aided by a Suarez jumper, Warren sank six straight foul shots to give the Road Warriors a 78-72 lead. Rasmussen put a shot back in to cut the lead to 78-74. Two Suarez foul shots concluded the game's scoring.
Nygren led the Froggies with 19 points while Rasmussen added another 13 and Beeston 12. Freeman led the Road Warriors with 29 points while Warren added another 15 and Evangelista 14.
Lehi Froggies, Lone Peak Loners Capture 1st-Place Trophies at Alpine District Swim Meet Dec. 14
By Dean Von Memmott
Timp Sports Weekly Publisher
Held at American Fork's Recreation Center Dec. 14, the first-ever Alpine District Swim saw the Lone Peak Knights (AKA the Loners) and the Lehi Pioneers (AKA the Froggies) win the girls and boys' divisions respectively.
The battle for the two divisions' trophies was fluid all the way through the meet, which featured teams from all eight of the Alpine School District's eight high schools. On the boys' side, example, after the first five events, American Fork emerged as the first-place team with 123 points while second-place Lehi had earned 92 and Lone Peak 85. After 12 events into the meet, however, the makeup of the boys' division's top three teams changed. While American Fork was still in first place with 217 points, Westlake had muscled in its way into second-place by picking up 180 points while Lehi had dropped down to third place, owning a score of 179.
In final boys team scores read Lehi 384, American Fork 376.5, Lone Peak 364, Pleasant Grove 287.5, Westlake 279, Mountain View 161, Orem 160, and Timpanogos 132. Team scores in the girls' division were Lone Peak 453, Westlake 415, American Fork 363, Lehi 335, Pleasant Grove 188, Timpanogos 155, Orem 125, and Timpanogos 65
On the girls' side, Lehi, Lone Peak, and American Fork stayed the top three teams in the meet's first nine events. During the first five events, for example, Lehi secured first place with 127 points while Lone Peak and American Fork shared second place, each having earned 116 points. Lone Peak's Kassandre Allen's first finish Event 9, the Girls' 100-yard butterfly, enabled her school to take the first-spot away from Lehi while accumulating a score of 184. Having been bumped down to second place, Lehi now had a score of 156 while American Fork stayed in third with an accumulation of 146. Westlake came on strong, however, and ended up with a second-place finish through grabbing 415 points along the way. American Fork stayed in its third-place spot throughout the entire meet. As for the Froggies, they finished their day with a fourth-place finish reminded them how much their arch rival Westlake had improved after having been in existence for four years now.
With his girls winning their division through posting a score of 453, Lone Peak Coach Mel Midgely said, "For our girls, everyone of them raced really hard. This was the first time that we had raced against Westlake. We bested them in the back and breast strokes, enabling us to win this trophy I'm holding."
While Westlake Shocker Madeline Lauder took fifth in the girls' 100-yard breaststroke, Lone Peak had three girls finish in that event's top six spots. In the girls' 100-yard breaststroke, Loner Katie Smith took
second while teammates Sarah Pulham and Shannon Christensen finished fourth and sixth respectively.
Smith went on to win the girls' 100-yard backstroke, which saw her teammate Natalie Davis take second.
Jentry "The Gardner" McGregor was one of the reasons for Westlake's surprising second-place finish in the girls' division. She won both the girls' 100 and 200 yard freestyle races. McGregor said, "In general, this meet showed what we could do after having moved from 4-A to 5-A. This gave us a chance to rise up and show that we could swim against other 5-A schools. My best meet was at Saint George, and today showed that I'm capable of improving a lot."
McGregor was also on the Westlake Shocker girls' 200-freestyle relay team that won first place. The other members of that squad included Kenzie "Mustang" Ford, Amber "What's Up" Dock, and McKenna "Ducks" Fowler.
Another Westlake girl who took home an Alpine District championship was Ford. She took first in the girls' 50-yard freestyle.
The meet opened with Lehi winning the girls' 200-yard medley relay. The members of that team included Elise Struthers, Hannah Hansen, Chloe Sturgill, and Mattie Irish.
American Fork won the boys' 200-yard medley relay. Its members included Ethan Pollock, Jacob "Moo" Winder, Rodrigo "Roddy" Merino, and Steven "Stevie" Oakelberry. American Fork Coach Kathy King said, "I think our boys have become really dedicated to swimming with a purpose. Our boys' 200-yard medley relay team proved that this morning. Three of them are on our 400-yard freestyle relay team."
The three, whom she referred to, were Merino, Pollock, and Okelberry. Jerimiah "Tree Frog" Harding was the fourth fellow on the Awesome American Fork Cavemen's 400-yard freestyle relay team.
It finished third, by the way, at the Alpine District Meet. Lehi Froggies John Morris, Gavin Doel, Tyler Blackburn, and Ty Johnson worked together to win the boys 400-yard freestyle relay, for your information.
Both Okelberry and Pollock each became double-winners at the meet. Okelberry picked up gold medals in the boys' 50-yard and 100-yard freestyle. Pollock, meanwhile, took the Alpine District titles in the boys' 100-yard butterfly and 500-yard freestyle.
The Froggies produced their share of double-winners. Hannah Hansen, for one, earned gold medals in the girls' 200-yard individual medley and 100-yard breaststroke. Ty Johnson won the boys' 200-yard freestyle and 100-yard backstroke.
In the girls' division, the Lone Peak team of Katie Smith, Samantha "Bewitched" Patterson, Natalie Davis, and Jordan Verdejo won the 400-yard freestyle relay.
A member of the Loner team that took Alpine District title in the boys' 200-yard freestyle relay, Spencer "Mountain" Dew won the boys' 200-yard individual medley and he finished second in the boys' 100-yard breaststroke. Dew's 200-yard freesty;le teammates include Parker Freeman, Ryan Micklesen, and Kade Hunter. By the way, Verdejo won the girls' 500-yard freestyle and took second in the girls' 200-yard freestyle.. Loner Katie Smith won the girls' 100-yard backstroke in a time of 1:07.71
Pleasant Grove did have swimmers place in the top four spots of seven events. In the boys' 200-yard medley rely, the Ferocious Pleasant Grove Vikings took third in the boys' 200-yard medley and girls' 200-yard freestyle, and boys' 200-yard relays. PG's Chris Rovall finished third in the boys' 200-yard individual medley. Ferocious Viking Nalyssa Easton took fourth in the girls' 50-yard freestyle. Aaron Cookson took a bronze medal in the boys' 50-yard style. PG ninth-grader Dallin Bunnell earned third in the boys' 500-yard freestyle.
Ferocious Viking Coach Lisa Harris said, "This meet gives a chance to go against the same swimmers that we'll be facing at region, especially the ones from Lehi, AF, and Lone Peak. We still have much work to do."
Pleasant Grove finished fourth in the boys' division and fifth in the girls'.
In looking at his swimmers' accomplishments today, Lehi Coach Dennis Meyering said, "We have a lot of kids among our top swimmers who have strong chances to qualify for state. They just got to get better.
"The girls are getting better in cutting down their teams. This meet gave them and the boys a chance to see how they how will do at region against the three of the same schools that they swam against today. We had a lot of kids, who to come late to this meet, because of their ACT tests today. They did well here, though. We went one, two, three in the breast stroke. Tyler Blackburn, who took third in it, one of those kids who had hurried over here from the ACT tests. Blackburn alson won the boys' 100 breaststroke. That was not a bad accomplishment for a guy who had to come here late for the meet. Alec Huff, by the way, finished second in the boys' 100-yard backstroke."
The meet had some interesting sights like a Loner boy carrying a black, wooden oar emblazoned with an image of a white sword, Lone Peak's logo, and the announcer calling the races like he would ones at Evanston's Wyoming Downs. Those kinds of sights made the 2013 Alpine District Meet an memorable occasion. Hopefully, the 2014 version will be just as entertaining.
Lehi Froggies Outlast Hunter Wild Things 72-68 in Overtime During Dec. 7 Boys' Basketball Action
By Dean Von Memmott
Timp Sports Weekly Publisher
At the expense of the Hunter Wolverines, AKA the Wild Things, the Lehi Pioneers, AKA the Froggies, posted a 72-68 win in overtime at Lehi Dec. 7.
With the Jazz Bear present at the game, the contest proved to be downright riveting -- correction, ribbiting all the way through. Until he fouled out in the fourth quarter, Noah "Ark" Togiai was the Wild Things' biggest gun. After Lehi's Marcus Draney had opened the game with a free throw, Togiai put the Wild Things ahead 2-1. Suddenly, Derik Beeston sunk a trey that sent the Froggies swimming out to an 11-3 lead. Before the Froggies could create a 10-point lead, however, McKay Meidlinger hit an inside shot that sparked a 6-2 scoring that moved the Wild Things within 13-9. Just before the quarter ended, Froggie Tanner Nygren hit a trey to unleash a 9-0 scoring run that extended into the second period.
Togiai produced a three-point play that revived the Wild Things' cause. Meidlinger and Togiai combined their efforts together to produced a thrilling Hunter comeback. In outscoring the Froggies 13-3 midway through Period 2, the Wild Things managed to get within 25-22. A "distant cousin" of my former junior high classmate Casey Draney, Marcus Draney hit a three-pointer from the baseline to set up a 6-2 scoring run for the Froggies. However, the half ended with Wild Thing Israel Tademy hitting a three-pointer that clipped the Froggie lead to 31-27.
In the early third quarter, Togiai went on a shooting spree. Aided by a Joe "Hey" Arnold bucket, Togiai soon put the Wild Things ahead 36-34. For the next little while, the Wild Things controlled the Froggies' home floor. Hunter led by as far as four points. The Froggies refused to go belly up in their own gym, however. Froggie Gavin Rasmussen's rebounding gave Lehi opportunities for shifting the momentum back to its favor. Thanks to two straight Beeston three-pointers, the Froggies finally pulled ahead 49-47 at the end of the third quarter.
Two Togiai foul shots tied the game at 49 at the start of the fourth quarter. Soon, a Nygren layup tipped layup 51-49, and Togiai fouled out right afterwards. However, his fellow Wild Things showed that they were more than willing to carry on his work against the Froggies. Noah's little brother Stone "Pony" Togiai and Meidlinger guided the Wild Things in frequently snatched the lead from the Froggies. In the game's final 1 1/2 minutes of regulation, Pony Togiai hit a trey that put the Wild Things ahead 63-61. Beeston almost tied the game at 63, but after he had sunk his first free throw, he missed his second one, which Pony Togiai rebounded. The Wild Things couldn't convert Pony Togiai's defensive rebound into a bucket, however.
Lehi Coach Bobby Barnes said, "Derik Beeston put us back out in front, but a Hunter two-pointer forced the game into overtime. Our overtime win at Maple Mountain taught us how to stay composed on under the stress of OT. Gavin Rasmussen made the winning bucket for us."
Lehi outscored the Wild Things 7-3 in the overtime period.
Rasmussen and Nygren led Lehi with 17 points each while Beeston added another 14 and Jake Barnes 14. Noah "Ark" Togiai led the Wild Things with 26 points while Meidlinger added another 13.
Lehi Froggies Outlast West High Black Kittens 72-66 in Overtime Girls' Basketball Game Dec. 13
By Dean Von Memmott
Timp Sports Weekly Publisher
Normally known as a day of bad luck, the latest Friday the 13th turned out to be the Lehi Pioneer girls' basketball team's lucky day. AKA the Froggies, they picked up their first win of the season on Dec. 13 by defeating the West High Panthers, AKA the Black Kittens, 72-66 in overtime.
The game was a total contrast to the Froggies' Dec. 12 loss to the North Sanpete Hawks, AKA the Gobblers. In that loss, the Froggies had drawn a long string of travel calls that yanked them out of their rhythm. That was not the case in the West High game, however. The Froggies stayed in rhythm all the way through the night.
Froggie Kaylie Bartholomew sank a layup that opened the game's scoring. Black Kitten Miriam "Church" Organista hit a trey that turned the first quarter into a seesaw fight. Terra Tahbo hit two foiul shots to put Lehi back ahead 4-3, only to see a Ravashing Bayana Alono bucket restore the lead to the Black Kitten. Lexy Granthem, Tyra "T-Rod" Rodriguez, and Bartholomew orchestrated a 6-0 scoring run that put the Froggies ahead 10-5. Just as it seemed that the Froggies were in the processing of skinning the Black Kittens alive, West's Kelsey "The Pearl of Great" Price became hot inside the perimeters. After Alono had scored on an offensive rebound, Price scored six straight unanswered points which enabled her Black Kittens to take a 13-12 lead into the second quarter.
Two Rodriguez foul shots put the Froggies back out in front 14-13. However, Price and Alono prevented the Froggies from taking firm control of the tempo during the quarter. A Price trey, for instance, put the Black Kittens ahead 16-14. Two Maykayla Nelson foul shots tied the game at 16, but an Alono layup broke that tie. With Terra Tahbo tying the game at 18 on an offensive rebound, Rodriguez pulled down a defensive rebound and passed to Granthem for a tie-breaking jumper. Despite a Madija Demic bucket that put the score at 23-20, Lehi managed to stay narrowly ahead for most of the half's final five minutes. Jessi Tedrow and Tahbo pulled defensive rebounds the protected the Froggies' narrow lead, which grew as wide as 29-23. Jordan "Lake" Powell sank a layup which stirred up an 8-0 scoring run that climaxed with her hitting a shot to give the Black Kittens a 31-29 lead. Trades in the lead continued clear up to the half's final second when Bartholomew hit a trey that left Lehi ahead 34-31 at intermission.
Aided by impressive defensive rebounding from Alono and Brenley Draper, Price became more threatening inside the perimeter during the second half. Bartholomew, Rodriguez, and Granthem pooled their efforts together to prevent Price from doing irreparable damage to Lehi. Still, frequent changes in the lead continued happening, even though the Froggies did build up a 36-31 lead at one point. After a Price trey had tied the game at 36, for instance, an Organista charity shot put the Black Kittens ahead 37-36. Pulling down a defensive rebound, Rodriguez dribbled all the way to the West High bucket and sank a go-ahead layup. Froggie Hadlee Labrum did her share to keep the game intense. For instance, she hit a set shot and then a free throw to tie the game at 41. An Organista trey broke that tie, but Bartholomew swished in a three--pointer of her own to tie the game at 44. A Ravena "Tigress" Alono foul shot left the Black Kittens ahead 45-44 at the end of the third quarter.
A Demic set set improved the Black Kitten lead at 47-44. Soon, two Granthem foul shots sparked the Froggies into outscoring the Black Kittens 18-13, thereby pushing the game into overtime. Lehi outscored the Black Kitten 11-8 in overtime to win the game. Lehi Coach Brett Hays said, "We've practiced all season on how to handle the stress of trailing in a game and coming back. All that efforet paid off in the West game. We had become conditioned enough to handle the stress of the overtime period. Mikayla Nelson win made the winning basket for us."
Granthem led the Froggies with 19 points while Bartholomew added another 15 and Rodriguez 14. Price led the Black Kittens with 20 points while Organista added another 13.
Lehi Froggies Drown Awesome AF Cavegrapplers 44-20 in Region Four Wrestling Opener
By Dean Von Memmott
Timp Sports Weekly Publisher
As much I do like to make fun of the Lehi Pioneers, AKA the Froggies, I do have to respect the fact that those web-footers have an amazing wrestling program. They showed me why when they drowned my Awesome American Fork Cavemen 44-20 in an opening Region Four dual meet at Lehi Dec. 5.
The Froggies wasted no time in taking control of the dual meet. In the 160 weight class match, for instance, Awesome Caveman Tanner "The Scanner" Durfee quickly found himself on the losing end as Froggie Max "The Fire Ax" Inman rolled ahead 4-0 on a takedown and two-point near fall. To his credit, the Scanner scored a reversal and narrowly escaped getting pinned. However, even though the Scanner did pull within 6-5, he still lost to the Fire Ax.
In the 170 weight class bout, Lehi's Caden "The Kracken" Calton proved to be too much for American Fork's Jacob "The Battle Bot" Rohton. The swift moving Kracken won the match 5-2 on a reversal.
When Froggie Garrett "The Bat" Batley pinned Griffin "The Pest" Best in their 182 weight class match, it became clear that American Fork would soon get washed away by Lehi.
As Lehi fans croaked for joy over witnessing Branden "Double Barrel" Terrill and Deruke "Iron Fingers" Terrell pinning Riley "The Sledge Hammer" Smith and Dazzlin' Danny Lubert respectively, American Fork supporters wondered when they would see an Awesome Caveman leave the mat as a victor. That an answer did not arise until after Bracken "The Noose' Stringam pinned Dakota "Black Hills" Blanco to put the Froggie lead at 30-0.
In the 106 weight class match, Cam "The Slammer" Hunsaker scored the first Awesome Caveman win of the night through sticking Angel "The Destroyer" Greigo in the first period. That American Fork pin got answered immediately by Froggie Mikey "The Jammer" Jamiyandorj pinning Todd "The War God" Jacklin.
A 120-pounder Taylor "The Cleaner" Durfee reminded Lehi fans that not all of the members of American Fork's varsity wrestling team were patsies. The Cleaner overwhelmed Nick "Mr. Slick" Austin 10-1. Moments like that match became rarities as the evening continued, even though Dandy Andy Bartolomew, nephew of American Fork wrestling legend John "Superstud" Bartholomew, scored a pin for American Fork.
After the dual meet ended, Lehi had much to croak about for weeks to comee.
Taylorsville Road Warriors Soak Up 80-74 Win in Boys Basketball Action at Lehi Dec. 11
By Dean Von Memmott
Timp Sports Weekly Publisher
In a preseason boys' basketball game at Lehi Dec. 11, the Taylorsville Warriors, AKA the Road Warriors, soaked up an 80-74 win over the Lehi Pioneers, AKA the Froggies.
The game snapped a two-game winning streak that the Froggies had been enjoying. Of course, during the course of the Dec. 11 contest, they looked as though they would run the Road Warriors off the road. Lehi had outstanding scoring performances from Tanner Nygren, Derik Beeston, and Gavin Rasmussen. However, their performances couldn't the outstanding playing of Road Warrior Sid Freeman whose breathtaking treys and steals enabled Taylorsville to outlast Lehi in the riveting -- correction, ribbbiting contest.
Freeman was not the only Road Warrior to have a blazing night at Lehi. So did teammate Manuel "Pastor" Evangelista. He hit a free throw and a jumper to put Taylorsville out in front 3-0. The Road Warriors' first lead didn't last long. After Rasmuusen had put the Froggies on the scoreboard, a Beeston three-pointer put them out in front 5-3. A seesaw battle ensued. After Road Warrior Aaron "The Redwood Road Baron" Caneperi had tied the game at five, Freeman swished in his first three-pointer to put Taylorsville back out in front, and an Evangelista bucket improved the Road Warriors' lead at 10-7. Lehi battled back to take a 13-10 lead on a Nygren shot. Freeman swished in his second trey to tie the game at 13. Two Caneperi foul shots prodded the Road Warriors to build up a 17-13 lead at the end of the first quarter.
In the second quarter, Remi "Foxy" Prince stole the ball and swished in a layup in hopes of strengthening the Road Warriors' hold on the lead. However, a bad Taylorsville pass allowed a Nygren trey and Tyson Rupp set shot to put the Froggies within 19-18. Manny "Mammoth" Suarez nailed a three-pointer that gave Taylorsville 22-18 lead, but it proved not to be a strong enough cushion to keep Lehi away. Despite rebounding and shooting efforts from Road Warrior Jumpin' Jevin Warren, Ethan Tucket and Nygren still led a 6-2 scoring run that tied the game at 24. Freeman's third trey broke the 24-24 deadlock, and Taylorsville outscored the Froggies 11-6 in the final two minutes to take a 35-30 lead into the second half.
In the third quarter, the Froggies took control of the momentum. Taylorsville's top scorer that period, Evanagelista created leads of 41-34 and 44-36 for his Road Warriors. The son of Richfield Kitty Cat basketball legend Rob Cuff, Landon Cuff swished in a three-pointer that set up an 11-2 scoring run led by Rasmussen and Jacob Barnes. When a Rasmussen foul shot put the Froggies back out in front 47-46, their fans croaked excitedly, expecting that Lehi would row way ahead of the Road Warriors. That expectation did not turn out to be the case. Tommy "Mr. North Briton" MacKay hit two foul shots and a three-pointer to give his Road Warriors a 51-47 lead. Barnes and Nygren guided the Froggies within 51-50, 53-52, and 57-56 during the quarter's concluding two minutes. The period ended with Nygren nailing a buzzer-beating trey which put the score at 57-56.
The final quarter opened with Nygren giving the Froggies a 58-57 lead. Before Lehi could improve quickly upon it, Freeman went on a crime wave. He made several steals which he converted into layups. Aided by a Cuff set shot and a Marcus Draney tying free throw, Beeston and Rasmussen stepped forward to attempt to reverse the damage that Freeman was dishing out to the Froggies. Beeston and Rasmussen's efforts gave Lehi leads of 64-63 and 67-65. The combined foul shooting of Freeman, Prince, and Warren severely damaged the Froggies' efforts to pull out a third straight win. After Beeston tied the game at 70 and 72, Warren had a heyday at the foul line. Aided by a Suarez jumper, Warren sank six straight foul shots to give the Road Warriors a 78-72 lead. Rasmussen put a shot back in to cut the lead to 78-74. Two Suarez foul shots concluded the game's scoring.
Nygren led the Froggies with 19 points while Rasmussen added another 13 and Beeston 12. Freeman led the Road Warriors with 29 points while Warren added another 15 and Evangelista 14.
Lehi Froggies, Lone Peak Loners Capture 1st-Place Trophies at Alpine District Swim Meet Dec. 14
By Dean Von Memmott
Timp Sports Weekly Publisher
Held at American Fork's Recreation Center Dec. 14, the first-ever Alpine District Swim saw the Lone Peak Knights (AKA the Loners) and the Lehi Pioneers (AKA the Froggies) win the girls and boys' divisions respectively.
The battle for the two divisions' trophies was fluid all the way through the meet, which featured teams from all eight of the Alpine School District's eight high schools. On the boys' side, example, after the first five events, American Fork emerged as the first-place team with 123 points while second-place Lehi had earned 92 and Lone Peak 85. After 12 events into the meet, however, the makeup of the boys' division's top three teams changed. While American Fork was still in first place with 217 points, Westlake had muscled in its way into second-place by picking up 180 points while Lehi had dropped down to third place, owning a score of 179.
In final boys team scores read Lehi 384, American Fork 376.5, Lone Peak 364, Pleasant Grove 287.5, Westlake 279, Mountain View 161, Orem 160, and Timpanogos 132. Team scores in the girls' division were Lone Peak 453, Westlake 415, American Fork 363, Lehi 335, Pleasant Grove 188, Timpanogos 155, Orem 125, and Timpanogos 65
On the girls' side, Lehi, Lone Peak, and American Fork stayed the top three teams in the meet's first nine events. During the first five events, for example, Lehi secured first place with 127 points while Lone Peak and American Fork shared second place, each having earned 116 points. Lone Peak's Kassandre Allen's first finish Event 9, the Girls' 100-yard butterfly, enabled her school to take the first-spot away from Lehi while accumulating a score of 184. Having been bumped down to second place, Lehi now had a score of 156 while American Fork stayed in third with an accumulation of 146. Westlake came on strong, however, and ended up with a second-place finish through grabbing 415 points along the way. American Fork stayed in its third-place spot throughout the entire meet. As for the Froggies, they finished their day with a fourth-place finish reminded them how much their arch rival Westlake had improved after having been in existence for four years now.
With his girls winning their division through posting a score of 453, Lone Peak Coach Mel Midgely said, "For our girls, everyone of them raced really hard. This was the first time that we had raced against Westlake. We bested them in the back and breast strokes, enabling us to win this trophy I'm holding."
While Westlake Shocker Madeline Lauder took fifth in the girls' 100-yard breaststroke, Lone Peak had three girls finish in that event's top six spots. In the girls' 100-yard breaststroke, Loner Katie Smith took
second while teammates Sarah Pulham and Shannon Christensen finished fourth and sixth respectively.
Smith went on to win the girls' 100-yard backstroke, which saw her teammate Natalie Davis take second.
Jentry "The Gardner" McGregor was one of the reasons for Westlake's surprising second-place finish in the girls' division. She won both the girls' 100 and 200 yard freestyle races. McGregor said, "In general, this meet showed what we could do after having moved from 4-A to 5-A. This gave us a chance to rise up and show that we could swim against other 5-A schools. My best meet was at Saint George, and today showed that I'm capable of improving a lot."
McGregor was also on the Westlake Shocker girls' 200-freestyle relay team that won first place. The other members of that squad included Kenzie "Mustang" Ford, Amber "What's Up" Dock, and McKenna "Ducks" Fowler.
Another Westlake girl who took home an Alpine District championship was Ford. She took first in the girls' 50-yard freestyle.
The meet opened with Lehi winning the girls' 200-yard medley relay. The members of that team included Elise Struthers, Hannah Hansen, Chloe Sturgill, and Mattie Irish.
American Fork won the boys' 200-yard medley relay. Its members included Ethan Pollock, Jacob "Moo" Winder, Rodrigo "Roddy" Merino, and Steven "Stevie" Oakelberry. American Fork Coach Kathy King said, "I think our boys have become really dedicated to swimming with a purpose. Our boys' 200-yard medley relay team proved that this morning. Three of them are on our 400-yard freestyle relay team."
The three, whom she referred to, were Merino, Pollock, and Okelberry. Jerimiah "Tree Frog" Harding was the fourth fellow on the Awesome American Fork Cavemen's 400-yard freestyle relay team.
It finished third, by the way, at the Alpine District Meet. Lehi Froggies John Morris, Gavin Doel, Tyler Blackburn, and Ty Johnson worked together to win the boys 400-yard freestyle relay, for your information.
Both Okelberry and Pollock each became double-winners at the meet. Okelberry picked up gold medals in the boys' 50-yard and 100-yard freestyle. Pollock, meanwhile, took the Alpine District titles in the boys' 100-yard butterfly and 500-yard freestyle.
The Froggies produced their share of double-winners. Hannah Hansen, for one, earned gold medals in the girls' 200-yard individual medley and 100-yard breaststroke. Ty Johnson won the boys' 200-yard freestyle and 100-yard backstroke.
In the girls' division, the Lone Peak team of Katie Smith, Samantha "Bewitched" Patterson, Natalie Davis, and Jordan Verdejo won the 400-yard freestyle relay.
A member of the Loner team that took Alpine District title in the boys' 200-yard freestyle relay, Spencer "Mountain" Dew won the boys' 200-yard individual medley and he finished second in the boys' 100-yard breaststroke. Dew's 200-yard freesty;le teammates include Parker Freeman, Ryan Micklesen, and Kade Hunter. By the way, Verdejo won the girls' 500-yard freestyle and took second in the girls' 200-yard freestyle.. Loner Katie Smith won the girls' 100-yard backstroke in a time of 1:07.71
Pleasant Grove did have swimmers place in the top four spots of seven events. In the boys' 200-yard medley rely, the Ferocious Pleasant Grove Vikings took third in the boys' 200-yard medley and girls' 200-yard freestyle, and boys' 200-yard relays. PG's Chris Rovall finished third in the boys' 200-yard individual medley. Ferocious Viking Nalyssa Easton took fourth in the girls' 50-yard freestyle. Aaron Cookson took a bronze medal in the boys' 50-yard style. PG ninth-grader Dallin Bunnell earned third in the boys' 500-yard freestyle.
Ferocious Viking Coach Lisa Harris said, "This meet gives a chance to go against the same swimmers that we'll be facing at region, especially the ones from Lehi, AF, and Lone Peak. We still have much work to do."
Pleasant Grove finished fourth in the boys' division and fifth in the girls'.
In looking at his swimmers' accomplishments today, Lehi Coach Dennis Meyering said, "We have a lot of kids among our top swimmers who have strong chances to qualify for state. They just got to get better.
"The girls are getting better in cutting down their teams. This meet gave them and the boys a chance to see how they how will do at region against the three of the same schools that they swam against today. We had a lot of kids, who to come late to this meet, because of their ACT tests today. They did well here, though. We went one, two, three in the breast stroke. Tyler Blackburn, who took third in it, one of those kids who had hurried over here from the ACT tests. Blackburn alson won the boys' 100 breaststroke. That was not a bad accomplishment for a guy who had to come here late for the meet. Alec Huff, by the way, finished second in the boys' 100-yard backstroke."
The meet had some interesting sights like a Loner boy carrying a black, wooden oar emblazoned with an image of a white sword, Lone Peak's logo, and the announcer calling the races like he would ones at Evanston's Wyoming Downs. Those kinds of sights made the 2013 Alpine District Meet an memorable occasion. Hopefully, the 2014 version will be just as entertaining.
Lehi Froggies Outlast Hunter Wild Things 72-68 in Overtime During Dec. 7 Boys' Basketball Action
By Dean Von Memmott
Timp Sports Weekly Publisher
At the expense of the Hunter Wolverines, AKA the Wild Things, the Lehi Pioneers, AKA the Froggies, posted a 72-68 win in overtime at Lehi Dec. 7.
With the Jazz Bear present at the game, the contest proved to be downright riveting -- correction, ribbiting all the way through. Until he fouled out in the fourth quarter, Noah "Ark" Togiai was the Wild Things' biggest gun. After Lehi's Marcus Draney had opened the game with a free throw, Togiai put the Wild Things ahead 2-1. Suddenly, Derik Beeston sunk a trey that sent the Froggies swimming out to an 11-3 lead. Before the Froggies could create a 10-point lead, however, McKay Meidlinger hit an inside shot that sparked a 6-2 scoring that moved the Wild Things within 13-9. Just before the quarter ended, Froggie Tanner Nygren hit a trey to unleash a 9-0 scoring run that extended into the second period.
Togiai produced a three-point play that revived the Wild Things' cause. Meidlinger and Togiai combined their efforts together to produced a thrilling Hunter comeback. In outscoring the Froggies 13-3 midway through Period 2, the Wild Things managed to get within 25-22. A "distant cousin" of my former junior high classmate Casey Draney, Marcus Draney hit a three-pointer from the baseline to set up a 6-2 scoring run for the Froggies. However, the half ended with Wild Thing Israel Tademy hitting a three-pointer that clipped the Froggie lead to 31-27.
In the early third quarter, Togiai went on a shooting spree. Aided by a Joe "Hey" Arnold bucket, Togiai soon put the Wild Things ahead 36-34. For the next little while, the Wild Things controlled the Froggies' home floor. Hunter led by as far as four points. The Froggies refused to go belly up in their own gym, however. Froggie Gavin Rasmussen's rebounding gave Lehi opportunities for shifting the momentum back to its favor. Thanks to two straight Beeston three-pointers, the Froggies finally pulled ahead 49-47 at the end of the third quarter.
Two Togiai foul shots tied the game at 49 at the start of the fourth quarter. Soon, a Nygren layup tipped layup 51-49, and Togiai fouled out right afterwards. However, his fellow Wild Things showed that they were more than willing to carry on his work against the Froggies. Noah's little brother Stone "Pony" Togiai and Meidlinger guided the Wild Things in frequently snatched the lead from the Froggies. In the game's final 1 1/2 minutes of regulation, Pony Togiai hit a trey that put the Wild Things ahead 63-61. Beeston almost tied the game at 63, but after he had sunk his first free throw, he missed his second one, which Pony Togiai rebounded. The Wild Things couldn't convert Pony Togiai's defensive rebound into a bucket, however.
Lehi Coach Bobby Barnes said, "Derik Beeston put us back out in front, but a Hunter two-pointer forced the game into overtime. Our overtime win at Maple Mountain taught us how to stay composed on under the stress of OT. Gavin Rasmussen made the winning bucket for us."
Lehi outscored the Wild Things 7-3 in the overtime period.
Rasmussen and Nygren led Lehi with 17 points each while Beeston added another 14 and Jake Barnes 14. Noah "Ark" Togiai led the Wild Things with 26 points while Meidlinger added another 13.
Lehi Froggies Outlast West High Black Kittens 72-66 in Overtime Girls' Basketball Game Dec. 13
By Dean Von Memmott
Timp Sports Weekly Publisher
Normally known as a day of bad luck, the latest Friday the 13th turned out to be the Lehi Pioneer girls' basketball team's lucky day. AKA the Froggies, they picked up their first win of the season on Dec. 13 by defeating the West High Panthers, AKA the Black Kittens, 72-66 in overtime.
The game was a total contrast to the Froggies' Dec. 12 loss to the North Sanpete Hawks, AKA the Gobblers. In that loss, the Froggies had drawn a long string of travel calls that yanked them out of their rhythm. That was not the case in the West High game, however. The Froggies stayed in rhythm all the way through the night.
Froggie Kaylie Bartholomew sank a layup that opened the game's scoring. Black Kitten Miriam "Church" Organista hit a trey that turned the first quarter into a seesaw fight. Terra Tahbo hit two foiul shots to put Lehi back ahead 4-3, only to see a Ravashing Bayana Alono bucket restore the lead to the Black Kitten. Lexy Granthem, Tyra "T-Rod" Rodriguez, and Bartholomew orchestrated a 6-0 scoring run that put the Froggies ahead 10-5. Just as it seemed that the Froggies were in the processing of skinning the Black Kittens alive, West's Kelsey "The Pearl of Great" Price became hot inside the perimeters. After Alono had scored on an offensive rebound, Price scored six straight unanswered points which enabled her Black Kittens to take a 13-12 lead into the second quarter.
Two Rodriguez foul shots put the Froggies back out in front 14-13. However, Price and Alono prevented the Froggies from taking firm control of the tempo during the quarter. A Price trey, for instance, put the Black Kittens ahead 16-14. Two Maykayla Nelson foul shots tied the game at 16, but an Alono layup broke that tie. With Terra Tahbo tying the game at 18 on an offensive rebound, Rodriguez pulled down a defensive rebound and passed to Granthem for a tie-breaking jumper. Despite a Madija Demic bucket that put the score at 23-20, Lehi managed to stay narrowly ahead for most of the half's final five minutes. Jessi Tedrow and Tahbo pulled defensive rebounds the protected the Froggies' narrow lead, which grew as wide as 29-23. Jordan "Lake" Powell sank a layup which stirred up an 8-0 scoring run that climaxed with her hitting a shot to give the Black Kittens a 31-29 lead. Trades in the lead continued clear up to the half's final second when Bartholomew hit a trey that left Lehi ahead 34-31 at intermission.
Aided by impressive defensive rebounding from Alono and Brenley Draper, Price became more threatening inside the perimeter during the second half. Bartholomew, Rodriguez, and Granthem pooled their efforts together to prevent Price from doing irreparable damage to Lehi. Still, frequent changes in the lead continued happening, even though the Froggies did build up a 36-31 lead at one point. After a Price trey had tied the game at 36, for instance, an Organista charity shot put the Black Kittens ahead 37-36. Pulling down a defensive rebound, Rodriguez dribbled all the way to the West High bucket and sank a go-ahead layup. Froggie Hadlee Labrum did her share to keep the game intense. For instance, she hit a set shot and then a free throw to tie the game at 41. An Organista trey broke that tie, but Bartholomew swished in a three--pointer of her own to tie the game at 44. A Ravena "Tigress" Alono foul shot left the Black Kittens ahead 45-44 at the end of the third quarter.
A Demic set set improved the Black Kitten lead at 47-44. Soon, two Granthem foul shots sparked the Froggies into outscoring the Black Kittens 18-13, thereby pushing the game into overtime. Lehi outscored the Black Kitten 11-8 in overtime to win the game. Lehi Coach Brett Hays said, "We've practiced all season on how to handle the stress of trailing in a game and coming back. All that efforet paid off in the West game. We had become conditioned enough to handle the stress of the overtime period. Mikayla Nelson win made the winning basket for us."
Granthem led the Froggies with 19 points while Bartholomew added another 15 and Rodriguez 14. Price led the Black Kittens with 20 points while Organista added another 13.
Lehi Froggies Drown Awesome AF Cavegrapplers 44-20 in Region Four Wrestling Opener
By Dean Von Memmott
Timp Sports Weekly Publisher
As much I do like to make fun of the Lehi Pioneers, AKA the Froggies, I do have to respect the fact that those web-footers have an amazing wrestling program. They showed me why when they drowned my Awesome American Fork Cavemen 44-20 in an opening Region Four dual meet at Lehi Dec. 5.
The Froggies wasted no time in taking control of the dual meet. In the 160 weight class match, for instance, Awesome Caveman Tanner "The Scanner" Durfee quickly found himself on the losing end as Froggie Max "The Fire Ax" Inman rolled ahead 4-0 on a takedown and two-point near fall. To his credit, the Scanner scored a reversal and narrowly escaped getting pinned. However, even though the Scanner did pull within 6-5, he still lost to the Fire Ax.
In the 170 weight class bout, Lehi's Caden "The Kracken" Calton proved to be too much for American Fork's Jacob "The Battle Bot" Rohton. The swift moving Kracken won the match 5-2 on a reversal.
When Froggie Garrett "The Bat" Batley pinned Griffin "The Pest" Best in their 182 weight class match, it became clear that American Fork would soon get washed away by Lehi.
As Lehi fans croaked for joy over witnessing Branden "Double Barrel" Terrill and Deruke "Iron Fingers" Terrell pinning Riley "The Sledge Hammer" Smith and Dazzlin' Danny Lubert respectively, American Fork supporters wondered when they would see an Awesome Caveman leave the mat as a victor. That an answer did not arise until after Bracken "The Noose' Stringam pinned Dakota "Black Hills" Blanco to put the Froggie lead at 30-0.
In the 106 weight class match, Cam "The Slammer" Hunsaker scored the first Awesome Caveman win of the night through sticking Angel "The Destroyer" Greigo in the first period. That American Fork pin got answered immediately by Froggie Mikey "The Jammer" Jamiyandorj pinning Todd "The War God" Jacklin.
A 120-pounder Taylor "The Cleaner" Durfee reminded Lehi fans that not all of the members of American Fork's varsity wrestling team were patsies. The Cleaner overwhelmed Nick "Mr. Slick" Austin 10-1. Moments like that match became rarities as the evening continued, even though Dandy Andy Bartolomew, nephew of American Fork wrestling legend John "Superstud" Bartholomew, scored a pin for American Fork.
After the dual meet ended, Lehi had much to croak about for weeks to comee.
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