Lehi Froggie Hoops and Wrestling

Timp Sports Weekly

January 14, 2014

Publisher's Message

For this week's issue, we look at how the Lehi Pioneers, AKA the Froggies, did in girls' basketball, wrestling, and a thrilling boys' hoops game against the Ferocious Pleasant Grove Vikings. All three of the stories for this issue are set in the Froggies' main gym. Let's stroke back in time to last week to see how the action in that arena had turned out for the Froggies. I assure that a lot of the action was quite riveting -- correction, ribbiting.

Dean Von Memmott

Publisher

magnanovelist@gmail.com

Ferocious PG Vikings Open Region 4 Boys' Basketball Play With Big Win at Lehi

By Dean Von Memmott

Timp Sports Weekly Publisher

The No. 5 ranked Ferocious Pleasant Grove Vikings opened Region Four boys' basketball action with an 81-57 win on the home court of the Lehi Pioneers, AKA the Froggies, Jan. 10.

"Our defense created easy baskets for us in the fourth quarter," said Ferocious Viking Coach Randy McAllister. That comment pretty much summed why the Ferocious Vikings managed to dry up Lehi in regulation play. The last time Pleasant Grove played in the Froggies' gym, the Ferocious Vikings had to play in quadruple-overtime to sail home with a win.

With the memory of that game still on their minds a year later, the Froggies showed much determination in the Jan. 10 game's first three quarters in trying to flood away the Ferocious Vikings. Last Friday's game opened with Ferocious Viking Riley Court getting the tipoff. He then lobbed a shot which Froggie Marcus Draney rebounded.  Receiving a pass from Draney, teammate Jake Barnes tossed the ball to Tanner Nygren for the night's first successful bucket.

A "distant cousin" of comedian Tim Conway and the late actor Jeff Conway, Ferocious Viking Matt Conway produced a three-point play to erase the Froggies' 2-0 lead. Nygren didn't let Tim Conway's "distant cousin" do much damage to the Froggies. Even though Conway's first-quarter foul shooting put his Ferocious Vikings within 6-5, Nygren didn't let them row ahead in the period. Nygren stole the ball from Devon "Mr. Cool" Gethes and swished in a layup that improved Lehi's lead at 8-5. After Gavin Rasmussen had put the score at 10-5, Jake "Long Snake" Wilson opened a 7-0 scoring run for the Ferocious Vikings. He nailed a 10-foot shot and then swished in a three-pointer to even the game at 10. With Mark "The Amazing" Sheffield putting the Ferocious Vikings ahead 12-10, Lehi appeared destined to get dried up. However, Barnes and Tyson Rupp each hit a three-pointer in the quarter's final minute to put the Froggies ahead 16-12.

With Froggie Ethan Tucket pulling down a defensive rebound in at the start of the second quarter, Barnes swished in a three-pointer, which he followed up with a layup that improved the Froggies' leads at 21-12. This made Froggie fans croak excitedly about the prospect of their team soon leaping more than 10 points ahead of the Ferocious Vikings. Pleasant Grove denied Lehi a golden chance for a double-digit lead, however. Pulling down a defensive board, Conway passed to Court for a three-pointer. Barnes answered it with two foul shots that Froggies hoped would spark a scoring spree for them. Hayden "Big Doggie" Dehoyos and Wilson swished in short shots that helped Conway do much damage to Lehi inside the key. Great inside plays by Barnes did keep the Ferocious Vikings at bay for a spell, especially his pouring in six straight points, half of which were made on a trey. Conway made six straight unanswered points to put his Ferocious Vikings within 26-25. Sunk right afterwards, Barnes' second-period trey delayed the next Pleasant Grove takeover of the lead. With a Nygren free throw putting the lead at 30-25, Conway hit an inside shot that opened a 7-0 scoring run for Pleasant Grove. Seconds after a Wilson trey had tied the game at 30, two Conway shots tipped the Ferocious Vikngs ahead 32-30. Lehi remained determined not to let them take the momentum with them into their locker room during halftime. A brother of Lehi girls' hoop star Beth Beeston, Derik Beeston hit a last-second trey to send Lehi stroking ahead 33-32 at intermission.

In the early third quarter, Rasmussen buckets gave the Froggies leads of 35-32 and 37-34. Lehi's efforts at staying ahead got undermined by Sheffield and Court. Shots from Sheffield, for instance, moved Pleasant Grove within 35-34 and 36-35. With a Nygren layup putting Lehi's lead at 39-36, the Froggies hoped that they had finally acquired the momentum for hopping far away from Pleasant Grove. However, a Court trey tied the game at 39, and then Court hit two tie-breaking free throws, which set off a string of frequent switches in the lead. Rasmussen and Draney came up with rebounds and shots that kept Lehi from drying up in the game. However, as soon as a Draney trey had tied the game at 49, Court hit another tie-breaking free throw. Two foul shots from Conway left the Ferocious Vikings with a 52-49 lead at the third quarter break.

The final period opened with Wilson stealing the ball and passing to Court for a layup. It marked the start of the game's two most pivotal minutes. Though a Barnes free through put the Froggies within 54-50, they got scorched in a 9-1 scoring run fueled by Sheffield steals and Conway frree throws. When the score read 61-50, Pleasant Grove, Lehi fans had good reason to croak in worried tones. The Ferocious Vikings were now on the verge of draining Lehi. Barnes became hot inside the perimeter, but his shooting couldn't give the Froggies the momentum they needed for reducing Pleasant Grove's lead to single digits. Conway and Sheffield's field goals and free throws kept the Ferocious Vikings more than 10 points ahead for the rest of the game.

Conway led the Ferocious Vikings with 28 points while Court added another 14 and Wilson 10. Barnes led the Froggies with 26 points while Nygren added another 10.

Lehi Froggie Grapplers Finish Home Season with 41-27 Win Over Westlake Shockers Jan. 8
By Dean Von Memmott
Timp Sports Weekly Publisher

Although the wrestling season still has another month to go for the Lehi Pioneers, AKA the Froggies, their home season is over. It ended Jan. 8 with the Froggies leaping past the Westlake Thunder, AKA the Shockers, 41-27.

The meet opened with the Froggies taking a 12-0 lead on two Westlake forfeits. In the 195 weight class bout, Shocker Colt "The Bullet" Fairborune took a 3-0 lead over Brandon "The Powder Keg" Terrell. The Bullet seemed destined to win. However, in the third period, The Powder Keg reversed The Bullet and pinned him.

That match gave the Froggies a reason to be happy -- correction, hoppy about the evening. Froggies Naim "El Toro" Sosa and Brackin "The Noose" Stringam pinned Weston "The Griffin" Dastrup and Jacob "The Stallion" Dalton respectively to create a 30-0 for the Froggies.

In the 106 weight class, Lehi's Destroyin' Angel Greigo took Mat "The Most  Handsome Shocker" Brink down to take a 2-0 lead. The Most Handsome Shocker quickly proved to be too much for Destroyin' Angel to control. Building a 9-3 lead in the first two periods, The Most Handsome Shocker came really close a few times to pinning Destroyin' Angel. The match ended with The Most Handsome Shocker winning 17-3

Quickly building up a 6-0 lead in his 113 weight class match, Shocker Isiah "El Tigre" Meija also came close to scoring a fall. His Froggie opponent, Mikey "The Jack Hammer" Jamiyandorj proved to be too wiggly to be pinned. Still, El Tigre got awarded a 12-2 win.

In building up a 7-0 lead in his 120 weight class match, Hayden "The Hasty" of Westlake pinned Nick "The Quick" Austin in the second period.

The 126 weight class match opened with Lehi's Ty "The Sly" Tahbo taking down Colby "The Black Widower" Webb. Before The Sly could stretch his lead, The Black Widower escaped and took control of the match. The Sly had to be given credit for battling back to tie the match at four. However, The Black Widower scored a tie-breaking takedown that made him the 6-4 winner of the match.

The string of Westlake wins got interrupted in the 132 weight class match. In it, Froggie Jaime "The Truck" Mackintosh scored a takedown and a two-point near fall against Mikey "The Sexy North Briton" McCann in the first period. No further scoring occurred in the match, even though The Truck almost scored another near fall over The Sexy North Briton in the third period.

The Truck's win sparked another string of Lehi victories. In the 138 weight class, for instance, Lehi's Dalton "The Outlaw" Rice won on a technical fall against Garrett "Big G" Gemar. The 145 weight class match went down as a thrilling. It opened with Westlake's Danny "The Jumpin' Bean" Green taking a 4-2 lead over Reagan "The Pagan" Bodly. Midway through the match, The Pagan pulled ahead 5-4 on a reversal. The Pagan improved his lead at 7-4. It fell to 7-6 on The Jumpin' Bean's third-period reversal. However, match time expired before The Jumpin' Bean could make a two-point near fall.

With Westlake's 152-pounder Jordan "Showboat" Taylor defeating Max "The Battle Ax" Inman 7-1, the momentum swung back to the Shockers too late. The meet ended with Shocker Spencer "The Grand Dane" Hansen pinning Garrett "The Battle Bot" Batley to put Westlake within 41-27.

Lehi Froggies Unhorse Lone Peak Loners 59-45 in Region 4 Girls' Hoop Opener Jan. 6

By Dean Von Memmott

Timp Sports Weekly Publisher

In a Region Four girls' basketball opener at Lehi Jan. 6, the Lehi Pioneers, AKA the Froggies, unhorsed the Lone Peak Knights, AKA the Loners, 59-45.

The game marked only the second time that Lehi had ever beaten Lone Peak in girls' basketball. The Froggies' first-ever win over the Loners had also occurred at Lehi a year ago. Within a few minutes after that game, a bitter Lone Peak mother told a Froggie player, "You Lehi girls are such dirty players." 

To be fair, the Loners had played just as dirty as the Froggies did in that game. In last Tuesday's game, no accusations could be made about Lehi playing mean to win convincingly over the Loners. The Froggies controlled the Jan. 6 show from the opening tipoff. Getting it, Beth Beeston swished in a short shot that sent the Froggies leaping out to a 10-0 lead. 

Kelsey "The Most Gorgeous North Briton" McCann, Abi Johnson, and Adrianne "Yo" Krout pooled their efforts together to push the Loners within 14-8. Before the Loners could charge any closer, Froggie Terra Tahbo hit a three-foot shot that set off a 6-0 scoring run led by Kylee Bartholomew and Faitoto'a Faleao. With the Froggies having jumped out to a 20-8 lead, the Loners looked destined of getting washed out of Lehi's gym. McCann sank two straight unanswered layups to cut the lead to 20-12.

She reduced it to 20-14 in the second period. Before McCann could do any more destructive work to Lehi's lead, a Faleao jumper and a Beeston trey put the score at 25-14. That didn't stop Lone Peak from answering Lehi with a bucket for a bucket. Still, the Froggies maintained a double-digit lead for much of the period, thanks to strong rebounding from Tahbo, Tyra "T-Rod" Rodriguez, Bartholomew, and Faleao. After Faleao had put the lead at 32-20 on a Tahbo assist, Johnson and fellow Loner Allie "Baba" Weichers took control of the boards and scoring. Those two Loners put their team within 32-24 just before halftime.

Despite Tahbor, Faleao, and Lexi Grantham's strong efforts in the early third quarter, Rachel Asay racked up six straight points to put her Loners within 37-30. Before Lone Peak could charge any closer, Tahbo scored on a steal, and T-Rod nailed a set shot that knocked the Loners out of their rhythm. Still, McCann had a heyday on the floor. Her shooting spree helped Asay put the Loners within 45-37 during the fourth quarter. Faleao became the Froggies' top gun in enabling them in regaining another double-digit lead. Faleao also took command of the boards in the final quarter. Free throws from Faleao Beeston, and Addie Pearson clutched the win for Lehi.

Faleao led the Froggies with 17 points while Bartholomew added anoher 17. McCann led the Loners with 18 points while Asay added another 10.