Lehi Froggie-Lone Peak Loner Boys' Basketball Game

Timp Sports Weekly

March 4, 2014

Publisher's Message

For this week's issue, we look at the Feb. 25 boys' basketball game between the Lehi Pioneers (AKA the Froggies) and the Lone Peak Knights (AKA the Loners).  The game showed why the Loners still possessed the sufficient talent needed to win this year's state 5-A title. Let's swim straight to that story. It's the only detailed, published account of the game, by the way.

Dean Von Memmott

Publisher

magnanovelist@gmail.com

Lone Peak Loners Drain Lehi 85-58 in Region Four Boys' Basketball Finale Feb. 25

By Dean Von Memmott

Timp Sports Weekly Publisher

In a Region Four boys' basketball finale at Lehi Feb. 25, the Lone Peak Knights, AKA the Loners, drained the Lehi Pioneers, AKA the Froggies, 85-58.

The contest gave the Loners a chance to show why in spite of a recent region loss to the Ferocious Pleasant Grove Vikings they had the kind of firepower needed for them to blast their way another state 5-A title.

Of course, Froggies Marcus Draney and Tanner Nygren did try to keep the Loners from turning the game into a blowout. The game's opening minutes showed that. Getting the opening tipoff, Draney scored the night's first bucket. Loner Spencer "The Mountain" Curtis swished in two free throws to tie the game at two. Draney produced a three-point play to tip the Froggies back out in 5-2.

However, the Loners suddenly started taking their web-footed opponents seriously. AKA Loner High, Lone Peak tied the game at five on free throws from Frankie "Brother Action" Jackson and T.J. Haws, a brother of Tyler Haws, currently playing basketball for BYU, established by Brigham Young to glorify the University of Utah. Another two Jackson foul shots put the Loners ahead 7-5, and they went on a 12-4 scoring run. Nygren and teammate Jake "Purple Snake" Barnes guided Lehi back within 9-7, 12-9, and 14-11. However, the Loners kept the Froggies from tying the game. Steals and rebounds by Zac Hampton and Brother Action Jackson gave the Loners the momentum they need for making the night a bright time for their school. Near the end of the first quarter, Haws swished in a free throw and then produced a three-point play to give the Loners an 18-11 lead.

In the early second period, treys from Jackson and Haws gave the Loners enough gas to gallop away from the Froggies. With the score 24-11, Loner High, Nygren passed the ball to Alex "Pitbull" Pittard for a bucket in hopes of getting a rally going for the Froggies. Instead, the Loners continued swelling the lead. Before long, it grew to 30-13. Lehi tried every imaginable means to shut down Jackson and Haws in the second quarter. However, both Loners proved to be too quick for the Froggies to stop. By the end of the first half, the Loners commanded a 44-22 lead.

In the first half, Draney, a "distant cousin" of my former junior high schoolmate Casey Draney, had a nice performance in scoring. However, in the second half, the Loners cooled him down, not letting him make more than nine points for the night.

Ninth-grader Blaze Nield stepped forward for Lehi and poured in 10 points for the night, showing why college basketball scouts should keep on an eye on him through the next three years. Nield's performance got overshadowed by the impressive playing of the Loners. Both Jackson and Haws didn't let up in their efforts during the second half. Those two Loners' combined efforts for a 30-point lead for their school in the third period. Jackson wowed Loner fans with a dunk shot that he made just before the buzzer. Froggie Briggs Jensen answered that shot with a buzzer-beating trey.

In the final quarter, Loner Coach Quincy Lewis let his entire bench see some action. Reserves like Clay Wilson, Dylan Hedin, Tyson "Golden Skyline" Doman, McKay Webster, Braxton Bruni, Jantzen Allphin, and Nate "Darkness" Harkness maintained the Loners' big lead. When it had finally swelled to 77-45 on a Webster bucket, Nield hit two foul shots to stir up a Lehi rally, led by Derik Beetson, Barnes, Gavin Rasmussen, and Parker Jensen. The Froggies outscored the Loners 13-7 to get within 84-58. However, a Doman free throw put the final score at 85-58.

Nygren led the Froggies with 14 points while Barnes added another six. Haws led the Loners with 27 points while Jackson added another 21 and Curtis nine.