Timp Sports Weekly
November 10, 2015
Publisher's Message
This week's issue covers the annual American Fork Pre-Footlocker Cross CountryMeet and the state 5-A volleyball tournament. While much of this issue will deal with how the Ferocious Pleasant Grove Vikings and the Lehi Pioneers, AKA the Froggies, did at the tournament, we will look at one state volleyball match that the Lone Peak Knights, AKA the Loners, played against the Riverton Silverwolves, AKA Silverpups, at the state tournament. We also see how the Awesome American Fork Cavemen and Cavewomen did at Pre-Footlocker on Nov. 7. Let's dig into those stories.
Dean Von Memmott
Publisher
magnanovelist@gmail.com
Lone Peak Loners Still Howlin' Riverton Silverpups at State 5-A Volleyball Tournament
By Dean Von Memmott
Timp Sports Weekly Publisher
After having gotten picked apart by the Bingham Miners, AKA the Pickers, in the Nov. 5 octafinals of the State 5-A volleyball tournament, the Lone Peak Knights survived long enough to win sixth place by defeating the Riverton Silverwolves, AKA the Howlin' Silverpups, in a four-game match at Utah Valley University's McKay Events center Nov. 7.
Guided by Classia Candelot, Shaylee Kartchner, and Alexis Averett, the Silverpups dominated the first game. Makayla Pollard and Jaysa "What Da" Funk did they could to keep their Loners' cause alive. Lone Peak managed to pull witin 23-21, but the Silverpups howled away with a 25-21 win.
Aided by Madelyn Olson's serving, the Loners took a 3-0 lead in the second game. Pollard, What Da Funk, and Kacie Huntsman built up a strong, united efforts to keep their Loners ahead through the entire second game, despite fierce attempts by Aspen "Big Tree" Rodridquez and Akala Freeman to tip the moment back to the Silverpups' favor. The Loners won Game 2 25-18.
In taking an early 4-0 lead in the third game, the Loners encountered strong resistance from Kartchner at the net. Huntsman, Pollard, and Allison Anderson went to work on keeping Kartchner from doing severe damage to the Loners' front row. Lone Peak took Game 3 by a score of 25-15.
The fourth game saw the Silverpups tied the score at several times on hits from Kartchner, Freeman,and Rodriguez. Pollard provided the punches that Lone Peak to keep the Silverpups from forcing the match into a fifth game. Riverton looked as though it would do so, though, when the Silverpups howled ahead 21-2- an 22-21. Hits by Pollard eventually produced a 25-23 win that earned the match point for the Loners.
Awesome AF Cavemen and Cavewomen Dominate Pre-Footlocker Cross Country Meet
By Dean Von Memmott
Timp Sports Weekly Publisher
The Awesome American Fork Cavemen didn't let the recent end of their five-year reign as state cross country champions stop them from dominating the Pre-Footlocker Cross Country Invitational held at right behind American Fork High Nov. 7. The Awesome Cavewomen also dominated the meet. In fact, American racers won both the girls' and boys' division of the race.
Even though several high schools sent teams to the invitational, no team scores were kept. American Fork nevertheless still dominated the meet.
Awesome Cavewoman Sarah "Mussels" Musselman won the girls' division. Its champion said. "It was a great performance that I had today. The whole team did a good job in running as a pack. I wouldn't have done so great without Sammy [Hollingsworth]. She pushed me hard."
American Fork had eight runners win spots among the girls' race's top 30 finishes. Among the other Awesome Cavewomen who finished in the top 30, Hollingsworth took fourth, Cami Squires fifth, Katie Cornell ninth, Katie Bradshaw 18th, Lacie Evans 22nd, Anna Gunther 25th, and Bonnie Schellenberg 26th. Among other Awesome Cavewomen to place in the race's top 100, Swifty McKendrick took 37th, Kendra Heath 50th, and Katy Phillipi 57th.
American Fork Coach Bruno Hunziker said, "We were running in a pack in today's girls' race. That was how they won this year's state title. Today's race was a great tune-up for the Great Southwest in Casa Grand, Arizona. Our top 12 girls are going to run in that meet."
Having won the state 5-A boys' championship race last month, Awesome Caveman Casey Clinger took first in the boys' division at the Pre-Footlocker meet. A "distant cousin" of MASH character Corporal Clinger, Casey said, "I ran the way I wanted to today. The state course was more difficult, but today's course still got me ready for my race the Great Southwest in Casa Grande, Arizona, later this month. I'm looking forward to attempt to post a new personal best at that race."
Among the other Awesome Cavemen to place in the boys' race's top 30 finishes, McKay Johns took fifth, Joe Simmons seventh, Pat Larkin 13th, Jason Manning 20th. Among the other Awesome Cavemen who finished in their race's top 100 places. Cole Phillip took 35th and Dalton Bren 44th.
American Fork boys' coach Timo Mostert said, "Today showed us what we needed to do to get ready for the Great Southwest."
Westlake, Lehi, and Pleasant Grove also had runners compete at last weekend's Pre-Footlocker.
Westlake's Micaela Case finished 27th in the girls' race while it saw her teammates Brittin Roth take 31st, Kelsi Westphal 52nd, Brittin Morrison 100th, and Allison Rowley 111th.
The girls' race saw Ferocious Pleasant Grove Vikings Hailey Tanne finish 12th and Skye Jeppson 14th Nicole Sheridan 73rd, Aspen Lucas 83rd, Lauren McArthur 157th, Paige Endicott 174th, Hailey Wright 184, and Natalie Beckstrand 181st.
Viking Coach Mark Morrison said, "They ran pretty good today. The race is a tune-up for our trip to Footlocker in Walnut Grove, Calif., later this month."
Lehi Froggies Karli Branch took 29th, Alexis Watson 30th, Kaylee Kenison 53rd, Sami Austin 54th, Meg Bartholomew 72nd, Amelia Phillips 102nd, Rachel MacDonald 112th, Brunlee Harmon 118th, Rachel Morgan 144th, Sophie Gordon 170th, Emma Watts 171st, and Maddie Harris 175th..
In the boys' division, Froggies Tommy Heaps took 12th, Connor Arnell 21st, Micky Hinckley 31st, Nate Allen 71st, Kobe Mickleson 96th, Dallin Bartholomew 104th, Garrison Martin 113th, and Tommy Phillips 115th. Running for Westlake in the boys' division, Jimmy Lewis took 41st, Logan Anderson 56th, and Awet Tesgay 85th.
Lehi Coach Jamie Aviso said, "I was proud of what our runners showed how dedicated they have been in their training since the state meet. Our varsity is going to be going to the Great Southwest while our jayvees will be competing at Footlocker."
Among the Ferocious Vikings to place in the boys' race, Riley Taylor took 51st, Reed Muir 62nd, Ali Ashtaway 82nd, Price Walker 85th, Joe Lamb 88th, and Josh Walker 91st.
Lehi Froggies and Ferocious PG Vikings Brush Aside Opponents and Engage in Ribbiting Rematch in State 5-A Volleyball Game, Ending in Web-Footed Team Hopping Home With State Trophy
By Dean Von Memmott
Timp Sports Weekly Publisher
This year's state 5-A volleyball tournament went down as a real-life version of a classic plot from a sports movie: A squad of players who put forth an amazing effort to win a state trophy for their head coach, who has decided to retire and move on to doing something else with her life.
The team of such players this year was the Lehi Pioneers, AKA the Froggies. Jamie Ingersoll, their head coach for the past 13 years, had recently decided to step after this volleyball season to take a teaching position next fall at a new high school on the north end of Lehi, nicknamed by American Forkers and Pleasant Grovers generations ago as Swamptown. Also going with her to that school will be her longtime assistant Angie "T-Bear" Roberts, who had played sports for the Mountain View Teddy Bears a generation ago.
Ingersoll's web-footed players demonstrated in all four of their state matches how anxious they were in wanting to hop away with the 2015 state championship trophy. To win it, they had to get through the Jordan Beetdiggers (AKA the Plowgirls), the Davis Darts (AKA the Tarts), the Bingham Miners (AKA the Pickers), and the Ferocious Pleasant Grove Vikings.
Eager to hold on to their state title for a fourth straight season, the Ferocious Vikings engaged in tight battles with the West Jordan Jaguars (AKA Pussycats), the Vicious Viewmonth Vikings, and Brighton Bengals (AKA the Bad Old Puddy Tats) before they faced off with the Froggies, their sworn Region Four arch rivals.
In having bested the Froggies for the Region Four crown, the Ferocious Vikings seemed certain of drying up Lehi in three games. However, the Froggies would not be pushovers this time.
To look at how Lehi and Pleasant Grove made it to the state championship match Nov. 7, let's look at how they did during the first three rounds of state playoff action.
It took the Froggies only three games to flood away the Jordan Plowgirls by scores of 25-16, 25-9, 25-13. The first game opened with Froggie Rylin Roberts, "distant cousin" of US Supreme Chief Justice Johnny Roberts, posting an ace. Guided by Kendra Dean, the Plowgirls battled their web-footed foes to a 2-2 draw. An Amber Lamborn kill sent the Froggies leaping ahead to 5-2. Dean and Lizzie Clark paced the Plowgirls to pull back within 6-5. For a spell, the Froggies continued keeping Jordan at bay. However, with help from Lorraine "Miss Pain" Peterson and Clark, Dean led the Plowgirls out to a 9-8 lead. The Plowgirls expectations of harvesting a upset win over the Froggies suddenly vanished as Roberts, Marta Ellsworth, and Faith Crabb moved back and froth along the net like a trio of Energy Bunnies, registering devastating hits into Jordan holes. For a spell, the Plowgirls didn't let themselves fall more than five points behind thanks to Dean's hitting. However, after the score read 19-15, Roberts went really wild at the net as teammate Sidney "The Happy Croaker" White dished out great serves that produced the 25-16 win for the Froggies.
A Lamborn kill sent Lehi leaping out to a 9-2 lead in Game 2. It saw Mikayla Upham and Faith Crabb join Roberts, Ellsworth, and Crabb in hammering out kills that demoralized the Plowgirls so much that they couldn't put together either an effective offense or defensive. As the game ended in a 25-9 win for the Froggies, their fans croaked, "We want PG! We want PG!"
In order for those web-footed spectators to get their met, their team had to finish off the Plowgirls first. While UVU campus police officers escorted two Lehi boys out of the arena over some offense during Game 3, the Froggie players leaped out to a 9-1 lead on White's serving and Roberts' hitting. When the Froggies' lead had swollen to 14-2, Dean stirred up a rally. Assisted by Vicky Dennis, the Plowgirls battled back within 20-10. That turned out to be the closest Jordan could get to Lehi. Through Lamborn and Roberts' hitting, the Froggies flooded the Plowgirls into the consolation bracket, where Jordan couldn't last long.
In their octafinal match against the West Jordan Pussycats, the Ferocious Vikings showed why they deserved a shot at a fourth consecutive crown. In the game affair, the Ferocious Vikings fixed the Pussycats by scores of 25-14, 25-15, 25-20.
A Malli Valguardson kill sent the Ferocious Vikings rowing out to an early 6-1 lead. Kills by Sara Hamson, Brooklyn Dahl, Kazna Tarawhitt, and Kennedy Redd soon produced a 15-7 lead for Pleasant Grove. Siki Suguturanga and Jessica Pilvi stirred a rally that moved the Pussycats within 18-13. Redd and Hamson went on a hitting spree which created the 25-14 win for the Ferocious Vikings.
In the second game, Hamson did an effective job in keeping Suguturanga from doing much damage to Pleasant Grove as the Ferocious Vikings rowed out to an early 5-1 lead. Good serving by Elena DeSpain paced the Pussycats to claw their way back within 7-6. A bad Pussycat hit gave the Ferocious Vikings fresh momentum. Dahl and Jaquelyn Langhaim produced hits that enabled the Ferocious Vikings to row away after West Jordan had pulled within 10-8. Before long, Hamson hits yielded a double-digit lead for Pleasant Grove. A Natalie Ridder kill gave the Ferocious Vikings 25-15.
West Jordan finally became a serious opponent in the third game. Hits by Hamson and Valguardson created an 11-5 lead. Xena Moeai'i and Taylor strongly tested the Ferocious Viking front row as those two Pussycats hammered out kills that placed West Jordan within 14-12 and 17-15. Ridder and Dahl delivered key kills to keep Pleasant Grove narrowly ahead in the game's closing moments. A Madelyn Robinson kill gave Pleasant Grove a 25-20 win that moved the Ferocious Vikings into a quarterfinal showdown with the Viewmont Vicious Vikings.
Viewmont's Vikings were not exactly vicious in the first game. Hits by Hamson and Dahl empowered Pleasant Grove to row out to a 12-4 lead. It gave the impression that Game 1 would end quicker than you could say Ali Lamb Chop. Robinson, Dahl, Valguardson, Robinson, and Hamson pounded the Vicious Viking front into nothingness, producing a 25-11 win.
In the second game, Viewmont's Vikings produced a vicious performance as they took a 2-0 lead over Pleasant Grove. It took the Ferocious Vikings a spell to secure their first lead over the Vicious Vikings. Once a Valguardson kill put Pleasant Grove ahead 4-3, the game turned into a seesaw fight. Langhaim joined Hamson and Valguardson in keeping Vicious Vikings Liz Hewlett and Lillie Peterson from shoving the momentum into Viewmont's control. Still, the lead kept switching hands frequently, especially during the closing minutes. A bad Viewmont bump made Pleasant Grove a 25-23 victor.
Holland Hutchings' serving gave the Vicious Vikings a 6-0 lead in Game 3. A Dahl kill sparked an incredible comeback for Pleasant Grove. Dahl's hitting gave the Ferocious Vikings the momentum to stay in the contest, even though Viewmont led most of Game 3, because efforts from Hewlett and Peterson. Finally, Redd kill put Pleasant Grove ahead 20-19. Hits from Dahl and Hamson soon gave Pleasant Grove a 25-21 win that would set them up for a semifinal contest against the Brighton Bad Old Puddy Tats.
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