Season Finales

Timp Sports Weekly
May 18, 2009

Publisher's Message

This week's issue covers the conclusions of the Lehi and American Fork soccer and track seasons. We will also look at the Lehi Pioneers' performance in the still on-going state 5-A girls' softball tournament. Let's get to those stories.

Dean Von Memmott
Publisher
deanmemmott@hotmail.com

Lehi Pioneers' Soccer Season Ends in Split of 2 Home Games
By Dean Von Memmott
Timp Sports Weekly Publisher

Life dealt a hard blow to the Lehi Pioneers' dreams of finishing their 5-A soccer days with a state championship last week. A split in two state playoff games at Lehi cost the Pioneers their season.
In an octafinal state game May 12, Lehi hopped away with a 3-1 win over the Skyline Eagles, AKA the Tweeties. However, in a May 15 quarterfinal, the Vicious Viewmont Vikings scuttled the Pioneers 2-1.

The first 30 minutes of the Skyline game went down as a deadlocked battle as Lehi goalie Riley Anderson and his Eagle counterpart Matt Kershaw held their own.

Addy Rice, Scotty Nelson, Andrus Jones, and Nielsen Lofgren led the Skyline attempt at snapping the Pioneer defense. It proved unbreakable until midway through the second half.

Meanwhile, Ryan Curtis, Austin Tuckett, and Ben Prisendorf directed an unrelenting series of Pioneer attacks deep into Eagle territory. Curtis, for example, came really close to scoring the game's first goal when he produced a breakaway play in the middle of the first half. Kershaw intercepted Curtis' shot, however.

Ten minutes before halftime, Prisendorf passed the ball to Spencer Gray to put Lehi ahead 1-0. The Pioneers couldn't improve on upon their lead, though.

Anderson did keep it intact just before halftime. Shortly before the referee whistled the start of halftime, the Pioneer goalie picked off a direct shot kicked by Nelson.

The Eagles became more aggressive on offense in the second half. Anderson managed to keep their shots from fly across the goal line -- until 18 minutes into the period.

Taking a pass from Jim Madsen, Lofgren scored a tying goal. As Lehi attempted to break the 1-1 deadlock, sweeper Graham Empy frustrated the Pioneers with steals. Empy's efforts turned out to be vain, though.

Pioneer Zach Morgan broke the tie during a breakaway a play. Morgan kicked in a successful shots before Kershaw could get to him.

Skyline received a chance for tying the game at two when Madsen made an indirect kick. A small contingent of Pioneers rushed together to keep Madsen's kick from flying into the net.

With eight minutes left, Tuckett connected a pass to Curtis for a third Pioneer goal. It put the game away.

The win gave Lehi the right to host the Vikings in the quarterfinals. In the May 15 game, Ian Ramos scored the game's first goal. Lehi couldn't improve upon its 1-0 lead. Viking Jared Peterson tied the game at one, and midway through the second half, Viewmont's Brandon "Donald" Trump kicked in a tie-breaking goal, which was his way of saying, "Lehi, you're eliminated!"

The Pioneers will be spending next spring playing in a 4-A league.

Lehi Softball Team Wins Over Skyline, But Loses at Syracuse
By Dean Von Memmott
Timp Sports Weekly Publisher

The Lehi Pioneers split two games in the first two rounds of their state 5-A softball tournament. At Lehi May 13, they won 5-4 over the Skyline Eagles, AKA the Tweeties. Lehi dropped a road game May 15 in Syracuse, when the Titans, alias the Midgets, shut them out 2-0.

In the Skyline game, Lehi had five hits and had no errors. Whitney Cook hit two homers, including one that broke a 4-4 tie in the sixth to give Lehi the win.

Skyline posted a 2-0 lead in the first inning of the May 13 game, and the Eagles stretched their advantage to 3-0 on a third-inning run. Cook hit her first homer in the bottom of the third, but Skyline picked up a run in the fourth. Lehi tied the game at four in the bottom of the fourth.

In the Sryacuse game, Lehi pitcher Ariel Zimmerman fanned 11 Titan batters. Zimmerman's performance became overshadowed by Titan pitcher Ashley Ostler in the bottom of the third. That inning, Ostler hit a one-run triple, and she came home on a wild pitch to end the game's scoring.

Local Tracksters Finish Season Through Placing High at State Meet
By Dean Von Memmott
Timp Sports Weekly Publisher

At the State 5-A track, hosted by Brigham Young University May 14-15, northern Utah County athletes finished their season with placing high in 17 events.

Lone Peak's Angie Kaplar finished her prep career by winning a third straight state championship in the girls' 100-meter hurdles. She said, "Going out with a third straight state title in the 100 hurdles was a great way to finish my high school career."

She went on to finish seventh in the girls' 200-meter dash and 300-meter hurdles. She was also on the Lone Peak girls' 1,600-meter relay team that finished second in the finals. Lone Peak Coach Misty "Windy's Blackmailing Sister" Jorgensen said, "By placing second today, our girls' 4x400 relay team set a new school record of 3:56."

Kaplar's teammates on the squad included Megan Smith, Megan Mower, and Taryn Toolsen.

Lone Peak also finished fourth in the girls' 400-meter relay.

With a score of 40, Lone Peak finished fourth in the girls' division, and the Loners also finished 11th in the boys' after picking up 18 points. American Fork and Lehi each made 12 points in the boys' division to tie for 18th place. Posting five points, the American Fork Cavewomen tied the Copper Hills Grizzlies and the manly Spanish Fork Lady Dons for 21st in the girls' division.

Finishing fifth in the boys' 1,600-meter run, Lehi posted a new school record of 3.26.08. Lehi Coach Matt Rowe said, "For these four guys to do it was quite an accomplishment. Three of them are seniors. Preston Yardley is the only one we'll have back next year."

Yardley's departing teammates included Mikey Babcock, Zeke Rojas, and Jesse Tyson.

Rowe added, "I am proud of our two boyshot put throwers who placed."

In the shot put, Pioneer Jose Galindo took third and Dave Thompson seventh.

American Fork's Hannah Dehmel flung herself to a sixth-place finish in the girls' shot put. Teammate Taylir Garrison took seventh in the girls' high jump.

American Fork Coach Art Taylor said, "We're a young team. We will have most of our kids back next year."

Lone Peak's Steve Morrin finished second the boys' 3,200-meter run and third in the boys' 1,600-meter race. Also in the boys' 3,200-meter run, American Fork's Austin West and Robby Lee finished third and fourth respectively. in the boys' 1,600-meter run, Lee took eighth and West 12th.

"Our goal for the boys is to earn at least 30 points," said Ferocious Pleasant Grove Viking Coach Glenn Larsen. "The goal for our girls' team is to score in double figures."

The Vikings achieved both aims through the efforts of Levi Williams, Scotty Matheson, Julie Mazeika, and Autumn Robertson. Pleasant Grove picked up 34 points to finished fifth in the boys' division, and in the girls' competition, the Vikings earned 11 points.

Pleasant Grove's Levi Williams finished second in both the boys' 110- and 300-meter hurdles. Teammate Scotty Matheson took second in the boys' long jump and third in the high jump.

Mazieka finished seventh in the girls' 3,200-meter race, and Robertson took second in the girls' high jump.

Lehi-Lone Peak Softball Action

Timp Sports Weekly
May 6, 2009

Publisher's Message

This week's cover story concerns the tight softball game between the Lehi Pioneers and the Lone Peak Knights, AKA Loners. The game reflected the fierce rivalry shared between northern Utah County's high schools. Besides the cover story, we'll look at the latest action in boy's soccer and baseball. We'll also tell who placed in what at the recent BYU Invitational. We'll then finish out with an essay on what can happen when a person doesn't call it quits. Let's get to those items.

Dean Von Memmott
Publisher
deanmemmott@hotmail.com

Lehi Softball Team Survives 8-Inning Thriller Against Lone Peak
By Dean Von Memmott
Timp Sports Weekly Publisher

Playing an eight-inning softball game at home April 30, the Lehi Pioneers won 4-3 over the Lone Peak Knights, nicknamed the Loners by the American Fork Cavemen.

Through the course of the contest, Pioneer hurler Ariel Zimmerman fanned eight batters as she became locked in a pitching duel with Rachel Schomacher, who posted six K's.

During the top of the first, Zimmerman walked leadoff hitter Lauren Gourdin, but struck out Raven King and Jeni "Jedi" Keller. Second baseman Annie Nelson grounded out McKenzie St. Clair to help keep Lone Peak scoreless that inning.

After Schomacher had struck out leadoff batter Becky White in the bottom of the first, Shelby Lund slugged a center-field single, and Bree McBride joined her on base through an error at first. Schomacher didn't let Lehi go anywhere, though. The Lone Peak pitcher fanned Nelson, then caused Zimmerman to ground out to second base.

The game stayed a scoreless tie until the bottom of the third. Singling at the start of that inning's bottom half, Casey Romero soon came home on a McBride single, slugged into center. A Lehi pinch runner scored the next run through an error.

In the top of the fourth, St. Clair and Keller each slugged a left-field single. Before the Knights could go anywhere with those two hits, Zimmerman struck out Schomacher and Lachelle Eckles, slowing Lone Peak down. The fourth ended with Lehi still ahead 2-0.

Though Gourdin singled in the fifth, Lehi kept her chained on second, preserving the Pioneers' lead. It grew to 3-0 in the bottom of the fifth when Romero scored a run on error.

Lehi played without any errors -- until the sixth. That inning, the Pioneers committed two errors, which allowed Lone Peak to post two runs.

In the bottom of the sixth singles, from Whitney Cook and Ashley Zimmerman prompted Lone Peak to have King replace Schomacher as pitcher. The reliever struck out Lund to end the inning.

On one out in the seventh, Schomacher singled in King to the game at three and force it into an eighth inning. In the bottom of the eighth, Kjersti Secretan singled in Ariel Zimmerman to give Lehi the win.

Earlier in the week, the Pioneers won 9-4 in an April 28 game on the Orem diamond of the Timpanogos Timberwolves, AKA T-Pups.

Meanwhile, the American Fork Cavewomen lasted only three innings in an April 28 game at Spanish Fork. Spurred on by a Kylee Bufton home run, those manly Spanish Fork Lady Dons shut out American Fork 15-0 in the abreviated contest.

Lehi Soccer Team Posts 2 Straight Region 4 Wins
By Dean Von Memmott
Timp Sports Weekly

By scoring two Region Four wins last week, the Lehi Pioneers improved their chances for state 5-A boys' soccer tournament action. In an April 28 game at home, Dylan Straw kicked in a second-half goal to pace Lehi to a 1-0 win over the American Fork Cavemen.

April 30 saw the Pioneers win 2-1 in overtime on the field of the Timpanogos Timberwolves, alias T-Pups. T-Pup Caleb Porter score the game's first goal during the opening period. Ian Ramos kicked in a second-half goal to force an overtime. During it, Zach Morgan scored the winning goal.

American Fork won 2-0 on the Ferocious Pleasant Grove Vikings' home field April 30.

AF Sweeps 2-Game Series Against T-Pups; Lehi Drops Both Games Against Spanish Fork
By Dean Von Memmott
Timp Sports Weekly Publisher

Last week, American Fork Caveman Ben Beddes proved to be the clutch hitter for his Region Four baseball team as it swept a two-game series against the Timpanogos Timberwolves, alias T-Pups. Beddes knocked in three run in an April 28 game at Timpanogos to give the Cavemen a 3-2 win on the T-Pups' home field. At the Cavemen's home diamond April 30, he hit a one-run single in the bottom of the seventh to lift American Fork a 10-9 win over the T-Pups.

Also during the April 30 contest, Evan Wright and Ryan Evans each hit a triple for American Fork.

The T-Pups took a 4-0 lead during the first 1 1/2 inning. American Fork scored a run in the bottom of the second, then pulled ahead 5-4 in the third. Timpanogos stayed closely behind American Fork, and the T-Pups tied the game at nine in the seventh's top half.

Lehi had a rough-time against Region Four leader Spanish Fork in games played April 28 and 30.

Lehi Coach Pat Gleave said, "We played really good at Spanish Fork, but we made a couple of costly errors that permitted them to make some runs. In the game at our place, we didn't really good. We had only one run. Tanner Martin scored it for us in the first inning. We made lots of errors in the second game, allowing Spanish Fork to beat us 12-1 in five innings."

In the April 28 game, Adam Duke had a gay old time striking out seven Lehi batters. Duke's ptiching permitted the Dons to win 7-1.

Adam and Brock Duke hit a three-run double and a home run in the April 30 game. It saw Jordy Hart hit a double for Lehi.

Six Local Tracksters Place at BYU Invitational
By Dean Von Memmott
Timp Sports Weekly Publisher

Six northern Utah County tracksters placed at the BYU Invitational May 2.

In the boys' 3,200-meter run, Lone Peak's Steve Morrin finished third and American Fork's Austin West fifth. Lehi's Jake Brydson took eighth in the boys' 200-meter dash.

Lone Peak's Cody Jacob flung himself to a sixth-place finish in the boys' discus. Ferocious Pleasant Grove Viking Levi Williams took second in the boys' 110-meter high hurdles and fourth in the boys' 300-meter hurdles. Cody Jacobs of Lone Peak took fourth in the boys' discus.

Publisher's Column
By Dean Von Memmott
Timp Sports Weekly

Thinking Things Through First Often Pays in the Long Run

Two years ago, American Fork Cavewoman Hayley Holmstead came out of the Lehi Pioneers' gym crying. No, her team didn't lose to the Pioneers. In fact, the Cavewomen won by a double-digit margin.

The reason she cried was that she had an off-night. Although she would usually score in double figures in her games, Hayley didn't set the nets ablaze in that game. In fact, the Pioneers held her to four points.

In front of me, she told her mother, Sondra, "Mom, I sucked tonight. I don't think I should play anymore. I'm going to quit."

Sondra said, "You just had a bad game. That's all."

"No, I'm not good on the court anymore. I'm going to quit."

In a soft voice, I said, "Hayley, think it through first before you do it."

I walked away, thinking Hayley might not listen to me either. On the following Tuesday, I showed early for a Cavewoman basketball game, and I saw Hayley, dressed in her game uniform, taking practice shots. Later on that night, she scored in double figures to lead her team to a victory over the Hillcrest Huskies, AKA Puppies. Soon after that game, Hayley gave me a hug after I had interviewed her coach, Corey Clayton.

Through the next two years, I didn't think what the end result of my giving Hayley that piece of unwanted advice would be. That end result was Hayley getting named as the Salt Lake Tribune's
Most Valuable Player for the All-State 5-A girls' basketball team. That shows what can happen when a person doesn't throw in the proverbial towel.