Riverton Silverpups and Westlake Shockers

Timp Sports

January 21. 2014

Publisher's Message

For this week's issue, we look at how the Riverton Silverwolves, AKA the Silverpups, as well as the Westlake Thunder, AKA the Shockers, fared as visiting teams against Lehi's girls and boys' basketball teams. As a spoiler, I'll just tell you that the Lehi Pioneers, AKA the Froggies, lost to one of those schools in in the girls' game. However, the Froggies hopped from behind to win the boys' game. It was one of the most riveting -- ribbiting games ever played at Lehi in recent memory. Believe me, the Froggies are going to be croaking about the boys' game for a while to come. As they say in Lehi, let's swim straight to those stories.

Dean Von Memmott

Publisher

magnanovelist@gmail.com

Riverton Silverwolves Hand Lehi Froggies Big Biting Loss in Girls' Basketball Jan. 14

By Dean Von Memmott

Timp Sports Weekly Publisher

When the Lehi Pioneers, AKA the Froggies, opened their Region Four girls' schedule two weeks ago, they looked as though they would become a powerhouse in the league. They knocked off the Lone Peak Knights, AKA the Loners, as well as the Ferocious Pleasant Grove Vikings. Howling into Lehi Jan. 14, the Riverton Silverwolves, AKA the Silverpups, showed the Froggies how much farther they needed to hop to be regarded as a credible contender for the state 5-A title. The Silverpups soaked up Lehi 65-33.

With Silverpup Mallory "Ducks" Bostic getting the opening tipoff, teammate Becky "The Frugal" McDougal sank a layup to start the game's scoring. After Shelby Richards had improved the Silverpup lead at 4-0 on a steal, Froggie Tyta "T-Rod" Rodriguez intercepted a Silverpup pass and connected the ball to Beth Beeston, the sister of Lehi quarterback Derik Beeston, for a jumper. With the combined shooting of McDougal and Jordan Landis, a "distant cousin" of Hollywood director John Landis, the Silverpups howled out to an 8-2 lead. Lehi came close to keeping the game riveting -- correction, ribbiting. With teammate Terra "Lake" Tahbo producing a three-point play, Kaylee Bartholomew hit two foul shots to put the Froggies within 8-7.

Before the Froggies could leap ahead ahead of the Silverpups, Latisha "The Always Lovely" Richards sank a layup that opened a 21-1 scoring run for Riverton. Aided by Kirsten "Kirstie" Spencer, its scoring spree spilled over into the second quarter. By the time the scoring run had ended with Landi putting a shot back in, the Silverpups commanded a 29-9 lead. T-Rod hit a layup to open Lehi's second-period scoring. Faitoto'a Faleao contributed two free throws to the Froggies' cause in the second quarter. However, a stingy Silverpup defense held the Froggies to four points in the quarter.

Lehi did much better in scoring during the third quarter. The combined firepower of Tahbo, Hadlee Labrum, Bartholomew, T-Rod, and Mikayla Nelson produced 14 points for the Froggies in the third period.  Their combined efforts couldn'tshove Lehi back into the game. With a Shelby Richards bucket putting the Silverpup lead at 45-15, Riverton did a good jump in not letting up. The Richards girls dominated the board during both of the two final quarters. Also, after having outscored the Froggies 18-14 in the third period, the Silverpups held Lehi to six points in the final quarter. In the game's final two minutes, Riverton had reserves such as Addie "The Purple Adder" Pearson finished off the Froggies through frequent steals and successful foul shots.

Bartholomew led the Froggies with eight points while T-Rod added another six. Shelby Richards led the Silverpups with 26 points while Landis added another 13 and Spencer 10.

Lehi Froggies Hop From Behind to Quiet Westlake Shockers 79-71 in Shocking Boys' Basketball Game Jan. 17

By Dean Von Memmott

Timp Sports Weekly Publisher

The Lehi Pioneers, AKA the Froggies, needed something to make themselves forget about recent unexpected departure of their head football coach Shiny Dave Hastings. Lehi boys' basketball coach Bobby "The Counselor" Barnes gave them exactly what they needed in order to forget about that dark episode: a 79-71 win at home over the Westlake Thunder, AKA the Shockers, Jan. 17.

What gave Froggie fans all the more reason to want to croak joyfully about that game for weeks to come was the fact that Barmes' tadpoles rallied back from a double-digit deficit in the third period to quiet the Shockers.

Before the third period, the game had looked as though the Froggies would get dried up in their own gym like they did in their Region Four opener against the Ferocious Pleasant Grove Vikings exactly one week before.

Going into the Jan. 17 game, the Froggies owned a 0-2 league record. Furthermore, they had not won at home since their December overtime triumph over the Hunter Wolverines, AKA the Wild Things, coached by former Lehi mentor Dave "Cheech" Filomohala.

Coached by former Ferocious Viking Coach Big Bucks McAffe, the Shockers acted as if the Lehi gym was actually theirs. Two Porter "Rockwell" Mattson free throws and a Mikey Nelson trey created a 5-0 lead for the Shockers. Froggie Alex Pittard hit a three-pointer in hopes in stirring up a scoring spree for Lehi. However, it was the Shockers who went on a scoring spree. A "distant cousin" of former Orem Tigger wrestler Aaron "The Blue Baron" Holker, Brayden Holker swished in four straight unanswered points to open a 15-4 scoring run for the Shockers. An extremely "distant cousin" of TV actor Kent McCord of "Adam 12" fame, Asa McCord joined Mattson and Cam "Big Bam" Yorgenson in controlling the boards, denying the Froggies many chances for second shots. The Shocker lead swelled as wide as 20-5. Froggie Derik Beeston clipped it to 20-7 just before the first quarter break.

An extremely "distant cousin" of my former junior high schoolmate Casey Draney, Marcus Draney gave the Shockers some problems in the second quarter. For one, Draney produced a three-point play that put the Froggies within 20-10. Before Lehi could reduce the lead to single digits, a referee assess Barnes a technical foul.

It gave Holker a chance to swish in three free throws. The Froggies did not get another chance in the second period to cut the point spread down to single figures. The combined shooting of Holker, Yorgenson, and McCord almost gave the Shockers a 20-point lead. After two McCord free throws had put the score at 38-19, Lehi seemed certain of getting drained like it had done in a road game on the Riverton Silverpups' home court three nights before.

However, Jake Barnes, a nephew of The Counselor, hit two foul shots that opened a 10-4 scoring run for the Froggies. Jake "Black Snake" Barnes scored nine of those 10 points, including a trey. A "distant cousin" of late Hollywood actor Howie Keele, Gavin "Even" Keele provided some firepower to enable that the Shockers to take a 44-29 lead with them into the second half.

The third period opened with the Shockers drawing a travel call. The Froggies hopped at a chance of taking advantage of it. After a Beeston free throw had clipped the lead to 44-30, it grew to 46-30, giving Westlake fans confidence that their Shockers would blaze past Lehi. To Westlake's shock, however, Black Snake Barnes and Tanner Nygren each launched two three-pointers that gassed up an incredible Froggie comeback. Despite good inside shooting by Mattson, the Shockers couldn't put together a consistently effective attack effort on the Froggie bucket. Before long, two Gavin Rasmussen foul shots placed Lehi within 50-49, making the game Big Bucks McAffe's worst experience since his coaching stint at Pleasant Grove.

The Shockers' last chance for holding onto the lead vanished midway through the third period. Stealing the ball, Nygren passed to Black Snake Barnes, who got fouled while trying to sink a layup. Black Snake Barnes hit two foul shots that put Lehi ahead 51-50. Further foul shots from Black Snake Barnes and Nygren improved the Froggies' lead at 55-50.  Draney sank a layup on a steal. Holker answered with a free throw. Nygren and Barnes each hit a trey in the period's closing minutes to send Lehi with a 63-52 lead into the final quarter.

"I think our press got to them in the third period," said Bobby Barnes. "They repeatedly made mistakes that we exploited. In the first half, we had let them control control the floor. So we resorted to using our press in the second half to get back into the game."

In the final quarter, Nygren went wild in scoring, enabling the Froggies to stay more than 10 points ahead until that last 10 seconds of regulation play. Beeston provided assists for Nygren while Barnes and Rasmussen kept Holker and McCord from regaining domination of the boards. Westlake finally succeeded in reducing the lead to single digits when Shocker A. Maizen Fausett hit a trey just before the game's final horn.  

Barnes and Nygren each poured in 27 points to become the Froggies' top scorers for the night while Draney added another 12. Holker led the Shockers with 19 points while McCord added another 17 and Mattson 13.

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.

Two Awesome AF Cavewoman Basketball Games and the Lehi Froggie-Provo Bullpuppy Thriller

Timp Sports Weekly

January 7, 2014

Publisher's Message

For this week's issue we look at two Awesome American Fork Cavewoman basketball games and a riveting -- correction, ribbiting boys' hoop contest between the Lehi Pioneers, AKA the Froggies, and the Provo Bulldogs, AKA the Bullpuppies. As they say in Lehi, let's row straight to the stories about those three games.

Dean Von Memmott

Publisher

magnanovelist@gmail.com

Timpanogos T-Pups Post 46-42 Win in Road Game Against Awesome AF Cavewomen Dec. 31

By Dean Von Memmott

Timp Sports Weekly Publisher

In a New Year's Eve girls' basketball game at American Fork, the Timpanogos Timberwolves, AKA the Timberpups or T-Pups, defeated the Awesome American Fork Cavewomen 46-42.

Timpanogos had on its roster two sisters with ties to American Fork: Jamaica and Karen Christensen. Their dad, Rob, ran cross country for the Awesome American Fork Cavemen a little more than 20 years ago. Another thing that could be remembered about him was during his senior year at AF, he shared a romance with Awesome Cavewoman cross country runner Denise Spriggs. Their courtship faded out after their graduation from high school. Nothing more has been heard about Denise, but it is known that sometime in the 1990's, Rob married a really nice, young woman from Jamaica, and they became parents of five kids.

The Christensen family got to see Jamaica and Karen play pivotal roles in the Tuesday afternoon game.  That was particularly true in the first quarter. It opened with Awesome Cavewoman Taylor Moeaki receiving the opening tipoff and feeding a pass to Maile Richardson for a basket. The Awesome Cavewomen's lead didn't last for long. Jamaica tied the game at two, opening a 6-0 scoring spree for her T-Pups. Rochelle "The Always Gorgeous" Warner broke the 2-2 draw, and Eternity Galeai improved the lead 6-2. 

When Awesome Cavewoman Molly "Dolly" Boughton cut the lead to 6-4, American Fork fans became optimistic that their girls would take firm control of their home court. That expectation proved false, however. Jamaica joined Galeai, Warner, and Howlin' Katy Henderson in producing buckets that turned the game into a massacre in the first quarter. American Fork didn't help its cause any through turning the ball over frequently.

"We made 30 turnovers in the game," American Fork Coach Corey Clayton recalled. "It's really tough to win a game when you have that high number of turnovers."

When a Henderson trey put the T-Pup lead at 19-4, questions arose by how much wider would the point spread grow. A Lexi Moeaki foul shot spared a 5-0 scoring run for American Fork. In that brief rally, Richardson and Taylor Franson. a daughter of Awesome Caveman basketball legend Eric "Frannie" Franson, pumped in shots that put American Fork within 19-9 by the end of the quarter.

The second quarter opened with Jamaica hitting a baseline shot to improve the score at 21-9. In that period, however, American Fork held the T-Pups to three points, all which were scored by Karen Christensen's sister. Clayton said, "I was really pleased about our second-quarter rebounding. It helped us a lot. Also, our zone defense cut deep into the double-digit deficit."

Richardson and Franson pulled down key defensive rebounds that American Fork soon converted into buckets. Also, the combined firepower of Richardson, Franson, and Jenna Shepherd fueled an 8-0 scoring run. Jamaica answered with a free throw. A younger sister of future BY Zoobie basketball player Ryan Andrus and a "distant cousin" of actress Ursula Andress, Kylee Andruss hit two straight unanswered field goals to put American Fork within 22-21. As the first half ended with Franson pulling down a defensive rebound, American Fork seemed certain of retking the led in the third period.

"In the second half, Karen Christensens hit two threes that made our zone way less effective," Clayton said.

The third period opened with Karen pulling down a defensive rebound and dribbling to hit a three-pointer. She soon hit a second one to prevent two straight Richardson goals from tying the game at 25. After Richardson had cut the lead to 28-25, American Fork received another chance at overtaking the T-Pups. When the Awesome Cavewomen had pulled within 30-29, they looked as though they were finally going to recover from that awful first quarter. However, Galeai became really hot with scoring inside the perimeter. Galeai's efforts produced a 41-30 lead, which the T-Pups howled joyfully about near the end of the quarter. Just before the final quarter, Richardson trimmed the lead to 40-33.

In the final quarter, Warner and Galeai jointly created a 43-35 lead for Timpanogos. Shepherd and Shire "Hobbit" Stephenson orchestrated a 6-0 scoring run for the Awsome Cavewomen. When Taylor Moaeki hit a free throw to put American Fork within 43-41. Hopes for American Fork forcing the game into overtime collapsed however, through Warner and fellow T-Pup Alex "Jiggs" Riggs hitting foul shots to cut the contest their team. 

"We're a really young team this year," Clayton said. "Out of the 27 girls in our program this year, 23 are either sophomores or ninth-graders. So we have our work cut out for us in trying to make it to state."

Richardson led the Awesome Cavewomen with 12 points while Franson added another 10. Galeai led the T-Pups with 18 points while Jamaica Christensen contributed another 12 and Warner 11.

Awesome AF Cavewomen Outlast Copper Hills Cubbies in Overtime Thriller Jan. 2
By Dean Von Memmott
Timp Sports Weekly Publisher

The Awesome American Fork Cavewomen came out on top in an overtime game that they hosted Jan. 2. They defeated the Copper Hills Grizzlies, AKA the Cubbies, 54-49.

The win showed that in spite of their varsity inexperience, they could hold up well under the stress of overtime play. A fact that that Pleasant Grove Coach Glenn "Big DJ" Larsen witnessed while scouting American Fork at the post-New Year's Day game. (He had also watched the Timpanogos T-Pups howl past American Fork 46-42 New Year's Eve afternoon.) Larson's Ferocious Vikings will be playing American Fork in a Region Four opener this week.

American Fork played much better against Copper Hills than the Awesome Cavewomen did the T-Pups. Taylor Moeaki posted a 4-0 led for American Fork. The first-period scoring turned out to be low.  After Cubbie Shirsten Wissinger cut the lead to 4-2, neither team could sink a shot until Maile Richardson hit a shot late in the quarter. Wissinger guided her Cubbies within 8-6. However, Lauren Line, a "distant cousin" of famed pianist Lori Line, hit a trey just before the first quarter break to give American Fork an 11-6 lead.

Aided by two Jenna Shepherd foul shots, Moeaki and Richardson guided the Awesome Cavewomen on a 6-0 scoring run that left them owning a 17-8 lead. Kirrra Gasu sank a layup on a steal for the Cubbies, but they couldn't get a rally going, because a strong zone defense displayed by American Fork. The Awesome Cavewomen's lead grew as big as 22-12 and 25-15 on shots from Richardson and Shepherd.

In the third quarter, control of the momentum became slippery for both teams. Kate "Sizzle" Sisler and Sarah Midgely hit some buckets that reinvigorated the Cubbies. Midgely, for example, swished in two straight three-pointers that positioned Copper Hills within 27-25. Moeaki scored on a steal in hopes of giving her Awesome Cavewomen another chance to pull way ahead. However, with an Ashley Hodge three-point play cutting American Fork's lead down 31-30. Defensive rebounding by Paige Farnsworth and Richardson's blocking of a shot enabled the Awesome Cavewomen to take a 34-31 lead into the final quarter.

At the start of it, a Wissinger jumper enabled Hodge to tip the Cubbies ahead 35-34. The final period became a story of frequent switches in the lead. When Cubbie Sid May sank a layup to improve her team's lead at 41-38, American Fork seemed certain of suffering a second straight loss at home. Jenna Shepherd scored on a steal give the Awesome Cavewomen new momentum. A Richardson shot in the final 1 1/2 minutes of regulation gave the Awesome Cavewomen a chance to win it in regulation play. However, both teams played so intense that an overtime period became necessary. In the OT phase, Richardson, Moeaki, Shepherd, Taylor Franson, Molly "Dolly" Boughton, Kylee Andrus, and Line pooled their efforts together to overpower the Cubbies in a 7-2  scoring run in the overtime phase.

Richardson led American Fork with 16 points while Shepherd added another nine. Wissinger paced the Cubbies with 12 points.

Last-Second 3-Pointer Lifts Provo Bullpuppies to Non-League Win Over Lehi Froggies in Jan.3 Thriller
By Dean Von Memmott
Timp Sports Weekly Publisher

The Jan. 3 endowment game that the Lehi Pioneers, AKA the Froggies, hosted against the Provo Bulldogs, AKA Bullpuppies, went down as a riveting -- correction, ribbiting affair. In fact, it had to take a last-second shot to lift the Bullpuppies to a 53-51 win over the Froggies.

Even though Bullpuppy Cy "Gangham Style" Wright got the opening tipoff, Froggie Tanner Nygren scored the game's first bucket on an offensive rebound. Connor "Tippy" O'Neal tied the game at two, and Provo pulled ahead 4-2 on a jumper swished in by Hunter Bailey, a "distant cousin" of comic strip character Beetle Bailey, Awesome American Fork basketball player Brenden Bailey, and the late singer Pearl Bailey.

The Bullpuppies found the Froggies quite capable of jumping back into the game. For example, Froggie Gavin Rasmussen tied the score at four. Even though Bailey managed to build up a 8-5 lead for Provo, Nygren hit a tying trey for the Froggies. Froggie Marcus "Welby" Draney fired a go-ahead shot. Lehi's 10-8 lead quickly became forgotten as Grayson "Mr. Muffin" Magleby and Bailey guided a  7-2 scoring run for Provo.

Nygren and Draney became major problems for Provo in the second quarter. Through sinking close shots and pulling down key boards, those two Froggies made it impossible for Provo to pull awaty, Also, Draney's Nygren's incredible performance inside the key helped to make it possible for teammate Derik Beeston to swishin two treys that gave Lehi leads of 19-18 and 24-22 during that period. Late in it, Nygren scored on a steal and then sank a free throw to improve Lehi's lead at 27-24 just before halftime.

The second half unfolded with a fierce battle over the lead. The struggle opened with O'Neal cutting the lead to 27-26. Gavin Rasmussen swished in a short shot in hopes of giving his Froggies momentum for leaping way ahed of the Bullpuppies. However, Bailey quiickly tied the game at 29, and Wright tipped the Bullpuppies ahead. Still, the game stayed a seesaw affair. Late in the quarter, an Ethan Rupp trey put Lehi ahead 38-35. A close acquaintance of former Lone Peak Loner football coach Tony "The Eyes of Delaware Are on You" McGeary, Bowman "Straight Arrow" Daley tied the game at 38. Just before the third quarter ended, Kyler Sorenson feed a pass to Daley for a tie-breaking layup.

The fourth quarter opened with O'Neal producing a three-point play. It led to Provo securing a 44-48 lead. Together, Rasmussen and Draney erased it. Two Draney foul shots tipped the Froggies ahead 46-44. After that, the two schools kept taking turns at pulling ahead. In the last five seconds, Lehi owned a 51-50 lead. Provo called time out at that point, and Bullpuppy Coach Jim Drury discussed with his litter strategy for a three-point shot. Picked to launch it, Sorenson swished it, and Lehi called time out a second before the game was to end. That final game second took a few minutes to pass, because both teams each called a time-out. Provo's defense prevented the Froggies from sinking a three-pointer of their own.

Nygren led Lehi with 14 points while Draney added another 13 and Rasmussen 10. Bailey led the Bullpuppies with 22 points while O'Neal added another 12.

Lehi Froggie Wrestling and Girls' Basketball

Timp Sports Weekly

December 31, 2013

Publisher's Message

For this week's message, we look at the Lehi Pioneers, AKA the Froggies, posting wins against  the Riverton Silverwolves, AKA Silverpups, in wrestling and the Jordan Beetdiggers, AKA the Plowgirls, in girls' basketball. As they say in Lehi, let's swim straight to those stories.

Dean Von Memmott

Publisher

magnanovelist@gmail.com

Lehi Froggies Neuter Riverton Siilverpups 40-27 in Dual Wrestling Meet

By Dean Von Memmott

Timp Sports Weekly Publisher

In a Region Four dual wrestling meet at Lehi Dec. 19, the Lehi Pioneers, AKA the Froggies, fixed the Riverton Silverwolves, AKA the Silverpups, 40-30.

It took Lehi three matches to take firm control of the meet. It unfolded with Lehi's 130-pounder, Jaime "The Truck" Mackintosh, building up a narrow lead over Howlin' Jeromy Jarman. As The Truck sped out to a 6-0 lead, Froggie fans expected to be soon croaking over their 130-pounder's expected victory. However, Howlin' Jeromy had a different idea of how the match was to end. He wrestled back to tie the score at eight. Even though The Truck pulled ahead 10-8, Howlin' Jeromy continued putting forth a vicious effort. He scored a reversal and a two-point near fall to pull ahead 12-10. In the third period, Howlin' Jeromy pinned the Truck.

Froggie Dalton "The Outlaw" Rice didn't let the Silverpups relish Howlin' Jeromy's win for long. In the 138 weight class match, the Outlaw pinned Russ "Mr. Fuss" Young in the first period.

A 145-pounder, Froggie Reagan "The Pagan" Bodily scored a second-period reversal against Jade "The Panzer Tank" Frank. No more scoring occurred in the match, but its outcome gave the Froggies a 9-3 lead and a strong grip on the dual meet.

Although Iszach "The Irish Wolfhound" DeWiere thrice escaped from Froggie Max "The Battle Ax" Inman, he could never gain the lead in their 152 weight class match. Once the Battle Ax had chopped his way to a 6-0 lead, he gave such an amazing effort that he unsurprisingly came out a 10-3 winner in the match.

Silverpup, Jaime "Senor Lobo" Ortiz reminded the Froggies that not all Riverton wrestlers were doormats. Mr. Lobo pinned Garrett "The Bat" Batley in the first period of their 160 weight class matc, cutting the Lehi lead to 13-12.

In the 170 wight class match, Lehi's Caden "The Jack Hammer" Calton came so close to scoring in scoring a near fall. After taking down Hayden "Iron Fangs" Haslam,  The Jack Hammer quickly built up a 9-1 lead. Froggie fans expected that their 170-pound hometown hero would would pin Iron Fangs. However, Iron Fangs remained wiggly enough to keep himself from getting stuck. Still, The Jack Hammer came out a 14-3 winner.

Lehi's Branden "The Iron Wall" Terrill made his 182 weight class match a very short contest. At 0:45, he pinned Gerry "Poison Berry" Lane in the first period.

Riverton's Simon "Prince Outrage" Page avenged Lane by sticking Froggie Moises "The Prophet of Doom" Paredes in the first period of their 195 weight class match, cutting the lead to 22-18.

The Silverpups' chance of overtaking the Froggies got smashed in the 220 weight class match between Lehi's Deryke "The Steel Barrel" Terrell and Robbie "The Sexy Riverton Howler" Shurtliffe. The two grapplers wrestled to a scoreless tie in the first period. In the second period, The Steel Barrel posted a 5-0 lead on a takedown and three-point near fall. The Steel Barrel moved on to pinning The Sexy Riverton Howler at 46.3 in the third period.

Lehi picked up 12 free points on two straight matches forfeited by the Silverpups. In the 113 weight class match, Silverpup Billy "The Riverton Stud" Ludlow pinned Froggie Mikey "The Jammer" Jamiyandorj after just one minute of action.

Froggie Nick "The Slick" Austin opened his 120 weight class match by taking Silverpup Thrillin' Dylan Gregerson down. Thrillin' Dylan tied the match on a reversal, and he then sneaked ahead on a two-point near fall to take complete control of the match. Thrillin' Dylan won 12-3. 

In the night's final match, Froggie Tyler "The Sandstorm" Tahbo found himself trailing 1-5 against his 126-pound opponent, Jonny "Big Boy" Roy. The Sandstorm rallied back within 5-4. However, Big Boy pinned him in the third period.

Lehi Froggies Harvest 63-39 Win in Non-League Girls' Game Against Jordan Plowgirls Dec. 17
By Dean Von Memmott
Timp Sports Weekly Publisher

AKA the Froggies, the Lehi Pioneers picked up a second straight win in girls' basketball Dec. 17 when they harvested a 63-39 win at home against the Jordan Beetdiggers, AKA the Plowgirls.

Terra Tahbo was the spark plug that ignited the Froggies' amazing performance before hometown fans in the Dec. 17. Pulling down an offensive rebound, she put the ball back into the hoop. The sister of Froggie varsity wrestler Tyler "The Sandstorm" Tahbo, she soon followed that shot up with a three-pointer to put the Froggie lead at 5-0. Although Masae Loua  cut the lead to 5-4, her Plowgirls quickly lost the chance to pull ahead. Kylie Bartholomew hit a three-pointer that sent Lehi on a 12-4 scoring run in the first period. Bartholomew, Lexy Granthem, and Tyra "T-Rod" Rodriguez led the scoring run for the Froggies. When the period ended with Lehi leading 17-8, the Froggies made pretty clear that they were determined this time to win a game in regulation, not in overtime like they had done in the heart-stopping contest against the West High Black Kittens the Friday before.

In the second period, the Plowgirls slipped into a scoring drought. They didn't make any points until the last 1 1/2 minutes of the half. In meantime, Tahbo, Granthem,  T-Rod, and Bartholomew had a heyday in scoring. Their combined efforts netted a total of 14 second-period points that extended Lehi's lead to 31-8. Meanwhile, Tahbo, T-Rod, Beth Beeston, Faitoto'a Faleao, and Mikayla Nelson took firm control of the boards during rebounding battles against Plowgirls Tabytha Jones, Kikki "Dee" Tuileta, and Shae Jeffs. Finally at 1:30, Jeff lifted the Plowgirls' scoring drought by pouring in seven consecutive eights. Jones produced a three-point play at the end of the half, cutting the lead to 31-18.

In the early third period, T-Rod stole the ball and passed to Bartholomew for a three--pointer.  Grantem soon sank a layup as spectators expected that the Plowgirls would go into another scoring drought. Jordan did not do so this time. Led by Jones and Loua, the Plowgirls answered the Froggies bucket for bucket in the quarter. However, because the dismal second quarter that they had experience, Jordan couldn't erase Lehi's double-digit lead, even though the Plowgirls did pull within 43-32. The period ended with Plowgirl Elle "Mae Clampett" Jensen swishing in a trey to cut the lead to 48-35.

The final period opened with T-Rod hitting a jumper. It hinted how hot she would become scoring. T-Rod's shooting proved to be as incredibly accurate as Bartholomew's. Even though Tahbo made no points in Quarter 4, she did join Jessi Tedrow, Briana Bean, Nelson, and  Falaeo pulling key defensive rebounds to help Lehi ahead in double figures through the rest of the game.

Lehi Coach Brett Hays said, "All the way up to this point in the season, we've been working to maintain consistency. That was what we wanted to do tonight. The fact that we stayed consistent all the way through tonight means we're now in the second phase of our effort to become more improved team. Tonight is a testament to the success of our efforts so far this season."

Bartholomew led the Froggies with 22 points while T-Rod added another 13 and Tabbo 11. Jones led Jordan with 13 points while Loua added another eight and Jeffs seven.

Lehi Froggie Hoop Double Issue

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.

Lehi Froggie-Mountain View Teddy Bear Basketball Game

Timp Sports Weekly

December 3, 2013

Publisher's Message

For this week's issue, we look at the Nov. 26 boys' basketball game between the Lehi Pioneers (AKA the Froggies) and the Mountain View Bruins (AKA the Teddy Bears or T-Bears). The game turned out to be quite riveting -- correction ribbiting. It featured the great shooting of Froggie Tanner Nygren and T-Bear Manuel "El Toro" Ortiz. Let take a look at how those guys as well as their teammates did in the ribbiting preseason opener hosted by the Froggies.

Dean Von Memmott
Publisher
magnanovelist@gmail.com

Mountain View T-Bears Dry Up Lehi 63-55 in Preseason Boys' Basketball Opener
By Dean Von Memmott
Timp Sports Weekly Publisher

The Lehi Pioneers, AKA the Froggies, opened their basketball season with an eight-point loss at home Nov. 26. AKA the Teddy Bears or T-Bears, the Mountain View Bruins clawed their way into Lehi and drained it by a score of 63-55.

Manuel "El Toro" Ortiz. a "distant cousin" of KTVX news reporter Carlos Ortiz, opened the game with a shooting spree that gave his Teddy Bears an early 3-0 lead. In response, Froggie Tanner Nygren hit a trey that tied the game at three. While Nygren gave Froggie fans something to croak about, Ortiz and fellow T-Bear Spencer "The Mountain" Conrad decided to make the first quarter an un-bear-able moment for the Froggies. While Teddy Bear Wyatt Allred dominated the boards during the period, Ortiz and Conrad created an 11-3 lead for Mountain View. This gave Teddy Bear fans a reason to say instead of returning quickly to Orem City to hibernate through the Thanksgiving break. Soon a Hayden "Quite" Young trey and a Conrad three-point play gave the Teddy Bears a 17-4 lead. After Jacob Barnes hit a free throw, Marcus "Welby" Draney, a "distant cousin" of my former AF Junior High schoolmate Casey Draney, shoved the Froggies back into the game. He hit two consecutive three-pointers, especially one that he swished in a on steal that he made seconds before the quarter break.

The second quarter opened with Draney stealing the ball and passing it to Nygren for a successful baseball jumper that accelerated the Froggies' leap back into the game. Nygren popped in a total of seven straight second-quarter points to put the Froggies back out in front 18-17.  Although a Young foul shot tied the game at 18, the T-Bears couldn't control the tempo. Nygren and Alex Pittard's shooting enabled the Foggies to keep the momentum in the tight grip of their flippers. Two Roman "Emperor" McKnight foul shots put Mountain View back ahead 20-19. However, a Draney trey tipped the Froggies ahead 22-20. The game stayed a seesaw battle through the rest of the half. Derik Beeston hopped forward to help his Froggies out in the closing minutes of the half. Beeston swished in a three-pointer and a 17-foot shot that gave Lehi a 29-27 advantage. An Allred free throw trimmed it to 29-28 just before intermission. Froggie Ethan Tuckett answered that foul shot with a layup that he made from underneath the Teddy Bear bucket.

A "distant cousin" of Neil Warner, a former sports editor for the now defunct, conservative, alternative newspaper the Utah County Journal, Teddy Bear Ryan Warner went on a decisive shooting spree at the start of the second half. Warner scored nine straight unanswered points that put his Teddy Bears ahead 38-31.  Nygren hit an inside shot in hopes of sparking another Froggie comeback. However, the T-Bears held Lehi to eight points in the third quarter.

Nygren, Beeston. and Parker "The Funnel" Gunnell became hot in scoring in the fourth quarter. The three Froggies' combined scoring efforts gave Lehi leads of 46-44 and 47-46. Midway through the period, Warner stole the ball and passed to Conrad for a bucket that put the Teddy Bears back out in front 48-47. Ortiz's scoring made the lead too slippery for the Froggies to place their flippers on. Nevertheless, Nygren and teammate Jacob Barnes pumped in shots to put Lehi within 50-49 and 54-53.  Ortiz's final field goal gave Mountain View the gas to pull ahead. Allred, Warner, and Carson "Kit" Williams nailed charity shots that sewed up the win for Teddy Bears.

 Nygren led the Froggies with 25 poinmts while Beeston contributed another 10. Ortiz and Conrad led the T-Bears with 16 points each while Warner added another 11.

American Fork 2013 Pre-Footlocker Invitational

Timp Sports Weekly

November 12, 2013

Publisher's Message

This is our annual issue covering the Pre-Footlocker Invitational that American Fork High hosts every November. We will look at an account of the invitational held Nov. 9. Let's run straight to that story.

Dean Von Memmott

Publisher

magnanovelist@gmail.com

Awesome AF Caveman and Herriman Pretty Pony Win First-Place Trophies at Pre-Footlocker Invitational Nov. 9

By Dean Von Memmott

Timp Sports Weekly Publisher

An Awesome American Fork Caveman and a Herriman Pretty Pony won the boys and girls' division of the Pre-Footlocker Invitational hosted by American Fork Nov. 9.

American Fork's Connor McMillan wont the boys' title as a follow-up to his clinching the state 5-A boys individual title at the state cross cross championships held at Salt Lake City's Sugarhouse Park two weeks before. Herriman Pretty Pony Lucy Biles won the invitational's girls' division.

Although no team scores were kept at this post-state meet, the 14 participating schools present at it looked upon it as a tool for selecting runners that they wanted to take to out-of-state regional meets within the next few weeks.

American Fork head coach Bruno Hunziker hinted that fact. He said, "We used this meet to select which seven girls to send to Arizona to represent us at a sectional meet. Sammy Hollingsworth will definitely be one of them. She is a ninth-grader, but she's our No. 1 runner. She has beaten two of our girls who'll be running in college next year. It'll be great to have her with us for the next three years."

Holllingsworth was the only Awesome American Fork Cavewoman in among the girls' race's top 10 finishers. She took eighth. Among the other six fastest Awesome Cavewomen in the race, Diane Leah took 11th, Maddi Bench 13th, Nikki Smith 15th, McKayla Stepp 16th, and Hannah Kendrick 19th. 

While American Fork did have the largest number of runners finish in the top 20 of the girls' race, the contest proved to be a showdown between Biles and Bingham Pickerf Marly Mitchell. As those two girls waited among 155 other racers at the starting line, they heard starter Timo Mostert said, "Girls, the course is the same as the one you ran at the Grass Relays two months ago, except we don't have any hay bales on the route today. The first-place finisher gets a big, honking trophy. The next 19 finishers will each get a medal."

Biles and Mitchell showed immediately how much each of them wanted the first-place trophy. They pulled way ahead of the other racers. The Pretty Pony and the Picker stayed within a few feet ahead of each other all through the race. Biles crossed the finish lline barely ahead of Mitchell.

The boys' race demonstrated why the Awesome Cavemen won their fifth consecutive state title two weeks ago. Three of the boys' division's top five finishers were American Forkers. While McMillan received the first-place award from Mostert, teammates Zach Jacklin and Casey Clinger finished second and fourth respectively.

Among the other Awesome Cavemen to finish in the top 20, Jacob Chase took 12th, Spencer Herzog took 14th, McKay Johns 15th, Dan Bentley 16th, Ty "Tinker" Bell 17th, and Caleb Thompson 20th.

American Fork boys' coach Mostert said, "We worked just before this meet. I'm glad that they showed as much eagerness today as they did tat the state meet. They wanted to show that they wanted to win as as team at a sectional meet in Arizona."

"Connor McMillan was one of the top 11 athletes at last year's sectional meet in Arizona. His first-place finishes at state and today's meet show why we expect him to place high again at the coming meet. Though he has received well-deserved accolades, he's not the only guy on the team. We have other great runners, and they want to qualify for nationals as a team. That's going to be our goal in a few weeks."

McMillan aid, "Today was a great tune-up for Arizona. It helped us to stay mentally ready for the sections after a two-week break from racing. It was awsome for me to win this year's state 5-A individual title and be on the squad that also took the state title again this year. Winning five straight state championships has created a great tradition for AF cross country."

While the Nov. 9 meet enabled American Fork to showcase why it's a cross country superpower, the invitational also gave the Ferocious Pleasant Grove Vikings a chance to compete in post-season racing after having to sit out this year's state meet. Pleasant Grove Coach Mack Morrison said, "Today had great weather for us to run in. Today's meet will get us ready for the Footlocker regional meet in Walnut Grove, Calif. All of our runners, save one, raced well today, and that racer was hurt."

Among the top five Ferocious Vikings in the girls' race, Faith Olsen finished 52nd, Annaliese Henninger 88th, Aspen Lucas 79th, Kimmy Frye 90th, Kindall Cowpower 1118th, and Elise Adamson 157th.

As for the Ferocious Vikings in the boys' race, Justin Couts took 55th, Johnny Penrod 94th, and Mark Hailstone 152nd.

Both the Lehi Pioneers (AKA the Froggies) and the Westlake Thunder (AKA the Shockers) had runners compete at Pre-Footlocker. 

Among the Froggies in the girls' race, Maddie Kauffman took 10th, Kenzie Draper 27th, and Nicole Sscharman 45th.

As for Lehi runnners in the boys' race, Asutin Hinckley took 84th, Brady Taylor 89th, Jace Gurney 94th, and Connor Arnell 158th.

Cheyenny Larson finished 18th to become the fastest Shocker in the girls' race. Stephen "The Adventurer" Robbins finished 28th to become the highest--placing Westlake runner in the boys' division.