Wasatch Guard Receives Consolation

Junior Jeff Murdock gets a nod for his post-season play and is

selected to the 3A All-Tournament team

By Kenny Bristow

One of the more endearing characteristics of the Wasatch high school boys basketball club this season was its bond as a team.  Game after game a different player came forward and produced just enough to lead the Wasps to victory.  With such an inexperienced group taking the court this year that would turn out to be paramount in the team’s run into the semifinals of the state 3A playoffs.

Heading that charge with strong play down the stretch was junior point guard Jeff Murdock, who was named one of the top six players in the 3A tournament by the Deseret News.  Murdock earned his all-tournament selection with strong all around performances in the Wasps four post-season games.  

Arguably the best was in the first round game at home against Desert Hills, where he scored 17 points – nine coming on three-pointers, along with seven rebounds, nine assists and three steals.  And although the individual numbers may have tailed-off a bit after that stellar performance, the junior’s leadership obviously played a major role as the Wasp’s continued to play inspired basketball.

In the second round quarterfinal, Murdock scored 10 points, grabbed three rebounds, added two assists and had a steal.  He was again sharp from long range hitting a pair of three-pointers.

After scoring six points, all on field goals, and snaring four rebounds in Wasatch’s tough 52-50 loss to eventual champ Morgan, Murdock poured in 11 points and added four assists in the 3^rd place consolation game against Snow Canyon.

“I was reading the story online about Morgan winning it all, and I was so bummed because I still felt we could’ve beat those guys,” said Murdock, “when I saw my name at the bottom getting picked for that (all-tournament team).”  “Even though not winning state had me pretty down, it was kind of cool to see that,” he added.

Junior point guard, Jeff Murdock, shown here about to attempt a free throw against Union in the Wasp's season-ending victory, said he'd rather have a championship, but the all-tournament team selection was pretty cool.

Now that the 2013 campaign is over for Wasatch, Murdock, whose only organized sport is basketball, will look towards playing club ball in the spring and summer and improving his game.  “There are a couple of us who only play basketball, so we’ll concentrate on getting better as a group this summer and coming back stronger next year,” the junior said.

Off the court situations will also keep the attention of the soon to be senior.  “I’m interested to see who will replace Coach Magnusson,” Murdock said.  A member of the Wasatch debate team and a possible candidate for Student Body President next school year, he’s not one to shy away from stating his opinion.  “We’ve got a great thing going right now, here in Wasatch,” he said.  “I’m hoping we can get someone in here who can keep us moving in the right direction.”

For Jeff, though, it’s really all about winning. “I love the game and play it all the time… I have all my life.  Club ball or just playing at the rec,” Murdock added, “I just want to keep getting better and win a championship.  “I’m so bummed it’s over right now.  I’m just anxious to get back out there already and make another run at it, “he said with a laugh.

Wasatch’s magical playoff run comes to an end

By Kenny Bristow

They weren’t one and done.  They weren’t even two and through.  They were only three points away from making it to the championship.  The Wasatch boy’s basketball team was poised to make a run at a 3A state trophy, but simply ran out of the magical gas that had propelled them into the third round of the state tournament.

On Friday night, the Wasps fell to number one seed Morgan in a battle that at times resembled a UFC match.  The underdog Wasatch squad fought with all they had and for the most part was successful.  All except for a shot or two that just would not fall.

When the clock read 2.9 seconds remaining in the game and the Trojans up by two, Wasatch set up a play for shooting guard Cooper Ballstaedt to penetrate as far down the court as he could and take his best shot at a three pointer.  It all worked except, the difficult running 30-foot shot with defenders all around, bounced off the glass to the left of the rim and the improbable run was over.

The fans at the Dee Center cheered wildly at what might have been the best game of the tournament.  And Wasatch was applauded for their performance, which should serve as consolation for them since they weren’t even supposed to be on the bracket for the tournament.  The Wasps, however, did not see things that way.

Senior Chris Johnson goes up for a field goal against the tough Snow Canyon defense.

“I was sure we were going to win state,” said Ballstaedt.  “I just had such a feeling of belief.  I’m still kind of in shock,” he added.  The guard wasn’t really bothered by the last gasp attempt – that would have taken a miracle.  It was Wasatch’s possession with the score still tied at 50 that is hard for him to swallow.  “We had it all set up for the last shot and did it perfectly.  I’m just so blown away that it didn’t happen,” the senior said.  “I’ll be playing that one back in my head for a long time.”

For their hard fought efforts against Morgan, the Wasps got to turn around after getting back to Heber City after midnight and return to Ogden for the 3^rd place consolation game against Snow Canyon Saturday at 3:00 P.M.  Not an easy thing to do emotionally.  Especially after leaving every ounce of yourself out on the floor the night before.

The Wasps decided to have some fun and make the most of their last time on the floor together.  They came out energetic – running and gunning and sinking four three pointers in the first quarter.  The Warriors matched Wasatch and eventually bested them on their way to a 25-18 lead after one quarter.

Ben Pelo scores on a layup. The junior led Wasatch in the consolation game with 13 points.

But the Wasps slowed the pace with their tenacious defense only allowing Snow Canyon five points to their 14 in the second quarter.  A mini eight point scoring barrage, highlighted by three pointers from Ballstaedt and junior Ben Pelo, gave Wasatch a 26-25 advantage.  The two teams then traded baskets the rest of the half with the Wasps coming out with a two-point lead 32-30.

The Wasps were showing little affect from the pervious night’s tough loss.  Snow Canyon, who was knocked into the consolation game from a thrashing at the hands of Bear River appeared to be hungry enough to want the 3^rd place plaque as well.

The second half consisted of more of the same closely played basketball with both teams answering each other’s attempt at running away with it.  Not until the Warriors broke a 40-40 tie with five straight points, did either team look ready to take charge.  Junior Jackson Gordon sank a three pointer followed by a Jeff Murdock bucket to pull Wasatch to within four when the third period came to a close.

Junior guard Jackson Gorden brings the ball upcourt after taking a pass from Casey Peterson.

Wasatch, despite good play on offense, was never able to regain the lead in the fourth.  Each of their scores was quickly answered by Snow Canyon which may have been a sign of the Wasps wearing down.  Justin Dorius’ consecutive scores of a field goal and a free throw would close the gap to 60- 59 with less than a minute to play, but it was two Warrior free throws that put the Wasps away for good.  Wasatch had one more chance at a three to tie it, but it would not go and Snow Canyon would convert after the rebound and walk away with the 66-61 victory.

Once again, the Wasps had at least eight scorers on the board. Pelo led the way with 13 points, followed by Jeff Murdock with 11 and Ballstaedt added 10.  Pelo, Nate Dow and Chris Johnson each had seven rebounds for Wasatch.

Lonnie Magnusson, center, sets up the play for his team during the game's final timeout.

After the 3^rd place game, Lonnie Magnusson, who has plans to step down after this season as the Wasp head coach explained how difficult it is to come back and play a consolation game the following day after a bitter defeat.  “It’s hard”, he said as he sighed and then paused.  “We wanted to win it (state).  We thought we could win it.  It just didn’t go that way for us,” he added.  But it’s been a rewarding season – it really has,” he said with a smile.  “I’m proud of all the guys for never quitting and playing hard.  It was a tremendous year for us.”

Wasps Prove Themselves Worthy

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Wasatch upsets Spanish Fork 46-36 in quarterfinals

BY KENNY BRISTOW

The chip is bigger now.  It’s starting to show.  What was once a simmering “we think we can” has become an undeniable force.

The Wasatch boy’s basketball team took the court at the Dee Center on Thursday afternoon to face the heavily favored Spanish Fork Dons and sent a second straight supposedly ‘better’ team home with a loss.  The Wasps are now 2-0 in the post season and play the Morgan Trojans, the number one seed in 3A, tomorrow night at the Weber State University facility.  Morgan scored a blistering 69 points in their win over Cedar City in the game immediately following the Wasatch contest.

The Dons of Spanish Fork, who had scored over 60 points 10 times this season, and over 50 points in all but two of their 18 wins, came to Ogden to spoil the Wasps tenacious defense.  It wasn’t meant to be, however, as Wasatch shut down the Dons potent offensive attack, forcing multiple turnovers and missed shots.  

After controlling the opening tip-off, senior guard Cooper Ballstaedt of Wasatch hit a three-pointer to get the game going.  Fellow senior Chris Johnson then added a quick lay in for the Wasps and the underdog was up 5-0.   The game soon found itself being one fought in the paint.  Johnson and sophmore forward Nate Dow worked short underneath passes to keep Wasatch on top.  But Spanish Fork charged with seven unanswered points to take a four point lead, 13-9, at the end of the first quarter.

The second frame was low scoring as both teams found it difficult to sink their shots.  The opportunities for Wasatch were especially plentiful, but the Wasps could not take advantage.  When scoring did occur it was inside, just underneath the basket, as the Wasps and their counterpart could not find the hot hand on the perimeter.  Johnson remained a strong force for Wasatch with the game inside and they worked their way back to tie it up at halftime, 21-21.

The Wasps would stake claim in the third quarter.  Jumping out quickly on a Jake Larson field goal, Wasatch took the lead it would never surrender.  The teams traded scores on a couple of possessions keeping the game close before a 6-0 Wasatch run.  Junior forward Ben Pelo’s lay up after a Jeff Murdock steal and assist, would put Wasatch up 36-28 with less than a minute left in the period.

Wasatch never relented in the final quarter.  Their defense remained stout and they refused to waiver after getting several team fouls called on them sending the Dons to the line.  But the Spanish Fork shooters had gone cold and were unable to chip away at the Wasp lead. 

A Larson lay-up on a fast break that was topped off with a foul shot, the senior converted, gave Wasatch a 10-point lead at 44-34.  Spanish Fork would add another field goal to pull within eight, but fouled Larson again who would convert two of two to keep the lead at 10 when the final buzzer sounded giving Wasatch a 46-36 victory. 

To hold Spanish Fork to under 40 points was quite an achievement, not unnoticed by head coach Lonnie Magnusson.  “We played a great overall game, but I credit the defense again,” he said.  “It just leads to more success on offense.”

When asked about the performance of senior Chris Johnson who led the Wasps with 17 points and 10 rebounds, Magnusson said, “He just came out aggressive tonight.  Probably more aggressive than I’ve ever seen him.  The team fed off that,” the coach added.  “We’ve got a team where no one player is dominant, so we have a lot of different guys stepping up all the time.  It was great to see Chris have a big game.”

In addition to Johnson’s 17 points, Pelo added six points and nine boards and Murdock added six points and four rebounds.  Dow had five points and three Wasps, Ballstaedt, Larson and Jackson Gordon added four apiece.

MJ50

His Royal Airness hits middle age, which for some of us, 
is a depressing day.

BY KENNY BRISTOW

Time is a weird thing.  And the older we get, the weirder it gets.  One minute you're a young person figuring out ways to split rent on a two bedroom apartment with five of your buddies, the next you're laying on a heating pad because your desk job is kicking your butt.  The quicker time goes by, the quicker it becomes an eternity.  Or something like that.

Anyway... I spent a lot of time tuned in to the NBA's All-Star festivities this past weekend.  The focus of this year's event seemed to center around the greatest basketball player to ever lace up his own brand of sneakers, Michael Jordan, turning 50 years old.  Big deal?  Yeah... kinda.  To me it is.  I'm 48 - damn near 49.  Listening to everyone with a microphone in their face, talk about Jordan and how great he was 25 years ago just made me depressed.  Like... what the heck have I accomplished in the past 25 years?  Thanks Mike!

I should have seen this coming.  I was living in the "windy city" when Jordan began his rise to prominence.  He was drafted by the Bulls in 1984, I moved to the city in 1986.  From what I remember, the Bulls were a mess of a team when they drafted Jordan number three in the lottery.  He broke his foot in his rookie year and missed most of the season which makes the following years of his career even more unreal.  By the time Mike was in his fifth year, he had a decent supporting cast, a business savvy front office and a coach who no one knew at the time would transform the professional game, in Phil Jackson.

Back then, I had never been to a professional basketball game - outside of watching the CBA's Evansville Thunder in Robert's Stadium in the late 70's, early 80's.  Long gone are the Thunder, and Robert's Stadium for that matter, but the point is, I had taken in my share of basketball games.  It's my right as a Hoosier.  Even my wife knows that.

My friends and I spent many hours consuming the Chicago Bulls in our tiny north side studios surrounded by several life-sized tongue-wagging Jordan images.  We were sports nuts.  My friends were natives and had grown up with the Bears, and the Cubs, and those horrible Bulls.  They would jeer and boo cynically at the slightest misplayed ball.  Me?  I was just happy to be in those surroundings.

So, you can imagine my state of mind the night we had tickets - and I don't know how we had them - to see - live - the Bulls versus the New York Knicks in Chicago Stadium.  This old brick gymnasium was air tight.  It was loud.  It was steamy.  The half melted snow and rain outside seemed to be seeping inside the cracks in her walls.  It was great.

We were seated halfway up, but at mid court, so the view was very good even though it seemed far away.  It turned out, I discovered, to be the only way to watch Jordan play basketball.  There was not, at the time, a camera that could catch this man.  As soon as you would see him take a pass at mid court, he was underneath the basket.  In three steps.  He stole the ball on one Knick possession, loped - yes, loped, with defenders charging after him and burst from the top of the key like a jaguar for a smooth as silk two handed dunk.  And when the the Bulls were on defense, Jordan showed one of his most underrated skills.  His arms, outstretched, were half the width of the court.  I'm not kidding.  Like Plastic Man.  He could smother you without coming near you.  When he decided to drive to the basket, his upper body dropped parallel with the floor, his shoulders would widen like an eagle about to take flight and he would go around a defender as though he were a cone on a driving course.

That night changed my mind on the NBA.  That very game changed what I thought I knew about basketball.  I had watched the battles between Larry Bird and Magic Johnson on television during those great battles between the Celtics and Lakers, and sure, maybe seeing one of those games live would have been the one to impact me the most.  But it will always be that game in Chicago Stadium watching Michael Jordan play before the world knew he was Michael Jordan.  Before he was Air Jordan.  Before he was brand.  A corporation.  A superstar beyond imagination.

Now, he's just a 50 year old guy like I will soon be.  Or at least it makes me feel better to say that.  I won't, however, be appearing on the cover of Sports Illustrated, and I don't have a tee time at Pebble Beach with Charles Barkley - another one turning 50.  Jeez!  I gotta go.  It takes the heating pad at least 10 minutes to warm up. 

Boys Show Desert Hills The Door 52-46

The unheralded Wasatch Wasps, given no chance by anyone outside of Heber to win their first round 3A playoff game, come up huge with a gritty performance against the heavily favored Thunder.

By Kenny Bristow

I got to The Nest a little earlier than usual last night... about 45 minutes before tip-off.  I was only there about 10 minutes when I knew the gut feeling I had been carrying around all week was going to come to fruition in about two and a half hours.  I felt it in the air.  I heard it in the music being piped through the gym.  I saw it in the focused faces and far away eyes of the local boys as they took their pregame warm-ups.

The Desert Hills Thunder, forced to take the long bus ride from southern Utah to face the 9-13 Wasps, arrived flat, were put back on their heels and lost to the home team, who were playing with chips on their shoulders.

I've been covering Wasatch for the Deseret News online the past couple of weeks, as most of you may know.  About 3 o'clock, my editor called me to change-up my assignment.  A staff writer would be there in Heber to write the game report, so I was asked to write a side story.  No problem.  I had already figured out that Wasatch was going to win this game and the story of their turnaround season would fall perfectly into my lap.  Here's that article:

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865573358/High-school-boys-basketball-Wasatch-Wasps-enjoy-fighting-for-their-lives.html

The Wasatch High School student body rushes to the floor after the final buzzer to celebrate with their boy's basketball team.  The Wasps earned the second seed home playoff game last weekend with a victory at Union.  Using that home court advantage, Wasatch upset the Desert Hills Thunder Friday night 52-46 to advance to the second round next Thursday at Weber State University.  The Wasps will again be heavy underdogs as they face Spanish Fork.

For those of you who like to read my play by play reports - I still kept one, of course.  Lately in these Wasatch games, the story of their about face is hidden in the score sheet.  Looking back on my notes, hours after scribbling them down, I can relive the moments where the Wasps' tenacity and refusal to fall behind and keep control of the game led to their victory.

After taking the quick lead 3-0 on a layin by sophmore forward Nate Dow and a free throw by senior guard Cooper Ballstaedt, the Wasps fell victim to the hot shooting hands of the Thunder.  The Desert Hills squad looked fresh as they opened up a 10 point advantage about six minutes into the game.  Their second of six three pointers on the night put the Thunder up 17-7.  Wasatch, as they had failed to do earlier in the season, did not panic and simply kept their heads in control of their emotions.

The Wasps closed the gap with three unanswered scores before the 1st quarter would close.  Junior point guard Jeff Murdock and seniors Chris Johnson and Blake Hanson all had buckets to bring Wasatch to within four.

The home team would settle down even more in the second quarter as they outscored Desert Hills 14-10 in the frame.  Ballstaedt started it off with a three point basket and the team began to feel inspired.  They raised their level of defensive intensity creating turnovers and missed shots by the Thunder, leaving the visiting team frustrated.  A steal by Johnson and his assist to Murdock led to an and-one opportunity that made the score 22-21 D-Hills.  A put back by Dow in the closing seconds gave Wasatch the lead, but the Thunder tied it up at 27 with a foul shot to end the half.

Wasatch came out after the break with an energy not seen in several weeks.  They smothered the Thunder with an attacking defense creating turnover after turnover.  But their shots would not fall, even though several were uncontested by a seemingly shocked Desert Hills team.  Because those points were not scored by Wasatch, D-Hills was able to stay in the game despite being dominated on the court.  The game got physical, but the referees stayed out of it causing the home crowd to jeer and boo as they felt their boys were being manhandled.

A technical foul on the Thunder bench sent Murdock to the stripe for Wasatch and the guard connected on both giving them the lead 33-27.  It was not until the two minute mark in the third quarter that Desert Hills finally got on the second half score board.  Once they did, they ran off seven unanswered points to wrestle the lead away from the Wasps when the quarter expired.

This night belonged to Wasatch however.  They turned in their best period of the night when it counted, scoring 19 points and shutting down the Deseret Hills outside shooting attack.  Trading buckets throughout the first five minutes, the two squads kept within three points of each other.  It wasn't until the 1:50 mark that Wasp senior guard Jake Larsen hit on a two of two free throw opportunity, putting the home team up by four, that you could feel the win in Wasatch's grasp.

Desert Hills' only hope at this point was to continue to foul.  Head Coach Lonnie Magnussson called his plays for the ball to end up in the hands of his hot shooting guard Jeff Murdock.  The junior iced five of six attempts in the final minute to seal the upset at 52-46 for the Wasps.

It's still too early to call this a Cinderella story, but she's certainly shopping for her dress.  It was, in a nutshell, a tremendous victory for Wasatch considering how far they've come since November.  A team that once looked like they would make the post season simply because there were three teams in their region worse than them, now looks like a team that could be on a roll.  A scary type of roll if you're on the heavily favored next opponent's side.

That opponent is 18-3 Spanish Fork, a team who hasn't lost a game since dropping their last three of 2012.  The first loss of those three was to Desert Hills.  Tip-off for the second round match is scheduled for 12:50 on Thursday afternoon at Weber State University.

Wasatch Track Star Signs With Cougars

Talem Franco, a top competitor in the 800 meter run in track and field and an All-Conference wide receiver in football, signs a national letter of intent to run track for BYU.

By Kenny Bristow

Yesterday afternoon, I had the pleasure of covering Talem's signing of his letter to attend BYU.  While I was well aware of Talem's great speed and skills on the football field, I knew little of his track and field abilities.

It was nice to get to know him a little bit and speak to his father about his recruiting process.  Talem is a modest kid, so I needed his dad to give me a lot of the information for the article.  He is a great young man and will do very well in his collegiate career.

One comment I would like to make on a personal observation about Talem, before I link you to the Deseret News piece, is this kid is a leader.  His work ethic and willingness to sacrifice for the better of his team may be his strongest attribute.  He doesn't thump his chest or holler at his teammates... he just performs on the field.

His leadership was never more evident to me than in Wasatch's final football game of this past season, a home thrashing at the hands of Bear River.  Not to look at things in a negative way, but about halfway through the second quarter I noticed Talem wincing in pain with his leg heavily wrapped.  I recognized right away as he limped along the sideline and gingerly rode the stationary bike that he had a nasty quad pull.  He would not be going back into this game - no matter how badly he may have wanted to.

Once that became obvious to his teammates, I noticed a little more wind fell out of the Wasp's sails.  A few more shoulders dropped a little lower.  One of their top warriors would not be able to carry on in the battle.  No team would like to admit they rely so heavily on a single player, and maybe in this case it wasn't about having him so much as it was about not having him.

Anyway... read about Talem and his choices for the future in my post for the Deseret News online.

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865573132/Running-with-the-Cougars-Wasatch-senior-Talem-Franco-signs-with-BYU.html    

Wasps Come Up Big In Divisionals

By Kenny Bristow

After a season of uncertainty, emotional highs and lows, and resurgent hope, The Wasatch High School wrestling team had an outstanding showing this weekend at Uintah High School in the Southeastern 3A divisional state qualifying round.

Two Wasps won their individual weight classes, freshman Braiden Parker at 106 lbs and sophmore Spencer Heywood at 152 lbs.  Three Wasatch wrestlers earned second place finishes, seniors Robby Miner at 126 lbs, Garrett Sweat at 132 lbs and Bryce Provost at 160 lbs.  Senior Sterling Ballif at 120 lbs, juniors Albert Jepperson at 138 lbs and Logan Huntington at 145 lbs, and senior Parker Hortin at 182 lbs all took third place honors in their classes.  Overall 20 grapplers from Wasatch finished in the top 10 with 17 of them qualifying for state next weekend.

Wasatch handily won the meet over host Uintah and the Union Cougars, as a team, scoring 306.5 points.  Here are the final placements and individual point results for their team, of the 20 top 10 finishers in the tournament for Wasatch.
 
106 - Spencer Roylance (22-19) placed 5th.
106 - Braiden Parker (28-16) placed 1st and scored 30.00 team points.
113 - Gage Bradley (26-14) placed 4th and scored 20.00 team points.
120 - Caden Clyde (24-14) placed 5th.  
120 - Sterling Ballif (30-16) placed 3rd and scored 21.00 team points.
126 - Robert (Robby) Miner (39-4) placed 2nd and scored 26.00 team points.
126 - Stanley Ballif (21-19) placed 8th.
132 - Garrett Sweat (34-10) placed 2nd and scored 25.50 team points.
138 - Albert Jepperson (19-18) placed 3rd and scored 28.00 team points.
138 - Matthew Provost (30-14) placed 4th.
145 - Logan Huntington (37-14) placed 3rd and scored 19.00 team points.
145 - Nick Pisitelli (15-11) placed 10th.
152 - Nate Arnold (8-6) placed 10th.
152 - Spencer Heywood (39-11) placed 1st and scored 28.00 team points.
160 - Bryce Provost (36-15) placed 2nd and scored 26.00 team points.
170 - Jake McNaughton (31-19) placed 4th and scored 20.00 team points.
182 - William (Parker) Hortin (23-12) placed 3rd and scored 23.00 team points.  
195 - Cabit Nye (18-10) placed 4th and scored 26.00 team points.
195 - Ben Boss (27-12) placed 5th. 
220 - Kody Metcalf (17-18) placed 9th and scored 5.00 team points.
285 - Joseph Forbush (13-11) placed 9th and scored 9.00 team points.

For more on the 3A wrestling divisionals visit:

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865572791/High-school-wrestling-Delta-Wasatch-capture-3A-regional-titles.html

Deseret News News

By Kenny Bristow

Something happened a few days ago that was pretty cool.  A digital sports editor from the Deseret News online read my article on James Delacensarie's signing with Idaho State.  He asked if they could republish.  I said yes.

Then he asked if I would be interested in contributing regularly to the Deseret News on Wasatch High School sports.  I said yes.

Once that agonizing decision was made, I set up a freelance writer's account on their web host and it was official.  I am now the Deseret News' contributing sports writer for Wasatch.  Wow.

Then, yesterday morning when I looked through my email... I had already gotten two assignments.  One to cover the girl's basketball game at Union, the other to cover the boys.  Oh... and to take pictures, and to have it posted by midnight - or sooner!  Wow again!  Was I dreaming or was I getting the dreaded 'be careful what you wish for' thing?  Doesn't matter.  I'm along for the ride.  Stay with me, will ya?

Here are the links to both articles now published online with the DNews.

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865572749/Prep-girls-basketball-Lady-Wasps-Regain-Winning-Form.html

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865572750/High-school-boys-basketball-Wasatch-completes-turnaround-finishes-second-in-Region-10.html

Wasatch Freshman Find Another Mat

Being declared ineligible for the State Junior High Tournament, forces eight Wasp grapplers to head north

BY KENNY BRISTOW

It seems unfair to penalize an athlete for competing at a higher level than their age, grade or size may indicate, but that was the circumstance last weekend for several Wasatch High School freshman wrestlers.

Eight boys were not permitted to participate at the 1-3A State Junior High Tournament due to a sanction based on a decision made against an athlete from Logan a few years ago.  A young man from that program had wrestled some high school varsity matches during the season, therefore making him ineligible for the state tournament… even in his own freshman class.

All of the eight young Wasps had wrestled in at least one high school dual or tournament during the regular season for Wasatch, subjecting them to this rule.

Tim Steinman 4th, Garth Healey 2nd, Rex Bowden 1st, Wayson Foy 3rd, Riley Gabrielson 3rd, and Kaelin Cummings 5th

Knowing this was a possibility for some of his ninth graders, Head Wrestling Coach Wade Discher advised the boys to sign up for the Utah Northern Regionals instead.

It turned out to be a very successful tournament for the Wasps as six of the eight boys who competed placed in the tournament.

Here are the results from last Saturday’s meet:

Rex Bowden 135 lbs placed 1st with an 5-2 win over Johnson of Pleasant Grove

Garth Healey 150 lbs placed 2nd with a 5-11 loss to Goodwin of Logan

Riley Gabrielson 115 lbs placed 3rd with a Pin in 2:04 over Sanchez of Logan

Wayson Foy 175 lbs placed 3rd with a pin in 1:11 over Revels of Riverton Wolf Pack

Tim Steinmann 142 lbs placed 4th with a 2-10 loss to Shuman of Champions

Kaelin Cummings 125 lbs placed 5th with a 4-2 win over Giddings of Olympus

Aaron Sluga 120 lbs had a 1-2 record in the tournament

Cole Johnson had a 1-2 record in the tournament

Shauna Bowden contributed to this article.

Rex Bowden (135 lbs) championship 5-2 win over Johnson of Pleasant Grove.

Garth Healey (150 lbs) pinning Price of Kingdom in Semi-final.

Riley Gabrielson (115 lbs) 8-0 win over Abe of TECH.

Wayson Foy (175 lbs) pinning Blatter of Mountain View.

Delacenserie Signs With Idaho State

Big Sky is the limit for Wasatch All-State Quarterback

BY KENNY BRISTOW

Wave Sports Writer

Wasatch quarterback James Delacenserie, center, signs his national letter of intent to play football at Idaho State University.  Pictured with James, left to right is his mother Nancy Delacenserie, father Rick Delacenserie, Wasatch Head Football Coach Steve Coburn and Wasatch Assistant Coach/Offensive Coordinator Craig Davis.

All eyes turned to college football on this day as thousands of high school prospects made their intentions known about their football futures and signed their national letters of intent.  Among those sought after prospects was Wasatch High School  quarterback James Delacenserie, who spent this past fall compiling passing numbers worthy of nation wide attention.

Delacenserie, who has had conversations with many schools the past couple of years and visits to big time football programs such as Oklahoma State, chose Idaho State University in Pocatello, Idaho as his college football destination.  The 6’3”, 225 lb senior carried himself with ease throughout the morning as he signed his letter in the presence of his family, coaches and friends on the Wasatch campus.  “I’m really excited and very happy with my choice,” James said proudly.  “It’s been a long process and I’m relieved it’s over.  Now it’s just time to get to work.”

Wasatch Offensive Coordiantor, Craig Davis, left and Head Coach Steve Coburn proudly watch their former star commit to becoming a Bengal.

James cited several reasons for his decision.  He knew he would choose to go to a Division 1 program, but wanted the opportunity to compete for playing time right away.  He said he preferred the idea of having a good four-year college football career instead of just one or two years, and not have to wait three or four years down the road.  “I had been leaning towards ISU for awhile,” said the Region 10 Offensive MVP.  “It was great to get the attention and have the conversations with some of the other schools, but I knew deep down that Idaho State was where I wanted to go,” he added.  

Playing close to home in the Big Sky Conference was another deciding factor.  Many of the schools in the conference are just a short trip away from his home in Summit County and close enough for his family to attend.  Plus for the next several years the Bengals will play a game each season at BYU or Utah just down the mountain from his home in Park City.  James’ parents, Rick and Nancy Delacenserie are pleased about that.  “It will be a lot of fun to watch James play against Utah – right here at home,” Rick said.  “But Pocatello is just a few hours away so we plan on taking in as many games as possible.” 

The Delacenseries, mother Nancy and father Rick, are extremely proud of their son and happy he chose to play his college ball close to home.

Delacenserie made a couple of trips to the campus where he took a liking to the coaching staff and got along really well with the Bengal players he met during his visits.  He immediately felt at home talking to Head Coach Mike Kramer and other members of the coaching staff about their style of offense.  “I think the offense is perfect for me,” James commented.  “They run a fast-paced spread and throw the ball a lot, and that is pretty exciting for a quarterback,” he added.

The final, and most important point in his decision, was the academic standard that ISU holds its football program to.  Delacenserie, who carries a 4.0 GPA and considers himself a serious student, will be enrolling in the Honors Program and majoring in Engineering.  He plans to attend summer school at the beginning of July so he can get a head start on his classes, acclimate himself to the campus and his surroundings and of course get in some summer football workouts.

During a live on-camera interview with the Wasatch High School television outlet, Delacenserie and his former coach had the chance to answer a couple of questions. “We couldn’t be more proud of James,” said Steve Coburn his Head Coach at Wasatch High School.  “He really came through for us as a team leader this year… not only on the field, but off it as well,” the coach added.  “I think he’s made an excellent choice with Idaho State.  Their Engineering program is well respected and I know that was important to James.  He’s also picked a football program where I believe he will factor in very soon.”  James, as humble as he is a gifted quarterback, used his on-air time to credit his teammates.  “I just want to say thanks to everyone on our team.”

Wasatch Head Coach Steve Coburn speaks about James' decision during a live on camera interview in the Wasatch High School television studio. 

So now, Delacenserie trades in his black and gold for black and orange and takes his gaudy passing statistics - 6,174 passing yards (14^th all time, State of Utah); 70 TD passes (10^th all time, State of Utah); 80 total TDs (16^th all time, State of Utah) - to Holt Arena on the ISU campus.  Wasatch certainly losses a legend in James, but he will always be a Wasp.  A wasp now flying high in the Big Sky.

   

Wasp Three Sport Star Signs With Snow

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Senior Renee Fagg chooses collegiate softball close to home

BY KENNY BRISTOW

Wave Sports Writer

The temperature in Wasatch County may be in the 20’s and the grounds surrounding the high school may still be covered with snow, but that hasn’t stopped some from thinking ahead towards their spring sport.  On Monday afternoon, in front of her coaches, teammates, family and friends, Wasatch High School senior student athlete Renee Fagg signed a national letter of intent to attend classes and play softball for Snow College in Ephriam, Utah.

Still in the midst of an outstanding basketball season, Renee, was happy to commit and get her near future on paper as she prepares for what she hopes to be a deep run in the girl’s 3A basketball playoffs.  Although her love for her basketball team is very strong, her passion for competing is on the softball field where she excels as both a catcher and a top hitter.

“It’s scary to throw batting practice to her,” said Wasatch head softball coach, Gary Roberts.  “I’d much rather watch her in a game,” he added laughing.  “But it’s really her amazing play behind the plate that’s so impressive,” said her coach.  “In the four years I’ve had her here, she’s just gotten better and better.  I look forward to watching how she leads our team this year as a senior.”

Renee was the only starting junior on the Wasatch softball team last year and was a catalyst on a team that was a threat to win every time they took the diamond.  Then during the summer season, playing for her assistant coach at Wasatch, Clint Kelson, Renee started to hit her stride.  Kelson recognized that Renee’s throwing and hitting had reached college level potential and he recommended she play for a fall ball team out of St. George.  "She's got a cannon for an arm... and I've seen a few," said Kelson. "I knew once a college coach saw her throw somebody out at second from her knees, the phone would start ringing," added her coach.  Renee had an excellent fall season and caught the attention of the Snow College softball coaching staff.  They’ve had their eye on her ever since.

Senior Renee Fagg, second from right, signs her national letter of intent in the presence of (seated left to right) Mother Amy Fagg, Coach Clint Kelson, Father John Fagg and Wasatch head softball coach Gary Roberts.

“I’m really excited to go to Snow,” the senior said.  “It’s a relief to just be able to play this year and have some fun and not worry about stats and schools coming to watch you play,” she added.  Renee, who others describe as shy, seems at ease talking about her athletic endeavors.  “Sports has always been my confidence,” said the girl who’s played volleyball, tennis and pitched in boys Little League until the sixth grade.  “It’s my way of fitting in and being good at something.”

Renee’s parents, John and Amy Fagg, are pleased she will be attending school so close to home, saying they will go to as many games as possible.  “We never put much thought into it (Renee playing sports in college) until her junior year,” said her mother, Amy.  “She’s always been a very good student and a little on the shy side, so we hadn’t even thought about her playing sports in college until she started getting attention from other coaches,” she added.  Her father, John, said he was caught “off guard” by all the attention.  “We had no idea really, how to go about the recruiting process.   We sent her to camps just to see how she would do, and she was like one of the best out there,” he said with a proud smile.  “We’re just so excited to see her achieve something like this.  It’s really awesome.”

Now that she’s made her commitment, Renee will concentrate on the basketball playoffs.  “I haven’t really turned my attention to softball yet,” Renee said.  “Coach Perkins has us working really hard at staying focused on our season and trying to win a championship, so I want to respect that,” she added.  Asked if she had entertained any thoughts of being a three-sport star in college like she is at Wasatch and the senior smiled, rolled her eyes and said, “I don’t think so.”  That may have been her response on the outside, but you could see her mind thinking that she knows she probably could.

HEAVY METTLE

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Wasatch gets on top of Juan Diego and doesn’t let up, winning at home 61-55

BY KENNY BRISTOW

Wave Sports Writer

After last night’s game, Wasatch senior guard Cooper Ballstaedt said, “I can’t believe we lost to these guys earlier in the year…”  “I can’t believe we lost to a lot of the teams we have,” he added.  Oh, how a four game winning streak can change the culture of a team.

Friday night in The Nest, the Wasatch varsity boy’s basketball team cut another notch in their belts, beating the Soaring Eagle of Juan Diego 61-55 in impressive fashion.  At times it wasn’t pretty and it sure got frustrating in the second half, but the Wasps withstood the over-the-top physical play by the visitors.

Senior Chris Johnson had a big game in the paint scoring 15 points and grabbing 5 rebounds while leading his team to the win over Juan Diego.

Coming off three consecutive region wins, Wasatch took the court trying to avenge their loss in Draper two weeks ago by only two points.  That was another game the Wasps felt they should have won, but let slip away.  It may be the turning point game in the Wasp season, because they haven’t loss since.  And they are playing the past couple of weeks as though they’ve had their fill of losing. 

The Soaring Eagle opened up a six point lead midway through the first quarter, but Wasatch stuck to their game plan and closed the gap to 12-9.  Then the black and gold offense began to feed off their defense and came roaring back to tie it up at 15.  The two squads traded buckets until the 2:50 mark in the first half when Wasatch took its first lead at 21-20 on a layup by senior big man Chris Johnson.  After a Juan Diego three pointer tied it up at 23, the rest of the first half scoring came from the foul line.  Sophmore Nate Dow and Junior Casey Peterson both hit two of two opportunities to keep their team in the lead.  As the clock ticked down under 10 seconds, Wasatch took possession with a one point lead and set up senior Jake Larson in the left corner who smoked the net with a three pointer as time ran out.

Guard Jake Larson finishes up a one-handed pop-shot. The senior scored 5 points in the Wasp win including his team's only three pointer.

Wasatch opened up their lead early in the second half with strong inside play from Johnson and Dow and the Wasp guards continually found lanes in the paint to either pass off or take to the hoop themselves.  Wasatch played tough defense forcing turnovers and converting them into points.  The biggest Wasp lead came after junior Ben Pelo blocked a shot that was picked up by Jackson Gordon who ran it to the hoop for an exciting breakaway bucket.  The Wasps were up by eight at the end of the third quarter and in control of the game.

Junior Ben Pelo has played well off the bench for Wasatch during their 4 game winning streak.

Jackson Gordon completes a fastbreak with a textbook layup after a Wasp blocked shot.

The Soaring Eagle felt at this point their only chance to get back in the game was to take chances by throwing their bodies into the Wasatch players.  Reaching around, pushing in the back and slaps to the arms were often no-calls and forced turnovers by the Wasps allowing the visitors to tighten the score to 49-47 with a little over two minutes left in the game.  The battle had been taken to the charity stripe and the team who could convert their chances was going to come out on top.

A technical foul after a hard foul to guard Jeff Murdock gave the Wasps a chance at four freebies.  Ballstaedt hit one of two and Murdock converted on both putting Wasatch ahead 52-47.  A quick Juan Diego turnover lead to another Johnson bucket underneath and the Wasps had regained the sizeable lead necessary to hold off the Soaring Eagle who could only continue to foul.  Dow and Murdock both converted on two of two’s in the final minute to seal the deal for Wasatch and deliver the win.

Point guard Jeff Murdock, quick as a flash, keeps this one for himself and drives for two of his 14 points.

Nate Dow makes a strong pass from the top of the key.  The sophmore continues to impress as a Wasp starter.

Coach Lonnie Magnusson attributes the wins to his team’s newfound confidence.  “We’re gelling at the right time for sure,” Magnusson said.  “The guys are now believing they can win and not doing the things that cost us games earlier in the year,” he added.  “It’s been a great learning experience for all of us.” 

Head Coach Lonnie Magnusson, barely visible while surrounded by his team, gives spirited instructions during a timeout in the closing minutes.  Magnusson has done a masterful job keeping his team focused and playing hard as they have turned their season around in the past four weeks.

As they have done throughout their turnaround, the Wasps have played team basketball with nine players contributing on the scoreboard in this one.  Chris Johnson led the Wasps with 15 points on 6 of 7 shooting and grabbed five rebounds.  Jeff Murdock poured in 14 points and had three assists.  Nate Dow was the third Wasatch player to score in double figures with 10 points.  The sophmore also added four boards and blocked two shots.  Cooper Ballstaedt scored seven points and Jake Larson added five.  Ben Pelo had five rebounds and a blocked shot off the bench for the home team.

Wasatch moves to a second place tie in the region with a chance to lock up that standing next week.  Although that won’t be easy, since the Wasps take on first place Judge Memorial at home then travel to Union to finish off the regular season.

Union Can’t Hold Off Wasps

Going into the last match down three points, Wasatch

guts out an exciting 34-33 duel win over their region foe

BY KENNY BRISTOW

Wave Sports Writer

In a must-win situation, Wasatch junior, Logan Huntington dominated his opponent in the final match of the night to lift his team to a one point victory over the visiting Union Cougars.

The duel with Union originally scheduled for last week, took place in The Nest on Thursday night, just one day after senior night, when the Wasp wrestlers dominated Juan Diego 76-0 and followed that up with a 74-0 smearing of Park City.  Polishing off two wrestling squads in one night would wear out a lot of teams, but not Wasatch, who were up to the tough challenge brought on by the visiting Cougars.

Wasatch started the meet with a 3-0 lead after sophmore Spencer Heywood’s  decision in the 152 lb class, but then the wheels started to come off  for the home team.  A tough loss by decision for Bryce Provost followed by two consecutive defeats by fall, left the Wasps down 15-3.  Freshman Ben Boss, wrestling in the 195 lb class made quick work of his opponent and pinned him giving Wasatch a six-point boost.  But the two heavyweights wrestling for the Wasps at 220 and 285 lbs found the going tough as they both lost by pin. 

195 lb. freshman Ben Bos won his match by fall over his Union opponent.  Bos has been coming into his own during his first season as a Wasp wrestler. 

At the halfway point, the grapplers from Heber City found themselves down 27-9, yet there was a feeling of hope in the gym.  That hope came in the 101 pound frame of ninth grader Braiden Parker, who as quick as the honey badger, trapped his man under his body and left him twisted on the mat for the fall.  112-pound Gage Bradley followed that win with a strong 8-2 decision over his opponent, closing the gap on the team score to 18-27.

Like something from the National Geographic channel, 106 lb freshman Braiden Parker attacks his man with relentless quickness and leaves him defeated in mere seconds.

Sterling Balliff had one of the night’s grittiest matches at 120 lbs.  After a scoreless 1^st period, the match was stopped repeatedly for the Union wrestler having a bloody nose.  He would continue to score however and twice had Balliff in compromising holds only to have the referee stop the fight for bloodshed.  The Wasp senior would regroup and fight his way back in, but ran out of time, losing the match 8-6.

Next up was senior Robby Miner in the 126 lb division.  Miner wasted little time attacking his opponent and won by fall in less than a minute.  The win gave Robby an incredible 34-3 individual record this season.  No sooner than that match was over, 132 lb Garrett Sweat matched his senior teammate’s performance with a “don’t blink or you’ll miss it” win by fall of his own.  Sweat’s victory at a minute in to the match knotted up the team scores at 30 and the Wasp faithful were on their feet.

Robby Miner's opponent is probably glad this match didn't last any longer than a minute.  The Wasp 126 lb. senior has been plowing through his competition this season en route to a 34-3 individual record.

Junior Albert Jepperson took the mat in the 138 lb class, but took the loss in a grueling match that went the distance.  Union was awarded the three points and set the stage for the last match of the evening.

Logan Huntington, wrestling at 145 lbs, had the dubious task of either pinning his opponent or outscoring him by more than eight points to give his team any chance to win the duel.  The junior was up for the challenge.  Huntington never relented in the match after recording several takedowns and fought for every point in route to a 19-5 major decision giving Wasatch a 34-33 victory. 

Afterward, the junior shrugged when asked if he felt any pressure going in to his match.  “Not really,” he said.  “Coach told me, ‘don’t worry about feeling any pressure here, but it’s down to you’… he was joking kind of so I just went with it,” Logan said with a wry smile.  “I always go for the pin – always,” he added, “but this was just as good, so I’ll take it.”

The Wasp grapplers earned a weekend of rest after this stretch, but will be back at it on Monday preparing hard for the upcoming Divisionals, which take place the following weekend.