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The Box Elder wrestling team poses with their second-place trophy at the conclusion of the 2019 5A State Wrestling Championship.
Youngsters lead Box Elder to second place
February 19, 2019 • Sean Hales • Managing Editor
The Box Elder High School wrestling team had two individual champions crowned on its way to taking home the second-place hardware from the State 5A Wrestling Tournament last week.
The Bees finished behind a dominant performance from Wasatch, a team the Bees beat by one point in the divisional tournament. The Wasps beat Box Elder by nearly 80 points at state, 287.5 - 209 to take home the title after finishing second behind Viewmont last year.
After the first day of competition, the Bees were well within striking distance, and behind Wasatch by just nine points. But as the day progressed Saturday, the Bees struggled under the more difficult competition at the state tournament, while Wasatch continued to separate themselves. Box Elder entered 20 kids in the tournament, half of whom placed. Six of those 10 placed fourth or better, and three of those six made it to the championship mat.
“The difference was, that same group of Wasatch kids who were in the divisional finals, made it to the finals at state as well,” said Box Elder coach Jed Craner. “Of our group of guys that made it to the divisional finals, only three made it to the finals at state. Now, this wasn’t the only thing that hurt us, but it definitely was what got them [Wasatach] the big lead after the semifinals. The semifinals hurt us badly. Also, their guys getting bonus points [pins] really helped them.”
Box Elder didn’t get much through the consolation rounds, either. Out of several Box Elder wrestlers with a shot to make the third-place match, only three went, and just one of those won, Brayden Tucker (132), who pinned Roy’s Donald Butler.
“If we could have placed more at third place, that would have closed the gap significantly,” Craner said.
But all the “what-ifs” and “chould-have-beens” aside, Craner said he couldn’t be more proud of his team’s season.
“I feel great about how the team wrestled,” Craner said. “There are always going to be those matches that could go either way, and some of those didn’t go our way and that’s okay. We learn and move on... I feel that each of our guys worked hard this season; they wrestled tough and I’m proud of them.”
Leading the Bees, freshman Bridger Ricks (106 pounds) won a gutsy performance to claim his first state title, while sophomore Lucas Cochran (182) won a cautious, deliberate match to to earn his first state championship. Senior heavyweight Ryan Gunn (285) came up just short against Provo’s James Tomasi, a wrestler Gunn beat 4-3 at divisional.
Ricks’ match was perhaps the most exciting of the Bees’ championship appearances, as Ricks needed an extra period to dispatch Maple Mountain’s Brock Morris, 7-5.
The wrestlers traded leads throughout, with Morris taking a 3-2 lead out of the first and Ricks leading 5-3 going into the third. Neither wrestler was willing to give up too much when not in control, which resulted in three stalling calls in the match. One of those, awarded to Morris in the third period, sent the match into overtime.
Morris was the aggressor in the overtime, which Ricks was able to use against him.
“He was putting lots of pressure on me, and, uh, pushing me really hard, so I just snapped him and shucked him by, and his pressure made it so I could get the takedown,” Ricks said.
Box Elder has only ever had two four-time state champions, Jeff Newby in the 1990s and Brock Hardy last year. Bridger’s brother, Garrett Ricks, earned three state titles, missing one as a freshman, making Bridger aware of how important the first one is.
“It’s awesome man, it’s a state title,” Bridger Ricks said. “Hopefully one of four.”
Cochran’s championship match against Maple Mountain’s Parker Gasser was a deliberate affair, with neither wrestler willing to overextend themselves early for points. With 14 seconds left in the first period, Cochran was able to gain the advantage with a takedown, but Gasser quickly scored with an escape as the round came to an end.
In the third round, Cochran chose bottom in hopes of scoring an escape and pushing his 2-1 lead to two points, which would force Gasser to get a takedown—a thing Cochran had been able to prevent—to tie the match. Cochran doubled down on the opportunity when, in the first 20 seconds of the period, he scored a reversal, and maintained control for all but the final few seconds of the round to win, 4-2.
In Gunn’s match, he was unable to maintain his energy level against a revenge-minded Tomasi.
“ I think Ryan simply got really tired really quickly, which happens quite often in bigger matches,” Craner said.
Gunn struck first with a second-round escape, but Tomasi dominated the third round with an escape and takedown in the third to go up, 3-1, to which Gunn would not have time to respond.
See team scores and Box Elder’s individual results on the bottom of this page.
The Box Elder High School wrestling team had two individual champions crowned on its way to taking home the second-place hardware from the State 5A Wrestling Tournament last week.
The Bees finished behind a dominant performance from Wasatch, a team the Bees beat by one point in the divisional tournament. The Wasps beat Box Elder by nearly 80 points at state, 287.5 - 209 to take home the title after finishing second behind Viewmont last year.
After the first day of competition, the Bees were well within striking distance, and behind Wasatch by just nine points. But as the day progressed Saturday, the Bees struggled under the more difficult competition at the state tournament, while Wasatch continued to separate themselves. Box Elder entered 20 kids in the tournament, half of whom placed. Six of those 10 placed fourth or better, and three of those six made it to the championship mat.
“The difference was, that same group of Wasatch kids who were in the divisional finals, made it to the finals at state as well,” said Box Elder coach Jed Craner. “Of our group of guys that made it to the divisional finals, only three made it to the finals at state. Now, this wasn’t the only thing that hurt us, but it definitely was what got them [Wasatach] the big lead after the semifinals. The semifinals hurt us badly. Also, their guys getting bonus points [pins] really helped them.”
Box Elder didn’t get much through the consolation rounds, either. Out of several Box Elder wrestlers with a shot to make the third-place match, only three went, and just one of those won, Brayden Tucker (132), who pinned Roy’s Donald Butler.
“If we could have placed more at third place, that would have closed the gap significantly,” Craner said.
But all the “what-ifs” and “chould-have-beens” aside, Craner said he couldn’t be more proud of his team’s season.
“I feel great about how the team wrestled,” Craner said. “There are always going to be those matches that could go either way, and some of those didn’t go our way and that’s okay. We learn and move on... I feel that each of our guys worked hard this season; they wrestled tough and I’m proud of them.”
Leading the Bees, freshman Bridger Ricks (106 pounds) won a gutsy performance to claim his first state title, while sophomore Lucas Cochran (182) won a cautious, deliberate match to to earn his first state championship. Senior heavyweight Ryan Gunn (285) came up just short against Provo’s James Tomasi, a wrestler Gunn beat 4-3 at divisional.
Ricks’ match was perhaps the most exciting of the Bees’ championship appearances, as Ricks needed an extra period to dispatch Maple Mountain’s Brock Morris, 7-5.
The wrestlers traded leads throughout, with Morris taking a 3-2 lead out of the first and Ricks leading 5-3 going into the third. Neither wrestler was willing to give up too much when not in control, which resulted in three stalling calls in the match. One of those, awarded to Morris in the third period, sent the match into overtime.
Morris was the aggressor in the overtime, which Ricks was able to use against him.
“He was putting lots of pressure on me, and, uh, pushing me really hard, so I just snapped him and shucked him by, and his pressure made it so I could get the takedown,” Ricks said.
Box Elder has only ever had two four-time state champions, Jeff Newby in the 1990s and Brock Hardy last year. Bridger’s brother, Garrett Ricks, earned three state titles, missing one as a freshman, making Bridger aware of how important the first one is.
“It’s awesome man, it’s a state title,” Bridger Ricks said. “Hopefully one of four.”
Cochran’s championship match against Maple Mountain’s Parker Gasser was a deliberate affair, with neither wrestler willing to overextend themselves early for points. With 14 seconds left in the first period, Cochran was able to gain the advantage with a takedown, but Gasser quickly scored with an escape as the round came to an end.
In the third round, Cochran chose bottom in hopes of scoring an escape and pushing his 2-1 lead to two points, which would force Gasser to get a takedown—a thing Cochran had been able to prevent—to tie the match. Cochran doubled down on the opportunity when, in the first 20 seconds of the period, he scored a reversal, and maintained control for all but the final few seconds of the round to win, 4-2.
In Gunn’s match, he was unable to maintain his energy level against a revenge-minded Tomasi.
“ I think Ryan simply got really tired really quickly, which happens quite often in bigger matches,” Craner said.
Gunn struck first with a second-round escape, but Tomasi dominated the third round with an escape and takedown in the third to go up, 3-1, to which Gunn would not have time to respond.
See team scores and Box Elder’s individual results on the bottom of this page.
Bees’ win streak ends ahead of state tournament
February 20, 2019 • Jeremy Jones • Staff Writer
The Box Elder High School girls’ basketball team’s nine-game winning streak came to an end last Tuesday in its season finale as Viewmont finally exposed some chinks in the Bees’ armor and dealt them their first region loss of the season, 56-50.
The game started out like many have for the Bees this season, and they built a nine-point edge by halftime.
But things took an unexpected turn when the Vikings came out on fire in the third quarter, hitting shots from all over the court and erasing the deficit to take a two-point lead into the final period.
The Bees found some rhythm on the offensive end in the fourth period behind senior leaders Morgan Reeder, who finished with a game-high 20 points, and Emily Isaacson, who netted 14, but the Vikings had everything going their way and were able to hold on for the win.
Viewmont got 17 points and 10 rebounds from junior guard Emma Carr, and another 12 points from Karli Gunnell.
Another advantage the Vikings had was getting contributions from eight different players on the offensive end, while the Bees got just 16 points outside their top two scorers.
The Bees also uncharacteristically struggled from the free throw line, making just 14 of 23 attempts while the Vikings faired only a little better, knocking in 15 of 24 attempts.
The loss didn’t affect the region standings as the Bees had wrapped up the region championship last week and finished the regular season at 9-1, followed by Farmington at 7-3 and the Vikings at 6-4.
The fourth spot was decided by a play-in game between Bountiful and Woods Cross last Thursday with the Braves getting the win and the final place in the state tournament.
The state tournament kicked off yesterday at the Lifetime Activities Center at Salt Lake Community College in Taylorsville, with the Bees drawing the fourth seed from Region 6, Highland (results not available by press time).
A win would advance the Bees to the quarterfinals tomorrow night at 7:30 p.m. against the winner of the Timpview/Wasatch game.
Two wins in the tournament would put the Bees into the semifinals on Friday evening starting at 5:50 p.m. and could see them play tournament-favorite East, who has been the top-ranked team in the 5A classification according to the Deseret News all year. The championship game will be held Saturday at 6:30 p.m.
February 20, 2019 • Jeremy Jones • Staff Writer
The Box Elder High School girls’ basketball team’s nine-game winning streak came to an end last Tuesday in its season finale as Viewmont finally exposed some chinks in the Bees’ armor and dealt them their first region loss of the season, 56-50.
The game started out like many have for the Bees this season, and they built a nine-point edge by halftime.
But things took an unexpected turn when the Vikings came out on fire in the third quarter, hitting shots from all over the court and erasing the deficit to take a two-point lead into the final period.
The Bees found some rhythm on the offensive end in the fourth period behind senior leaders Morgan Reeder, who finished with a game-high 20 points, and Emily Isaacson, who netted 14, but the Vikings had everything going their way and were able to hold on for the win.
Viewmont got 17 points and 10 rebounds from junior guard Emma Carr, and another 12 points from Karli Gunnell.
Another advantage the Vikings had was getting contributions from eight different players on the offensive end, while the Bees got just 16 points outside their top two scorers.
The Bees also uncharacteristically struggled from the free throw line, making just 14 of 23 attempts while the Vikings faired only a little better, knocking in 15 of 24 attempts.
The loss didn’t affect the region standings as the Bees had wrapped up the region championship last week and finished the regular season at 9-1, followed by Farmington at 7-3 and the Vikings at 6-4.
The fourth spot was decided by a play-in game between Bountiful and Woods Cross last Thursday with the Braves getting the win and the final place in the state tournament.
The state tournament kicked off yesterday at the Lifetime Activities Center at Salt Lake Community College in Taylorsville, with the Bees drawing the fourth seed from Region 6, Highland (results not available by press time).
A win would advance the Bees to the quarterfinals tomorrow night at 7:30 p.m. against the winner of the Timpview/Wasatch game.
Two wins in the tournament would put the Bees into the semifinals on Friday evening starting at 5:50 p.m. and could see them play tournament-favorite East, who has been the top-ranked team in the 5A classification according to the Deseret News all year. The championship game will be held Saturday at 6:30 p.m.
Bees blast Royals to claim trophy outright
Courtesy Julie Jones
Seniors Talie Durbin, Allison Kloos, Emily Isaacson and Morgan Reeder were all smiles after their 52-26 rout of Roy last Friday earned the Bees the Region 5 championship trophy.
Girls ended regular season last night, prepare for state tournament Tuesday
February 13, 2019 • Jeremy Jones • Staff Writer
Another week, another two wins for the Box Elder High School girls’ basketball team. But this week brought something extra as the team secured their second region championship in the last four years and wrapped up a first-place seeding heading into next week’s state tournament.
On Tuesday night, the Bees’ offense struggled a bit more than usual on the road against Woods Cross and had to rely on their defense to come away with the win.
With some tough defensive pressure and strong rebounding, the Bees held the Wildcats to single-digits in every period en route to a 42-27 win.
Senior forward Emily Isaacson recorded another double-double with 17 points and 14 rebounds while Morgan Reeder added 12 points in the win.
Mele Tautaina cracked double-digits with 10 points for the Wildcats in the loss.
The Bees also built their lead from the free-throw stripe, connecting on 14 of 16 tries while the Wildcats hit just 5 of 10 from the line.
The win over the Wildcats guaranteed the Bees at least a share of the region championship, but the team was not looking to share, and came out Friday firing on all cylinders against the hapless Royals, who were still searching for their first win on the year.
After opening up a 16-5 lead in the first quarter, the Bees went on to win every quarter on their way to a 52-26 win.
The senior leaders again led the way for the Bees on senior night as Isaacson netted 18 points while Reeder added 10. Sophomore forward Annika Quayle also chipped in 11 points in the win.
Isaacson described a mixed bag of emotions coming into her final home game when she said, “It was kind of bittersweet because I knew we were going to win region but it’s bitter because it’s our last home game on this court. I was really excited to have this opportunity and it’s been a really fun four years.”
Fellow senior Talie Durbin said she has learned a lot by playing high school basketball and is looking to apply those lessons to her whole life. Durbin said, “It’s helped me grow as a person. It’s helped me become more outgoing and just to be a better person in life.”
Allison Kloos, a senior guard who suffered a season-ending knee injuring back in December, took a different perspective and set of emotions into the final home game knowing she could only watch and cheer on her teammates.
Fighting back tears after the game, Kloos said, “It’s been really hard to just watch, but at the end of the day, I still love my teammates. Even though it’s really hard not being on the court, being able to cheer them on makes it better for me.”
The Bees had one final region game last night on the road against Viewmont (results not available by press time).
On Tuesday, Feb. 19, the Bees will start their bid for a state championship against the fourth seed from Region 6, which is currently Skyline, although Highland still has a chance to make up a game on them this week.
Whoever their opponent, the game is scheduled to start at 12:50 p.m. in the Lifetime Activities Center on the campus of Salt Lake Community College in Taylorsville.
Seniors Talie Durbin, Allison Kloos, Emily Isaacson and Morgan Reeder were all smiles after their 52-26 rout of Roy last Friday earned the Bees the Region 5 championship trophy.
Girls ended regular season last night, prepare for state tournament Tuesday
February 13, 2019 • Jeremy Jones • Staff Writer
Another week, another two wins for the Box Elder High School girls’ basketball team. But this week brought something extra as the team secured their second region championship in the last four years and wrapped up a first-place seeding heading into next week’s state tournament.
On Tuesday night, the Bees’ offense struggled a bit more than usual on the road against Woods Cross and had to rely on their defense to come away with the win.
With some tough defensive pressure and strong rebounding, the Bees held the Wildcats to single-digits in every period en route to a 42-27 win.
Senior forward Emily Isaacson recorded another double-double with 17 points and 14 rebounds while Morgan Reeder added 12 points in the win.
Mele Tautaina cracked double-digits with 10 points for the Wildcats in the loss.
The Bees also built their lead from the free-throw stripe, connecting on 14 of 16 tries while the Wildcats hit just 5 of 10 from the line.
The win over the Wildcats guaranteed the Bees at least a share of the region championship, but the team was not looking to share, and came out Friday firing on all cylinders against the hapless Royals, who were still searching for their first win on the year.
After opening up a 16-5 lead in the first quarter, the Bees went on to win every quarter on their way to a 52-26 win.
The senior leaders again led the way for the Bees on senior night as Isaacson netted 18 points while Reeder added 10. Sophomore forward Annika Quayle also chipped in 11 points in the win.
Isaacson described a mixed bag of emotions coming into her final home game when she said, “It was kind of bittersweet because I knew we were going to win region but it’s bitter because it’s our last home game on this court. I was really excited to have this opportunity and it’s been a really fun four years.”
Fellow senior Talie Durbin said she has learned a lot by playing high school basketball and is looking to apply those lessons to her whole life. Durbin said, “It’s helped me grow as a person. It’s helped me become more outgoing and just to be a better person in life.”
Allison Kloos, a senior guard who suffered a season-ending knee injuring back in December, took a different perspective and set of emotions into the final home game knowing she could only watch and cheer on her teammates.
Fighting back tears after the game, Kloos said, “It’s been really hard to just watch, but at the end of the day, I still love my teammates. Even though it’s really hard not being on the court, being able to cheer them on makes it better for me.”
The Bees had one final region game last night on the road against Viewmont (results not available by press time).
On Tuesday, Feb. 19, the Bees will start their bid for a state championship against the fourth seed from Region 6, which is currently Skyline, although Highland still has a chance to make up a game on them this week.
Whoever their opponent, the game is scheduled to start at 12:50 p.m. in the Lifetime Activities Center on the campus of Salt Lake Community College in Taylorsville.
‘Watch out for the Bees’
Courtesy Boyd Lancaster
Caleb Marx gets some nearfall points in his quarterfinal match against one of top-seeded wrestlers in the 138-pound bracket at the 5A Divisional A tournament last week. Marx won the bout, 12-11, and was one of three major upsets by the Bees that contributed to a one-point win over Wasatch.
Grit, depth are key in Box Elder’s upset of state tournament favorites Wasatch
February 6, 2019 • Sean Hales • Managing Editor
Grit. Brotherhood. Depth.
Those are the three keys to the Bees’ narrow upset victory over Wasatch at the 5A Divisional A tournament last weekend at West High School.
As expected, the Wasps—last year’s state tournament runners-up—were the most dominant team in the final bouts, boasting eight wrestlers in seven weights, but it was the Bees who held the lead heading into Saturday night’s championship round.
Box Elder coach Jed Craner noted that as the season has progressed, there has been significant changes in the team; certainly, no one would have picked the Bees to win the divisional title the first few weeks of the season.
“Our kids have worked so hard this year there was no doubt in my mind that we could do it,” Craner said. “Absolutely...it [winning the divisional tournament] was in the realm of possibility.”
While it might be easy to point to Ryan Gunn’s close win by decision, 4-3, in the 285-pound championship match against Provo’s James Tomasi as key to securing the Bees’ win—without it, the Bees would have lost—that would overlook the fact that Box Elder scored some important upsets, and qualified 20 wrestlers for state. Wasatch qualified 18.
“I really want to praise the JV team,” said Box Elder head coach Jed Craner about the Bees’ one-point win, 389.5-388.5, over Wasatch. “Those guys really stepped up; they really made a difference. If you have a good JV team, you’re in business. You can have as many champions as they [Wasatch] did and still not win. It shows you how important your depth is.”
Three of Box Elder’s upsets came in the quarterfinal round, where first-year wrestler Caleb Marx (138) and Carson Lancaster (182) each defeated top-three seeds in their weights, and Brandyn Gaytan (160) exhibited extraordinary grit to win 7-6 in an ultimate tie-breaker against Wasatch’s Brock Lloyd. Marx and Lancaster finished fourth and sixth, respectively, to qualify for state, and Gaytan finished second, losing in the championship finals to the Bees’ Trevor Murray.
“He [Caleb Marx] came out swinging,” Craner said about the first-year wrestler. “He’s got a motor on him and he just keeps wrestling. He just keeps getting better.”
Craner noted that of several matches that went to overtime, the Bees only lost one of them.
“That’s mental toughness, right there,” said Craner, who noted that along the way, “We knocked out several of Wasatch’s kids who might have qualified for the state tournament.”
As much as—or more than—anything, Craner said it was the sense of brotherhood that has developed between team members that manifests as gritty performances on the mat.
“I honestly believe it was coming together as a team; it was true grit,” that resulted in the Bees’ victory. “They work hard in matches for each other.”
One notable Box Elder champion is 220-pound sophomore Kellen Collier, who has been wrestling 285-pounds all season. He was finally able to cut weight to get to 220, where he can be more competitive.
“That’s why he’s just emerging,” Craner said. “That kid, he’s just an athlete; another kid who gets it done.”
Besides Gunn, Murray, and Collier, the Bees’ divisional champions were the usual suspects: Bridger Ricks (106 pounds) and Lucas Cochran (182 pounds). See box for complete team scores and results for Box Elder’s state qualifiers.
In the Divisional B tournament, Viewmont, which Box Elder beat handily in recent region dual, dominated the field by nearly 100 points, 382-284.5 over Maple Mountain. The Vikings qualified 17 for the state tournament, setting the stage for what could be an interesting and highly competitive state tournament next week.
And with the most wrestlers qualified for state, the Bees are in the thick of it.
“It’s a huge advantage if everyone contributes,” Craner said. “If one or two guys go two-and-out, there goes our advantage.”
Regardless, Craner said anyone who underestimates Box Elder does so at their own peril.
“Watch out for the Bees, man. That’s all I’m saying,” Craner said.
The state tournament will be held Wednesday and Thursday, Feb. 13-14, at Utah Valley University’s Utah Community Credit Union Center. For more information, brackets, or to purchase tickets, visit www.uhsaa.org>sports and activities>winter sports>wrestling.
Caleb Marx gets some nearfall points in his quarterfinal match against one of top-seeded wrestlers in the 138-pound bracket at the 5A Divisional A tournament last week. Marx won the bout, 12-11, and was one of three major upsets by the Bees that contributed to a one-point win over Wasatch.
Grit, depth are key in Box Elder’s upset of state tournament favorites Wasatch
February 6, 2019 • Sean Hales • Managing Editor
Grit. Brotherhood. Depth.
Those are the three keys to the Bees’ narrow upset victory over Wasatch at the 5A Divisional A tournament last weekend at West High School.
As expected, the Wasps—last year’s state tournament runners-up—were the most dominant team in the final bouts, boasting eight wrestlers in seven weights, but it was the Bees who held the lead heading into Saturday night’s championship round.
Box Elder coach Jed Craner noted that as the season has progressed, there has been significant changes in the team; certainly, no one would have picked the Bees to win the divisional title the first few weeks of the season.
“Our kids have worked so hard this year there was no doubt in my mind that we could do it,” Craner said. “Absolutely...it [winning the divisional tournament] was in the realm of possibility.”
While it might be easy to point to Ryan Gunn’s close win by decision, 4-3, in the 285-pound championship match against Provo’s James Tomasi as key to securing the Bees’ win—without it, the Bees would have lost—that would overlook the fact that Box Elder scored some important upsets, and qualified 20 wrestlers for state. Wasatch qualified 18.
“I really want to praise the JV team,” said Box Elder head coach Jed Craner about the Bees’ one-point win, 389.5-388.5, over Wasatch. “Those guys really stepped up; they really made a difference. If you have a good JV team, you’re in business. You can have as many champions as they [Wasatch] did and still not win. It shows you how important your depth is.”
Three of Box Elder’s upsets came in the quarterfinal round, where first-year wrestler Caleb Marx (138) and Carson Lancaster (182) each defeated top-three seeds in their weights, and Brandyn Gaytan (160) exhibited extraordinary grit to win 7-6 in an ultimate tie-breaker against Wasatch’s Brock Lloyd. Marx and Lancaster finished fourth and sixth, respectively, to qualify for state, and Gaytan finished second, losing in the championship finals to the Bees’ Trevor Murray.
“He [Caleb Marx] came out swinging,” Craner said about the first-year wrestler. “He’s got a motor on him and he just keeps wrestling. He just keeps getting better.”
Craner noted that of several matches that went to overtime, the Bees only lost one of them.
“That’s mental toughness, right there,” said Craner, who noted that along the way, “We knocked out several of Wasatch’s kids who might have qualified for the state tournament.”
As much as—or more than—anything, Craner said it was the sense of brotherhood that has developed between team members that manifests as gritty performances on the mat.
“I honestly believe it was coming together as a team; it was true grit,” that resulted in the Bees’ victory. “They work hard in matches for each other.”
One notable Box Elder champion is 220-pound sophomore Kellen Collier, who has been wrestling 285-pounds all season. He was finally able to cut weight to get to 220, where he can be more competitive.
“That’s why he’s just emerging,” Craner said. “That kid, he’s just an athlete; another kid who gets it done.”
Besides Gunn, Murray, and Collier, the Bees’ divisional champions were the usual suspects: Bridger Ricks (106 pounds) and Lucas Cochran (182 pounds). See box for complete team scores and results for Box Elder’s state qualifiers.
In the Divisional B tournament, Viewmont, which Box Elder beat handily in recent region dual, dominated the field by nearly 100 points, 382-284.5 over Maple Mountain. The Vikings qualified 17 for the state tournament, setting the stage for what could be an interesting and highly competitive state tournament next week.
And with the most wrestlers qualified for state, the Bees are in the thick of it.
“It’s a huge advantage if everyone contributes,” Craner said. “If one or two guys go two-and-out, there goes our advantage.”
Regardless, Craner said anyone who underestimates Box Elder does so at their own peril.
“Watch out for the Bees, man. That’s all I’m saying,” Craner said.
The state tournament will be held Wednesday and Thursday, Feb. 13-14, at Utah Valley University’s Utah Community Credit Union Center. For more information, brackets, or to purchase tickets, visit www.uhsaa.org>sports and activities>winter sports>wrestling.
Morgan Reeder goes up for a contested shot in a game against Viewmont last week. Reeder led the Bees with a game-high 28 points.
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Girls eyeing at least share of region title after wins over Vikings, BravesFebruary 6, 2019 • Jeremy Jones • Staff Writer
It was another week and another two convincing wins for the Box Elder High School girls’ basketball team as they ran past Viewmont 72-51 last Tuesday at home before completing the season sweep over Bountiful on Friday, 76-47. The Bees started a little sluggish against the Vikings and the first quarter ended with them tied at 16. After the game, Bees’ head coach Aaron Dooley said, “We had a bad first quarter defensively tonight, but we really turned things around in the second, had a great quarter defensively, and really put the game away then.” The Bees turned numerous turnovers and missed shots from the Vikings into a 28-5 run that essentially sealed the deal for the home team. Morgan Reeder led the way for the Bees with 28 points while Emily Isaacson recorded her 10th double-double of the season with 21 points and 14 rebounds. Karli Gunnell connected on three shots from downtown and finished with 16 points to lead the Vikings in the loss. The team will conclude their regular season on the road against the Vikings on Tuesday, Feb. 11, ahead of the state tournament, which will start the following Tuesday, Feb. 19, at Salt Lake Community College in Taylorsville. |
Wrestlers beat Viewmont to reclaim Region 5 championship crown
The Box Elder High School wrestling team are mostly smiles after earning a convincing victory over Viewmont to earn the Region 5 championship trophy. The Vikings won last year’s title with a win over Box Elder before going on be state champs
Wrestlers grind out tough Rockwell Rumble, ready to compete for region title
January 30, 2019 • Sean Hales • Managing Editor
The Box Elder High School wrestling team had a relatively easy run in a dual meet last Thursday against Viewmont, which concluded the Bees’ region schedule with an undefeated record as they reclaimed the region title from the Vikings.
It was a bit of a roller coaster in the early going as the Bees opened the meet with three straight wins: a major decision for Brandyn Gaytan (160 pounds), a decision for Trevor Murray (170), and a win by fall for Lucas Cochran (182), which gave Box Elder a 13-0 lead.
But Viewmont responded with two wins by fall to narrow Box Elder’s lead to one, 13-12.
From that point, however, Box Elder ran away with the meet, beginning with first-round wins by fall from Ryan Gunn (285) and Bridger Ricks (106). Isaac Richards (120) added a major decision, and Brayden Tucker (132) earned a win by fall as Box Elder outpaced Viewmont, 28-3 through the next six weights.
Prior to the meet, head coach Jed Craner said that if his team wrestled to their potential, they had a good shot at winning against Viewmont, but that it couldn’t hurt to get “a little magic” from a few kids.
After the Bees’ win, Craner said, “I don’t believe there was much magic...as much as there was smart wrestling.”
Seth Bott (138), Harrison Hodgson (145), and Matt Bowden (152) all came up short in their bouts against some of Viewmont’s toughest and most highly-ranked wrestlers, but Craner noted how well the Bees did limiting the number of points they gave up in those weights. Bott lost a 3-0 decision, and despite being dominated for three rounds, Bowden was able to keep last year’s state runner-up, Jeremy Evans, from getting a pin.
“After seeing the end result—with our guys wrestling how they know how—we really didn’t need the magic after all,” Craner said. “Those that got us pins...really made the difference for us as we got to Viewmont’s middleweights—their strength.”
In comments following the meet, Craner appeared to have moved on from celebrating the fact that the Bees won a region title in his first year as Box Elder’s head coach.
“I feel great about the direction the team is going and am so happy to be part of such an amazing group of young men,” Craner said. “I am very pleased with how they have completed thus far, but we have got to continue with our focus and hard work through divisionals and state.”
The Bees have one more regular-season dual meet, tonight, Wednesday, Jan. 30, at Ridgeline High School in Cache Valley.
This weekend, the Bees begin their state-tournament run at the 5A Divisional meet Friday and Saturday at West High School in Salt Lake City. The top eight wrestlers in each weight from two divisional tournaments will qualify for the state tournament.
Based on the seeding criteria of the Utah High School Activities Association, which ranks teams on a point system determined by a school’s returning state-tournament qualifiers, the Bees face a difficult task if they hope to be divisional champions, but they could qualify a good number of wrestlers for the state tournament.
Box Elder finished fourth in the overall rankings of 24 5A schools, with 154.5 points, making them the second-ranked team in the Division A tournament behind last year’s state tournament runners-up, Wasatch, which was ranked first overall with 260.5 points.
“It will be a challenge to be in the same divisional tournament as Wasatch, but I see it as an advantage as we will get to familiarize ourselves with them,” Craner said. “This could help us make a run at the title during the state tournament.”
Craner said he is hoping to qualify more than 20 wrestlers for the state tournament, something that isn’t inconceivable given the lopsided balance of power between the top three teams and the rest of the field at the divisional.
“If we can do that, and they all...earn some points, we can do it,” Craner said.
Swimmers take region
The Box Elder High School boys’ and girls’ swim teams scored dominant wins at the Region 5 tournament last week. The boys, in particular, completely outclassed their competition, and beat second-place Viewmont, by 178 points, 519-341. This is the boys’ second consecutive region title. The girls won their championship by nearly 100 points over Bountiful, 483-390.5. The girls were able to attain the goal they fell just short of last year when they took second place at the region meet
A Bountiful defender deftly swipes a pass away from the Bees’ Parker Buchanan. The Braves’ quick hands forced many turnovers.
Bees get lesson about max effort in games against Bountiful, Roy
January 23, 2019 • Jeremy Jones • Staff Writer
Box Elder boys’ basketball head coach Jace McKee has been preaching and emphasizing consistency to his team all year, and last week illustrated why as one bad quarter doomed the team against Bountiful on Wednesday, before four quarters of maximum effort earned the team their first region win over Roy on Friday.
Things started well enough for the Bees Wednesday at home against the Braves, but they took a sharp turn for the worse in the second quarter when turnovers and poor shot selection left the Bees scrambling while Bountiful grew their lead to 20 points by halftime.
The Braves continued to pour on the pressure in the third quarter behind sharpshooter Camron Chism, who led all scorers with 24 points, including five shots from deep. Senior guard Brig Willard and sophomore big man Robert Whaley each added 13 points in the win.
The Bees countered with their post man, sophomore Parker Buchanan, who scored 22 points and recorded a game-high nine rebounds, but there wasn’t enough offensive firepower or defensive stops to mount a serious comeback—no other Box Elder player cracked double digits—and the Braves cruised to a 79-55 win.
Despite the frustrations, the Bees were determined to make the most of their next opportunity Friday on the road against the Royals, who were coming off an emotional win over Viewmont on Wednesday.
The Bees got a spark against the Royals with the return of junior guard Riley Dahlgren, who missed the game against the Braves as he battled bursitis in his knee.
Dahlgren brought some much-needed stability in the backcourt and a deep scoring threat as he dropped in 13 points, including three 3-point baskets.
After both teams struggled through a defensive battle in the first period, the Bees caught their stride in the second quarter and used a 19-8 run to build a lead that they wouldn’t give up en route to a 60-49 win.
Buchanan again led the way with 16 points and senior forward Skyler Laurenti hit double-digit scoring for the first time this season with 10 points.
Porter Thackeray paced the Royals with 13 points and Kobe Schriver added 11 in the loss.
The win over the Royals was important for the Bees to keep pace in the region standings. The Braves sit at the top of the table at 3-0, followed by Woods Cross at 2-1. There is a four-way log jam for third through sixth as all four teams sit at 1-2 in the standings.
The Bees will get a chance to rest a little this week with only one game on the schedule, on Friday at home against the Wildcats. That game is scheduled to start at 7 p.m. following the girls’ game.
January 23, 2019 • Jeremy Jones • Staff Writer
Box Elder boys’ basketball head coach Jace McKee has been preaching and emphasizing consistency to his team all year, and last week illustrated why as one bad quarter doomed the team against Bountiful on Wednesday, before four quarters of maximum effort earned the team their first region win over Roy on Friday.
Things started well enough for the Bees Wednesday at home against the Braves, but they took a sharp turn for the worse in the second quarter when turnovers and poor shot selection left the Bees scrambling while Bountiful grew their lead to 20 points by halftime.
The Braves continued to pour on the pressure in the third quarter behind sharpshooter Camron Chism, who led all scorers with 24 points, including five shots from deep. Senior guard Brig Willard and sophomore big man Robert Whaley each added 13 points in the win.
The Bees countered with their post man, sophomore Parker Buchanan, who scored 22 points and recorded a game-high nine rebounds, but there wasn’t enough offensive firepower or defensive stops to mount a serious comeback—no other Box Elder player cracked double digits—and the Braves cruised to a 79-55 win.
Despite the frustrations, the Bees were determined to make the most of their next opportunity Friday on the road against the Royals, who were coming off an emotional win over Viewmont on Wednesday.
The Bees got a spark against the Royals with the return of junior guard Riley Dahlgren, who missed the game against the Braves as he battled bursitis in his knee.
Dahlgren brought some much-needed stability in the backcourt and a deep scoring threat as he dropped in 13 points, including three 3-point baskets.
After both teams struggled through a defensive battle in the first period, the Bees caught their stride in the second quarter and used a 19-8 run to build a lead that they wouldn’t give up en route to a 60-49 win.
Buchanan again led the way with 16 points and senior forward Skyler Laurenti hit double-digit scoring for the first time this season with 10 points.
Porter Thackeray paced the Royals with 13 points and Kobe Schriver added 11 in the loss.
The win over the Royals was important for the Bees to keep pace in the region standings. The Braves sit at the top of the table at 3-0, followed by Woods Cross at 2-1. There is a four-way log jam for third through sixth as all four teams sit at 1-2 in the standings.
The Bees will get a chance to rest a little this week with only one game on the schedule, on Friday at home against the Wildcats. That game is scheduled to start at 7 p.m. following the girls’ game.
Morgan Reeder puts up an awkward shot over a Bountiful defender that went in for two points in the Bees’ 64-46 win over the Braves last week.
Bees blast Bountiful and Roy to stand alone atop Region 5
January 23, 2019 • Jeremy Jones • Staff Writer
The Box Elder High School girls’ basketball team kept their stranglehold on the Region 5 standings last week with convincing wins over Bountiful last Tuesday followed by a road victory over Roy on Friday.
The Bees came out hot from the field against the Braves, then used an 18-5 second quarter run to open up a 20-point lead by halftime as they cruised to a 64-46 win.
Both teams finished shooting 37 percent from the field, but the big difference for the Bees was their shooting behind the 3-point line and the quality and quantity of their free-throw shooting. Box Elder hit 8 of 16 shots behind the arc, while the Braves hit just 5 of 12. From the line, the Bees had a seven-point advantage, going 14 for 19 while the Braves connected on 7 out of 11.
The dynamic duo of Emily Isaacson and Morgan Reeder again led the way for the Bees with Isaacson netting 22 points and grabbing seven rebounds while Reeder added 21 points, four rebounds and three steals.
The Braves were paced by Tashena Ashby with 17 points and a game-high eight rebounds, and Baily Jenkins, who chipped in 10 points and six boards.
On Friday night, the Bees ratcheted up the defensive intensity against the Royals and, while their own shooting wasn’t quite as solid as it had been Tuesday, they more than made up for that on the defensive end as they kept the Royals from scoring in double figures in any quarter, and no player on the roster recorded more than six points as Box Elder ran away with a 55-23 win.
Isaacson was again the high-point scorer in the game with 17, and junior sharpshooter Jenna Mortensen added 11 in the win.
The wins move the Bees to 3-0 in region play and have them in sole possession of first place ahead of Farmington, Viewmont, and Woods Cross, who all sit at 2-1, while the Braves and Royals both fell to 0-3 in the early going.
The Bees had a tough road test last night as they traveled to Farmington to take on the second-place Phoenix (results not available by press time).
On Friday night, the Bees will be back at home and get their first look at Woods Cross. The Wildcats got blown out by the Phoenix last Tuesday, before bouncing back in a hard-fought win over Viewmont to keep pace in the region.
The Wildcats don’t have any players averaging double-digit scoring so far and rely heavily on their defense to grind out close games. They are allowing just more than 38 points per game through three region contests.
The game against the Wildcats is scheduled to start at 5:15 p.m., followed by the boys game at 7 p.m.
January 23, 2019 • Jeremy Jones • Staff Writer
The Box Elder High School girls’ basketball team kept their stranglehold on the Region 5 standings last week with convincing wins over Bountiful last Tuesday followed by a road victory over Roy on Friday.
The Bees came out hot from the field against the Braves, then used an 18-5 second quarter run to open up a 20-point lead by halftime as they cruised to a 64-46 win.
Both teams finished shooting 37 percent from the field, but the big difference for the Bees was their shooting behind the 3-point line and the quality and quantity of their free-throw shooting. Box Elder hit 8 of 16 shots behind the arc, while the Braves hit just 5 of 12. From the line, the Bees had a seven-point advantage, going 14 for 19 while the Braves connected on 7 out of 11.
The dynamic duo of Emily Isaacson and Morgan Reeder again led the way for the Bees with Isaacson netting 22 points and grabbing seven rebounds while Reeder added 21 points, four rebounds and three steals.
The Braves were paced by Tashena Ashby with 17 points and a game-high eight rebounds, and Baily Jenkins, who chipped in 10 points and six boards.
On Friday night, the Bees ratcheted up the defensive intensity against the Royals and, while their own shooting wasn’t quite as solid as it had been Tuesday, they more than made up for that on the defensive end as they kept the Royals from scoring in double figures in any quarter, and no player on the roster recorded more than six points as Box Elder ran away with a 55-23 win.
Isaacson was again the high-point scorer in the game with 17, and junior sharpshooter Jenna Mortensen added 11 in the win.
The wins move the Bees to 3-0 in region play and have them in sole possession of first place ahead of Farmington, Viewmont, and Woods Cross, who all sit at 2-1, while the Braves and Royals both fell to 0-3 in the early going.
The Bees had a tough road test last night as they traveled to Farmington to take on the second-place Phoenix (results not available by press time).
On Friday night, the Bees will be back at home and get their first look at Woods Cross. The Wildcats got blown out by the Phoenix last Tuesday, before bouncing back in a hard-fought win over Viewmont to keep pace in the region.
The Wildcats don’t have any players averaging double-digit scoring so far and rely heavily on their defense to grind out close games. They are allowing just more than 38 points per game through three region contests.
The game against the Wildcats is scheduled to start at 5:15 p.m., followed by the boys game at 7 p.m.
Jenna Mortensen puts up a contested shot in the Bees loss to Copper Hills last Tuesday. Mortensen made the most of her opportunities in the Bees’ next game when Farmington focused on teamates Emily Isaacson and Morgan Reeder, and left Mortensen to score 14 points.
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Girls fall to Copper Hills, blast Farmington
January 16, 2019 • Jeremy Jones • Staff Writer The Box Elder High School girls’ basketball team wrapped up a brutal preseason schedule last Tuesday as the Bees faced their third state-ranked opponent in Copper Hills last Tuesday, before beginning their region schedule at home on Friday against first-year school Farmington. In the preseason, the Bees had already played against Fremont, ranked first in the state, and Corner Canyon, ranked fourth, and came up just short in each. The Grizzlies came into the game against the Bees ranked second, and showed the reason why with crisp passes on offense that lead to easy baskets and a seven-point lead at halftime. That lead ballooned to nearly 20 points toward the end of the third quarter behind the hot-shooting tandem of Breaunna Gillen and Eleyana Tafisi, as each netted 22 points on the night. Lenisi Fineanganofo added 12 points in the win. Despite getting down in the second half, the Bees fought back in the fourth quarter behind their leaders as Morgan Reeder poured in 19 points and Emily Isaacson added 14 with a game-high nine rebounds as the Bees whittled the lead down to seven points with just under four minutes remaining in regulation. But the Bees couldn’t get any closer as the Grizzlies took care of the ball and made free throws down the stretch to seal the win 71-59. The Bees continued region play last night with another home game against Bountiful (results not available by press time). The Braves fell to Viewmont, 48-34, in their region opener last week and were looking to end a three-game losing skid. The Bees will be on the road Friday at Roy. The game against the Royals is scheduled to start at 5:15 p.m., followed by the boy’s game at 7 p.m. |
Bees dominate Farmington, BountifuL
Box Elder’s Jaden Nessen pinned his opponent from Farmington, as did eight of his Box Elder teammates as the Bees made short work of their Region 5 foes, 66-12, last Thursday. The Bees also competed in the Bobcat Brawl where they went undefeated in convincing fashion, beating Alta, 65-3; Bountiful 63-6; Highland, Idaho, 47-18; Logan, 76-0; Preston, Idaho, 80-0; and Sky View, 58-6. Due to the fact that Bountiful only has six varsity wrestlers, the Braves opted to forfeit and cancel their region match with Box Elder originally scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 17. The Bees’ only action this week will be on the road, in Wasatch County for the Rockwell Rumble on Friday and Saturday.
Members of the Box Elder High School wrestling team after their third-place finish at the Richardson Memorial. Last year, the Bees finished fifth at the tournament and sixth in 2017.
Bees climb back to take third at Richardson
January 9, 2019
Heading into the second day of the Richardson Memorial Wrestling tournament, the Box Elder High School squad was tied for fifth in a close contest.
On Saturday, only 11.5 points separated first-place Star Valley from the Bees and Bear River, who both had 88 points.
But the Bees executed on Saturday, leaving Bear River behind and finishing 9.5 points behind second-place Mountain Crest.
The Bees had eight wrestlers place in the tournament, seven of whom competed in the championship semifinals. Five of those won their semifinal bouts, earning spots in the championship Saturday night, three of whom went on to victory. The Bees had more first-place finishes than any other placing.
The championship finals began with an all-Bees affair as Wyatt Romriell and Bridger Ricks faced each other at 106 pounds. Ricks won the match by major decision, 13-1.
Lucas Cochran (170) and Ryan Gunn (285) both won their championship matches by fall.
Brayden Tucker (132) lost his championship bout against a wrestler from Altamont, the team that won the 2019 Richardson Memorial.
Other Box Elder placers were: Matt Bowden (152), fifth; Harrison Hodgson (152), sixth; and Trevor Murray (170), third.
This week, the Bees will host Farmington on Thursday in a region dual. Varsity matches are scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m.
Bees climb back to take third at Richardson
January 9, 2019
Heading into the second day of the Richardson Memorial Wrestling tournament, the Box Elder High School squad was tied for fifth in a close contest.
On Saturday, only 11.5 points separated first-place Star Valley from the Bees and Bear River, who both had 88 points.
But the Bees executed on Saturday, leaving Bear River behind and finishing 9.5 points behind second-place Mountain Crest.
The Bees had eight wrestlers place in the tournament, seven of whom competed in the championship semifinals. Five of those won their semifinal bouts, earning spots in the championship Saturday night, three of whom went on to victory. The Bees had more first-place finishes than any other placing.
The championship finals began with an all-Bees affair as Wyatt Romriell and Bridger Ricks faced each other at 106 pounds. Ricks won the match by major decision, 13-1.
Lucas Cochran (170) and Ryan Gunn (285) both won their championship matches by fall.
Brayden Tucker (132) lost his championship bout against a wrestler from Altamont, the team that won the 2019 Richardson Memorial.
Other Box Elder placers were: Matt Bowden (152), fifth; Harrison Hodgson (152), sixth; and Trevor Murray (170), third.
This week, the Bees will host Farmington on Thursday in a region dual. Varsity matches are scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m.
Girls have their way with young Mountain Crest team
Emily Isaacson drives the lane for two of her game-high 25 points. Isaacson also pulled down 18 rebounds in a solo exhibition.
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January 9, 2019 • Jeremy Jones • Staff Writer
The Box Elder High School girls’ basketball team took care of business in convincing fashion in its only game last week when it hosted Mountain Crest and blew out the guests, 60-41. With fellow running-mate Morgan Reeder slowed by an illness, senior wing Emily Isaacson stole the show on both ends of the court for the Bees as she finished with 25 points and 18 rebounds to overwhelm the Mustangs from the start. Following the game, Bees’ head coach Aaron Dooley said he was happy with the result and saw a more complete game from his team, even when playing with a big lead. “We did what we were supposed to do against a young team tonight,” Dooley said. “There have been a few games this season where it seemed like we played down to our competition and that has bitten us a couple of times, so it was really good to see the girls stay focused and just take care of business.” The win moves the Bees to 7-4 in the preseason with just one more tune-up before beginning region play Friday against Farmington. The final preseason game was one the Bees had circled on the calendar as one of the toughest games of the year, against 6A powerhouse Copper Hills last night (results not available by press time). The road won’t get any easier for the Bees once region play begins as they host one of the preseason favorites Friday. According to Dooley, the Bees possess the keys for success, they just have to use them consistently. “We’ve proven to ourselves so far this year that we can beat anybody we want to beat if we put everything together,” Dooley said. “We’ve learned how to play Box Elder basketball no matter what the other team is doing, and if we can keep being ourselves night in and night out, we’ll be in good positions all season.” The game against the Phoenix is scheduled to start at 5:15 p.m. and will be followed by the boys’ game at 7 p.m. As the preseason winds down, the Bees are led by Isaacson, who is averaging a double-double per game with 17.5 points and 10 rebounds. Reeder is also averaging double figures at 14 points per game. |
Bees blasted by Hawks at Utah Autism Holiday Classic, bounce back over Warriors
The Box Elder High School boys’ basketball team came into the week needing a confidence boost and some kind of spark to turn their season around before starting region play, and they had two cracks at it following the Christmas break.
The Bees came out sluggish against Alta on Thursday night at the Utah Autism Holiday Classic hosted by Olympus High School, and that slow start doomed the team to an eventual 46-68 loss.
The team did find a way to start strong against Taylorsville on Friday night back at home and used that fast start to propel them to a 72-65 win to snap a three-game skid.
The game against the Hawks was reminiscent of the game against Bear River the week before when the Bees couldn’t buy a basket in the first quarter, and found themselves down 18-3 after the first frame.
Things evened up a bit in the second period, but the Bees were never able to mount a serious comeback as the Hawks cruised to the win behind a game-high 17 points from Indy Hanson and 15 points from Jaden Brownell.
The Bees were lead by sophomore big man Parker Buchanan with 15 points. Fellow post player Spencer Huff added 11.
After the game, Bees’ head coach Jace McKee said he thought the Christmas break negatively impacted the team.
“We didn’t have a lot of energy tonight and we weren’t ourselves out there,” McKee said. “We just weren’t sharp and it was a struggle all night.”
Against Weber, the Bees responded to the wake-up call and jumped out early, building a 21-5 lead after the first quarter. They used that momentum to take a 20-point lead into the halftime break.
The Warriors stormed back with some hot outside shooting in the third quarter and eventually got within a point, 66-65, with just over a minute remaining in the fourth. The Bees made the necessary plays down the stretch and shut the Warriors out the rest of the way to secure the win.
Buchanan again lead the way with 27 points and the Bees got a big lift with the return of junior guard Riley Dahlgren, who had been out with an ankle injury for the last two games. Dahlgren is one of the primary ball handlers and his experience and decision-making helped the Bees break the Warrior press to get some easy baskets, along with adding 13 points of his own.
Senior guard Ronnie Smith also hit double figures with 12 points in the win.
The Warriors were led by James Gavin, who pumped in a career-high 23 points, including four shots from behind the arc. Eric Giang added 16 points, all from three-point territory, and Cameron Millican chipped in 13.
Coach McKee cited the strong start and then mental toughness down the stretch as the keys to the win.
“Today, we got some of that Christmas break out of us and played really well early. We had a really good first half and had a lot better energy on defense,” McKee said. “[The Warriors] made some runs in the second half and hit a lot of threes, but I was happy with how we responded down the stretch with some tough finishes and barely enough free throws to get the win.”
The week moves the Bees to 2-6 in the preseason with just two tune-up games left before starting region play at home next Friday against Farmington.
The Bees will be in action just once this week as they travel to Cache Valley to take on Logan on Friday night.
The Grizzlies currently sit at 3-7 and are lead by senior big man Josh Jensen, who is averaging 13 points per outing.
The game against the Grizzlies is scheduled to start at 7 p.m.
Bear River’s Taggert Bingham tries to keep his back off the mat in the final moments of the 120-pound bout against Box Elder’s Isaac Richardson. Bingham was up by two in the closely-contested match before Richardson was able to earn a win by fall in the final moments of the third period.
Bragging rights
After four weights had wrestled, beginning with a win by decision by Box Elder’s Trevor Murray, the Bees and Bears were were tied, 9-9.
But from that point, the dual meet between the two rivals was dominated by Box Elder as the Bees took back bragging rights, which Bear River had possessed the last two years, with a 37-22 win.
“To be honest, our kids treated it as any other dual; they just wanted to win and did exactly what they were supposed to, that is, maintain good position and staying off their backs,” said head coach Jed Craner, who was visibly excited following a few matches.
“I don’t usually get that pumped up during duels, but I really wanted to bring the rivalry home to B.E.,” said Craner. “The kids have worked very hard and they deserved that win.”
Following a pin by Bear River’s Colter Freeze that tied the score, the Bees went on a run that started with a win by fall from last year’s 5A state runner-up, Ryan Gunn (285 pounds), and ended with potentially the most exciting match of the night, as Isaac Richards (120 pounds) was able to pin the Bears’ Taggert Bingham in the waning moments of the final period.
Richards fell behind in the first period after a takedown by Bingham, but the rest of the bout would prove uneventful as neither of the two closely matched wrestlers were able to take advantage of starting on top, or escape when they started on bottom.
Richards began the third period on bottom, and was able to start turning the tables when he got to his feet with Bingham hanging too high on Richard’s back. Neither wrestler was awarded control of the situation, but Richards’ position was superior. With about 20 seconds left in the bout, Richards was able to put Bingham’s back to the mat, and give his team a 28-9 lead.
Craner said Richards’ match was “incredible” but not “surprising.”
“Isaac never stops wrestling, he battles every match, all match long, no matter what the score,” Craner said. “He could’ve been down 10-0 and still come out with a pin, simply because he never stops wrestling.”
Two weights later, the Bees all but secured the win when Quintan Knight pinned the Bears’ Zackery Folkman with less than a minute expired from the first period to increase Box Elder’s lead, 34-12.
Knight’s match was the standout bout, according to Craner.
“Quinton has wrestled JV all season—not to say he’s not varsity caliber. His performance stunned me as he went out, took his opponent down, and proceeded to cradle and pin him,” Craner said.
The Bees earned wins by fall from Lucas Cochran (182), Gunn, Richards, and Knight.
Freshman Bridger Ricks (106) faced a formidable challenge from Bear River’s Porter Tackett, and by the end of the second period, the outcome was still in question as Ricks held a narrow lead, 4-1. But Ricks poured it on the third period and scored five points with a takedown and nearfall (3) to notch a major decision for the Bees.
“I am very proud of our kids both JV and varsity. They wrestled well and maintained good position, only giving up one pin all night,” Craner said.
The Bees have one match this week, tomorrow, Thursday, Dec. 27, when they hit the road to take on Fremont.
Lacrosse to begin in Box Elder high schools next school year
Following meetings in which there were outpourings of public support, as well as support from board members, district officials and educators, the Box Elder School District Board of Education unanimously voted to sanction lacrosse.
The newly-sanctioned sport will begin at Bear River and Box Elder high schools in the fall of 2019 for both boys’ and girls’ varsity and JV teams. It is the 11th sport sanctioned by the Utah High School Activities Association (UHSAA).
District Assistant Superintendent Keith Mecham said while most of the equipment will be donated from lacrosse clubs that have been competing in Box Elder County for the past 15 years, students will still need to purchase a few items. These include sticks, gloves, arm and shoulder pads, shoes and goggles. The approximate start-up costs for boys is $355 and $280 for girls.
The schools will provide goals, balls, helmets (boys only, as girls don’t wear helmets) field paint, uniforms, practice gear and goalie equipment. The total start-up cost to the district is estimated at about $50,700, but clubs will donate about $17,500 in equipment.
The biggest cost, which would be ongoing, is the $24,680 in coaching stipends for one head coach and one assistant per school.
The uniforms are being donated, “So, initially we’re good there,” said Mecham. “But eventually we’ll need to buy new ones, which is determined by if the kids keep the uniforms or not.”
Busing may be an issue, as both boys’ and girls’ teams will compete in the spring, he said. Also, athletic directors at both schools will experience more stress as they ensure eligibility and game preparation is met.
Despite attendant challenges that may arise, sanctioning lacrosse was important, he said, because according to UHSAA by-laws, a sanctioned high school team cannot compete with club teams.
Not participating in the UHSAA could have resulted in Box Elder club teams not having enough competition to play much this upcoming year, as many high schools will now have sanctioned lacrosse teams.
The newly-sanctioned sport will begin at Bear River and Box Elder high schools in the fall of 2019 for both boys’ and girls’ varsity and JV teams. It is the 11th sport sanctioned by the Utah High School Activities Association (UHSAA).
District Assistant Superintendent Keith Mecham said while most of the equipment will be donated from lacrosse clubs that have been competing in Box Elder County for the past 15 years, students will still need to purchase a few items. These include sticks, gloves, arm and shoulder pads, shoes and goggles. The approximate start-up costs for boys is $355 and $280 for girls.
The schools will provide goals, balls, helmets (boys only, as girls don’t wear helmets) field paint, uniforms, practice gear and goalie equipment. The total start-up cost to the district is estimated at about $50,700, but clubs will donate about $17,500 in equipment.
The biggest cost, which would be ongoing, is the $24,680 in coaching stipends for one head coach and one assistant per school.
The uniforms are being donated, “So, initially we’re good there,” said Mecham. “But eventually we’ll need to buy new ones, which is determined by if the kids keep the uniforms or not.”
Busing may be an issue, as both boys’ and girls’ teams will compete in the spring, he said. Also, athletic directors at both schools will experience more stress as they ensure eligibility and game preparation is met.
Despite attendant challenges that may arise, sanctioning lacrosse was important, he said, because according to UHSAA by-laws, a sanctioned high school team cannot compete with club teams.
Not participating in the UHSAA could have resulted in Box Elder club teams not having enough competition to play much this upcoming year, as many high schools will now have sanctioned lacrosse teams.
Bees fall to Wolves, beat Riverhawks in dramatic fashion
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December 19, 2018 • Jeremy Jones • Staff Writer
It was a roller coaster week for the Box Elder High School boys’ basketball team, which started low as the team fell to Green Canyon 89-72 Tuesday night, but then finished riding high with a 71-70 win over Ridgeline on Friday. Bees’ head coach Jace McKee said the team definitely has room to improve, but he sees them on the right path in the early going. “Friday night, we showed a lot more of what we can be than we did on Tuesday. Things started well on Tuesday [against the Wolves], but we couldn’t maintain it and we ended up in a big hole,” McKee said. “On Friday, we played much better on the defensive end, so that was really good to see. The win was the first for the Bees in the preseason and moves them to 1-3. The boys will be back in action at home tonight against Clearfield. The Falcons enter the game with a 4-4 preseason record and are lead by senior guard Connor Izatt, who is averaging just under 16 points per game. The game against the Falcons is scheduled to start at 7 p.m. This Friday, the Bees will be in action in the second game of a double-header in Tremonton when they take on Bear River. The girls team plays first at 5:15 p.m. and will be followed by the boys at 7 p.m. Looking ahead to the coming week, coach McKee said, “We’re really looking to get better defensively. That’s where we’ve struggled in our games so far and that will be our focus this week.” |
Bees stymie Logan’s top offensive threat in 57-49 win
Box Elder’s Jenna Mortensen (second from left) nearly breaks up a pass from Logan’s Amber Kartchner, who was the second-leading scorer in the state with just under 25 points per contest. Mortensen drew defensive duty on Kartchner, and held the Grizzlies’ top offensive threat to just 15 points.
December 12, 2018 • Jeremy Jones • Staff Writer
The Box Elder High School girls’ basketball team passed a tough test last Friday night when it hosted Logan in its first home game of the year, coming away with a hard-fought 57-49 win.
Coming into the game, the Bees knew one of the keys to success would be to contain junior Grizzly guard Amber Kartchner, who entered the game as the second-leading scorer in the state, averaging just under 25 points per contest.
Following the game, Bees’ head coach Aaron Dooley said he was happy with the way his team defended such a prolific scorer.
“We figured coming in that we had two or three girls that would make [Kartchner] work hard for her shots,” Dooley said. “We put Jenna Mortensen on her to start and she did such a good job that we didn’t take her off her. My hat’s off to Jenna tonight, she did a really great job defensively.”
Mortensen, along with the rest of the Box Elder defense, hassled and harassed Kartchner all night, holding her to just 15 points, including just one successful 3-point attempt, both of which were the second-lowest stats of the season for her.
On the other side of the court, the Bees were led by Morgan Reeder, who took advantage of the zone defense the Grizzlies gave for much of the night and pumped in 20 points including three balls from downtown.
Emily Isaacson added 14 points and a game-high 10 rebounds in the win.
Sophomore post player Taylor Rose cracked double figures with 10 points for the Grizzlies.
The Bees also won the battle at the free-throw line, connecting on 14 of 16 attempts from the charity stripe while the Grizzlies made just 6 of 9 attempts.
Even with the victory, coach Dooley saw areas for the team to improve this week in practice ahead of its next game, which was last night at Weber (results not available by press time).
“We certainly have some things we need to clean up,” Dooley said. “In the first half especially, we had some really bad turnovers that we really shouldn’t have had, and those were a little uncharacteristic of us. We also talked about guarding dribble penetration at halftime and I thought we made a good adjustment there after the break.”
The win moves the Bees to 4-1 on the year while the Grizzlies fall to 5-2 with their second straight defeat.
Friday, the Bees will be in action on the road when they head to Smithfield in Cache Valley to take on Sky View.
The Bobcats have a 2-4 record entering the game and are lead by post player Kristen Schumann, who is averaging 17 points and 8.5 rebounds per game.
The game against the Bobcats is scheduled to start at 7 p.m.
December 12, 2018 • Jeremy Jones • Staff Writer
The Box Elder High School girls’ basketball team passed a tough test last Friday night when it hosted Logan in its first home game of the year, coming away with a hard-fought 57-49 win.
Coming into the game, the Bees knew one of the keys to success would be to contain junior Grizzly guard Amber Kartchner, who entered the game as the second-leading scorer in the state, averaging just under 25 points per contest.
Following the game, Bees’ head coach Aaron Dooley said he was happy with the way his team defended such a prolific scorer.
“We figured coming in that we had two or three girls that would make [Kartchner] work hard for her shots,” Dooley said. “We put Jenna Mortensen on her to start and she did such a good job that we didn’t take her off her. My hat’s off to Jenna tonight, she did a really great job defensively.”
Mortensen, along with the rest of the Box Elder defense, hassled and harassed Kartchner all night, holding her to just 15 points, including just one successful 3-point attempt, both of which were the second-lowest stats of the season for her.
On the other side of the court, the Bees were led by Morgan Reeder, who took advantage of the zone defense the Grizzlies gave for much of the night and pumped in 20 points including three balls from downtown.
Emily Isaacson added 14 points and a game-high 10 rebounds in the win.
Sophomore post player Taylor Rose cracked double figures with 10 points for the Grizzlies.
The Bees also won the battle at the free-throw line, connecting on 14 of 16 attempts from the charity stripe while the Grizzlies made just 6 of 9 attempts.
Even with the victory, coach Dooley saw areas for the team to improve this week in practice ahead of its next game, which was last night at Weber (results not available by press time).
“We certainly have some things we need to clean up,” Dooley said. “In the first half especially, we had some really bad turnovers that we really shouldn’t have had, and those were a little uncharacteristic of us. We also talked about guarding dribble penetration at halftime and I thought we made a good adjustment there after the break.”
The win moves the Bees to 4-1 on the year while the Grizzlies fall to 5-2 with their second straight defeat.
Friday, the Bees will be in action on the road when they head to Smithfield in Cache Valley to take on Sky View.
The Bobcats have a 2-4 record entering the game and are lead by post player Kristen Schumann, who is averaging 17 points and 8.5 rebounds per game.
The game against the Bobcats is scheduled to start at 7 p.m.
Boys continue winning streak at Riverton
The Box Elder High School boys’ swim team pose with its championship plaque after winning the Riverton Silver Rush Invitation last weekend. Over the past few weeks, the boys have gone on a tear, winning the Park City Invitational as well as dual meets against Woods Cross and Ridgeline. The girls’ team has also fared well, winning dual meets against Woods Cross and Ridgeline, and coming in third at Riverton and fourth at Park City.
From ‘overweight bench warmer’ to elite athlete
Spencer Johnson (above) says endurance running can be lonely, and it’s nice to have the camaraderie and support of team members of the U.S. Military Endurance Sports Team. Johnson started running after he decided to join the Air Force and needed to get in shape.
Spencer Johnson is chosen for second stint on elite military endurance sports team
December 2, 2018 • Sean Hales • Managing Editor
Spencer Johnson always liked sports, but as a self-described “overweight kid with really low self-confidence,” he didn’t participate in extracurricular athletics programs as a student at Box Elder High School.
“I did manage to play one year of football as an offensive lineman, but I rode the bench,” Johnson, 36, said. “Being overweight was a big obstacle for me growing up and I wasn’t confident enough in myself to go and try out for other teams.”
But a simple desire to serve the country in the United States Air Force transformed Johnson from an overweight kid with low self-confidence into an elite athlete who was recently selected as a member of the U.S. Military Endurance Sports Team for the second year in a row.
The USMES is a non-profit organization with a mission to promote sports as part of a healthy lifestyle to active members and veterans of the U.S. armed forces. This year, 70 candidates applied for the team, and Johnson is one of the 16 cyclists, triathletes and runners to be selected. The team will compete in major events across the country in a season.
As much as anything, Johnson views his membership on USMES as proof that nothing is out of reach.
“I do have to say that running has really been a life-changing ambition for me. It helped transform me...into a much better version of myself. I am living proof that anyone can transform themselves if they just commit,” Johnson wrote via email from Kabul, Afghanistan, where he is currently stationed in support of the NATO mission “Resolute Support.” He is the chief of information and knowledge management, and his job includes ensuring critical information and historical data are preserved and shared with coalition partners in support of the train, advise, and assist mission in Afghanistan.
Following his graduation from Box Elder in 2000, Johnson, son of Eugene and Sharon Johnson of Brigham City, served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Upon his return, he decided to pursue a career in the Air Force but knew he needed to be in better shape, so he started running and lifting weights.
“By the time I went to basic training I was in pretty good shape, and much to my surprise I was outrunning everyone,” Johnson wrote. “The more I ran, the faster I got and the more I loved it.”
At the end of basic training, in the final 1.5-mile run before graduation, Johnson outran all of the nearly 200 trainees in his group and posted the fastest time in his graduating class.
“The adrenaline rush I got from that experience spurred me on,” Johnson wrote. Running was no longer a necessity required by his chosen career path, but a passion. He started participating in road races when he arrived at his first duty station at Robins Air Force Base in Georgia in 2003, and the passion grew into an addiction. Over the next 14 years, he ran hundreds of races.
In 2017, Johnson decided to apply to be a sponsored athlete for USMES and was accepted to represent the team for the 2018 season. That year he competed in three major races: he finished third overall in the Myrtle Beach Marathon with a time of 2 hours 47 minutes (2:47), was ninth overall in the Umstead 100-mile race with a time of 17:59, and in the top 3 percent in the Grandmas Marathon. His results—the two marathons were the fastest he’d ever run—were good enough to earn him a spot on this year’s USMES team.
“Age hasn’t caught up to me yet and being part of the USMES team motivated me to push harder,” Johnson wrote.
Being a sponsored athlete with USMES means receiving stipends to compete in some events, having gear and apparel provided, and sponsors provide free or discounted products.
“Endurance races are not overly expensive, but when you are doing several a year—and throughout the country—it is helpful to have some support,” Johnson said. Additionally, Johnson appreciates the community of athletes of which he is a part.
“Endurance racing can be a lonely sport so it is nice to see a familiar face wearing the same colors as you,” Johnson said. “Being on the sponsored team is very motivating for me and it has really pushed me to train harder than ever.”
Johnson is currently being trained by a former national-level Ultra runner, Howard Nippert, and hopes the experience will result in top finishes at the Boston Marathon Shadow Run in Kabul, the Chasing Jefferson Davis Marathon, the Air Force Marathon in Ohio, and the Javelina Jundred (100-kilometer race) in Arizona. His goal in the marathons is to shave at least seven minutes of his previous personal best of 2:47.
Johnson is a husband and the father to three children, who he said are his inspiration, and who have been swept up in his passion. His wife has taken up racing, and his son is on his school’s cross country team, which Johnson and his wife coach.
Johnson, a commissioned Air Force cyber officer, was recently selected for promotion to the rank of major, and plans on remaining in the Air Force for at least the next five years until retirement is an option.
At the end of the career that gave him his passion, Johnson plans to turn his passion into a second career, coaching running “in some sort of capacity.”
More information about the USMES is available online at www.usmes.org. Any current or former member of the armed forces can join the USMES.
Spencer Johnson is chosen for second stint on elite military endurance sports team
December 2, 2018 • Sean Hales • Managing Editor
Spencer Johnson always liked sports, but as a self-described “overweight kid with really low self-confidence,” he didn’t participate in extracurricular athletics programs as a student at Box Elder High School.
“I did manage to play one year of football as an offensive lineman, but I rode the bench,” Johnson, 36, said. “Being overweight was a big obstacle for me growing up and I wasn’t confident enough in myself to go and try out for other teams.”
But a simple desire to serve the country in the United States Air Force transformed Johnson from an overweight kid with low self-confidence into an elite athlete who was recently selected as a member of the U.S. Military Endurance Sports Team for the second year in a row.
The USMES is a non-profit organization with a mission to promote sports as part of a healthy lifestyle to active members and veterans of the U.S. armed forces. This year, 70 candidates applied for the team, and Johnson is one of the 16 cyclists, triathletes and runners to be selected. The team will compete in major events across the country in a season.
As much as anything, Johnson views his membership on USMES as proof that nothing is out of reach.
“I do have to say that running has really been a life-changing ambition for me. It helped transform me...into a much better version of myself. I am living proof that anyone can transform themselves if they just commit,” Johnson wrote via email from Kabul, Afghanistan, where he is currently stationed in support of the NATO mission “Resolute Support.” He is the chief of information and knowledge management, and his job includes ensuring critical information and historical data are preserved and shared with coalition partners in support of the train, advise, and assist mission in Afghanistan.
Following his graduation from Box Elder in 2000, Johnson, son of Eugene and Sharon Johnson of Brigham City, served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Upon his return, he decided to pursue a career in the Air Force but knew he needed to be in better shape, so he started running and lifting weights.
“By the time I went to basic training I was in pretty good shape, and much to my surprise I was outrunning everyone,” Johnson wrote. “The more I ran, the faster I got and the more I loved it.”
At the end of basic training, in the final 1.5-mile run before graduation, Johnson outran all of the nearly 200 trainees in his group and posted the fastest time in his graduating class.
“The adrenaline rush I got from that experience spurred me on,” Johnson wrote. Running was no longer a necessity required by his chosen career path, but a passion. He started participating in road races when he arrived at his first duty station at Robins Air Force Base in Georgia in 2003, and the passion grew into an addiction. Over the next 14 years, he ran hundreds of races.
In 2017, Johnson decided to apply to be a sponsored athlete for USMES and was accepted to represent the team for the 2018 season. That year he competed in three major races: he finished third overall in the Myrtle Beach Marathon with a time of 2 hours 47 minutes (2:47), was ninth overall in the Umstead 100-mile race with a time of 17:59, and in the top 3 percent in the Grandmas Marathon. His results—the two marathons were the fastest he’d ever run—were good enough to earn him a spot on this year’s USMES team.
“Age hasn’t caught up to me yet and being part of the USMES team motivated me to push harder,” Johnson wrote.
Being a sponsored athlete with USMES means receiving stipends to compete in some events, having gear and apparel provided, and sponsors provide free or discounted products.
“Endurance races are not overly expensive, but when you are doing several a year—and throughout the country—it is helpful to have some support,” Johnson said. Additionally, Johnson appreciates the community of athletes of which he is a part.
“Endurance racing can be a lonely sport so it is nice to see a familiar face wearing the same colors as you,” Johnson said. “Being on the sponsored team is very motivating for me and it has really pushed me to train harder than ever.”
Johnson is currently being trained by a former national-level Ultra runner, Howard Nippert, and hopes the experience will result in top finishes at the Boston Marathon Shadow Run in Kabul, the Chasing Jefferson Davis Marathon, the Air Force Marathon in Ohio, and the Javelina Jundred (100-kilometer race) in Arizona. His goal in the marathons is to shave at least seven minutes of his previous personal best of 2:47.
Johnson is a husband and the father to three children, who he said are his inspiration, and who have been swept up in his passion. His wife has taken up racing, and his son is on his school’s cross country team, which Johnson and his wife coach.
Johnson, a commissioned Air Force cyber officer, was recently selected for promotion to the rank of major, and plans on remaining in the Air Force for at least the next five years until retirement is an option.
At the end of the career that gave him his passion, Johnson plans to turn his passion into a second career, coaching running “in some sort of capacity.”
More information about the USMES is available online at www.usmes.org. Any current or former member of the armed forces can join the USMES.
Dynamic Duo
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Seniors Emily Isaacson (left) and Morgan Reeder (right) led the Bees in numerous significant statistical categories last year, with Isaacson being first in most of them and Reeder following closely behind.
Returning seniors bring back majority of Bees’ offense, defense
November 28, 2018 • Jeremy Jones • Staff Writer
The Box Elder High School girls’ basketball team is looking forward to getting their season underway this week, which kicked off last night at Judge Memorial High School.
Bees’ head coach Aaron Dooley said the team is excited to get some games under its belt and will be leaning on some experienced players, especially in the early going as the team finds its identity.
“We’ve got a lot of girls back that kind of know where we’re at,” Dooley said. “We’ve also got some girls that have some good, contagious attitudes and we really like that.”
This year, the Bees will lean heavily on a dynamic duo of seniors who contributed much to the Bees’ success last year. Emily Isaacson, last year’s leading scorer who just signed a letter of intent to play at Dixie State next year, and fellow senior Morgan Reeder, also a starting guard last year, led the team in all the major statistical categories.
Isaacson and Reeder return the majority of the Bees’ offense from last season, as the two produced more than half of the Bees’ 1,220 total points. Isaacson was far and away Box Elder’s most potent threat to score, recording a team-leading 422 points (17.58 average per game), both inside and outside the arc. Reeder was second in scoring behind Isaacson, with 240 points.
As a junior, Isaacson was arguably the Bees’ most important player, leading in several important statistical categories including 3-point scoring (48), rebounds (200, 8.33 per game), assists (55) and steals (55). Reeder was not far behind in many of those categories with 43 assists and 52 steals.
The Bees will miss the rebounds and assists produced by three of last years’ seniors, but Box Elder has a strong group of supporting cast and underclassmen, several of whom contributed on the varsity level last year and will be looking to make an even bigger impact this season in expanded roles. Three of those include center Annika Quayle, who gave reliable relief to starting center Andreanna McKee. Quayle scored 68 points and pulled down 70 rebounds last year.
Other key returners are junior guards Kate Johnson and Jenna Mortensen.
The Bees opened their season for the second straight year against the Bulldogs of Judge Memorial last night (results not available by press time).
This weekend, the team will head south for some warmer weather and three chances to play against teams they wouldn’t normally face as they’ll take on Salem Hills on Thursday, Desert Hills on Friday, and Hurricane on Saturday at the Desert Hills Holiday Classic in St. George.
To have success in the early going, coach Dooley said he is looking to rely on his team’s familiarity with their system and each other as a strength.
“Obviously every year and every team is a little bit different, but these girls are a little bit more familiar with their reactions and their ball reactions, so I think that’s going to be a strength for us,” Dooley said.
After their trip to St. George, the Bees will be back in action Friday, Dec. 7, in their home opener against Logan. The game against the Grizzlies is scheduled to start at 7 p.m.
That is the beginning of a challenging preseason schedule that includes games against Fremont, Corner Canyon, and Copper Hills ahead of their first region game against Farmington on Jan. 11.
Of the preseason schedule, coach Dooley said, “We have a pretty tough preseason and we want to go through our preseason and get some good, quality games. We don’t want to build any type of false confidence by just playing teams we know we can beat. We want to play teams that are going to push us and challenge us and make us better. We think we have that in our preseason schedule and we’ll be looking to get better every game.”
In addition to those early tests, the Bees will take on Sky View and Mountain Crest from Cache Valley in the month of December and will travel to Garland to take on rival Bear River on Dec. 21.
Once region play starts, there will be a lot of new faces around the region as Roy, Viewmont, and Bountiful all had senior-laden teams last year and will have very different-looking rosters than they did a year ago.
With those changes, coupled with Farmington competing in its first year, the Bees figure to be in the mix for what may shape up to be another hotly contested region championship in 2019.
Returning seniors bring back majority of Bees’ offense, defense
November 28, 2018 • Jeremy Jones • Staff Writer
The Box Elder High School girls’ basketball team is looking forward to getting their season underway this week, which kicked off last night at Judge Memorial High School.
Bees’ head coach Aaron Dooley said the team is excited to get some games under its belt and will be leaning on some experienced players, especially in the early going as the team finds its identity.
“We’ve got a lot of girls back that kind of know where we’re at,” Dooley said. “We’ve also got some girls that have some good, contagious attitudes and we really like that.”
This year, the Bees will lean heavily on a dynamic duo of seniors who contributed much to the Bees’ success last year. Emily Isaacson, last year’s leading scorer who just signed a letter of intent to play at Dixie State next year, and fellow senior Morgan Reeder, also a starting guard last year, led the team in all the major statistical categories.
Isaacson and Reeder return the majority of the Bees’ offense from last season, as the two produced more than half of the Bees’ 1,220 total points. Isaacson was far and away Box Elder’s most potent threat to score, recording a team-leading 422 points (17.58 average per game), both inside and outside the arc. Reeder was second in scoring behind Isaacson, with 240 points.
As a junior, Isaacson was arguably the Bees’ most important player, leading in several important statistical categories including 3-point scoring (48), rebounds (200, 8.33 per game), assists (55) and steals (55). Reeder was not far behind in many of those categories with 43 assists and 52 steals.
The Bees will miss the rebounds and assists produced by three of last years’ seniors, but Box Elder has a strong group of supporting cast and underclassmen, several of whom contributed on the varsity level last year and will be looking to make an even bigger impact this season in expanded roles. Three of those include center Annika Quayle, who gave reliable relief to starting center Andreanna McKee. Quayle scored 68 points and pulled down 70 rebounds last year.
Other key returners are junior guards Kate Johnson and Jenna Mortensen.
The Bees opened their season for the second straight year against the Bulldogs of Judge Memorial last night (results not available by press time).
This weekend, the team will head south for some warmer weather and three chances to play against teams they wouldn’t normally face as they’ll take on Salem Hills on Thursday, Desert Hills on Friday, and Hurricane on Saturday at the Desert Hills Holiday Classic in St. George.
To have success in the early going, coach Dooley said he is looking to rely on his team’s familiarity with their system and each other as a strength.
“Obviously every year and every team is a little bit different, but these girls are a little bit more familiar with their reactions and their ball reactions, so I think that’s going to be a strength for us,” Dooley said.
After their trip to St. George, the Bees will be back in action Friday, Dec. 7, in their home opener against Logan. The game against the Grizzlies is scheduled to start at 7 p.m.
That is the beginning of a challenging preseason schedule that includes games against Fremont, Corner Canyon, and Copper Hills ahead of their first region game against Farmington on Jan. 11.
Of the preseason schedule, coach Dooley said, “We have a pretty tough preseason and we want to go through our preseason and get some good, quality games. We don’t want to build any type of false confidence by just playing teams we know we can beat. We want to play teams that are going to push us and challenge us and make us better. We think we have that in our preseason schedule and we’ll be looking to get better every game.”
In addition to those early tests, the Bees will take on Sky View and Mountain Crest from Cache Valley in the month of December and will travel to Garland to take on rival Bear River on Dec. 21.
Once region play starts, there will be a lot of new faces around the region as Roy, Viewmont, and Bountiful all had senior-laden teams last year and will have very different-looking rosters than they did a year ago.
With those changes, coupled with Farmington competing in its first year, the Bees figure to be in the mix for what may shape up to be another hotly contested region championship in 2019.
District considering sanctioning lacrosse at county high schools
November 21, 2018 • Nancy Browne • Staff Writer
Following an outpouring of positive support at the Box Elder School District Board of Education meeting last Wednesday, it’s beginning to look like lacrosse may soon be a sanctioned sport in the district.
If approved, the sport that has been played at the club level for more than 15 years in Box Elder County would begin at the high schools in the 2019-20 school year. The Board put it on the agenda to discuss it so a decision could be made before the Jan. 2, 2019, deadline set by the Utah High School Activities Association Board of Trustees.
The UHSAA approved lacrosse as a sanctioned sport for both boys and girls on May 5, 2017, making it the 11th sport sanctioned by the organization.
Superintendent Steven Carlsen said, “I believe strongly in students being involved in extra curricular activities.” He cited a study that showed 46 to 60 percent of students don’t feel connected to their schools.
Carlsen said he supported sanctioning lacrosse, but had a few reservations, including heavy travel and bus usage from February to May, and additional fees for families that may not be able to afford them. While fees can be waived in some cases, the school board can’t cover costs associated with extracurricular athletics.
He also mentioned the cost of paying coaches, and that Box Elder High School has a field where the team can play but Bear River does not. Also, preparing fields takes full-time employees which needs to be considered.
Bear River High School athletic director Van Park said he was not enthusiastic about sanctioning lacrosse because of costs and finding field space, but “came on board” when he saw the enthusiasm among students and that local lacrosse clubs were willing to donate equipment to the schools.
“We will donate everything we have to the school,” including goals, balls, helmets, goalie gear, and uniforms, said Trisha Gaythan, president of Box Elder Lacrosse Boys’ Club. She echoed similar pledges from other club coaches in attendance.
She said the number of elementary and middle school players is also growing, which will ensure increased skill sets when they join the high school teams.
Alan Shakespear, a girl’s junior varsity coach, said, “I know it’s sacred ground but it [lacrosse] can also be played on a football field for both boys and girls.”
Shakespear also addressed a concern that adding another sport will dilute the pool of available talent for other sports. “Out of our 32 girls from last year, only three also did another sport. So, it does really provide a great outlet,” he said.
Juan Gaythan, Box Elder head coach, emphasized that all students are welcome to play. “We don’t cut players. They’re drawn to lacrosse because we take them all,” another good reason for sanctioning the sport, he argued.
Several students, parents, and club coaches stood and explained how lacrosse also engenders a special kind of sportsmanship not always found in other sports.
Steven Shipp, who used to play lacrosse as a student and now helps coach, said “I tried out for football but it didn’t work out for me. Then a friend invited me to try lacrosse and it was a totally different environment. I started to realize, ‘Hey, this is a great thing.’
“It helped me to grow, so I just really hope you’ll give these kids an opportunity to show what they can do,” he said, adding that colleges are even going to the games to see who might be scholarship material.
Kaylee Munns, a Bear River High School student and student member of the school board who plays lacrosse, said, “In lacrosse, there is so much respect for each other. This is a good opportunity to get kids who are not involved in a lot to come out.”
Jim Peterson said as other districts and schools sanction lacrosse, it will be come more difficult to have a club program since clubs can’t play against teams from schools that have sanctioned the sport.
“Alpine School District petitioned the state to have their club teams play the high schools if they (Alpine) weren’t sanctioned and it was turned down,” he said. “So, if we want to play other high schools, we need to sanction it.” It was suggested by many that Davis and Weber schools will most likely have sanctioned teams.
Another consideration came from Assistant Superintendent Keith Mecham, who explained that all coaching positions would be open to the public and not necessarily go to current club coaches. He also noted that students would need to meet certain eligibility requirements such as having a 2.0 grade point average.
One head coach and two assistant coaches for both boys’ and girls’ programs at both high schools would cost about $34,000, according to information provided by the school district.
Each boy player must purchase their own stick, shoulder pads, gloves and elbow pads while each girl must purchase a stick and goggles. Only goalies on girls’ teams use a helmet.
“This is a really affordable sport,” interjected Board Member Nancy Kennedy. “Sticks are not that expensive and it’s easy to get into without having to mortgage everything you have.
“It’s the most fun sport you will ever watch,” she added. “It’s not just all about brute strength. It’s a great sport.”
Following an outpouring of positive support at the Box Elder School District Board of Education meeting last Wednesday, it’s beginning to look like lacrosse may soon be a sanctioned sport in the district.
If approved, the sport that has been played at the club level for more than 15 years in Box Elder County would begin at the high schools in the 2019-20 school year. The Board put it on the agenda to discuss it so a decision could be made before the Jan. 2, 2019, deadline set by the Utah High School Activities Association Board of Trustees.
The UHSAA approved lacrosse as a sanctioned sport for both boys and girls on May 5, 2017, making it the 11th sport sanctioned by the organization.
Superintendent Steven Carlsen said, “I believe strongly in students being involved in extra curricular activities.” He cited a study that showed 46 to 60 percent of students don’t feel connected to their schools.
Carlsen said he supported sanctioning lacrosse, but had a few reservations, including heavy travel and bus usage from February to May, and additional fees for families that may not be able to afford them. While fees can be waived in some cases, the school board can’t cover costs associated with extracurricular athletics.
He also mentioned the cost of paying coaches, and that Box Elder High School has a field where the team can play but Bear River does not. Also, preparing fields takes full-time employees which needs to be considered.
Bear River High School athletic director Van Park said he was not enthusiastic about sanctioning lacrosse because of costs and finding field space, but “came on board” when he saw the enthusiasm among students and that local lacrosse clubs were willing to donate equipment to the schools.
“We will donate everything we have to the school,” including goals, balls, helmets, goalie gear, and uniforms, said Trisha Gaythan, president of Box Elder Lacrosse Boys’ Club. She echoed similar pledges from other club coaches in attendance.
She said the number of elementary and middle school players is also growing, which will ensure increased skill sets when they join the high school teams.
Alan Shakespear, a girl’s junior varsity coach, said, “I know it’s sacred ground but it [lacrosse] can also be played on a football field for both boys and girls.”
Shakespear also addressed a concern that adding another sport will dilute the pool of available talent for other sports. “Out of our 32 girls from last year, only three also did another sport. So, it does really provide a great outlet,” he said.
Juan Gaythan, Box Elder head coach, emphasized that all students are welcome to play. “We don’t cut players. They’re drawn to lacrosse because we take them all,” another good reason for sanctioning the sport, he argued.
Several students, parents, and club coaches stood and explained how lacrosse also engenders a special kind of sportsmanship not always found in other sports.
Steven Shipp, who used to play lacrosse as a student and now helps coach, said “I tried out for football but it didn’t work out for me. Then a friend invited me to try lacrosse and it was a totally different environment. I started to realize, ‘Hey, this is a great thing.’
“It helped me to grow, so I just really hope you’ll give these kids an opportunity to show what they can do,” he said, adding that colleges are even going to the games to see who might be scholarship material.
Kaylee Munns, a Bear River High School student and student member of the school board who plays lacrosse, said, “In lacrosse, there is so much respect for each other. This is a good opportunity to get kids who are not involved in a lot to come out.”
Jim Peterson said as other districts and schools sanction lacrosse, it will be come more difficult to have a club program since clubs can’t play against teams from schools that have sanctioned the sport.
“Alpine School District petitioned the state to have their club teams play the high schools if they (Alpine) weren’t sanctioned and it was turned down,” he said. “So, if we want to play other high schools, we need to sanction it.” It was suggested by many that Davis and Weber schools will most likely have sanctioned teams.
Another consideration came from Assistant Superintendent Keith Mecham, who explained that all coaching positions would be open to the public and not necessarily go to current club coaches. He also noted that students would need to meet certain eligibility requirements such as having a 2.0 grade point average.
One head coach and two assistant coaches for both boys’ and girls’ programs at both high schools would cost about $34,000, according to information provided by the school district.
Each boy player must purchase their own stick, shoulder pads, gloves and elbow pads while each girl must purchase a stick and goggles. Only goalies on girls’ teams use a helmet.
“This is a really affordable sport,” interjected Board Member Nancy Kennedy. “Sticks are not that expensive and it’s easy to get into without having to mortgage everything you have.
“It’s the most fun sport you will ever watch,” she added. “It’s not just all about brute strength. It’s a great sport.”
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Eagle Mountain Golf Course Superintendent Spencer Mendenhall was named the UGA’s Superintendent of the Year for public courses
Dedicated greenskeeper earns Superintendent of the Year nod November 21, 2018 • Sean Hales • Managing Editor In the recent release of the Utah Golf Association’s annual awards, Brigham City’s Eagle Mountain Golf Course got a nod when the course’s greenskeeper was named Superintendent of the Year for public courses. According to Eagle Mountain’s Director of Golf Chris Marx, Superintendent Spencer Mendenhall is dedicated to creating superior playing conditions on the course, and has an eye for detail that results in changes most people won’t notice, but contributes to the overall experience of patrons. Most notable among the changes over Spencer’s three-year tenure at Eagle Mountain are improved greens and sculpted fairways that improve playability and beauty. The golf course’s greens have been argued as being among the best in the state—if not the best—by locals and visitors. “On a daily basis we have people come into the pro shop and compliment us on the course conditions,” Marx wrote in a letter nominating Mendhenhall. “My favorite compliments are from two different customers from prominent country clubs in the state. They said, ‘This is wrong that I belong to a country club and we can’t have as good as greens as you guys here at Eagle Mountain.’ Spencer has made a marked difference in the daily quality of the greens and the golf course as a whole. The professionals that have played in the Brigham City Open over the years have noticed this also.” Mendenhall’s dedication to creating a “great course” come from his own passion for the game, and—besides the quality of the greens—the changes he has made are due to a keen eye for detail, including sculpting fairways to improve playability and allowing native grasses in areas of rough to grow out. Box Elder midfielder known for consistency and reliability signs with SU Red Hawks
Mylan Daniels (seated) looks on as her father, Shawn, signs her letter of intent to play soccer at Seattle University. Also pictured is Pamela Daniels.
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As he sits in the coaches office lined with trophies won under former coach Mike Ripplinger, new Box Elder High School wrestling coach Jed Craner said he is aware of the ‘shadow’ cast by Ripplinger’s legacy, and that he is excited for the challenge of continuing it.
The shadow of expectation It’s difficult—at best—to not be constantly reminded of the legacy and tradition of Box Elder High School’s wrestling program. “Those trophies,” said first-year Box Elder coach Jed Craner, indicating the several large Spartan-style helmets atop a cabinet—reminders of the many Layton Invitational titles won under retired head coach Mike Ripplinger—“they cast somewhat of a shadow.” And that’s just inside the coach’s office. The wall of the school’s wrestling room is adorned with names; a litany of the legacy left behind by Ripplinger’s 34-year career. “It’s intimidating,” said Craner about being asked to fill the very large shoes Ripplinger left behind. And even though he knew the expectations he would face, he said he never had a second thought about taking over Ripplinger’s program. “It was instantly yes,” Craner said. “I love a challenge...[I’m] ready to take the challenge on.” Prior to taking the head coaching position at Box Elder, the 27-year-old Craner had spent two years as head coach at Bonneville High School, and was an assistant at Viewmont for five years before that. Along with his experience as a coach, Craner brings his own legacy of success. As a wrestler at Fremont High School from 2008-2010, Craner claimed the 160-pound 5A state title as a junior, and finished with a record of 48-2. That same year, he claimed third at the Reno World Championships. As a senior, he compiled an undefeated record of 52-0 and earned his second state title at 170 pounds. He was named outstanding wrestler for the upper weights that year. He placed second at both the Utah State Freestyle Tournament and the Reno World Championships. Craner said that he perceived a decline in the Box Elder wrestling program over the last several years as the Bees saw fewer and fewer wrestlers make it to the state championship mat. Given that perception, he thought Ripplinger had left the “cupboard bare” following the graduation of three-year state champion Garrett Ricks and Ripplinger’s second four-time state champ, Brock Hardy. Jed discovered that his perception was not reality (see related story on this page), but even if it had been, he had a good track record of building a team at Bonneville, where in just two years he went from just six returners to a team of more than 40 wrestlers. He also established a strong little league program. |
Balanced team will lean heavily on inside experience
Parker Buchanan
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Tyson Madson
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November 14, 2018 • Jeremy Jones • Staff Writer
The Box Elder High School boys’ basketball team is in its final week of practice before kicking off their 2018-2019 campaign next week at the UVU Tip-off Classic at Utah Valley University in Orem.
The Bees are returning from their best season in the last several years after finishing with a 14-8 overall record, including a 7-1 region mark and an outright region championship.
The biggest hole to fill this season will be in the backcourt, as the Bees lost a very experienced guardline in Cameron Saunders and Max Watson.
With those losses, the varsity-level experience on the team shifts from the backcourt to the frontcourt as the Bees will return sophomore post player Parker Buchanan and senior big man Tyson Madsen, both of whom will be leaned on heavily to make up for some of the offensive output that Watson gave the team for the last four years.
“We should be a lot more balanced this year and I think that will be a good thing. Teams won’t be able to just key in on one player when they play us, and that should make it tougher for them to prepare,” said Bees’ head coach Jace McKee.
The team will be changing its strategy on both ends of the court from last season to best utilize their experience inside.
“We’ll be more post-oriented this season, I think, since we have some experienced guys down there,” McKee said. “Our bigs will be tough to handle down on the blocks, but we also have some guards that are more than capable of scoring the ball as well. It should be a fun year for us.”
In their first game, the Bees will square off against Timpview next Wednesday at 12:30 p.m.
Following the tournament, the Bees will be on the road at Weber before the home opener on Tuesday, Dec. 11, against Green Canyon.
The rivalry game against Bear River will be held in Tremonton this year on Friday, Dec. 21, and the team will get a few games in over the Christmas break when they head to the Utah Autism Holliday Classic hosted by Olympus High School.
Region play will start Friday, Jan. 11 with a home game against Farmington, and the Bees will end on a three-game road stretch with the last region game at Viewmont on Feb. 20. The last home game will be on Friday, Feb. 8, when Box Elder hosts Roy.
Bountiful looks to be the early favorite in Region 5, and they’ll be led by four-year starting guard, Brig Willard.
After the Braves, things look pretty tight among the rest of the teams in the region and playoff positioning will most likely be on the line each week all the way through February.
The Box Elder High School boys’ basketball team is in its final week of practice before kicking off their 2018-2019 campaign next week at the UVU Tip-off Classic at Utah Valley University in Orem.
The Bees are returning from their best season in the last several years after finishing with a 14-8 overall record, including a 7-1 region mark and an outright region championship.
The biggest hole to fill this season will be in the backcourt, as the Bees lost a very experienced guardline in Cameron Saunders and Max Watson.
With those losses, the varsity-level experience on the team shifts from the backcourt to the frontcourt as the Bees will return sophomore post player Parker Buchanan and senior big man Tyson Madsen, both of whom will be leaned on heavily to make up for some of the offensive output that Watson gave the team for the last four years.
“We should be a lot more balanced this year and I think that will be a good thing. Teams won’t be able to just key in on one player when they play us, and that should make it tougher for them to prepare,” said Bees’ head coach Jace McKee.
The team will be changing its strategy on both ends of the court from last season to best utilize their experience inside.
“We’ll be more post-oriented this season, I think, since we have some experienced guys down there,” McKee said. “Our bigs will be tough to handle down on the blocks, but we also have some guards that are more than capable of scoring the ball as well. It should be a fun year for us.”
In their first game, the Bees will square off against Timpview next Wednesday at 12:30 p.m.
Following the tournament, the Bees will be on the road at Weber before the home opener on Tuesday, Dec. 11, against Green Canyon.
The rivalry game against Bear River will be held in Tremonton this year on Friday, Dec. 21, and the team will get a few games in over the Christmas break when they head to the Utah Autism Holliday Classic hosted by Olympus High School.
Region play will start Friday, Jan. 11 with a home game against Farmington, and the Bees will end on a three-game road stretch with the last region game at Viewmont on Feb. 20. The last home game will be on Friday, Feb. 8, when Box Elder hosts Roy.
Bountiful looks to be the early favorite in Region 5, and they’ll be led by four-year starting guard, Brig Willard.
After the Braves, things look pretty tight among the rest of the teams in the region and playoff positioning will most likely be on the line each week all the way through February.
Bees rose to the challenge as defending state champions
November 14, 2018 • Jeremy Jones • Staff Writer
Defending a state championship is never without its challenges, but the Box Elder High School volleyball team embraced the added pressure and additional expectations this season as the team rose to every hurdle it faced en route to an outright region championship followed by a third-place finish at the state tournament.
This year’s team was as deep and experienced as any in recent memory, and was led by five graduating seniors, four of whom played a major role in last season’s state championship. The fifth, Sarah Reeder, suffered an injury midway through the season last year and was relegated to cheering her team on to the championship.
When asked how the team dealt with the inevitable expectations this year, Bees’ head coach Kristine Harding said, “We definitely talked about it. It wasn’t the elephant in the room, but we said that there was no success this season that could ride off the success from last season. It’s a whole new season and a whole new year. It doesn’t matter what happened last year, we just want to be the best we can be this year.”
The Bees came out with their best to start the season and opened with six straight wins before dropping their first match against Skyview from Nampa, Idaho.
The team didn’t lose again until the semifinals of the state tournament against eventual champion Skyridge, and rattled off 15 consecutive wins, including a perfect 10-0 record in Region 5 to earn their first region championship since 2011.
On the court, whenever the team needed a big play, they knew they could turn to outside hitter Emily Isaacson, and she delivered monstrous kills at crucial times again and again.
Isaacson lead the team with 186 kills on the year and fellow senior Jaida Burt finished with 146.
Isaacson also lead the team from the service line with 23 aces on the year, again followed by Burt who had 19, and Annie Mecham served up 18.
On the defensive side of the net, Burt led with 41 blocks on the season followed by Reeder, who sent back 38 shots.
On the backline, the team was lead by libero Morgan Reeder, who came up with 210 digs and kept many rallies alive to keep the momentum in the Bees’ favor.
Those seniors meant everything to the program, according to Harding.
“Oh man. Talk about heart, passion, dedication and the leadership that you hope everybody develops in a program,” Harding said. “They have been great examples to the underclassmen and I felt they really embraced what it meant to be part of a team.”
Sarah Reeder echoed her coach’s comments when asked about her favorite memory of being a member of the Box Elder volleyball team. “For me, this year was my favorite because, as a senior, you get little sisters, who are younger girls on the team,” Reeder said. “So you get a bunch of gifts for them and get really close to them during the year. Honestly, for me, that was worth more to me than the championship last year.”
All the outgoing seniors agreed that the biggest lessons they learned included the power of hard work and how to be mentally tough, even under pressure. Mecham summed up her experience playing when she said, “I think the biggest takeaway for me is that when you put your mind to something and work hard for it, good things can happen.”
Despite losing five seniors, coach Harding said she is very optimistic about the future of the program.
“It’s kind of the same role as we had last year,” Harding said. “We had girls that could have easily come off the bench and played at the varsity level, but the opportunities didn’t happen as much. I felt the exact same way this year where I had girls that I could have pulled off the bench and get varsity minutes. So I feel that the skills are there. Maybe not the varsity time, but the skills are there and we should be competitive next year again.
“I feel that one of the strengths of our program over the last three or four years is mental toughness. So I’m hoping that we don’t miss a beat and can just come in and keep pushing.”
Courtesy Marsha Sparks
The Box Elder Composite Mountain Bike Team has grown from four members it’s first year in 2015, to 32 members this year: (front) Reed Johnson, Camden Beard, Stryker Melehes, Jensen Braegger, Bradlee Hall, Oakly Dalebout, Katelyn Webecke, Rachel Sparks, Madeline Keller, Allie Dalebout, (middle) Carter Rose, Logan Braegger, William Leishman, Deagan PoVey, Abram Dow, Jack Deem, Sam Leishman, Jon Keller, Logan Packer, coach Molly Morris, Anders Powell, coach Derek Morris, (back) Jason Sparks, Josh Braegger, Levi Melehes, Colby Collom, Kaleb Astle, Hunter Munns, coach Jason Munns, Tanner Munns, Dixon Ekins, Levi Law, coach Lane Taylor, Blake Thompson, Andrew Burton, Bobby Collom, coach Kenny Funk, and Jake Paul. Not pictured: Caden Rose, Heath Warner, Josh Adams and Truman Johnson.
From 4 to 32: BE mountain bike team sees big growth in three years
November 14, 2018 • Jeremy Jones • Staff Writer
Although not yet an officially sponsored high school sport, mountain biking has gained a lot of traction in Utah over the last few years and Box Elder County is getting in on the action as the Box Elder Composite team, consisting of riders from both Box Elder and Bear River high schools, competed this year in the North region before competing in the statewide championship race held in St. George.
The regular season consisted of four races against other schools in the region, which determined the seedings for the finals at the state meet.
This season, the team had one standout rider in sophomore Hunter Munns, son of head coach Jason Munns, who finished second in region and at the state tournament.
Overall, the Box Elder team finished in fifth place out of 26 teams in the North region, and 16th out of 82 teams at the state meet.
Coach Munns said the organization of the team in 2015 served a purpose for him, as well as being a way to give back to the community.
“I used to race bikes when I was younger and in high school, just on the road because mountain biking wasn’t really big back then,” Munns said. “Then, as I got older, I got out of shape and wanted to turn that around. So I got back on my bike and found that love of cycling again. I lost almost 100 pounds and, as a small business owner, it’s always been important for me to give back to the community. So I found some people involved with mountain bike racing and we just started from there.”
That first year, there were just four racers on the team. Now, the team has 34 members ranging from 7th to 12th grades.
A few of the things that drew coach Munns to the mountain biking scene were the five core principles of the Utah High School Cycling League: Strong body, strong mind, strong character, inclusivity, and equality.
“I strongly believe in all those myself and it’s been great to be affiliated with an organization like this,” Munns said.
Coach Munns went on to say, “One of the really cool things about mountain biking in high school is we include everyone. The state of Utah is even involved in a program called Elevate that gives kids with disabilities or special needs the chance to come out and ride with us. We’ve never turned anyone away and it’s just a great thing for the whole family.”
With mountain biking still classified as a club sport in Utah, coach Munns and all of his assistants volunteer all their time to the team, including three assistant coaches and six ride leaders: parents who volunteer to go on rides with the kids during practice.
The mountain biking season officially runs from the middle of June through the end of October, though the team will sponsor individual events through the winter and spring months as well.
For more information on the club, you can check out the team’s Facebook page or contact coach Munns directly via email at jthmunns@gmail.com, or call (801) 458-0106.
The Box Elder Composite Mountain Bike Team has grown from four members it’s first year in 2015, to 32 members this year: (front) Reed Johnson, Camden Beard, Stryker Melehes, Jensen Braegger, Bradlee Hall, Oakly Dalebout, Katelyn Webecke, Rachel Sparks, Madeline Keller, Allie Dalebout, (middle) Carter Rose, Logan Braegger, William Leishman, Deagan PoVey, Abram Dow, Jack Deem, Sam Leishman, Jon Keller, Logan Packer, coach Molly Morris, Anders Powell, coach Derek Morris, (back) Jason Sparks, Josh Braegger, Levi Melehes, Colby Collom, Kaleb Astle, Hunter Munns, coach Jason Munns, Tanner Munns, Dixon Ekins, Levi Law, coach Lane Taylor, Blake Thompson, Andrew Burton, Bobby Collom, coach Kenny Funk, and Jake Paul. Not pictured: Caden Rose, Heath Warner, Josh Adams and Truman Johnson.
From 4 to 32: BE mountain bike team sees big growth in three years
November 14, 2018 • Jeremy Jones • Staff Writer
Although not yet an officially sponsored high school sport, mountain biking has gained a lot of traction in Utah over the last few years and Box Elder County is getting in on the action as the Box Elder Composite team, consisting of riders from both Box Elder and Bear River high schools, competed this year in the North region before competing in the statewide championship race held in St. George.
The regular season consisted of four races against other schools in the region, which determined the seedings for the finals at the state meet.
This season, the team had one standout rider in sophomore Hunter Munns, son of head coach Jason Munns, who finished second in region and at the state tournament.
Overall, the Box Elder team finished in fifth place out of 26 teams in the North region, and 16th out of 82 teams at the state meet.
Coach Munns said the organization of the team in 2015 served a purpose for him, as well as being a way to give back to the community.
“I used to race bikes when I was younger and in high school, just on the road because mountain biking wasn’t really big back then,” Munns said. “Then, as I got older, I got out of shape and wanted to turn that around. So I got back on my bike and found that love of cycling again. I lost almost 100 pounds and, as a small business owner, it’s always been important for me to give back to the community. So I found some people involved with mountain bike racing and we just started from there.”
That first year, there were just four racers on the team. Now, the team has 34 members ranging from 7th to 12th grades.
A few of the things that drew coach Munns to the mountain biking scene were the five core principles of the Utah High School Cycling League: Strong body, strong mind, strong character, inclusivity, and equality.
“I strongly believe in all those myself and it’s been great to be affiliated with an organization like this,” Munns said.
Coach Munns went on to say, “One of the really cool things about mountain biking in high school is we include everyone. The state of Utah is even involved in a program called Elevate that gives kids with disabilities or special needs the chance to come out and ride with us. We’ve never turned anyone away and it’s just a great thing for the whole family.”
With mountain biking still classified as a club sport in Utah, coach Munns and all of his assistants volunteer all their time to the team, including three assistant coaches and six ride leaders: parents who volunteer to go on rides with the kids during practice.
The mountain biking season officially runs from the middle of June through the end of October, though the team will sponsor individual events through the winter and spring months as well.
For more information on the club, you can check out the team’s Facebook page or contact coach Munns directly via email at jthmunns@gmail.com, or call (801) 458-0106.
Bees can’t find rhythm in semifinals, finish third at 5A state tournament
November 7, 2018 • Jeremy Jones • Staff Writer
The Box Elder High School volleyball team made it to championship Saturday last week at the 5A state volleyball tournament before bowing out to eventual champion Skyridge in the semifinals.
It was the first meeting between the two of the year, and many believed that the winner would have the inside track to hoisting the state championship trophy.
The match started out tight and neither team was able to gain much of an advantage, but the Bees were able to make a few key plays late and came away with the first set 25-23.
From there, the Falcons proved to be the aggressors and kept the Bees chasing and playing catch-up for the rest of the match.
“We just couldn’t find our rhythm,” said head coach Kristine Harding. “[The Falcons] played in system for most of the match and controlled the tempo. They forced us into giving them some free balls and just kept us chasing the whole match. So a lot of credit goes to them, they are a really tough team.”
In spite of their best efforts, the Bees couldn’t grab the momentum and the Falcons took the next three sets 25-21, 25-20, 25-22.
The Falcons went on to defeat Springville, who upset Corner Canyon in the semifinals, to earn a spot in the championship for their first-ever state volleyball title.
The Bees got to play the Chargers in the consolation match and ended up winning an emotion-charged match in five sets 25-18, 19-25, 18-25, 25-22, 15-10 to finish in third place.
After all was said and done, coach Harding said, “I’m really proud of our girls. Their hearts were in it and they did as much as they could do. They worked through a lot of emotions along the way and, in the end, we had a great season.”
As the top seed from Region 5, the Bees drew the fourth seed from Region 8, Wasatch, in the opening round of the tournament, and won in straight sets, 25-12, 25-17, 25-15.
“[The Wasps] were a tough four-seed. They were ranked pretty high early in the year. Then things happened and they lost some key matches, but they were still a really hard team to start with,” Harding said.
That win moved the Bees into the quarterfinal match on Thursday evening where they faced Skyline, who knocked off Timpview in four sets in the first round.
The Eagles came into the match looking to avenge a loss to the Bees on Aug. 30 in Brigham City in a preseason match for both teams.
Despite the added motivation of the state tournament, the result was the same as the Bees took the match in three straight sets, winning 25-22, 25-20, 25-16.
After another straight-set victory, coach Harding said, “[The Eagles] were another tough team. The big advantage we had against them was we had played them before. We struggled blocking some of their sets in the first match, so we had a chance to clean some of that up and that helped out a lot.”
The Bees were led as they have been all season long by outside hitter Emily Isaacson, who finished with 15 kills, and middle blocker Jaida Burt, who added 10 kills.
After the tournament, coach Harding said that Isaacson brought a special kind of energy and enthusiasm that picked the whole team up at crucial moments throughout the tournament. She said, “Emily made some big plays for us at big times that just pumped everyone up and pulled us through some tough spots.”
Isaacson and Burt also each added two aces to keep the Eagles on their heels all night long.
On the back line, Morgan Reeder led the way digging up 22 balls and Annie Mecham served up 33 assists to lead the team.
That win advanced the Bees into the semifinals where they faced the Falcons, who had been ranked number two in the 5A classification, right behind the Bees, all season.
November 7, 2018 • Jeremy Jones • Staff Writer
The Box Elder High School volleyball team made it to championship Saturday last week at the 5A state volleyball tournament before bowing out to eventual champion Skyridge in the semifinals.
It was the first meeting between the two of the year, and many believed that the winner would have the inside track to hoisting the state championship trophy.
The match started out tight and neither team was able to gain much of an advantage, but the Bees were able to make a few key plays late and came away with the first set 25-23.
From there, the Falcons proved to be the aggressors and kept the Bees chasing and playing catch-up for the rest of the match.
“We just couldn’t find our rhythm,” said head coach Kristine Harding. “[The Falcons] played in system for most of the match and controlled the tempo. They forced us into giving them some free balls and just kept us chasing the whole match. So a lot of credit goes to them, they are a really tough team.”
In spite of their best efforts, the Bees couldn’t grab the momentum and the Falcons took the next three sets 25-21, 25-20, 25-22.
The Falcons went on to defeat Springville, who upset Corner Canyon in the semifinals, to earn a spot in the championship for their first-ever state volleyball title.
The Bees got to play the Chargers in the consolation match and ended up winning an emotion-charged match in five sets 25-18, 19-25, 18-25, 25-22, 15-10 to finish in third place.
After all was said and done, coach Harding said, “I’m really proud of our girls. Their hearts were in it and they did as much as they could do. They worked through a lot of emotions along the way and, in the end, we had a great season.”
As the top seed from Region 5, the Bees drew the fourth seed from Region 8, Wasatch, in the opening round of the tournament, and won in straight sets, 25-12, 25-17, 25-15.
“[The Wasps] were a tough four-seed. They were ranked pretty high early in the year. Then things happened and they lost some key matches, but they were still a really hard team to start with,” Harding said.
That win moved the Bees into the quarterfinal match on Thursday evening where they faced Skyline, who knocked off Timpview in four sets in the first round.
The Eagles came into the match looking to avenge a loss to the Bees on Aug. 30 in Brigham City in a preseason match for both teams.
Despite the added motivation of the state tournament, the result was the same as the Bees took the match in three straight sets, winning 25-22, 25-20, 25-16.
After another straight-set victory, coach Harding said, “[The Eagles] were another tough team. The big advantage we had against them was we had played them before. We struggled blocking some of their sets in the first match, so we had a chance to clean some of that up and that helped out a lot.”
The Bees were led as they have been all season long by outside hitter Emily Isaacson, who finished with 15 kills, and middle blocker Jaida Burt, who added 10 kills.
After the tournament, coach Harding said that Isaacson brought a special kind of energy and enthusiasm that picked the whole team up at crucial moments throughout the tournament. She said, “Emily made some big plays for us at big times that just pumped everyone up and pulled us through some tough spots.”
Isaacson and Burt also each added two aces to keep the Eagles on their heels all night long.
On the back line, Morgan Reeder led the way digging up 22 balls and Annie Mecham served up 33 assists to lead the team.
That win advanced the Bees into the semifinals where they faced the Falcons, who had been ranked number two in the 5A classification, right behind the Bees, all season.
Players and coaches celebrate Box Elder High School’s overtime victory against Viewmont in September.
Thrilling finishes marked 2018 season
November 7, 2018 • Jeremy Jones • Staff Writer
In a year full of overtime games and last-second heroics, 2018 will surely be remembered as a season of highs and lows for the Box Elder High School football team.
The team kept fans—and coaching staff—on the edge of their seats as they finished an impressive 4-0 in games decided in the final minute, including pulling off three overtime wins on their way to a share of their first region championship since 2004.
When asked about the season, Bees head coach Robbie Gunter said, “I feel like this was a group of kids that competed hard and stayed together. They had every bit of confidence right until the game was over that they could win, and they just did a great job all year.”
This season also served as a turnaround from last year’s campaign, which saw the Bees finish 4-6 overall, including 0-4 in region play.
“I feel like, coming in, the kids worked really hard in the summer,” Gunter said. “Plus, a lot of these kids played last year, and I think because of the year we had last year, these kids pushed a little harder. They also did a great job with leadership. All the kids that came back from last year came back with a little bit of a chip on their shoulder like they wanted to be better.”
Coach Gunter also attributed that chip to a lot of the late-game success the team had this season. “That chip gives you that little extra at the end of a game, and they did a great job with that this year. There was a point when we were 6-1 and we were about eight plays away from being more like 2-5. Every game is a game of inches, and we got the inches we needed, for the most part.”
The Bees started off the season notching wins over Layton and rival Bear River to reclaim the coveted Golden Spike trophy before getting tripped up by Mountain Crest in a game held at E.L. Romney stadium on the campus of Utah State University.
The Bees then started a run of exciting games with a dramatic, last-second win over Green Canyon in their final preseason game, followed by two straight overtime victories against Bountiful and Viewmont to start region play.
Several players cited the win over the Vikings during the homecoming game as their highlight of the season and favorite memory they’ll take with them going forward.
Three-year starter Ethyn Butler said, “From this year, it was definitely the triple overtime win for homecoming. That was a pretty fun game, so, for me, it would most definitely be that.”
Fellow senior Mike Davis echoed Butler’s feelings about his favorite memory when he said, “Beating Viewmont for homecoming in triple overtime was sick, so that was definitely my favorite.”
The Bees then got a win over first-year school, Farmington, before losing to Roy on the road for their lone region loss on the year.
The team then secured a share of the region championship with their third overtime win, this one coming over Woods Cross.
With so many come-from-behind and last-second victories under their belt this season, everyone on the team was shocked when they had a chance to win their first playoff game, but were unable to finish the job as the Bees were bounced in the first round, 17-13, by Springville.
Looking ahead to next season, the Bees have a lot of reason for excitement with several key players returning, including sophomore quarterback Parker Buchanan.
Of the underclassmen, coach Gunter said, “The example of hardwork and leadership that these seniors set is what we need the younger guys to take into next year. We need them to set the example of being good students, be great in their other sports, and then come summertime, we need them to be the leaders of the work. We have a great group coming back that is capable of some great things, but it’s the effort that they’ll have to put in that will make all the difference.”
Thrilling finishes marked 2018 season
November 7, 2018 • Jeremy Jones • Staff Writer
In a year full of overtime games and last-second heroics, 2018 will surely be remembered as a season of highs and lows for the Box Elder High School football team.
The team kept fans—and coaching staff—on the edge of their seats as they finished an impressive 4-0 in games decided in the final minute, including pulling off three overtime wins on their way to a share of their first region championship since 2004.
When asked about the season, Bees head coach Robbie Gunter said, “I feel like this was a group of kids that competed hard and stayed together. They had every bit of confidence right until the game was over that they could win, and they just did a great job all year.”
This season also served as a turnaround from last year’s campaign, which saw the Bees finish 4-6 overall, including 0-4 in region play.
“I feel like, coming in, the kids worked really hard in the summer,” Gunter said. “Plus, a lot of these kids played last year, and I think because of the year we had last year, these kids pushed a little harder. They also did a great job with leadership. All the kids that came back from last year came back with a little bit of a chip on their shoulder like they wanted to be better.”
Coach Gunter also attributed that chip to a lot of the late-game success the team had this season. “That chip gives you that little extra at the end of a game, and they did a great job with that this year. There was a point when we were 6-1 and we were about eight plays away from being more like 2-5. Every game is a game of inches, and we got the inches we needed, for the most part.”
The Bees started off the season notching wins over Layton and rival Bear River to reclaim the coveted Golden Spike trophy before getting tripped up by Mountain Crest in a game held at E.L. Romney stadium on the campus of Utah State University.
The Bees then started a run of exciting games with a dramatic, last-second win over Green Canyon in their final preseason game, followed by two straight overtime victories against Bountiful and Viewmont to start region play.
Several players cited the win over the Vikings during the homecoming game as their highlight of the season and favorite memory they’ll take with them going forward.
Three-year starter Ethyn Butler said, “From this year, it was definitely the triple overtime win for homecoming. That was a pretty fun game, so, for me, it would most definitely be that.”
Fellow senior Mike Davis echoed Butler’s feelings about his favorite memory when he said, “Beating Viewmont for homecoming in triple overtime was sick, so that was definitely my favorite.”
The Bees then got a win over first-year school, Farmington, before losing to Roy on the road for their lone region loss on the year.
The team then secured a share of the region championship with their third overtime win, this one coming over Woods Cross.
With so many come-from-behind and last-second victories under their belt this season, everyone on the team was shocked when they had a chance to win their first playoff game, but were unable to finish the job as the Bees were bounced in the first round, 17-13, by Springville.
Looking ahead to next season, the Bees have a lot of reason for excitement with several key players returning, including sophomore quarterback Parker Buchanan.
Of the underclassmen, coach Gunter said, “The example of hardwork and leadership that these seniors set is what we need the younger guys to take into next year. We need them to set the example of being good students, be great in their other sports, and then come summertime, we need them to be the leaders of the work. We have a great group coming back that is capable of some great things, but it’s the effort that they’ll have to put in that will make all the difference.”
Girls claim elusive title
Bees post perfect region record, set to defend state title this week
October 31, 2018 • Jeremy Jones • Staff Writer
The Box Elder High School volleyball team capped a perfect run through region play last Thursday with yet another straight-set win, this time over Roy.
The match against the Royals served mostly as a victory lap for the Bees as they had wrapped up the region title with their win over Bountiful last week, however, the team wanted to leave their mark and legacy by running the table in region.
With emotions running high during their final home game of the year, the Bees seemed to make more errors than they were accustomed to and let the visitors hang around in the match.
But, each time the Royals tried to make a run, the Bees had an answer as they cruised to a 25-15, 25-13, 25-14 win.
Statistically, the Bees showed a lot more firepower than the Royals. Box Elder racked up 40 kills on the night as a team while limiting the visitors to just 17.
Senior middle blocker Jaida Burt led the offensive charge with 13 kills in the match.
Burt and fellow senior Emily Isaacson also led the Bees defensively with 13 and 14 digs respectively.
Following the match, Bees’ head coach Kristine Harding said it has taken a lot of focus and dedication over a long time to get the team to this point.
“It’s always a huge accomplishment to win region,” Harding said. “It hasn’t happened for us since 2011, and even then, it was co-champions. So to outright win it, it takes a lot of mental strength and consistent play throughout the season to come out 10-0. It’s a huge accomplishment for the girls and it’s always great for the program as well.”
The Bees didn’t simply just manage a perfect region record, they dominated the competition, and in 10 matches only lost three sets.
Tomorrow afternoon, the Bees will begin their state title defense when they square off against Wasatch in the first round of the state tournament.
The Wasps enter the tournament as the fourth seed from Region 8 and are winners of three out of their last four matches.
Meanwhile, the Bees, who started the season as the number one ranked team in 5A after winning the state tournament last year, have maintained that position throughout the season as they finished 22-4 overall.
When asked about any additional pressure of being the top team, coach Harding said, “One of the biggest strengths of our team is, we are tunnel-vision. The only thing that matters is the first match, 3:30 on Thursday. That’s it. And when that match is over, we’ll start thinking about match number two. We’ll prepare our girls for multiple teams and multiple looks, but we’re not talking about anything other than match one and getting to match two.”
A win in their first match would set the Bees up with a quarterfinal matchup with the winner between Skyline and Timpview tomorrow at 6:30 p.m., while a loss would send them to the consolation bracket to face the loser.
Two wins on Thursday would see the Bees through to the semifinals, which will be held on Saturday morning starting at 11:30. A loss in either of their first two matches tomorrow would mean the Bees will play Friday as well.
Check back next week for full coverage and results from the 2018 5A state volleyball tournament.
October 31, 2018 • Jeremy Jones • Staff Writer
The Box Elder High School volleyball team capped a perfect run through region play last Thursday with yet another straight-set win, this time over Roy.
The match against the Royals served mostly as a victory lap for the Bees as they had wrapped up the region title with their win over Bountiful last week, however, the team wanted to leave their mark and legacy by running the table in region.
With emotions running high during their final home game of the year, the Bees seemed to make more errors than they were accustomed to and let the visitors hang around in the match.
But, each time the Royals tried to make a run, the Bees had an answer as they cruised to a 25-15, 25-13, 25-14 win.
Statistically, the Bees showed a lot more firepower than the Royals. Box Elder racked up 40 kills on the night as a team while limiting the visitors to just 17.
Senior middle blocker Jaida Burt led the offensive charge with 13 kills in the match.
Burt and fellow senior Emily Isaacson also led the Bees defensively with 13 and 14 digs respectively.
Following the match, Bees’ head coach Kristine Harding said it has taken a lot of focus and dedication over a long time to get the team to this point.
“It’s always a huge accomplishment to win region,” Harding said. “It hasn’t happened for us since 2011, and even then, it was co-champions. So to outright win it, it takes a lot of mental strength and consistent play throughout the season to come out 10-0. It’s a huge accomplishment for the girls and it’s always great for the program as well.”
The Bees didn’t simply just manage a perfect region record, they dominated the competition, and in 10 matches only lost three sets.
Tomorrow afternoon, the Bees will begin their state title defense when they square off against Wasatch in the first round of the state tournament.
The Wasps enter the tournament as the fourth seed from Region 8 and are winners of three out of their last four matches.
Meanwhile, the Bees, who started the season as the number one ranked team in 5A after winning the state tournament last year, have maintained that position throughout the season as they finished 22-4 overall.
When asked about any additional pressure of being the top team, coach Harding said, “One of the biggest strengths of our team is, we are tunnel-vision. The only thing that matters is the first match, 3:30 on Thursday. That’s it. And when that match is over, we’ll start thinking about match number two. We’ll prepare our girls for multiple teams and multiple looks, but we’re not talking about anything other than match one and getting to match two.”
A win in their first match would set the Bees up with a quarterfinal matchup with the winner between Skyline and Timpview tomorrow at 6:30 p.m., while a loss would send them to the consolation bracket to face the loser.
Two wins on Thursday would see the Bees through to the semifinals, which will be held on Saturday morning starting at 11:30. A loss in either of their first two matches tomorrow would mean the Bees will play Friday as well.
Check back next week for full coverage and results from the 2018 5A state volleyball tournament.
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Fumble in final minutes is killer for Bees
October 31, 2018 • Jeremy Jones • Staff Writer After a season full of them, the Box Elder High School football team couldn’t come up with another final-minute miracle last Friday in their first-round playoff game against Springville as the Red Devils advanced with a 17-13 win. The Bees were managing a promising drive in the final minutes of the game that became even more promising after converting a fourth down to set themselves up on Springville’s 15-yard line with just over two minutes to play. But a missed exchange between quarterback Parker Buchanan and running back Bernard Pena resulted in a fumble, which the Red Devils recovered to preserve the win. After the game, Bees’ head coach Robbie Gunter said that, despite some mistakes, the team executed their game plan and gave themselves a chance to win, which is exactly what they wanted. “We had a game plan to control the ball tonight,” Gunter said. “We knew [the Red Devils] were a power team, and we did a good job stopping the run. We wanted to keep them off the field and we were able to do that.” Even heading into the final minutes trailing by a score, coach Gunter said his team never lost any faith on the sideline. He said, “We always felt like we were going to win that game. Late-game heroics are very common for this team and that’s something that has been a lot of fun about this season. We’ve been on the other side of close games a lot, so this one definitely hurts.” The Bees finished with a big advantage in time of possession, 35:07 - 12:40, and number of offensive plays run, 72 - 32, but were unable to muster enough scoring drives to advance in the tournament. |
Senior Ryan Gunn reacts to the Bees’ defeat at the hands of Springville in the first round of the state playoffs last Friday, as junior Bentley Miles consoles senior Kash Christoffersen as they leave the field.
Tyson Madson stretches the ball forward as he’s pushed out of bounds to secure the first down and keep the Bees’ final drive alive. Madson had four receptions for 52 yards.
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The need for speed
At 36 feet long, three feet wide, 28 inches tall and weighing in at 4,900 pounds, the Turbinator II smashed its own world record this month.
New record in land speed racing set by Vesco family
Rick Vesco
By Nancy Brown · Staff writer · Oct. 24, 2108
Even when many in the auto racing industry said it couldn’t be done, former Brighamite Rick Vesco’s race car was clocked on the Bonneville Salt Flats Oct. 2, at 503 mph.
Christened the Turbinator II, Vesco’s streamliner car crossed the finish with the fastest time ever recorded for a wheel-driven car, breaking the 500-mph barrier in land speed racing.
Never before has a car with an internal combustion engine and pneumatic tires hit such a speed, but undoubtedly, the 5,000-horse power gas turbine engine had something to do with it.
Vesco, who formerly owned and operated a motorcycle and snowmobile sports center for 30 years in Brigham City with his brother, Chuck, now lives in St. George.
“I’d been creeping up on 500 in other races,” he said in an interview. “People from all over the world were just going crazy over it. It’s a huge deal in the racing world; a major, major accomplishment.”
Rick Vesco hit 455 mph in August during the Utah Salt Flats Racing Association Speed Week, then 482 mph in September at the World of Speed event, followed by 503 mph on Oct. 2, at the World Finals Speed event.
The record was hit during a qualifying run, with the final race scheduled for the next day, Vesco said. Unfortunately, rain cancelled the final run. Normally, an average of the two races would be taken.
So, while the 503 mph is not considered an official record for the event, it is still the fastest speed ever recorded in the world.
Land speed racing uses a track five miles long from the starting line to the last timing light. The first four miles of the record-setting race lasted 65 seconds, with the last mile completed in seven seconds.
“That translates into 727 feet per second or two and a half football fields per second,” said Vesco.
Streamliners have a very low center of gravity. They are 36 feet long, three feet wide, 28 inches tall and weigh 4,900 pounds.
Every part on a streamliner has to be completely custom made, like the customization of a turbine engine from a Chinook helicopter in the Turbinator II.
“The low center of gravity helps with stability,” Vesco said. “When you’re close to the ground like that there’s less chance of tipping over.
“On the Salt Flats, there’s nothing to hit. One guy crashed at 450 miles per hour and didn’t get hurt at all. It’s always dangerous to be going at those speeds but even if the car goes upside down and the parachute is out, you’re going to be okay.”
Winning driver, Dave Spangler, who has driven race cars for Vesco since the late 1970s, said it was an honor to drive Turbinator II and set a new world record in October.
He said he and Vesco have been pushing their “Project first to 500” since Vesco’s brother, Don, first set the world record at 458 mph in 2001. “That’s when we decided to set the goal of 500.”
There is no speedometer in the vehicle so Spangler said he didn’t know for sure if he’d passed 500 mph until the crew signaled him.
“I’ve done it enough to know it was fast,” he said. “I set a record at all three meets this year so I knew it was a pretty good run.”
Was it scary?
Spangler said he gets asked that question a lot and that his answer is probably anti-climactic.
“I’m concentrating so hard that I don’t have any feelings of an adrenalin rush,” he said. “I’m all business in there and super concentrating so as to stay ahead of the car.”
He said at those speeds you need to make micro adjustments in your steering. If the car starts moving around too much requiring macro adjustments then you’re going to be in trouble.
Vesco added, “It’s your brain that tells you when things are scarier than they really are,” he said. “The car is designed to go fast so you just don’t feel it like you’d think. When you start coasting down to 100 miles per hour, it doesn’t even feel like you’re moving.”
The family has only had one major accident in a streamliner. In 1981, Vesco blew a rear tire while racing at Bonneville and flipped over. He whizzed past the finish at about 300 mph upside down but thanks to seatbelts and leg and arm restraints, he wasn’t hurt.
Vesco was born into an auto racing family with his dad, Johnny Vesco, competing in the first Utah Salt Flats Racing Association race in 1949. But Johnny’s passion for the sport began in the early 1930s in Southern California.
Rick’s brother Don, “is the only human in history to hold the world speed record in both a car and a motorcycle.” Rick’s daughter, Rhonnie Vesco, a Box Elder High School graduate, also has taken up the sport, hitting a 310-mph record of her own.
At only six years old, Rhonnie can be heard in a family recording stating her intentions to be a race car driver, said her father.
There is no prize money awarded in land speed racing, “just trophies and bragging rights and a chance to have fun with our crew of about 20 people,” said Vesco. “We have a great time together out there.”
With a cache of trophies in his possession, Vesco said the “holy grail” of trophies is the Hot Rod Magazine Trophy. “I won it three times in a turbine car and once in 1978, on a motorcycle going 330 miles per hour.”
He said that particular trophy is given to the fastest timed mile on any vehicle during the Speed Week competition. “That year, a motorcycle just happened to beat the cars.”
The Turbinator II streamliner was featured on the History Channel’s program, “Counting Cars.” Filming began at the Team Vesco shop in February and was aired in October 2017, in a two-part episode, “Bonneville Bound.”
Even when many in the auto racing industry said it couldn’t be done, former Brighamite Rick Vesco’s race car was clocked on the Bonneville Salt Flats Oct. 2, at 503 mph.
Christened the Turbinator II, Vesco’s streamliner car crossed the finish with the fastest time ever recorded for a wheel-driven car, breaking the 500-mph barrier in land speed racing.
Never before has a car with an internal combustion engine and pneumatic tires hit such a speed, but undoubtedly, the 5,000-horse power gas turbine engine had something to do with it.
Vesco, who formerly owned and operated a motorcycle and snowmobile sports center for 30 years in Brigham City with his brother, Chuck, now lives in St. George.
“I’d been creeping up on 500 in other races,” he said in an interview. “People from all over the world were just going crazy over it. It’s a huge deal in the racing world; a major, major accomplishment.”
Rick Vesco hit 455 mph in August during the Utah Salt Flats Racing Association Speed Week, then 482 mph in September at the World of Speed event, followed by 503 mph on Oct. 2, at the World Finals Speed event.
The record was hit during a qualifying run, with the final race scheduled for the next day, Vesco said. Unfortunately, rain cancelled the final run. Normally, an average of the two races would be taken.
So, while the 503 mph is not considered an official record for the event, it is still the fastest speed ever recorded in the world.
Land speed racing uses a track five miles long from the starting line to the last timing light. The first four miles of the record-setting race lasted 65 seconds, with the last mile completed in seven seconds.
“That translates into 727 feet per second or two and a half football fields per second,” said Vesco.
Streamliners have a very low center of gravity. They are 36 feet long, three feet wide, 28 inches tall and weigh 4,900 pounds.
Every part on a streamliner has to be completely custom made, like the customization of a turbine engine from a Chinook helicopter in the Turbinator II.
“The low center of gravity helps with stability,” Vesco said. “When you’re close to the ground like that there’s less chance of tipping over.
“On the Salt Flats, there’s nothing to hit. One guy crashed at 450 miles per hour and didn’t get hurt at all. It’s always dangerous to be going at those speeds but even if the car goes upside down and the parachute is out, you’re going to be okay.”
Winning driver, Dave Spangler, who has driven race cars for Vesco since the late 1970s, said it was an honor to drive Turbinator II and set a new world record in October.
He said he and Vesco have been pushing their “Project first to 500” since Vesco’s brother, Don, first set the world record at 458 mph in 2001. “That’s when we decided to set the goal of 500.”
There is no speedometer in the vehicle so Spangler said he didn’t know for sure if he’d passed 500 mph until the crew signaled him.
“I’ve done it enough to know it was fast,” he said. “I set a record at all three meets this year so I knew it was a pretty good run.”
Was it scary?
Spangler said he gets asked that question a lot and that his answer is probably anti-climactic.
“I’m concentrating so hard that I don’t have any feelings of an adrenalin rush,” he said. “I’m all business in there and super concentrating so as to stay ahead of the car.”
He said at those speeds you need to make micro adjustments in your steering. If the car starts moving around too much requiring macro adjustments then you’re going to be in trouble.
Vesco added, “It’s your brain that tells you when things are scarier than they really are,” he said. “The car is designed to go fast so you just don’t feel it like you’d think. When you start coasting down to 100 miles per hour, it doesn’t even feel like you’re moving.”
The family has only had one major accident in a streamliner. In 1981, Vesco blew a rear tire while racing at Bonneville and flipped over. He whizzed past the finish at about 300 mph upside down but thanks to seatbelts and leg and arm restraints, he wasn’t hurt.
Vesco was born into an auto racing family with his dad, Johnny Vesco, competing in the first Utah Salt Flats Racing Association race in 1949. But Johnny’s passion for the sport began in the early 1930s in Southern California.
Rick’s brother Don, “is the only human in history to hold the world speed record in both a car and a motorcycle.” Rick’s daughter, Rhonnie Vesco, a Box Elder High School graduate, also has taken up the sport, hitting a 310-mph record of her own.
At only six years old, Rhonnie can be heard in a family recording stating her intentions to be a race car driver, said her father.
There is no prize money awarded in land speed racing, “just trophies and bragging rights and a chance to have fun with our crew of about 20 people,” said Vesco. “We have a great time together out there.”
With a cache of trophies in his possession, Vesco said the “holy grail” of trophies is the Hot Rod Magazine Trophy. “I won it three times in a turbine car and once in 1978, on a motorcycle going 330 miles per hour.”
He said that particular trophy is given to the fastest timed mile on any vehicle during the Speed Week competition. “That year, a motorcycle just happened to beat the cars.”
The Turbinator II streamliner was featured on the History Channel’s program, “Counting Cars.” Filming began at the Team Vesco shop in February and was aired in October 2017, in a two-part episode, “Bonneville Bound.”
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Bees survive Wildcats, claim share of region title
October 17, 2018 • Jeremy Jones • Staff Writer
A key penalty, some late game heroics by Box Elder quarterback Parker Buchanan, and a missed extra point by the Woods Cross’ place kicker, combined to help propel the Bees past the Wildcats, 35-34, and claim a share of the Region 5 championship.
With 8:34 left in the game, and with the game tied, Box Elder was looking at punting the ball away, and potentially going down another score. But a Woods Cross roughing the kicker penalty kept the drive alive.
But the Bees’ starting quarterback, Parker Buchannan had been on the sidelines since suffering an ankle injury on a fake punt earlier in the game. After converting one first down, the Bees’ running game stagnated, and they faced a 4th-and-6 from the Woods Cross’ 28-yard line.
Still not at 100 percent, Buchanan came off the sidelines and promptly hit Tyson Madson with a pass for a first down. Two plays later, Buchanan found Connor Stevenson from 17 yards out for a touchdown, and to take the lead, 35-28.
On the ensuing drive, Wildcat quarterback Carston Naegle found Jordan Johnson for a two-yard touchdown to pull the visitors within a point with just 25 seconds left in regulation.
But the Wildcats were unable to convert the extra point, and all the Bees needed was to kneel down once before celebrating their first region championship since 2004, when they shared the title with Mountain Crest.
After the game, Bees head coach Robbie Gunter gave a lot of credit to the Wildcats, especially their offense, for making it such a tight contest.
“[The Wildcats] had some guys get hurt a few weeks ago and they had everybody back healthy tonight,” Gunter said. “They are a really explosive team and we knew we’d have our hands full with them.”
In a game of contrasting styles, coach Gunter went on to say, “I felt like from our end, our O-line did a great job creating holes for our backs and we had good balance with all the position groups touching the ball. I loved how our kids kept competing and they never got rattled on the sideline. We thought the game was headed to overtime, but our kids were ready for that because we’ve been there before.”
The win moves the Bees to 4-0 this season in games decided in the final minute or overtime, so they had a lot of past experience from which to draw.
The Bees knew coming into the game that the Wildcats would look to throw the ball in most any situation that presented itself and Woods Cross did not deviate from their plan.
Naegle found wide receiver Luke Hyde from 10 yards out on their first drive to open the scoring in the game.
Not to be deterred from their game plan, the Bees came out wanting to establish a physical presence and run the ball.
Buchanan capped the Bees’ opening drive with an eight yard run for a touchdown to tie the score.
Running back Bernard Pena gave the Bees their first lead early in the second quarter when he plowed in from a yard out.
Woods Cross was able to tie things up again just before the half when Naegle found Tucker Goodfellow for an 18 yard score.
But it was the Bees who would have the final say in the first half as senior speedster Nate Wheatley found a crease on the ensuing kickoff and took it 85 yards to the house to put the Bees up 21-14.
The Wildcats tried to seize the momentum before the break, but their drive was squashed when Box Elder defensive back Kash Cristoffersen stepped in front of a pass from Naegle to end the drive and preserve the lead.
The Bees got the ball to start the second half and made the most of that chance with Pena finishing the drive from four yards out to put the home team up two scores, 28-14
Pena finished the night with 53 yards on 17 carries with two touchdowns.
The Wildcats were threatening again on their next possession, but the defensive secondary again came up big for the Bees as Skyler Laurenti came up with an interception in the end zone to keep the Wildcats off the board.
But the momentum shifted right back to the Wildcats as a fumble by Pena set up the Wildcats with excellent field position.
They capitalized on the next play as Naegle connected with Johnson from 19 yards out to cut the lead to 28-20. The extra point was no good—foreshadowing how the game would ultimately be decided.
Following a failed fourth down try from the Bees, the Wildcats were able to tie the game as Naegle again found Hyde, this time from 24 yards out, for the score. Naegle then hit Goodfellow in the corner of the end zone on the two-point try to knot the game at 28 all.
Stevenson lead all Bees receivers with four catches for 72 yards and one touchdown. Buchanan completed 7-of-13 passing attempts for 90 yards and the one score.
The win put the Bees in a three-way tie for first place in Region 5 as Roy took down Farmington, 52-21, and Viewmont blanked Bountiful, 35-0, to land all three teams at 4-1.
A coin toss decided the final standings. The Royals landed in the top spot, with the Bees second and Vikings third.
The Bees will host their first state playoff game against the No. 3 seed from Region 8. The Utah County-based teams look to be headed to a play-in game coming down the stretch, so the Bees may not find out who their opponent is until early next week.
The state playoff game is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 26, at 4 p.m., but could get pushed to Saturday if a play-in game ends up being necessary.
As for this week, the Bees scheduled a tune-up game during their short week and will be in action tonight in Washington Terrace against Bonneville. The game against the Lakers is scheduled to start at 7 p.m.
A key penalty, some late game heroics by Box Elder quarterback Parker Buchanan, and a missed extra point by the Woods Cross’ place kicker, combined to help propel the Bees past the Wildcats, 35-34, and claim a share of the Region 5 championship.
With 8:34 left in the game, and with the game tied, Box Elder was looking at punting the ball away, and potentially going down another score. But a Woods Cross roughing the kicker penalty kept the drive alive.
But the Bees’ starting quarterback, Parker Buchannan had been on the sidelines since suffering an ankle injury on a fake punt earlier in the game. After converting one first down, the Bees’ running game stagnated, and they faced a 4th-and-6 from the Woods Cross’ 28-yard line.
Still not at 100 percent, Buchanan came off the sidelines and promptly hit Tyson Madson with a pass for a first down. Two plays later, Buchanan found Connor Stevenson from 17 yards out for a touchdown, and to take the lead, 35-28.
On the ensuing drive, Wildcat quarterback Carston Naegle found Jordan Johnson for a two-yard touchdown to pull the visitors within a point with just 25 seconds left in regulation.
But the Wildcats were unable to convert the extra point, and all the Bees needed was to kneel down once before celebrating their first region championship since 2004, when they shared the title with Mountain Crest.
After the game, Bees head coach Robbie Gunter gave a lot of credit to the Wildcats, especially their offense, for making it such a tight contest.
“[The Wildcats] had some guys get hurt a few weeks ago and they had everybody back healthy tonight,” Gunter said. “They are a really explosive team and we knew we’d have our hands full with them.”
In a game of contrasting styles, coach Gunter went on to say, “I felt like from our end, our O-line did a great job creating holes for our backs and we had good balance with all the position groups touching the ball. I loved how our kids kept competing and they never got rattled on the sideline. We thought the game was headed to overtime, but our kids were ready for that because we’ve been there before.”
The win moves the Bees to 4-0 this season in games decided in the final minute or overtime, so they had a lot of past experience from which to draw.
The Bees knew coming into the game that the Wildcats would look to throw the ball in most any situation that presented itself and Woods Cross did not deviate from their plan.
Naegle found wide receiver Luke Hyde from 10 yards out on their first drive to open the scoring in the game.
Not to be deterred from their game plan, the Bees came out wanting to establish a physical presence and run the ball.
Buchanan capped the Bees’ opening drive with an eight yard run for a touchdown to tie the score.
Running back Bernard Pena gave the Bees their first lead early in the second quarter when he plowed in from a yard out.
Woods Cross was able to tie things up again just before the half when Naegle found Tucker Goodfellow for an 18 yard score.
But it was the Bees who would have the final say in the first half as senior speedster Nate Wheatley found a crease on the ensuing kickoff and took it 85 yards to the house to put the Bees up 21-14.
The Wildcats tried to seize the momentum before the break, but their drive was squashed when Box Elder defensive back Kash Cristoffersen stepped in front of a pass from Naegle to end the drive and preserve the lead.
The Bees got the ball to start the second half and made the most of that chance with Pena finishing the drive from four yards out to put the home team up two scores, 28-14
Pena finished the night with 53 yards on 17 carries with two touchdowns.
The Wildcats were threatening again on their next possession, but the defensive secondary again came up big for the Bees as Skyler Laurenti came up with an interception in the end zone to keep the Wildcats off the board.
But the momentum shifted right back to the Wildcats as a fumble by Pena set up the Wildcats with excellent field position.
They capitalized on the next play as Naegle connected with Johnson from 19 yards out to cut the lead to 28-20. The extra point was no good—foreshadowing how the game would ultimately be decided.
Following a failed fourth down try from the Bees, the Wildcats were able to tie the game as Naegle again found Hyde, this time from 24 yards out, for the score. Naegle then hit Goodfellow in the corner of the end zone on the two-point try to knot the game at 28 all.
Stevenson lead all Bees receivers with four catches for 72 yards and one touchdown. Buchanan completed 7-of-13 passing attempts for 90 yards and the one score.
The win put the Bees in a three-way tie for first place in Region 5 as Roy took down Farmington, 52-21, and Viewmont blanked Bountiful, 35-0, to land all three teams at 4-1.
A coin toss decided the final standings. The Royals landed in the top spot, with the Bees second and Vikings third.
The Bees will host their first state playoff game against the No. 3 seed from Region 8. The Utah County-based teams look to be headed to a play-in game coming down the stretch, so the Bees may not find out who their opponent is until early next week.
The state playoff game is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 26, at 4 p.m., but could get pushed to Saturday if a play-in game ends up being necessary.
As for this week, the Bees scheduled a tune-up game during their short week and will be in action tonight in Washington Terrace against Bonneville. The game against the Lakers is scheduled to start at 7 p.m.
Bees continue streak, roll over Royals, Vikings
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October 10, 2018 • Jeremy Jones • Staff Writer
The Box Elder High School volleyball team cruised to two easy wins last week, both in straight sets, over Roy and Viewmont to keep their stranglehold on the top spot in Region 5, as well as their number one ranking in 5A by the Deseret News.
With two road matches last week, the Bees were looking to prove their mettle in hostile environments and showed both their physical and mental toughness as they dominated matches on their opponents’ courts.
Against the Royals last Tuesday, the Bees were firing on all cylinders early both offensively and defensively. Roy struggled to score points, let alone make any kind of run against the heavily favored Bees.
In the end, the Box Elder left the Royals no chance to find their first region win of the season as the Bees coasted to wins of 25-10, 25-6, 25-8.
The Bees’ serving was especially tough and kept the Royals guessing all night. The team ended up with 12 aces in the match, lead by Sarah Reeder, who served up four.
Senior outside hitter Emily Isaacson lead all players with 11 kills on the offensive end.
Tiffany Horton helped keep things tough at the net for the Bees and lead the team with four blocks on the night.
On Thursday night, the Bees found a little more resistance when they travelled to Viewmont, but still managed a similar result as the team took the match 25-13, 25-16, 25-15.
The Bees again were able to jump out to early leads in each set and never looked back as they continued their journey to a region championship, which has eluded the team for the past eight years.
Isaacson again lead the way with 10 kills while Annie Mecham came up with four aces from the service line in the win. Reeder lead the Bees frontline blocking effort with six blocks on the night.
The wins keep the Bees a perfect 6-0 in Region 5 with just four matches left in the regular season.
Last night, the Bees were back in action against Farmington (results not available by press time). The Phoenix entered the match with a 2-4 region record and were clinging to the fourth seed in Region 5.
Tomorrow night, the Bees will be at home again to take on Woods Cross. The Bees dealt the Wildcats their first Region 5 loss last month. Since then, the Wildcats also fell to Bountiful in five sets to sit at 4-2.
The game against the Wildcats is scheduled to start at 6 p.m.
The Box Elder High School volleyball team cruised to two easy wins last week, both in straight sets, over Roy and Viewmont to keep their stranglehold on the top spot in Region 5, as well as their number one ranking in 5A by the Deseret News.
With two road matches last week, the Bees were looking to prove their mettle in hostile environments and showed both their physical and mental toughness as they dominated matches on their opponents’ courts.
Against the Royals last Tuesday, the Bees were firing on all cylinders early both offensively and defensively. Roy struggled to score points, let alone make any kind of run against the heavily favored Bees.
In the end, the Box Elder left the Royals no chance to find their first region win of the season as the Bees coasted to wins of 25-10, 25-6, 25-8.
The Bees’ serving was especially tough and kept the Royals guessing all night. The team ended up with 12 aces in the match, lead by Sarah Reeder, who served up four.
Senior outside hitter Emily Isaacson lead all players with 11 kills on the offensive end.
Tiffany Horton helped keep things tough at the net for the Bees and lead the team with four blocks on the night.
On Thursday night, the Bees found a little more resistance when they travelled to Viewmont, but still managed a similar result as the team took the match 25-13, 25-16, 25-15.
The Bees again were able to jump out to early leads in each set and never looked back as they continued their journey to a region championship, which has eluded the team for the past eight years.
Isaacson again lead the way with 10 kills while Annie Mecham came up with four aces from the service line in the win. Reeder lead the Bees frontline blocking effort with six blocks on the night.
The wins keep the Bees a perfect 6-0 in Region 5 with just four matches left in the regular season.
Last night, the Bees were back in action against Farmington (results not available by press time). The Phoenix entered the match with a 2-4 region record and were clinging to the fourth seed in Region 5.
Tomorrow night, the Bees will be at home again to take on Woods Cross. The Bees dealt the Wildcats their first Region 5 loss last month. Since then, the Wildcats also fell to Bountiful in five sets to sit at 4-2.
The game against the Wildcats is scheduled to start at 6 p.m.
Girls get third seed into state tourney
Grace Oki (left) and Molly Robb (right), who returned to the pitch after suffering a broken collar bone earlier this season, celebrate after Robb scored a first half goal en route to a 2-1 win over Roy last week. In a game that was fairly even and saw both teams making forays into their attacking zone and generating opportunities, Robb made the most of a shot from a difficult angle on the wing, curling the ball perfectly just inside the far post. Oki scored the Bees’ second goal of the game, in the second half, to secure the win. Box Elder finished the season tied with Roy for second place in the region, both with 18 points, but the Bees had to settle for the third seed in the state tournament. The Bees faced Skyridge, the No. 2 seed from Region 8, in the first round of the tournament on Tuesday (results not available by press time).Girls get third seed into state tourney
Bees remain undefeated in region, maintain top 5A ranking
Sophomore Gracie Gunderson (#33) and senior Jaida Burt put up a block in the Bees’ game against Bountiful last week. Gunderson, who stepped in for an injured Bekah Bennett, led the Bees with six blocks in the game. Burt helped the Bees earlier in the week with nine kills in a win over Woods Cross.
October 3, 2018 • Jeremy Jones • Staff Writer
The Box Elder High School volleyball team sent a loud and clear message last week that they are the team to beat in Region 5, and solidified their number one ranking in 5A when they took down Woods Cross in four games last Tuesday, Sept. 25, before sweeping Bountiful on Thursday.
Bees’ head coach Kristine Harding attributed their success to plenty of experience in facing adversity.
“Our girls have a lot of past experiences on the court and that helped a lot this week. We’re in constant conversation to tell the girls to play solid, not to drop down our momentum and not to drop down our energy,” Harding said.
On Tuesday night, the Bees were looking for revenge against the Wildcats, who handed the Bees a loss at the Rocky Mountain Champions Classic a few weeks ago.
That energy might have worked against the Bees in the opening minutes of the first game as the Wildcats jumped to an early lead that they turned into a win, 25-20.
After the match, coach Harding said that the girls were a little stiff and too focused to play really well in the beginning.
“[The Wildcats] are a tough battle because they beat us at the tournament,” Harding said. “If you look at the mental game of it, they got us before. So, on our part, in game one, we made a lot of errors. We hit a lot of balls out of bounds and that was emotionally kind of a downer.”
Harding said that her team started to turn things around in the first game, and even though it was too late to steal a win, that momentum carried through the remaining games on their way to the win.
“Our girls regrouped quickly. Halfway through game one, we closed the gap and just ran out of time,” Harding said. “Then we came out solid in the second game and were solid the rest of the way.”
The Bees were very solid in taking the next three games, and handed the Wildcats their first region loss of the season, 25-13, 25-15, 25-12.
Senior outside hitter Emily Isaacson lead the way with 15 kills on the night while fellow senior middle blocker Jaida Burt chipped in nine.
Sarah Reeder and Tiffany Hortin plugged up the middle for the Bees defensively and each recorded five blocks in the win.
On Thursday, the Bees had their first rematch with the Braves since winning a five-set thriller last November for the 5A state championship.
This time around, the Bees took the drama out of the game early as they built big leads in each game, with the Braves unable to come up with an answer.
Isaacson again lead the offensive attack with 14 kills on the night and Annie Mecham added eight in the win.
Six-foot tall sophomore, Gracie Gunderson, stepped in for an injured Bekah Bennett, who was out with a concussion, and lead the team with six blocks on the night to keep the Braves frustrated at the net.
In the end, the Bees simply overwhelmed their guests and took the match 25-17, 25-14, 25-12.
The wins move the Bees to 4-0 in region play and 14-2 overall on the season.
Yesterday, the Bees headed south to take on Roy, who entered the match at the bottom of the region at 0-3 (results not available by press time).
Tomorrow, the Bees will be on the road again to take on Viewmont. The match against the Vikings is scheduled to start at 6 p.m.
October 3, 2018 • Jeremy Jones • Staff Writer
The Box Elder High School volleyball team sent a loud and clear message last week that they are the team to beat in Region 5, and solidified their number one ranking in 5A when they took down Woods Cross in four games last Tuesday, Sept. 25, before sweeping Bountiful on Thursday.
Bees’ head coach Kristine Harding attributed their success to plenty of experience in facing adversity.
“Our girls have a lot of past experiences on the court and that helped a lot this week. We’re in constant conversation to tell the girls to play solid, not to drop down our momentum and not to drop down our energy,” Harding said.
On Tuesday night, the Bees were looking for revenge against the Wildcats, who handed the Bees a loss at the Rocky Mountain Champions Classic a few weeks ago.
That energy might have worked against the Bees in the opening minutes of the first game as the Wildcats jumped to an early lead that they turned into a win, 25-20.
After the match, coach Harding said that the girls were a little stiff and too focused to play really well in the beginning.
“[The Wildcats] are a tough battle because they beat us at the tournament,” Harding said. “If you look at the mental game of it, they got us before. So, on our part, in game one, we made a lot of errors. We hit a lot of balls out of bounds and that was emotionally kind of a downer.”
Harding said that her team started to turn things around in the first game, and even though it was too late to steal a win, that momentum carried through the remaining games on their way to the win.
“Our girls regrouped quickly. Halfway through game one, we closed the gap and just ran out of time,” Harding said. “Then we came out solid in the second game and were solid the rest of the way.”
The Bees were very solid in taking the next three games, and handed the Wildcats their first region loss of the season, 25-13, 25-15, 25-12.
Senior outside hitter Emily Isaacson lead the way with 15 kills on the night while fellow senior middle blocker Jaida Burt chipped in nine.
Sarah Reeder and Tiffany Hortin plugged up the middle for the Bees defensively and each recorded five blocks in the win.
On Thursday, the Bees had their first rematch with the Braves since winning a five-set thriller last November for the 5A state championship.
This time around, the Bees took the drama out of the game early as they built big leads in each game, with the Braves unable to come up with an answer.
Isaacson again lead the offensive attack with 14 kills on the night and Annie Mecham added eight in the win.
Six-foot tall sophomore, Gracie Gunderson, stepped in for an injured Bekah Bennett, who was out with a concussion, and lead the team with six blocks on the night to keep the Braves frustrated at the net.
In the end, the Bees simply overwhelmed their guests and took the match 25-17, 25-14, 25-12.
The wins move the Bees to 4-0 in region play and 14-2 overall on the season.
Yesterday, the Bees headed south to take on Roy, who entered the match at the bottom of the region at 0-3 (results not available by press time).
Tomorrow, the Bees will be on the road again to take on Viewmont. The match against the Vikings is scheduled to start at 6 p.m.
Bees extend win streak to four, take possession of top spot in Region 5
Connor Stevenson advances the ball after pulling in one of his two receptions against Farmington. Stevenson had the most explosive play of the game for the Bees when he ran 32 yards on the first offensive play to help set up the Bees’ first touchdown.
October 3, 2018 • Jeremy Jones • Staff Writer
The Box Elder High School football team ran their current winning streak to four straight games last Friday night on the road as they bested Farmington, 17-7.
After three consecutive weeks of last-minute heroics, including two overtime thrillers, the Bees were able to take care of business in regulation against the Phoenix behind two rushing touchdowns by Bernard Pena and a big effort on the defensive side of the ball.
Box Elder head coach Robbie Gunter called the game, “a tough situation” as the Phoenix came into the game on an emotional high and with renewed confidence after earning their first win of the season, against Woods Cross, the week before.
“On film, [the Phoenix] looked like a good team and then, in person, we saw that they are good team,” Gunter said. “We definitely made some mistakes that we want to clean up, but our guys played hard as well. Every region win is a big win, so we’re happy with this one.”
The most glaring mistakes from the Bees were 10 penalties for 95 yards and three turnovers that kept the Phoenix in the game.
The Bees’ defense negated much of that damage with four takeaways and several big stops that kept the Phoenix chasing for much of the game.
Box Elder’s defense set the tempo early on when junior defensive back Bentley Miles came up with his first interception of the season to squash the opening drive of the game.
Five plays later, Pena ran in from 12 yards out for his first score to give the Bees an early advantage.
On the ensuing drive, the Bees looked to have stopped the home team on fourth down, but a roughing the passer penalty kept the drive alive and set up a first and goal. Three plays later, Phoenix quarterback Wyatt Evertsen dove in from a yard out to tie the game.
The Bees started the second quarter the same as the first, with Skyler Laurenti picking off the first pass of the period to keep the game tied.
The Bees had a chance to take the lead heading into the halftime break, but quarterback Parker Buchanan took a hit in the backfield and fumbled the ball with just over a minute remaining in the second quarter. Brayden Wilson jumped on the loose ball for the Phoenix to keep the game tied.
The Bees took the lead on the opening drive of the second half when Keaton Lamb connected on a 35-yard field goal to go up 10-7.
The defensive struggle continued for the remainder of the game until the Bees finally put it away with a two-yard touchdown run by Pena with just over a minute remaining in the fourth quarter.
Pena finished with another monster stat line with 152 yards on 26 carries and two touchdowns.
The win moves the Bees to 6-1 overall and 3-0 in region play while the Phoenix fall to 1-6 and 1-2 in the region.
This Friday night, the Bees will be on the road again to square off against preseason region favorite in Roy. The Royals sit at 2-1 in Region 5 after losing last week to Viewmont.
The game against the Royals is set to kick off at 7 p.m.
October 3, 2018 • Jeremy Jones • Staff Writer
The Box Elder High School football team ran their current winning streak to four straight games last Friday night on the road as they bested Farmington, 17-7.
After three consecutive weeks of last-minute heroics, including two overtime thrillers, the Bees were able to take care of business in regulation against the Phoenix behind two rushing touchdowns by Bernard Pena and a big effort on the defensive side of the ball.
Box Elder head coach Robbie Gunter called the game, “a tough situation” as the Phoenix came into the game on an emotional high and with renewed confidence after earning their first win of the season, against Woods Cross, the week before.
“On film, [the Phoenix] looked like a good team and then, in person, we saw that they are good team,” Gunter said. “We definitely made some mistakes that we want to clean up, but our guys played hard as well. Every region win is a big win, so we’re happy with this one.”
The most glaring mistakes from the Bees were 10 penalties for 95 yards and three turnovers that kept the Phoenix in the game.
The Bees’ defense negated much of that damage with four takeaways and several big stops that kept the Phoenix chasing for much of the game.
Box Elder’s defense set the tempo early on when junior defensive back Bentley Miles came up with his first interception of the season to squash the opening drive of the game.
Five plays later, Pena ran in from 12 yards out for his first score to give the Bees an early advantage.
On the ensuing drive, the Bees looked to have stopped the home team on fourth down, but a roughing the passer penalty kept the drive alive and set up a first and goal. Three plays later, Phoenix quarterback Wyatt Evertsen dove in from a yard out to tie the game.
The Bees started the second quarter the same as the first, with Skyler Laurenti picking off the first pass of the period to keep the game tied.
The Bees had a chance to take the lead heading into the halftime break, but quarterback Parker Buchanan took a hit in the backfield and fumbled the ball with just over a minute remaining in the second quarter. Brayden Wilson jumped on the loose ball for the Phoenix to keep the game tied.
The Bees took the lead on the opening drive of the second half when Keaton Lamb connected on a 35-yard field goal to go up 10-7.
The defensive struggle continued for the remainder of the game until the Bees finally put it away with a two-yard touchdown run by Pena with just over a minute remaining in the fourth quarter.
Pena finished with another monster stat line with 152 yards on 26 carries and two touchdowns.
The win moves the Bees to 6-1 overall and 3-0 in region play while the Phoenix fall to 1-6 and 1-2 in the region.
This Friday night, the Bees will be on the road again to square off against preseason region favorite in Roy. The Royals sit at 2-1 in Region 5 after losing last week to Viewmont.
The game against the Royals is set to kick off at 7 p.m.