The Box Elder High School wrestling team poses with the first-place trophy after winning their home tournament, the Richardson Memorial, on Saturday.
Bees beat Payson, Mountain Crest to claim Richardson title
January 13, 2020 • Sean Hales • Staff Writer
The Box Elder High School wrestling team capped off a busy week with a first-place trophy at the Richardson Memorial, beating last year’s state runners-up, and Richardson Memorial champs, Payson, by 14 points, 197-183.
Payson was able to edge Mountain Crest by three points, 183-180 in a tournament that was largely a three-way battle. The fourth place team, Altamont, came in 52 points behind Mountain Crest with 128.
The Bees had four wrestlers make it to the championship mat, with three of those claiming individual titles: Bridger Ricks (120 pounds), Lucas Cochran (195) and Kellen Collier (285). Caleb Marx (170) took a somewhat disappointing second place after losing by fall to Bear River’s Landon Cabral, a wrestler Marx had beaten in a dual meet earlier in the week.
In addition to an individual title, Cochran also claimed the upper weight’s Outstanding Wrestler honor, his second such award this year after receiving it at the Viewmont Invitational.
“Lucas Cochran has it all,” Craner said. “What makes Lucas a great wrestler is his work ethic, confidence, leadership, and willingness to always improve. Aside from his obvious physical talents and abilities, Lucas is a great kid, and truly loves his teammates and the Box Elder wrestling program.”
While the Bees’ marquee wrestlers did what they were expected to do, Box Elder head coach Jed Craner said “the big key” to the Bees’ team victory at the Richardson was other kids making it to the medal rounds. Also, every wrestler scored at least one point for the team, something Craner has said will be important as the Bees eye a good finish at state. Craner noted the results of Brandon Murray (106) who took fourth, and Jackson Ricks (113), who, in the first round, scored a fall against a Minnesota transplant to Corner Canyon who had placed in Minnesota’s state tournament the previous year.
However, the results were a bit of a mixed bag. Sure, it was good to claim the first-place trophy at their home tournament, but Craner has his eyes on competing for a state title, and the tournament brought some concerns into focus. Of the Bees’ six bouts in the placing rounds for third through sixth place, Box Elder only won one of them.
“I thought we wrestled great throughout each weight class until the placing rounds,” Craner said. “If we’re going to win the state title, our guys will need to step it up in the medal rounds.”
Craner did give his team some benefit of the doubt due to the effort required to host the tournament.
“It’s exhausting for coaches and wrestlers alike to host a tournament,” Craner said. “Staying up late the night before and right after a dual meet can make a difference. I believe our young men will step it up when they don’t have to worry about setting up mats or running errands...”
Craner said the Bees’ victory over Payson is noteworthy, saying, “We are definitely a tougher team this year, however Payson is right there with us,” but reiterated that competing for a state title will require significant contributions from everyone on the team.
“We won the Richardson over Mountain Crest and Payson because it was our best versus their best,” Craner said. “When everyone is allowed to enter their second wrestler per weight class, it changes things. Our JV wrestlers will have to dig deep to help us bring home the title.”
Earlier in the week, the Bees had dominant showings in dual meets against Bear River and in the team’s first region meet this year, against Farmington.
The Bees started their week hosting Bear River on Wednesday, and quickly sent the Bears home with a 58-18 loss. Just four of the 14 bouts extended into the third round, and seven Box Elder wrestlers won their matches by fall with none lasting longer than 2:43. The Bees’ Jackson Ricks (113 pounds), Bridger Ricks (120) Charlie Donaldson (132), Lucas Cochran (195), Carson Lancaster (220), and Kellen Collier (285) all won their bouts by fall in the first round. Donaldson dispatched his opponent the quickest, earning a pin in less than a minute.
Box Elder’s Garrett Murray (152) also won by fall 43 seconds into the second round of his match.
Caleb Marx (170) earned three points for the Box Elder team with an 11-6 decision. Marx faced a 3-2 deficit after the first round, but dominated the second period, where he put up seven points, including a three-point near fall.
The next night, the Bees hosted Farmington and posted similar results, a 67-7 win over the Phoenix. Twelve of those points came by forfeit, but the rest was pure Box Elder as the Bees won 10 of the remaining 12 bouts, seven of which were by fall.
On Tuesday, four Box Elder Wrestlers competed in the Ross Brunson Utah High School All-Star tournament: Bridger Ricks, Marx, Cochran, and Collier. Results from that event were not available by press time.
Thursday, the Bees will host Bountiful in a region dual. Varsity matches are scheduled to begin at 7 p.m.
The Box Elder High School wrestling team capped off a busy week with a first-place trophy at the Richardson Memorial, beating last year’s state runners-up, and Richardson Memorial champs, Payson, by 14 points, 197-183.
Payson was able to edge Mountain Crest by three points, 183-180 in a tournament that was largely a three-way battle. The fourth place team, Altamont, came in 52 points behind Mountain Crest with 128.
The Bees had four wrestlers make it to the championship mat, with three of those claiming individual titles: Bridger Ricks (120 pounds), Lucas Cochran (195) and Kellen Collier (285). Caleb Marx (170) took a somewhat disappointing second place after losing by fall to Bear River’s Landon Cabral, a wrestler Marx had beaten in a dual meet earlier in the week.
In addition to an individual title, Cochran also claimed the upper weight’s Outstanding Wrestler honor, his second such award this year after receiving it at the Viewmont Invitational.
“Lucas Cochran has it all,” Craner said. “What makes Lucas a great wrestler is his work ethic, confidence, leadership, and willingness to always improve. Aside from his obvious physical talents and abilities, Lucas is a great kid, and truly loves his teammates and the Box Elder wrestling program.”
While the Bees’ marquee wrestlers did what they were expected to do, Box Elder head coach Jed Craner said “the big key” to the Bees’ team victory at the Richardson was other kids making it to the medal rounds. Also, every wrestler scored at least one point for the team, something Craner has said will be important as the Bees eye a good finish at state. Craner noted the results of Brandon Murray (106) who took fourth, and Jackson Ricks (113), who, in the first round, scored a fall against a Minnesota transplant to Corner Canyon who had placed in Minnesota’s state tournament the previous year.
However, the results were a bit of a mixed bag. Sure, it was good to claim the first-place trophy at their home tournament, but Craner has his eyes on competing for a state title, and the tournament brought some concerns into focus. Of the Bees’ six bouts in the placing rounds for third through sixth place, Box Elder only won one of them.
“I thought we wrestled great throughout each weight class until the placing rounds,” Craner said. “If we’re going to win the state title, our guys will need to step it up in the medal rounds.”
Craner did give his team some benefit of the doubt due to the effort required to host the tournament.
“It’s exhausting for coaches and wrestlers alike to host a tournament,” Craner said. “Staying up late the night before and right after a dual meet can make a difference. I believe our young men will step it up when they don’t have to worry about setting up mats or running errands...”
Craner said the Bees’ victory over Payson is noteworthy, saying, “We are definitely a tougher team this year, however Payson is right there with us,” but reiterated that competing for a state title will require significant contributions from everyone on the team.
“We won the Richardson over Mountain Crest and Payson because it was our best versus their best,” Craner said. “When everyone is allowed to enter their second wrestler per weight class, it changes things. Our JV wrestlers will have to dig deep to help us bring home the title.”
Earlier in the week, the Bees had dominant showings in dual meets against Bear River and in the team’s first region meet this year, against Farmington.
The Bees started their week hosting Bear River on Wednesday, and quickly sent the Bears home with a 58-18 loss. Just four of the 14 bouts extended into the third round, and seven Box Elder wrestlers won their matches by fall with none lasting longer than 2:43. The Bees’ Jackson Ricks (113 pounds), Bridger Ricks (120) Charlie Donaldson (132), Lucas Cochran (195), Carson Lancaster (220), and Kellen Collier (285) all won their bouts by fall in the first round. Donaldson dispatched his opponent the quickest, earning a pin in less than a minute.
Box Elder’s Garrett Murray (152) also won by fall 43 seconds into the second round of his match.
Caleb Marx (170) earned three points for the Box Elder team with an 11-6 decision. Marx faced a 3-2 deficit after the first round, but dominated the second period, where he put up seven points, including a three-point near fall.
The next night, the Bees hosted Farmington and posted similar results, a 67-7 win over the Phoenix. Twelve of those points came by forfeit, but the rest was pure Box Elder as the Bees won 10 of the remaining 12 bouts, seven of which were by fall.
On Tuesday, four Box Elder Wrestlers competed in the Ross Brunson Utah High School All-Star tournament: Bridger Ricks, Marx, Cochran, and Collier. Results from that event were not available by press time.
Thursday, the Bees will host Bountiful in a region dual. Varsity matches are scheduled to begin at 7 p.m.
Roy completes comeback with pressure, free-throws
The Box Elder High School boys’ basketball team finished out the 2020 calendar year with a 67-60 loss to Roy last Wednesday night in the Bees’ only game last week.
The game was tight through three quarters, but the Bees held a slim lead heading into the final frame.
The Royals put the press on the Bees, which forced several turnovers. Those turnovers, in addition to hitting free throws down the stretch, helped fuel a 30-18 run that pushed Roy over the top and gave them their second straight victory.
Roy’s Bitton poured in 17 points and also picked up a game-high five steals. The senior guard got enough help from his fellow classmates as Mason Thueson added 11 points and seven boards while Gene Noble chipped in 10 points and eight rebounds in the win.
The Bees got a big lift as senior forward Parker Buchanan made his season debut after suffering a knee injury in football that kept him benched for the first few weeks of the season.
Buchanan led the way for the Bees on the offensive end with 16 points. Reggie Greer posted 14 points and sophomore sharpshooter Matthew Low had 12.
Free throws played a significant role as the Bees went 50% from the stripe, 11 of 22, while the Royals went 18 of 24.
The win pushed the Royals above .500 on the year, to 4-3, while the Bees are still looking for their first win at 0-8.
The Bees will wrap up their preseason schedule this week ahead of starting region play next Wednesday night at home against Viewmont.
Box Elder played at Logan yesterday, Tuesday, Jan. 5 (results not available by press time).
The Grizzlies had a 6-1 record heading in to last night’s game with a five-game win streak. Their lone loss came early in December against Century High School from Pocatello, Idaho.
Senior Jadin Penigar is the Grizzlies’ top scorer, averaging just over 18 points per outing and has hit double-digits and made at least one 3-pointer in every game this season.
Last year, the Bees found a recipe for success against the Grizzlies, holding Pengiar to just eight points en route to a 64-52 win.
The Bees will travel to Pocatello, Idaho on Saturday to take on Highland High School. The game against the Rams is set to tip-off at 1 p.m.
The Utah High School Activities Association released their first RPI rankings of the year this week and the Bees check in at number 28 in the initial poll. Timpview lands at the top of the 5A classification to start 2021 and Bountiful is the highest-ranked team from Region 5 at sixth.
Other RPI rankings for Region 5 teams include: Woods Cross at ninth, Bonneville and Farmington at 3th and 14th, respectively, and Viewmont at 18th.
The Bees will start region play on Wednesday, Jan. 13, with a home game against Viewmont. On Friday, they will travel to Woods Cross. Both games are scheduled to start at 7 p.m.
Michael Webb / News Journal file photo
Kailee Talbot drives for a basket in a game earlier this season. In last week’s game against the Bear River, Talbot pulled down seven rebounds in a strong defensive showing by the Bees.
Kailee Talbot drives for a basket in a game earlier this season. In last week’s game against the Bear River, Talbot pulled down seven rebounds in a strong defensive showing by the Bees.
Bees overcome shooting struggles with solid defense to beat Bears
December 30, 2020 • Jeremy Jones • Staff Writer
In their lone game last week, the Box Elder High School girls’ basketball team used a strong start to upend cross-county rival Bear River, 53-46, last Tuesday in Garland.
The Bees flustered the Bears early on and held them to just four points in the opening period as Box Elder notched their fourth win of the preseason.
The Bees got a big offensive lift from junior guard Ashlyn Reeder, who poured in a career-high 16 points along with collecting six steals and five rebounds in the contest. Senior wing Tegan Mecham added 14 points in the win.
After struggling in the first quarter, the Bears found a better offensive groove and ended up with a trio of double-figure scorers, led by senior guard Olivia Taylor, who finished the game just below her season average of 16.3 points per game with 15. Lyza Pebley hit double-figures for the first time this season with 11 points and sophomore Kate Dahle added 10 for the Bears, who dropped to 2-6 on the year.
The Bees struggled from the perimeter, hitting 4 of 13 tries from beyond the 3-point arc, though Reeder hit three out of four of her shots from deep. The shooting struggles also continued from the free throw line as the team connected on just 11 of 20 trips to the charity stripe.
However, the team made up for their hardships on the defensive end of the court, picking up 14 steals in the game and converting several of those into easy looks on the other end.
The team also improved on the defensive glass over their last game, in which Sky View picked up some crucial late offensive rebounds to seal a win. Against the Bears, the Bees grabbed 21 total rebounds, led by senior forward Kailee Talbot, who grabbed seven.
In the end, the Bears couldn’t find enough offensive help and firepower down the stretch and only got six total points outside of their top three scorers.
In contrast, the Bees had seven girls get on the scoresheet and that balanced attack proved enough to get the win.
The win moved the Bees to a 4-2 record ahead of their Christmas break.
The team was back in action last night on the road as the Bees traveled to West Valley City to take on Hunter (results not available by press time).
The 6A Wolverines were looking to right their ship and end a six-game losing skid after picking up three straight wins to start their season.
The Bees will play Davis tomorrow night at home.
The game against the Darts is scheduled for a 7 p.m. tip-off.
The games this week will serve as the last building blocks for the Bees strength of schedule before the initial RPI rankings are released by the Utah High School Activities Association next Monday.
After their game against the Darts, the Bees will have one more week of preseason play where they’ll take on Ridgeline and Riverton before starting region play the following week on the road at Viewmont.
In their lone game last week, the Box Elder High School girls’ basketball team used a strong start to upend cross-county rival Bear River, 53-46, last Tuesday in Garland.
The Bees flustered the Bears early on and held them to just four points in the opening period as Box Elder notched their fourth win of the preseason.
The Bees got a big offensive lift from junior guard Ashlyn Reeder, who poured in a career-high 16 points along with collecting six steals and five rebounds in the contest. Senior wing Tegan Mecham added 14 points in the win.
After struggling in the first quarter, the Bears found a better offensive groove and ended up with a trio of double-figure scorers, led by senior guard Olivia Taylor, who finished the game just below her season average of 16.3 points per game with 15. Lyza Pebley hit double-figures for the first time this season with 11 points and sophomore Kate Dahle added 10 for the Bears, who dropped to 2-6 on the year.
The Bees struggled from the perimeter, hitting 4 of 13 tries from beyond the 3-point arc, though Reeder hit three out of four of her shots from deep. The shooting struggles also continued from the free throw line as the team connected on just 11 of 20 trips to the charity stripe.
However, the team made up for their hardships on the defensive end of the court, picking up 14 steals in the game and converting several of those into easy looks on the other end.
The team also improved on the defensive glass over their last game, in which Sky View picked up some crucial late offensive rebounds to seal a win. Against the Bears, the Bees grabbed 21 total rebounds, led by senior forward Kailee Talbot, who grabbed seven.
In the end, the Bears couldn’t find enough offensive help and firepower down the stretch and only got six total points outside of their top three scorers.
In contrast, the Bees had seven girls get on the scoresheet and that balanced attack proved enough to get the win.
The win moved the Bees to a 4-2 record ahead of their Christmas break.
The team was back in action last night on the road as the Bees traveled to West Valley City to take on Hunter (results not available by press time).
The 6A Wolverines were looking to right their ship and end a six-game losing skid after picking up three straight wins to start their season.
The Bees will play Davis tomorrow night at home.
The game against the Darts is scheduled for a 7 p.m. tip-off.
The games this week will serve as the last building blocks for the Bees strength of schedule before the initial RPI rankings are released by the Utah High School Activities Association next Monday.
After their game against the Darts, the Bees will have one more week of preseason play where they’ll take on Ridgeline and Riverton before starting region play the following week on the road at Viewmont.
Wrestlers take top-three state ranking to Viewmont, leave with three champs, second-place team trophy
December 23, 2020
In the first two weeks of the season, the Box Elder High School wrestling team has established itself as high-powered contender in the state.
In the team’s first taste of action this year, at the Juab Classic on Dec. 12, the Bees took first, which leap-frogged them from being ranked at the bottom of the top 10 in the state, to third, by WrestleUtah.com. At the Viewmont Invitational last weekend, Box Elder finished second to 6A Pleasant Grove, 178 points to 217.5. Payson, last year’s runner-up at the 5A state tournament finished third at Viewmont with 168.5 points. Five Bees made it to the championship mat at Viewmont, and three walked away with individual titles: Junior Bridger Ricks (120 pounds) and seniors Lucas Cochran (182) and Kellen Collier (285).
Those are three of four Box Elder wrestlers ranked first or second in 5A by WrestleUtah. Ricks, Cochran and Collier have all earned “the one to beat” status with first-place rankings. Senior Caleb Marx (170) is ranked second behind junior Mark Rausch from Mountain Ridge.
Those four wrestlers are the vanguard of a deeply experienced stable that includes seniors Charles Donaldson, Carson Lancaster, Jacob Richards, and Wyatt Romriell, most of whom are returning state placers.
“Our senior class is loaded,” Craner said of his team, which has 12 seniors on the roster. “I think with the seniors we have, the experience we have at the state level, our chances are really high [for a top-three finish at state]. We’re preparing to take home the gold.”
Not only do the Bees have talent and experience, but they have leadership that Craner said will be key to getting younger, less-experienced team members to buy-in to a team mentality and earn whatever points they can.
“In the time I’ve been here, we haven’t had leadership like this,” said Craner. “Just phenomenal, outstanding leadership.” He added that getting the leaders to bring along younger players, both in terms of ability, and in terms of willing to give their all with little promise of personal glory will be “pivotal. It’s so important.”
The team’s “studs can’t do it on their own,” Craner said about winning a team title. He said that the three points earned by a handful of non-marquee team members “could be the difference for a state title.”
Craner expects junior Garrett Murray to “do s lot of good” for the Bees. “He is turning it on,” Craner said. “He’s on his way to the next level.”
Two underclassmen could make some significant contributions this year, including a chance to place at state. Freshmen Brandon Murray (106) and Jackson Ricks (113) finished sixth and third at Viewmont, respectively, and bring noteworthy credentials into the start of their high school careers. Murray placed in the middle school-level State and Super State tournaments, as well as the Salt Lake Slam and Beehive Brawl. Jackson Ricks placed first at Super State and Northern State tournaments, third place at both the Turkey Tussle and Beehive Brawl, fifth at the Salt Lake Slam, and sixth at the Intermountain Warrior in the high school division.
“They’re both solid wrestlers,” Craner said.
The Bees had a dual at Syracuse yesterday, Tuesday, Dec. 22 (results not available by press time), prior to the holiday moratorium.
The Bees will get their first two home events of the year immediately following the break with dual meets against Bear River and Farmington on Jan. 6 and 7.
December 23, 2020
In the first two weeks of the season, the Box Elder High School wrestling team has established itself as high-powered contender in the state.
In the team’s first taste of action this year, at the Juab Classic on Dec. 12, the Bees took first, which leap-frogged them from being ranked at the bottom of the top 10 in the state, to third, by WrestleUtah.com. At the Viewmont Invitational last weekend, Box Elder finished second to 6A Pleasant Grove, 178 points to 217.5. Payson, last year’s runner-up at the 5A state tournament finished third at Viewmont with 168.5 points. Five Bees made it to the championship mat at Viewmont, and three walked away with individual titles: Junior Bridger Ricks (120 pounds) and seniors Lucas Cochran (182) and Kellen Collier (285).
Those are three of four Box Elder wrestlers ranked first or second in 5A by WrestleUtah. Ricks, Cochran and Collier have all earned “the one to beat” status with first-place rankings. Senior Caleb Marx (170) is ranked second behind junior Mark Rausch from Mountain Ridge.
Those four wrestlers are the vanguard of a deeply experienced stable that includes seniors Charles Donaldson, Carson Lancaster, Jacob Richards, and Wyatt Romriell, most of whom are returning state placers.
“Our senior class is loaded,” Craner said of his team, which has 12 seniors on the roster. “I think with the seniors we have, the experience we have at the state level, our chances are really high [for a top-three finish at state]. We’re preparing to take home the gold.”
Not only do the Bees have talent and experience, but they have leadership that Craner said will be key to getting younger, less-experienced team members to buy-in to a team mentality and earn whatever points they can.
“In the time I’ve been here, we haven’t had leadership like this,” said Craner. “Just phenomenal, outstanding leadership.” He added that getting the leaders to bring along younger players, both in terms of ability, and in terms of willing to give their all with little promise of personal glory will be “pivotal. It’s so important.”
The team’s “studs can’t do it on their own,” Craner said about winning a team title. He said that the three points earned by a handful of non-marquee team members “could be the difference for a state title.”
Craner expects junior Garrett Murray to “do s lot of good” for the Bees. “He is turning it on,” Craner said. “He’s on his way to the next level.”
Two underclassmen could make some significant contributions this year, including a chance to place at state. Freshmen Brandon Murray (106) and Jackson Ricks (113) finished sixth and third at Viewmont, respectively, and bring noteworthy credentials into the start of their high school careers. Murray placed in the middle school-level State and Super State tournaments, as well as the Salt Lake Slam and Beehive Brawl. Jackson Ricks placed first at Super State and Northern State tournaments, third place at both the Turkey Tussle and Beehive Brawl, fifth at the Salt Lake Slam, and sixth at the Intermountain Warrior in the high school division.
“They’re both solid wrestlers,” Craner said.
The Bees had a dual at Syracuse yesterday, Tuesday, Dec. 22 (results not available by press time), prior to the holiday moratorium.
The Bees will get their first two home events of the year immediately following the break with dual meets against Bear River and Farmington on Jan. 6 and 7.
Titans rout Bees in season opener
December 9, 2020 • Jeremy Jones • Staff Writer
Heading into their first game of the season, Box Elder High School boys’ basketball coach Jace McKee said his team was going to have “a lot of growing up to do, and quick.”
That process started last Friday against Olympus—and proved every bit as tough as McKee thought it might be—as the Titans jumped out to an early lead and won every period on their way to a 79-47 win.
Olympus junior Jack Wistrcill gave the Bees all they could handle and more on the inside with his 6 foot 8 inch frame, and led all scorers with 17 points in the game.
Wistrcill led four Titan players in double-digit scoring as three seniors provided plenty of support on the perimeter. Luke Smith and Ben Krystkowiak each added 13 points from the outside and Alex Johnson chipped in 11 points in the win.
The Titans also saw 10 different players get on the scoresheet as the lop-sided victory gave room for some younger players to log varsity minutes in the waning moments of the game.
The Bees got 13 points from senior forward Jarom Watson and 11 points from sophomore Jackson McKee.
A key for the Bees in the contest was to control the pace and tempo of the game, and they had some success on that front, earning more trips to the free throw line than the Titans. The Bees connected on 14 of 20 tries from the charity stripe while the Titans made eight of their 14 free-throw attempts.
But the Titans more than made up that gap with their outside shooting as they connected on 11 3-pointers while the Bees hit just three shots behind the arc.
The Bees will be back in action tonight in their home opener against Green Canyon. The Wolves also tipped off their season last Friday night against Roy and picked up a 64-51 win.
In that game, junior sharpshooter Cade Deboard pumped in 22 points, including connecting on four 3-pointers, to lead the Wolves to the win.
The game against the Wolves is scheduled to start at 7 p.m.
The gym at Box Elder will be much quieter than usual tonight and throughout the rest of the season as COVID-19 public health precautions are limiting the number of people allowed into each game.
Box Elder High School has joined with many other schools across the state to only allow two fans per athlete to attend the game. Tickets must be obtained before each game with a unique code that is only given out to the players’ families.
The Bees will be back in action at home on Friday when they take on Provo. The Bulldogs from Region 8 suffered a 60-38 setback in their season opener last week against Timpview and will be looking for some ways to generate more offense as no player hit double-figures on the night.
The game against the Bulldogs is also slated to start at 7 p.m.
December 9, 2020 • Jeremy Jones • Staff Writer
Heading into their first game of the season, Box Elder High School boys’ basketball coach Jace McKee said his team was going to have “a lot of growing up to do, and quick.”
That process started last Friday against Olympus—and proved every bit as tough as McKee thought it might be—as the Titans jumped out to an early lead and won every period on their way to a 79-47 win.
Olympus junior Jack Wistrcill gave the Bees all they could handle and more on the inside with his 6 foot 8 inch frame, and led all scorers with 17 points in the game.
Wistrcill led four Titan players in double-digit scoring as three seniors provided plenty of support on the perimeter. Luke Smith and Ben Krystkowiak each added 13 points from the outside and Alex Johnson chipped in 11 points in the win.
The Titans also saw 10 different players get on the scoresheet as the lop-sided victory gave room for some younger players to log varsity minutes in the waning moments of the game.
The Bees got 13 points from senior forward Jarom Watson and 11 points from sophomore Jackson McKee.
A key for the Bees in the contest was to control the pace and tempo of the game, and they had some success on that front, earning more trips to the free throw line than the Titans. The Bees connected on 14 of 20 tries from the charity stripe while the Titans made eight of their 14 free-throw attempts.
But the Titans more than made up that gap with their outside shooting as they connected on 11 3-pointers while the Bees hit just three shots behind the arc.
The Bees will be back in action tonight in their home opener against Green Canyon. The Wolves also tipped off their season last Friday night against Roy and picked up a 64-51 win.
In that game, junior sharpshooter Cade Deboard pumped in 22 points, including connecting on four 3-pointers, to lead the Wolves to the win.
The game against the Wolves is scheduled to start at 7 p.m.
The gym at Box Elder will be much quieter than usual tonight and throughout the rest of the season as COVID-19 public health precautions are limiting the number of people allowed into each game.
Box Elder High School has joined with many other schools across the state to only allow two fans per athlete to attend the game. Tickets must be obtained before each game with a unique code that is only given out to the players’ families.
The Bees will be back in action at home on Friday when they take on Provo. The Bulldogs from Region 8 suffered a 60-38 setback in their season opener last week against Timpview and will be looking for some ways to generate more offense as no player hit double-figures on the night.
The game against the Bulldogs is also slated to start at 7 p.m.
Young Bees will focus on improving everyday
December 2, 2020 • Jeremy Jones • Staff Writer
After a delay of a couple of weeks, the Box Elder High School boys’ basketball team will finally get to take the court for the first time this season on Friday night when they travel to play Olympus.
The Bees’ roster has only a few seniors and not all of them have much varsity experience, so the team will get something of a trial by fire, especially during the first few weeks of the season as many new faces try to find their roles on a very young team.
“We’re just finishing up our second practice and we have a lot of young kids and new faces,” said head coach Jace McKee. “We’ve got a lot of work to do, we’ve learned that already.”
The Bees suffered a big blow even before the season began as senior Parker Buchanan, the team’s leading scorer last year, suffered a knee injury during Box Elder’s final football game of the year, and won’t be able to suit up at least until the start of region play in January.
Buchanan had a lot of leadership and varsity experience, along with the nearly 17 points and eight rebounds per game that he averaged last season, and the Bees will be looking to some younger players to fill both of those voids.
Without Buchanan, the Bees’ offense may look different than it did with him.
“We’re going to run a little different offense than we have,” McKee said. “It has been sort of inside-centered and we’re going to have to mix that up a little bit. I feel like our guards have some abilities off the dribble and we’re going to look to use that to our advantage. We’re not big this year, so we’ll want to use those guards to create opportunities for us.”
Senior wing Jarom Watson will be expected to replace a little of Buchanan’s scoring potential. He comes into his senior year averaging 6.4 points per game and connected on 20 three-point tries last season.
Reggie Greer also brings some varsity experience to the team, though he may have to step into more of a post role at 6 feet 5 inches, even though he has shown an ability to play on the wing the past couple of years.
On Friday against the Titans, and in their next few games of the preseason, the Bees’ main focus will simply be getting varsity-level experience to the new faces on the team.
“With our inexperience, we just need to get some experience,” McKee said. “We’re going to go out and compete, get some guys acclimated as fast as we can and with as early as it is and with the delay, it’s going to be like a scrimmage really. It’s obviously not a scrimmage, but we’ll be out there trying to learn and work on some things and see where we go from there.”
On Wednesday, Dec 9, evening, the Bees will be back in action with their home opener against Green Canyon, followed by another home game Friday, Dec. 11, against Provo.
The Bees will play their annual contest against Bear River in Garland on Dec. 22, and finish up their preseason schedule with an out-of-state game against Highland High School from Pocatello, Idaho.
Region play is slated to start on Jan. 13 with a home game against Viewmont and will wrap up on Feb. 19 with another home game against Bountiful.
According to the Deseret News, Region 5 looks to be one of the strongest in the state as both Farmington and Bountiful cracked the preseason top five in the 5A classification and both could give the Bees problems this season with their size and returning experience.
McKee pointed out that one key to success for the team this season will be their ability to defend and control the tempo of their games.
“We’ve got to take care of the ball and we’ve got to play good defense,” McKee said. “I don’t want to count on our offense to score 80 points in order to win, so we’ve got to be good defensively and not give up 80.”
McKee continued that managing emotions and learning from experiences will be key for this year’s team.
“With all these young kids, we’re going to have highs and lows throughout the process,” McKee said. “We just want to focus on getting better everyday and learning from the experiences we have.”
The game against the Titans is scheduled to tip off at 7 p.m.
After a delay of a couple of weeks, the Box Elder High School boys’ basketball team will finally get to take the court for the first time this season on Friday night when they travel to play Olympus.
The Bees’ roster has only a few seniors and not all of them have much varsity experience, so the team will get something of a trial by fire, especially during the first few weeks of the season as many new faces try to find their roles on a very young team.
“We’re just finishing up our second practice and we have a lot of young kids and new faces,” said head coach Jace McKee. “We’ve got a lot of work to do, we’ve learned that already.”
The Bees suffered a big blow even before the season began as senior Parker Buchanan, the team’s leading scorer last year, suffered a knee injury during Box Elder’s final football game of the year, and won’t be able to suit up at least until the start of region play in January.
Buchanan had a lot of leadership and varsity experience, along with the nearly 17 points and eight rebounds per game that he averaged last season, and the Bees will be looking to some younger players to fill both of those voids.
Without Buchanan, the Bees’ offense may look different than it did with him.
“We’re going to run a little different offense than we have,” McKee said. “It has been sort of inside-centered and we’re going to have to mix that up a little bit. I feel like our guards have some abilities off the dribble and we’re going to look to use that to our advantage. We’re not big this year, so we’ll want to use those guards to create opportunities for us.”
Senior wing Jarom Watson will be expected to replace a little of Buchanan’s scoring potential. He comes into his senior year averaging 6.4 points per game and connected on 20 three-point tries last season.
Reggie Greer also brings some varsity experience to the team, though he may have to step into more of a post role at 6 feet 5 inches, even though he has shown an ability to play on the wing the past couple of years.
On Friday against the Titans, and in their next few games of the preseason, the Bees’ main focus will simply be getting varsity-level experience to the new faces on the team.
“With our inexperience, we just need to get some experience,” McKee said. “We’re going to go out and compete, get some guys acclimated as fast as we can and with as early as it is and with the delay, it’s going to be like a scrimmage really. It’s obviously not a scrimmage, but we’ll be out there trying to learn and work on some things and see where we go from there.”
On Wednesday, Dec 9, evening, the Bees will be back in action with their home opener against Green Canyon, followed by another home game Friday, Dec. 11, against Provo.
The Bees will play their annual contest against Bear River in Garland on Dec. 22, and finish up their preseason schedule with an out-of-state game against Highland High School from Pocatello, Idaho.
Region play is slated to start on Jan. 13 with a home game against Viewmont and will wrap up on Feb. 19 with another home game against Bountiful.
According to the Deseret News, Region 5 looks to be one of the strongest in the state as both Farmington and Bountiful cracked the preseason top five in the 5A classification and both could give the Bees problems this season with their size and returning experience.
McKee pointed out that one key to success for the team this season will be their ability to defend and control the tempo of their games.
“We’ve got to take care of the ball and we’ve got to play good defense,” McKee said. “I don’t want to count on our offense to score 80 points in order to win, so we’ve got to be good defensively and not give up 80.”
McKee continued that managing emotions and learning from experiences will be key for this year’s team.
“With all these young kids, we’re going to have highs and lows throughout the process,” McKee said. “We just want to focus on getting better everyday and learning from the experiences we have.”
The game against the Titans is scheduled to tip off at 7 p.m.
Volleyball team grateful for season
November 18, 2020 • Jeremy Jones • Staff Writer
The Box Elder High School volleyball team completed one of the more memorable seasons in recent history, although so much of the attention was off the court.
With the threat of a lockdown looming before every game and even everyday at practice, all the Bees interviewed echoed the same sentiment that they were just grateful to have had a season to play at all.
“It was just super fun because we’ve all been playing together since like sixth grade, so it was great just to finish out the year together and play with best friends,” said Senior Kaitlyn Wight.
The first response from head coach Kristine Harding fell right in line with what team members were saying when she said, “Well, at least we got to play a season. First and foremost, these girls had to be able to handle the pressures of all the changes with what’s going on and when it comes right down to it, I’m just grateful we got to play.”
Harding also talked about all the memories and experiences gained that would have been lost had the season been cancelled.
Senior Gracie Gunderson also spoke to that idea.
“We’ve been together for so long that all our memories kind of blend together,” Gunderson said. “I think it’s funny because we’re not just friends during volleyball, but we’re friends year round. So we have so many memories together that it’s hard to pick out just one memory.”
On the court, the Bees faced some stiff competition in the early going and posted a 3-2 record before starting region play. Those early matches included a close loss to Sky View, who finished as the 4A state champions, and a big win over Morgan, who finished as the 3A runners up this year.
The Bees then picked up four straight region wins and won eight of their next nine matches before falling at home to Bountiful. During that winning streak, the Bees upset then top-ranked Woods Cross in straight sets to establish themselves as a true threat in Region 5 and across the state.
A few tough losses in the second half of the season knocked the Bees down a few spots as the team finished with a 6-4 record in region play, which landed them in third place behind the Braves and Wildcats.
The team’s 20-7 regular season record was good enough to land them as the number 9 overall seed in the 5A classification and earned them a home game in the first round of the state tournament, which they easily won over Cottonwood in straight sets.
The season then came to an end the next day when Box Elder fell to Lehi in straight sets to end their tournament run.
When talking about the season, Wight remarked, “We definitely wanted to go further in state, but it’s OK that we didn’t. We’re just so proud of all the things we were able to accomplish.”
As happens so often in high school sports, next year’s iteration of the Bees lineup will see plenty of new faces with five graduating seniors exiting this year. Harding said about this year’s senior girls, “This is a group that have been playing club volleyball together from a very early age. This particular group have just always played with each other and it’s a big hole they’ll be leaving.”
With the losses of Gunderson, Wight, Kailee Talbot, Sally Owens, and Kourtney Small, the underclassmen will have some big shoes to fill when next fall comes around.
Woods Cross and Bountiful look to be the early favorites for next season as the top two teams from 2020 also have the most returning talent and seem poised to keep other region challengers at bay.
Not everything will be brand new for next year’s squad however, as Tegan Mecham, Kennadee Vaughn, and Ashlyn Reeder will all be back for their senior campaigns with some significant varsity experience already under their belts and will be looking to dethrone the top teams and put the Bees back in that conversation.
The Box Elder High School volleyball team completed one of the more memorable seasons in recent history, although so much of the attention was off the court.
With the threat of a lockdown looming before every game and even everyday at practice, all the Bees interviewed echoed the same sentiment that they were just grateful to have had a season to play at all.
“It was just super fun because we’ve all been playing together since like sixth grade, so it was great just to finish out the year together and play with best friends,” said Senior Kaitlyn Wight.
The first response from head coach Kristine Harding fell right in line with what team members were saying when she said, “Well, at least we got to play a season. First and foremost, these girls had to be able to handle the pressures of all the changes with what’s going on and when it comes right down to it, I’m just grateful we got to play.”
Harding also talked about all the memories and experiences gained that would have been lost had the season been cancelled.
Senior Gracie Gunderson also spoke to that idea.
“We’ve been together for so long that all our memories kind of blend together,” Gunderson said. “I think it’s funny because we’re not just friends during volleyball, but we’re friends year round. So we have so many memories together that it’s hard to pick out just one memory.”
On the court, the Bees faced some stiff competition in the early going and posted a 3-2 record before starting region play. Those early matches included a close loss to Sky View, who finished as the 4A state champions, and a big win over Morgan, who finished as the 3A runners up this year.
The Bees then picked up four straight region wins and won eight of their next nine matches before falling at home to Bountiful. During that winning streak, the Bees upset then top-ranked Woods Cross in straight sets to establish themselves as a true threat in Region 5 and across the state.
A few tough losses in the second half of the season knocked the Bees down a few spots as the team finished with a 6-4 record in region play, which landed them in third place behind the Braves and Wildcats.
The team’s 20-7 regular season record was good enough to land them as the number 9 overall seed in the 5A classification and earned them a home game in the first round of the state tournament, which they easily won over Cottonwood in straight sets.
The season then came to an end the next day when Box Elder fell to Lehi in straight sets to end their tournament run.
When talking about the season, Wight remarked, “We definitely wanted to go further in state, but it’s OK that we didn’t. We’re just so proud of all the things we were able to accomplish.”
As happens so often in high school sports, next year’s iteration of the Bees lineup will see plenty of new faces with five graduating seniors exiting this year. Harding said about this year’s senior girls, “This is a group that have been playing club volleyball together from a very early age. This particular group have just always played with each other and it’s a big hole they’ll be leaving.”
With the losses of Gunderson, Wight, Kailee Talbot, Sally Owens, and Kourtney Small, the underclassmen will have some big shoes to fill when next fall comes around.
Woods Cross and Bountiful look to be the early favorites for next season as the top two teams from 2020 also have the most returning talent and seem poised to keep other region challengers at bay.
Not everything will be brand new for next year’s squad however, as Tegan Mecham, Kennadee Vaughn, and Ashlyn Reeder will all be back for their senior campaigns with some significant varsity experience already under their belts and will be looking to dethrone the top teams and put the Bees back in that conversation.
Box Elder’s six sacks not enough to ground SkyHawks’ passing attack
Box Elder defenders team up to take down Salem Hills’ quarterback, which resulted in him fumbling the ball out of bounds. The Bees’ defense recorded six sacks, including four from Gavin Hansen, and one each from Kellen Collier and Chance Thackeray. However, the pressure was not enough to stifle the SkyHawks passing game, which accounted for 275 yards and four touchdowns.
Bees ousted from state tournament
November 4, 2020 • Jeremy Jones • Staff Writer
Salem Hills’ Jarret Elmer threw four touchdown passes and Willy Leota ran for 170 yards and another two scores as the Salem Hills High School football team ran away with a second round victory over Box Elder last Friday afternoon, 44-13, in the second round of the 5A state playoffs.
The SkyHawks showed they were eager to take the field again after earning a bye in the first round of the playoffs, and found the end zone early and often in the first quarter, taking a commanding 20-7 lead after the first period and never looked back en route to punching their ticket to the quarterfinals and a date with Wasatch next Friday.
On the first drive of the game, Elmer connected with Reed Johnson for a two-yard score.
On their next possession, Leota supplied the fireworks on the ground, busting a 60-yard touchdown run that put Salem Hills up 13-0 after a failed extra point.
The Bees answered back with a big play of their own as senior running back Trevin Johnson found a hole on the left side of the line and then did the rest himself with a 30-yard touchdown run to cut the lead to 13-7. Johnson handled the bulk of the work for the Bees in the backfield as he gained 52 yards on 13 carries with one touchdown.
From that point, the SkyHawks ripped off 31 straight points through the end of the third quarter to put any comeback hopes to rest.
On the last play of the first quarter, Elmer connected with Austin Hallows from 26 yards out for a score. Midway through the second, Elmer again found Johnson, this time for a 28-yard strike and Leota capped the second quarter scoring with a 20-yard scamper.
Elmer found Hallows again from 33 yards out in the third quarter and Jed Hughes booted a 38-yard field goal to set the final tally for the home team.
Elmer finished the game with 10 of 14 passing for 212 yards and four touchdowns.
Hallows and Johnson each caught three balls in the game. Hallows gained 81 yards on his catches while Johnson racked up 51 yards.
The Bees kept battling despite the large deficit and got a big play on the ground by sophomore wideout Braylon Majors as he took a handoff, found some room on the edge, and went 60 yards for a touchdown to set the final margin of the game.
One bright spot on the defensive side of the ball for the Bees came from senior defensive end Gavin Hansen, who amassed eight tackles on the night, including seven for a loss, and four quarterback sacks.
Senior Parker Buchanan also picked up an interception as a defensive back.
The loss marks the conclusion of the Bees’ season. Box Elder had a 5-6 overall record, including their two playoff games.
In other playoff action, it was a tough go for Region 5 as no team advanced past the second round of the playoffs. Viewmont and Farmington were both knocked out in the first round as the Vikings fell 52-14 to Lehi, while the Phoenix were ousted by Alta 42-23.
Bountiful beat Hillcrest 62-7 in their first round matchup, then were knocked out in the second round, 38-28, by Skyline. Alta pulled off the upset over third-ranked Bonneville, 29-9, to kick Region 5 from the quarterfinals.
Bees ousted from state tournament
November 4, 2020 • Jeremy Jones • Staff Writer
Salem Hills’ Jarret Elmer threw four touchdown passes and Willy Leota ran for 170 yards and another two scores as the Salem Hills High School football team ran away with a second round victory over Box Elder last Friday afternoon, 44-13, in the second round of the 5A state playoffs.
The SkyHawks showed they were eager to take the field again after earning a bye in the first round of the playoffs, and found the end zone early and often in the first quarter, taking a commanding 20-7 lead after the first period and never looked back en route to punching their ticket to the quarterfinals and a date with Wasatch next Friday.
On the first drive of the game, Elmer connected with Reed Johnson for a two-yard score.
On their next possession, Leota supplied the fireworks on the ground, busting a 60-yard touchdown run that put Salem Hills up 13-0 after a failed extra point.
The Bees answered back with a big play of their own as senior running back Trevin Johnson found a hole on the left side of the line and then did the rest himself with a 30-yard touchdown run to cut the lead to 13-7. Johnson handled the bulk of the work for the Bees in the backfield as he gained 52 yards on 13 carries with one touchdown.
From that point, the SkyHawks ripped off 31 straight points through the end of the third quarter to put any comeback hopes to rest.
On the last play of the first quarter, Elmer connected with Austin Hallows from 26 yards out for a score. Midway through the second, Elmer again found Johnson, this time for a 28-yard strike and Leota capped the second quarter scoring with a 20-yard scamper.
Elmer found Hallows again from 33 yards out in the third quarter and Jed Hughes booted a 38-yard field goal to set the final tally for the home team.
Elmer finished the game with 10 of 14 passing for 212 yards and four touchdowns.
Hallows and Johnson each caught three balls in the game. Hallows gained 81 yards on his catches while Johnson racked up 51 yards.
The Bees kept battling despite the large deficit and got a big play on the ground by sophomore wideout Braylon Majors as he took a handoff, found some room on the edge, and went 60 yards for a touchdown to set the final margin of the game.
One bright spot on the defensive side of the ball for the Bees came from senior defensive end Gavin Hansen, who amassed eight tackles on the night, including seven for a loss, and four quarterback sacks.
Senior Parker Buchanan also picked up an interception as a defensive back.
The loss marks the conclusion of the Bees’ season. Box Elder had a 5-6 overall record, including their two playoff games.
In other playoff action, it was a tough go for Region 5 as no team advanced past the second round of the playoffs. Viewmont and Farmington were both knocked out in the first round as the Vikings fell 52-14 to Lehi, while the Phoenix were ousted by Alta 42-23.
Bountiful beat Hillcrest 62-7 in their first round matchup, then were knocked out in the second round, 38-28, by Skyline. Alta pulled off the upset over third-ranked Bonneville, 29-9, to kick Region 5 from the quarterfinals.
Bees beat Farmington in straight sets ahead of state tournament
November 4, 2020 • Jeremy Jones • Staff Writer
The Box Elder High School volleyball team picked up a straight-set win on senior night last Tuesday night over Farmington in the team’s last match of the season before competing in the state tournament.
The Bees have made it a point this season to start strong to help build the momentum for the rest of the match. Last Tuesday was no exception as the Bees put the Phoenix in an early hole and never let them out to claim the win, 25-16, 25-21, 25-22.
After the match, Bees’ head coach Kristine Harding gave a lot of credit to her players for taking care of business in an emotional environment and on an emotional day.
“We had a great crowd, just like we’ve had all year, and I think [the Phoenix] got a little rattled out there,” Harding said. “We definitely had a great home court advantage.”
Harding also said, “I’m really proud of our seniors because they handled the emotions of senior night with a lot of class and maturity. We hit a lot of our numbers that we wanted to and, for the most part, played really solid and consistent out there. Those are all great things to see going into the state tournament next week.”
The win gave the Bees a 20-7 overall record on the year and a 6-4 mark in Region 5, which was good enough for third place in the region behind Bountiful and Woods Cross, and landed the Bees in ninth place overall in the 5A classification.
With the ninth-place finish, the Bees earned a home match in the first round against Region 6 competitor Cottonwood. The Colts finished fifth in Region 6 and came into last night’s match with the Bees with a 5-10 overall record on the year.
That match was played last night, Tuesday, Nov. 3 (results not available by press time).
Unlike in years past, where all the teams travel to Utah Valley University for all of the games in the double-elimination tournament, this year’s tournament is single elimination; the Bees needed to win Tuesday to get another match, and they didn’t know who their next opponent would be until after all matches that day are complete.
When asked about the changes to this year’s tournament, Harding said, “For the coaches, this way is actually a little easier. Usually, you’re playing two matches a day and there’s no time for scouting or making any adjustments from one match to the next. Now, we’ll have 24 hours to talk and plan in between our matches, so from the coaching end, that’s actually better.”
Coach Harding went on to say, “I think the format will be harder for the girls. There’s going to be some travel fatigue in there and they could have a lot of distractions off the court since they’re only playing one match a day, then going home at night. It’ll be a different atmosphere for sure and we’ll have to see how the girls are able to respond.”
With a win, the Bees will take on the winner between Lehi and Provo. If the Pioneers get the win, the Bees will head to Lehi while if the Bulldogs pull off an upset, the Bees would get to host the second round match as well.
The second round match is scheduled to start tonight at 6 p.m.
A win tonight would likely match the Bees up with the top-ranked team in the tournament in Bountiful. The Braves would get to host the quarterfinal match ahead of the semifinals and finals, which will be held at Salt Lake Community College in Taylorsville.
In other Region 5 pairings, Woods Cross finished as the number five overall seed and played East last night. Viewmont came in at 17th and took on Springville with the winner moving on to take on the top-ranked Braves.
Farmington clocked in at 20th and hit the road to take on Brighton while Bonneville finished at number 21 and headed south to play Spanish Fork.
See next week’s edition for full coverage and results from the 2020 5A state volleyball tournament.
November 4, 2020 • Jeremy Jones • Staff Writer
The Box Elder High School volleyball team picked up a straight-set win on senior night last Tuesday night over Farmington in the team’s last match of the season before competing in the state tournament.
The Bees have made it a point this season to start strong to help build the momentum for the rest of the match. Last Tuesday was no exception as the Bees put the Phoenix in an early hole and never let them out to claim the win, 25-16, 25-21, 25-22.
After the match, Bees’ head coach Kristine Harding gave a lot of credit to her players for taking care of business in an emotional environment and on an emotional day.
“We had a great crowd, just like we’ve had all year, and I think [the Phoenix] got a little rattled out there,” Harding said. “We definitely had a great home court advantage.”
Harding also said, “I’m really proud of our seniors because they handled the emotions of senior night with a lot of class and maturity. We hit a lot of our numbers that we wanted to and, for the most part, played really solid and consistent out there. Those are all great things to see going into the state tournament next week.”
The win gave the Bees a 20-7 overall record on the year and a 6-4 mark in Region 5, which was good enough for third place in the region behind Bountiful and Woods Cross, and landed the Bees in ninth place overall in the 5A classification.
With the ninth-place finish, the Bees earned a home match in the first round against Region 6 competitor Cottonwood. The Colts finished fifth in Region 6 and came into last night’s match with the Bees with a 5-10 overall record on the year.
That match was played last night, Tuesday, Nov. 3 (results not available by press time).
Unlike in years past, where all the teams travel to Utah Valley University for all of the games in the double-elimination tournament, this year’s tournament is single elimination; the Bees needed to win Tuesday to get another match, and they didn’t know who their next opponent would be until after all matches that day are complete.
When asked about the changes to this year’s tournament, Harding said, “For the coaches, this way is actually a little easier. Usually, you’re playing two matches a day and there’s no time for scouting or making any adjustments from one match to the next. Now, we’ll have 24 hours to talk and plan in between our matches, so from the coaching end, that’s actually better.”
Coach Harding went on to say, “I think the format will be harder for the girls. There’s going to be some travel fatigue in there and they could have a lot of distractions off the court since they’re only playing one match a day, then going home at night. It’ll be a different atmosphere for sure and we’ll have to see how the girls are able to respond.”
With a win, the Bees will take on the winner between Lehi and Provo. If the Pioneers get the win, the Bees will head to Lehi while if the Bulldogs pull off an upset, the Bees would get to host the second round match as well.
The second round match is scheduled to start tonight at 6 p.m.
A win tonight would likely match the Bees up with the top-ranked team in the tournament in Bountiful. The Braves would get to host the quarterfinal match ahead of the semifinals and finals, which will be held at Salt Lake Community College in Taylorsville.
In other Region 5 pairings, Woods Cross finished as the number five overall seed and played East last night. Viewmont came in at 17th and took on Springville with the winner moving on to take on the top-ranked Braves.
Farmington clocked in at 20th and hit the road to take on Brighton while Bonneville finished at number 21 and headed south to play Spanish Fork.
See next week’s edition for full coverage and results from the 2020 5A state volleyball tournament.
Bees knockout Wildcats, face Salem Hills in second round Friday
Courtesy Boyd Lancaster
Box Elder sophomore Tallin Chappell had a big game in the Bees’ first game of the 5A state playoffs, scoring his team’s first points of the game on a safety (pictured), and scored the go-ahead touchdown with a reception in the third quarter.
October 28, 2020 • Jeremy Jones • Staff Writer
Sophomore Tallin Chappell made his presence felt on both sides of the ball last Friday night as he recorded a solo tackle for a safety in the first quarter, and caught his first touchdown pass of the season to help fuel Box Elder High School’s football team to a 22-8 victory over Woods Cross in the first round of the state tournament last Friday in Brigham City.
Chappell opened the scoring for the game as he broke through the line and dropped the Wildcats’ DaShaud Seymour two yards deep in the end zone after the Bees pinned the Wildcats on their own one-yard line with a punt.
Chappell wasn’t done, and in the third quarter, he lined up as a tight end and caught an eight-yard pass from quarterback Parker Buchanan that put the Bees up for good.
The game was largely a defensive battle as both sides struggled to sustain a drive and score throughout the game.
Bees’ head coach Robbie Gunter said of his defense, “Our kids really played their hearts out tonight. I feel like our defense really stepped up and made a lot of key plays for us, and that was great to see.”
The Bees’ offense was able to sustain a drive late in the first quarter that was capped off early in the second by an 11-yard run by Buchanan. The home team tried for a two-point conversion, but a fumbled snap kept the score at 8-0.
The Wildcats came up with an interception just before the halftime whistle and had good field position at the 41-yard line with 24 seconds left. But the Bees defense did enough to keep the visitors out of the end zone and maintained the first-half shutout.
The Wildcats came back to tie the game early in the third period on an 88-yard touchdown pass from Canton Naegle to Luke Hyde. Hyde was able to turn the Bees’ defender around, causing a stumble that created enough room for the speedy junior to take it to the house.
Sensing a shift in momentum, the Wildcats also punched in a two-point conversion as Seymour powered in from three yards out to tie the score ahead of Chappell’s touchdown catch.
In the fourth quarter, the Bees looked to manage the clock and finished off a 12-play, 75 yard drive with a six-yard run by Buchanan that involved his linemen pushing him into the end zone as much as Buchanan was running.
Buchanan finished the game with 122 yards rushing on 17 carries with two touchdowns.
Senior running back Trevin Johnson carried the bulk of the load for the Bees ground game and finished with a season-high 152 yards on 25 carries.
The Bees’ final drive also chewed up six and half minutes of fourth quarter game clock. In the game, the Bees dominated time of possession, and held onto the ball for 33:46 while the Wildcats had the ball for just 14:14.
The loss ends the Wildcats’ season, while the Bees punched their ticket for the second round, where they’ll head south on Friday to take on the third-place team from Region 8, and fourth overall seed in the tournament, Salem Hills.
The Sky Hawks posted a 7-2 regular season record and will be looking for a big game from senior quarterback Jarret Elmer, who has racked up 2,471 yards passing with 25 touchdowns this season.
Elmer has had a good connection with fellow senior Reed Johnson all year as Johnson leads the receiving corps with 720 yards and nine touchdowns on the year.
The game against the SkyHawks is scheduled to kick-off at 4 p.m. in Salem. Tickets for the game are available online at www.shskyhawksathletics.com/event-tickets.
Box Elder sophomore Tallin Chappell had a big game in the Bees’ first game of the 5A state playoffs, scoring his team’s first points of the game on a safety (pictured), and scored the go-ahead touchdown with a reception in the third quarter.
October 28, 2020 • Jeremy Jones • Staff Writer
Sophomore Tallin Chappell made his presence felt on both sides of the ball last Friday night as he recorded a solo tackle for a safety in the first quarter, and caught his first touchdown pass of the season to help fuel Box Elder High School’s football team to a 22-8 victory over Woods Cross in the first round of the state tournament last Friday in Brigham City.
Chappell opened the scoring for the game as he broke through the line and dropped the Wildcats’ DaShaud Seymour two yards deep in the end zone after the Bees pinned the Wildcats on their own one-yard line with a punt.
Chappell wasn’t done, and in the third quarter, he lined up as a tight end and caught an eight-yard pass from quarterback Parker Buchanan that put the Bees up for good.
The game was largely a defensive battle as both sides struggled to sustain a drive and score throughout the game.
Bees’ head coach Robbie Gunter said of his defense, “Our kids really played their hearts out tonight. I feel like our defense really stepped up and made a lot of key plays for us, and that was great to see.”
The Bees’ offense was able to sustain a drive late in the first quarter that was capped off early in the second by an 11-yard run by Buchanan. The home team tried for a two-point conversion, but a fumbled snap kept the score at 8-0.
The Wildcats came up with an interception just before the halftime whistle and had good field position at the 41-yard line with 24 seconds left. But the Bees defense did enough to keep the visitors out of the end zone and maintained the first-half shutout.
The Wildcats came back to tie the game early in the third period on an 88-yard touchdown pass from Canton Naegle to Luke Hyde. Hyde was able to turn the Bees’ defender around, causing a stumble that created enough room for the speedy junior to take it to the house.
Sensing a shift in momentum, the Wildcats also punched in a two-point conversion as Seymour powered in from three yards out to tie the score ahead of Chappell’s touchdown catch.
In the fourth quarter, the Bees looked to manage the clock and finished off a 12-play, 75 yard drive with a six-yard run by Buchanan that involved his linemen pushing him into the end zone as much as Buchanan was running.
Buchanan finished the game with 122 yards rushing on 17 carries with two touchdowns.
Senior running back Trevin Johnson carried the bulk of the load for the Bees ground game and finished with a season-high 152 yards on 25 carries.
The Bees’ final drive also chewed up six and half minutes of fourth quarter game clock. In the game, the Bees dominated time of possession, and held onto the ball for 33:46 while the Wildcats had the ball for just 14:14.
The loss ends the Wildcats’ season, while the Bees punched their ticket for the second round, where they’ll head south on Friday to take on the third-place team from Region 8, and fourth overall seed in the tournament, Salem Hills.
The Sky Hawks posted a 7-2 regular season record and will be looking for a big game from senior quarterback Jarret Elmer, who has racked up 2,471 yards passing with 25 touchdowns this season.
Elmer has had a good connection with fellow senior Reed Johnson all year as Johnson leads the receiving corps with 720 yards and nine touchdowns on the year.
The game against the SkyHawks is scheduled to kick-off at 4 p.m. in Salem. Tickets for the game are available online at www.shskyhawksathletics.com/event-tickets.
Courtesy Boyd Lancaster
Braylon Majors pulls in a pass that gave the Bees their first points of the game at the end of the first quarter. Box Elder faced a 28-7 deficit at halftime.
Braylon Majors pulls in a pass that gave the Bees their first points of the game at the end of the first quarter. Box Elder faced a 28-7 deficit at halftime.
Bees come up short against Lakers in battle for region title
October 14, 2020 • Jeremy Jones • Staff Writer
Bonneville senior quarterback Kamen Best threw for four touchdowns and ran in another as the Bonneville High School football team claimed its first region championship since 2002 with a 42-14 win over Box Elder last Friday in Washington Terrace.
Best put the Lakers on the scoreboard with his legs early in the first quarter as he scampered in from seven yards out to cap the first drive of the game.
Following a punt from the Bees, the Lakers struck quickly again as Best connected with senior wideout Reiss Graybeal from 24 yards out to put the home team up 14-0.
The Bees found an answer just before the end of the first quarter when quarterback Parker Buchanan found sophomore wide receiver Braylon Majors in the front corner of the end zone for Majors’ fifth touchdown on the season to cut the lead to 14-7.
All season, the Bees have relied on the defense getting pressure on opposing quarterbacks and wreaking havoc in the backfield. The Lakers countered with a lot of quick-hitting pass plays that kept the Bees’ defense off balance and searching for answers.
Early in the second quarter, Laker running back Kord Shaw ran in his lone rushing touchdown of the game and Best hit Graybeal for a 23-yard score midway through the period to put the home team up 28-7 heading into the halftime break.
After the game, Bees’ head coach Robbie Gunter said, “We really had a hard time getting the offense going tonight. We’re not used to giving up that many points, so I think that got the offense a little nervous and we were pressing to get back in the game.”
Coach Gunter went on to give the Lakers a lot of credit for the win in saying, “[The Lakers] are a really good team and they did a good job getting after us tonight. They neutralized our d-line with a bunch of quick passes and they executed really well. Those are the kinds of teams we’ll be playing in the state tournament, so we’ll need to be ready to face that style of play.”
After halftime, Best found Shaw coming out of the backfield and the running back did the rest, showing off some fancy footwork and scoring from 23 yards out.
Buchanan capped a drive for the Bees with a one-yard dive early in the fourth quarter before Best finished the scoring with an 11-yard pass to Jordan Jacquez that set the final margin.
The loss drops the Bees to 4-1 in region play and 4-5 overall on the season.
The Bees were scheduled to square off against Murray tonight, but the Tigers are in quarantine due to a COVID-19 exposure, so the final game has been cancelled.
The RPI rankings were not published this week and will be made available on Saturday at 9 a.m., when the pairings for the state tournament will be revealed. The Bees sat at number 14 last week and are hoping to stay at least in the top 16 to get one more home game this season.
The top nine teams will get a bye into the second round while teams in 10th through 16th will host their first round games on Oct. 23 with all games that night currently scheduled to kickoff at 6 p.m.
This season, the state tournament games will be played at the home site of the higher ranked team through the quarterfinals with the semifinals and finals being played Nov. 13 and Nov. 21, respectively, at Dixie State University in St. George.
Bonneville senior quarterback Kamen Best threw for four touchdowns and ran in another as the Bonneville High School football team claimed its first region championship since 2002 with a 42-14 win over Box Elder last Friday in Washington Terrace.
Best put the Lakers on the scoreboard with his legs early in the first quarter as he scampered in from seven yards out to cap the first drive of the game.
Following a punt from the Bees, the Lakers struck quickly again as Best connected with senior wideout Reiss Graybeal from 24 yards out to put the home team up 14-0.
The Bees found an answer just before the end of the first quarter when quarterback Parker Buchanan found sophomore wide receiver Braylon Majors in the front corner of the end zone for Majors’ fifth touchdown on the season to cut the lead to 14-7.
All season, the Bees have relied on the defense getting pressure on opposing quarterbacks and wreaking havoc in the backfield. The Lakers countered with a lot of quick-hitting pass plays that kept the Bees’ defense off balance and searching for answers.
Early in the second quarter, Laker running back Kord Shaw ran in his lone rushing touchdown of the game and Best hit Graybeal for a 23-yard score midway through the period to put the home team up 28-7 heading into the halftime break.
After the game, Bees’ head coach Robbie Gunter said, “We really had a hard time getting the offense going tonight. We’re not used to giving up that many points, so I think that got the offense a little nervous and we were pressing to get back in the game.”
Coach Gunter went on to give the Lakers a lot of credit for the win in saying, “[The Lakers] are a really good team and they did a good job getting after us tonight. They neutralized our d-line with a bunch of quick passes and they executed really well. Those are the kinds of teams we’ll be playing in the state tournament, so we’ll need to be ready to face that style of play.”
After halftime, Best found Shaw coming out of the backfield and the running back did the rest, showing off some fancy footwork and scoring from 23 yards out.
Buchanan capped a drive for the Bees with a one-yard dive early in the fourth quarter before Best finished the scoring with an 11-yard pass to Jordan Jacquez that set the final margin.
The loss drops the Bees to 4-1 in region play and 4-5 overall on the season.
The Bees were scheduled to square off against Murray tonight, but the Tigers are in quarantine due to a COVID-19 exposure, so the final game has been cancelled.
The RPI rankings were not published this week and will be made available on Saturday at 9 a.m., when the pairings for the state tournament will be revealed. The Bees sat at number 14 last week and are hoping to stay at least in the top 16 to get one more home game this season.
The top nine teams will get a bye into the second round while teams in 10th through 16th will host their first round games on Oct. 23 with all games that night currently scheduled to kickoff at 6 p.m.
This season, the state tournament games will be played at the home site of the higher ranked team through the quarterfinals with the semifinals and finals being played Nov. 13 and Nov. 21, respectively, at Dixie State University in St. George.
Box Elder volleyball team shows rust from COVID quarantine in loss to Bonneville
October 14, 2020 • Jeremy Jones • Staff Writer
While having to stay flexible and fluid both with their schedule as well as on the court, the Box Elder High School Volleyball team dropped three out of four sets against Bonneville last Thursday night in what ended up being the team’s only region match of the week.
The Bees had been scheduled to square off against Viewmont on Tuesday night, but that match was postponed and rescheduled for the evening of Oct. 20.
The rescheduled match, along with several missed practices, came about after several members of the varsity squad were informed they had been exposed to COVID-19 a couple of weeks ago and were forced into quarantine.
The match against the Lakers featured a full-strength team for the Bees, although it was their first experience together following their time away.
Even though none of the players ever showed any symptoms of the coronavirus, they did show a bit of rust on the court and that ultimately gave the Lakers enough of an edge to grab their first region win of the season.
After the match, Bees’ head coach Kristine Harding said that, while missing some practice time and the match earlier in the week definitely contributed to the loss, the team also needs to be ready no matter the circumstances.
“The practices and just the way we built up to the Bonneville match wasn’t what it needed to be and I made mistakes there,” Harding said. “We did have some players out and we can’t use that as an excuse. We need to make sure we’re ready to play no matter what each night and we’ll fix that going forward.”
Coach Harding also gave a lot of credit to the Lakers in saying, “[The Lakers] played great against us. They were digging up everything on the back line and put up a really good block that kind of kept us off balance. That was a really good win for their team.”
The momentum shifted towards the visitors in the first set as the teams battled back and forth with neither side finding much separation. In the end, the Lakers made a couple of key plays down the stretch and took the first frame 26-24.
That initial loss seemed to take a little steam away from the Bees and gave the Lakers a boost of confidence that carried them to a 25-22 win in the second set.
The Bees dug deep to pull out a 25-22 win of their own in the third set, but the momentum still seemed to favor the Lakers. That proved true in the fourth and final frame as the Bees had some hitting errors catch up with them and the Lakers cruised to a 25-12 win to secure the overall victory.
Senior outside hitter Halle Morgan led the charge for Bonneville with 15 kills on the night while Kelsie Heslop added 14 and Natalie Van Dyke added 12 in the win.
Over the weekend, the Bees hosted a four-team tournament and picked up a straight set win over Canyon View on Friday night (25-17, 25-12, 25-6), then grabbed another straight set win, this time over Stansbury (25-10, 25-7, 25-11).
The Stallions from Stansbury picked up a win later on Friday night over Canyon View and earned the right to face the Bees again on Saturday with similar results as the Bees swept the Stallions 25-11, 25-8, 25-19.
The Bees dropped a couple of spots to eighth in the 5A RPI rankings this week ahead of a couple big matches that could help them climb up the poll with some positive results.
Last night, the Bees headed south to take on fourth-ranked Woods Cross (results not available by press time). The team was looking for a repeat of their first match against the Wildcats where the Bees took the match in straight sets.
Tonight, the Bees have an important non-region match on the road against Morgan. The Trojans are the third-ranked team in 3A, and are riding a six-game winning streak coming into tonight’s match.
The varsity match is scheduled to start at 6 p.m.
October 14, 2020 • Jeremy Jones • Staff Writer
While having to stay flexible and fluid both with their schedule as well as on the court, the Box Elder High School Volleyball team dropped three out of four sets against Bonneville last Thursday night in what ended up being the team’s only region match of the week.
The Bees had been scheduled to square off against Viewmont on Tuesday night, but that match was postponed and rescheduled for the evening of Oct. 20.
The rescheduled match, along with several missed practices, came about after several members of the varsity squad were informed they had been exposed to COVID-19 a couple of weeks ago and were forced into quarantine.
The match against the Lakers featured a full-strength team for the Bees, although it was their first experience together following their time away.
Even though none of the players ever showed any symptoms of the coronavirus, they did show a bit of rust on the court and that ultimately gave the Lakers enough of an edge to grab their first region win of the season.
After the match, Bees’ head coach Kristine Harding said that, while missing some practice time and the match earlier in the week definitely contributed to the loss, the team also needs to be ready no matter the circumstances.
“The practices and just the way we built up to the Bonneville match wasn’t what it needed to be and I made mistakes there,” Harding said. “We did have some players out and we can’t use that as an excuse. We need to make sure we’re ready to play no matter what each night and we’ll fix that going forward.”
Coach Harding also gave a lot of credit to the Lakers in saying, “[The Lakers] played great against us. They were digging up everything on the back line and put up a really good block that kind of kept us off balance. That was a really good win for their team.”
The momentum shifted towards the visitors in the first set as the teams battled back and forth with neither side finding much separation. In the end, the Lakers made a couple of key plays down the stretch and took the first frame 26-24.
That initial loss seemed to take a little steam away from the Bees and gave the Lakers a boost of confidence that carried them to a 25-22 win in the second set.
The Bees dug deep to pull out a 25-22 win of their own in the third set, but the momentum still seemed to favor the Lakers. That proved true in the fourth and final frame as the Bees had some hitting errors catch up with them and the Lakers cruised to a 25-12 win to secure the overall victory.
Senior outside hitter Halle Morgan led the charge for Bonneville with 15 kills on the night while Kelsie Heslop added 14 and Natalie Van Dyke added 12 in the win.
Over the weekend, the Bees hosted a four-team tournament and picked up a straight set win over Canyon View on Friday night (25-17, 25-12, 25-6), then grabbed another straight set win, this time over Stansbury (25-10, 25-7, 25-11).
The Stallions from Stansbury picked up a win later on Friday night over Canyon View and earned the right to face the Bees again on Saturday with similar results as the Bees swept the Stallions 25-11, 25-8, 25-19.
The Bees dropped a couple of spots to eighth in the 5A RPI rankings this week ahead of a couple big matches that could help them climb up the poll with some positive results.
Last night, the Bees headed south to take on fourth-ranked Woods Cross (results not available by press time). The team was looking for a repeat of their first match against the Wildcats where the Bees took the match in straight sets.
Tonight, the Bees have an important non-region match on the road against Morgan. The Trojans are the third-ranked team in 3A, and are riding a six-game winning streak coming into tonight’s match.
The varsity match is scheduled to start at 6 p.m.
Bees downed by Braves, outlast Phoenix
Gracie Gunderson, the Bees’ top offensive threat, places a kill past blockers, but it wasn’t enough as the Bees fell to Bountiful in straight sets last week.
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October 7, 2020 • Jeremy Jones • Staff Writer
The Box Elder High School volleyball team suffered their first region loss this year, falling in straight sets to Bountiful Tuesday, Sept. 29, in Brigham City before bouncing back with a five-set marathon win over Farmington last Thursday. The energy and intensity was high on Tuesday against the Braves as the Bees were coming off an emotional win over Woods Cross and enjoyed the number two ranking in the state in the 5A RPI rankings. But the Braves had their own motivation. They were coming off a two-week quarantine break and were anxious to get back into competitive play. Every point was contested and neither side could find much of an edge, but the Braves always seemed to find one more play than the Bees and took the win 27-25, 25-22, 25-22. Sophomore Jordyn Harvey led all players with 19 kills and four service aces in the match. Two nights later, the Bees came out a little flat against the Phoenix, who took advantage and picked up a 25-17 win in the first set. The Bees regrouped and turned the tables on the 20th-ranked Phoenix, grabbing a 25-20 win in the second. The Bees had no answer for Farmington outside hitter Amber Geddes, who put down 19 kills in the match, and led the Phoenix to an easy 25-11 win in the third set. The win gave the Phoenix a significant advantage heading into the final two sets, and Farmington’s upset of Box Elder looked more possible. However, the Bees showed a lot of heart and determination and took a 25-21 fourth set victory to force a fifth and deciding set. Building off their momentum from fighting back from the brink, the Bees stayed sharp and finished off the match with a 15-9 win in the fifth. Last week’s results give the Bees a 12-4 overall record on the year, which landed them in sixth in the 5A RPI at the beginning of the week. Woods Cross reclaimed the top spot from Region 5 and was ranked fourth overall to start the week, while the Braves were one spot behind the Bees at seventh. Viewmont has won two of their last three matches and came in at 15th, Farmington took the 20th spot in the rankings, and Bonneville checks in at 22nd. The Bees have a busy week this week with two home region matches against the Vikings and Lakers before competing in the Tiger Classic tournament on Friday and Saturday at Ogden High School. Results from last night’s match against the Vikings were not available by press time. On Thursday, Bonneville will visit Brigham City. The varsity match is scheduled to start at 6 p.m. |
Box Elder tight end Carson Arnold prepares to shake off a Woods Cross defender on his way to scoring the go-ahead touchdown in the Bees’ 20-17 win over the Wildcats. An interception by Cooper Stevenson on Woods Cross’ next drive sealed the win.
Bees’ end-of-game heroics set up region title showdown
October 7, 2020 • Jeremy Jones • Staff Writer
Junior tight end Carson Arnold hauled in four passes for 86 yards, including a 45-yard catch-and-run for a touchdown that proved to be the difference as the Box Elder High School football team beat Woods Cross, 20-17, last Friday in Brigham City.
On third and five from midfield, Parker Buchanan hit Arnold over the middle at around the 15-yard line and Arnold did the rest, dragging two Wildcat defenders and stretching the ball over the goal line for the winning score.
The win kept the Bees in the hunt for a Region 5 championship as Bonneville also stayed a perfect 4-0 last Friday night with a 26-15 win over Farmington to set up winner-take-all contest for the region championship Friday in Washington Terrace.
The game between the Bees and Wildcats was a defensive struggle for much of the first half and the Bees broke out some razzle-dazzle late in the second quarter for their first score.
Box Elder ran a reverse to sophomore wideout Cooper Stevenson and then snuck Buchanan out of the backfield and down the sideline. Before crossing the line of scrimmage, Stevenson stopped and passed to Buchanan, who shook off one tackle before racing 35 yards for the score.
The extra point attempt was missed wide and the score was 6-3 at the halftime break.
Following the intermission, the Wildcats got a big lift from senior running back DaShaud Seymour, who found some space on the left side of the line and went 75 yards for a touchdown on the first play of the third quarter to give the Wildcats a 10-6 lead.
Seymour finished the night with 157 yards on 15 carries with one touchdown.
To make matters worse for the Bees, the Wildcats squibbed the ensuing kickoff and recovered it at the Bees’ 30-yard line after the Bees failed to find a handle on the ball.
Three plays later, the Wildcats added to their lead as Luke Hyde ran in from five yards out to improve their margin to 17-6.
The Bees started their comeback on the very next drive, which was capped off by a 20-yard strike from Buchanan to River Olsen.
Buchanan finished the night completing 12 of 22 passing attempts for 175 yards and two touchdowns.
From that point on, it was a fierce defensive battle until Arnold’s touchdown put the Bees on top for good.
And it was defense that kept the Bees on top. With a little more than two minutes in the game, Woods Cross was marching down the field, and with 1:05 left, was knocking on the door at Box Elder’s 30-yard line. On the next play, Stevenson was in position to pick off a pass to the sideline and end the threat.
For the Bees’ defense, Kellen Collier picked up five tackles on the night while defensive end Gavin Hansen wreaked some havoc in the backfield with four tackles, including one for a big loss and two quarterback sacks.
Even with the win, the Bees still dropped a couple of spots in the RPI rankings from last week and check in at 14th in this week’s rankings.
The last time the Bees were on top of Region 5 was in 2018, when the title was also shared with Roy and Viewmont. In order to win it outright this time around, the Bees will have to find some ways to slow down the high-octane offense of the Lakers.
The Lakers are led by senior quarterback Kamen Best, who has amassed 1,771 passing yards so far this year, with 19 touchdowns and seven interceptions.
Five Laker receivers have eclipsed the 200-yard mark on the year, led by senior Reiss Graybeal, who has hauled in 29 catches for 462 yards.
The game against the Lakers is scheduled to start at 7 p.m.
Bees’ end-of-game heroics set up region title showdown
October 7, 2020 • Jeremy Jones • Staff Writer
Junior tight end Carson Arnold hauled in four passes for 86 yards, including a 45-yard catch-and-run for a touchdown that proved to be the difference as the Box Elder High School football team beat Woods Cross, 20-17, last Friday in Brigham City.
On third and five from midfield, Parker Buchanan hit Arnold over the middle at around the 15-yard line and Arnold did the rest, dragging two Wildcat defenders and stretching the ball over the goal line for the winning score.
The win kept the Bees in the hunt for a Region 5 championship as Bonneville also stayed a perfect 4-0 last Friday night with a 26-15 win over Farmington to set up winner-take-all contest for the region championship Friday in Washington Terrace.
The game between the Bees and Wildcats was a defensive struggle for much of the first half and the Bees broke out some razzle-dazzle late in the second quarter for their first score.
Box Elder ran a reverse to sophomore wideout Cooper Stevenson and then snuck Buchanan out of the backfield and down the sideline. Before crossing the line of scrimmage, Stevenson stopped and passed to Buchanan, who shook off one tackle before racing 35 yards for the score.
The extra point attempt was missed wide and the score was 6-3 at the halftime break.
Following the intermission, the Wildcats got a big lift from senior running back DaShaud Seymour, who found some space on the left side of the line and went 75 yards for a touchdown on the first play of the third quarter to give the Wildcats a 10-6 lead.
Seymour finished the night with 157 yards on 15 carries with one touchdown.
To make matters worse for the Bees, the Wildcats squibbed the ensuing kickoff and recovered it at the Bees’ 30-yard line after the Bees failed to find a handle on the ball.
Three plays later, the Wildcats added to their lead as Luke Hyde ran in from five yards out to improve their margin to 17-6.
The Bees started their comeback on the very next drive, which was capped off by a 20-yard strike from Buchanan to River Olsen.
Buchanan finished the night completing 12 of 22 passing attempts for 175 yards and two touchdowns.
From that point on, it was a fierce defensive battle until Arnold’s touchdown put the Bees on top for good.
And it was defense that kept the Bees on top. With a little more than two minutes in the game, Woods Cross was marching down the field, and with 1:05 left, was knocking on the door at Box Elder’s 30-yard line. On the next play, Stevenson was in position to pick off a pass to the sideline and end the threat.
For the Bees’ defense, Kellen Collier picked up five tackles on the night while defensive end Gavin Hansen wreaked some havoc in the backfield with four tackles, including one for a big loss and two quarterback sacks.
Even with the win, the Bees still dropped a couple of spots in the RPI rankings from last week and check in at 14th in this week’s rankings.
The last time the Bees were on top of Region 5 was in 2018, when the title was also shared with Roy and Viewmont. In order to win it outright this time around, the Bees will have to find some ways to slow down the high-octane offense of the Lakers.
The Lakers are led by senior quarterback Kamen Best, who has amassed 1,771 passing yards so far this year, with 19 touchdowns and seven interceptions.
Five Laker receivers have eclipsed the 200-yard mark on the year, led by senior Reiss Graybeal, who has hauled in 29 catches for 462 yards.
The game against the Lakers is scheduled to start at 7 p.m.
Bees run win streak to three as they beat Bountiful to maintain perfect region record
September 30, 2020 • Jeremy Jones • Staff Writer
The Box Elder High School football team kept their perfect region record intact last Friday afternoon when the Bees travelled to Bountiful to square off against the Braves and walked away with a 17-7 win.
Kickoff for the game had to be moved up to 3:30 p.m. because field lights at Bountiful High School had been toppled in hurricane-strength winds that hit the Wasatch Front a couple of weeks ago.
On the first drive of the game, the Braves defense forced and recovered a Box Elder fumble deep in Bees’ territory. Soon after, senior running back Mitch Moldre plowed in from a yard out for the game’s opening score.
From there, the Bees’ defense stiffened and gave the Braves fits throughout the game, giving up just 165 yards of total offense and coming up with four interceptions to keep Bountiful from putting any more points on the scoreboard.
With the defense keeping the Braves in check, the Bees’ offense responded later in the first quarter with a 30-yard field goal by Keaton Lamb.
Later in the second period, the Bees manufactured a long drive and capped it with a four-yard touchdown run by senior quarterback Parker Buchanan.
Buchanan again topped 100 yards rushing in a game with 106 yards on 21 carries and one rushing touchdown.
Just before the half, Buchanan did the rest of the damage on the scoreboard with his arm, connecting with sophomore wideout Braylen Majors for a 25-yard strike that ended up being the final points of the game. One of the Bees’ four interceptions in the game, this one by Cole Mortensen, set up the final touchdown.
Buchanan went 11 of 15 passing for 160 yards with one touchdown. Majors has emerged as the leading threat in the passing game and hauled in another eight catches for 106 yards with one score.
After the game, Bees’ head coach Robbie Gunter said he was obviously happy to be 3-0 in region play and gave the defense a lot of credit for the team’s recent successes.
“The kids played really well tonight. We played really good defense all night and that’s always so important for us,” Gunter said. “The one touchdown [the Braves] scored came off of a fumble early, and outside of that they didn’t get much going against us.”
Gunter also went on to say, “We also threw the ball well tonight. Our line has done a great job all season blocking for the run and creating some holes, but we were much more efficient in the passing game tonight, so that’s a step forward for us.”
The win keeps the Bees climbing the Region 5 standings with a 3-0 mark in region play and 3-4 record overall while the loss drops the Braves to 3-4 on the season with a 1-2 record in the region.
The win for the Bees also moved them up the RPI rankings again this week as the team landed at number 12 in the 5A classification to start the week. Bonneville has also posted a perfect region record and sits at number six in the rankings as the highest ranked team from Region 5.
On Friday, the Bees will host Woods Cross. The Wildcats come into the game with a 0-6 record, although each of their last three games have been decided by one possession or less.
When asked about the Wildcats, coach Gunter said, “At the start of the season, I honestly thought they were going to be one of the best teams in our region. All of their region games have been close losses for them, so it’s going to be a battle for sure.”
The Bees will also be honoring the parents of the seniors at halftime of the game this week to recognize and thank them for all the dedication they put in behind the scenes year after year.
The game against the Wildcats is scheduled to kickoff at 7 p.m.
September 30, 2020 • Jeremy Jones • Staff Writer
The Box Elder High School football team kept their perfect region record intact last Friday afternoon when the Bees travelled to Bountiful to square off against the Braves and walked away with a 17-7 win.
Kickoff for the game had to be moved up to 3:30 p.m. because field lights at Bountiful High School had been toppled in hurricane-strength winds that hit the Wasatch Front a couple of weeks ago.
On the first drive of the game, the Braves defense forced and recovered a Box Elder fumble deep in Bees’ territory. Soon after, senior running back Mitch Moldre plowed in from a yard out for the game’s opening score.
From there, the Bees’ defense stiffened and gave the Braves fits throughout the game, giving up just 165 yards of total offense and coming up with four interceptions to keep Bountiful from putting any more points on the scoreboard.
With the defense keeping the Braves in check, the Bees’ offense responded later in the first quarter with a 30-yard field goal by Keaton Lamb.
Later in the second period, the Bees manufactured a long drive and capped it with a four-yard touchdown run by senior quarterback Parker Buchanan.
Buchanan again topped 100 yards rushing in a game with 106 yards on 21 carries and one rushing touchdown.
Just before the half, Buchanan did the rest of the damage on the scoreboard with his arm, connecting with sophomore wideout Braylen Majors for a 25-yard strike that ended up being the final points of the game. One of the Bees’ four interceptions in the game, this one by Cole Mortensen, set up the final touchdown.
Buchanan went 11 of 15 passing for 160 yards with one touchdown. Majors has emerged as the leading threat in the passing game and hauled in another eight catches for 106 yards with one score.
After the game, Bees’ head coach Robbie Gunter said he was obviously happy to be 3-0 in region play and gave the defense a lot of credit for the team’s recent successes.
“The kids played really well tonight. We played really good defense all night and that’s always so important for us,” Gunter said. “The one touchdown [the Braves] scored came off of a fumble early, and outside of that they didn’t get much going against us.”
Gunter also went on to say, “We also threw the ball well tonight. Our line has done a great job all season blocking for the run and creating some holes, but we were much more efficient in the passing game tonight, so that’s a step forward for us.”
The win keeps the Bees climbing the Region 5 standings with a 3-0 mark in region play and 3-4 record overall while the loss drops the Braves to 3-4 on the season with a 1-2 record in the region.
The win for the Bees also moved them up the RPI rankings again this week as the team landed at number 12 in the 5A classification to start the week. Bonneville has also posted a perfect region record and sits at number six in the rankings as the highest ranked team from Region 5.
On Friday, the Bees will host Woods Cross. The Wildcats come into the game with a 0-6 record, although each of their last three games have been decided by one possession or less.
When asked about the Wildcats, coach Gunter said, “At the start of the season, I honestly thought they were going to be one of the best teams in our region. All of their region games have been close losses for them, so it’s going to be a battle for sure.”
The Bees will also be honoring the parents of the seniors at halftime of the game this week to recognize and thank them for all the dedication they put in behind the scenes year after year.
The game against the Wildcats is scheduled to kickoff at 7 p.m.
Senior QB leads high-energy showing in final homecoming
Parker Buchanan (right) and Keaton Lamb celebrate after Buchanan started Box Elder’s scoring with an interception returned for a touchdown in Box Elder’s homecoming win over Viewmont.
September 23, 2020 • Jeremy Jones • Staff Writer
Box Elder senior Parker Buchanan scored on offense, defense, and special teams and pushed the Bees to their second straight win of the season.
The Bees beat Viewmont 29-14 last Friday, and head coach Robbie Gunter attributed the team’s energy on the field for a lot of their success.
“Our kids played hard tonight,” Gunter said. “They came out fired up and the homecoming crowd was fun. The students were rocking and our players were rocking. I feel like our guys gave the fans something to cheer about tonight.”
At several points in the game, the Bees were poised to put even more points on the board, but penalties pushed them back out of range. Things also got a bit scrappy between the teams at the end of the game, and Gunter had to separate players on the field in the final moments.
It is a point Gunter wants to address in the coming weeks.
“With all that energy out there, we just have to keep it under control sometimes.”
The Bees amassed 418 yards of total offense with 335 of those coming on the ground, but were also flagged 14 times for 120 yards worth of penalties.
Buchanan started things off on the defensive side of the ball when, as a defensive back, he stepped in front of the first pass of the game from Viking quarterback Will Schultz. After pulling in the pick, Buchanan slipped a tackle from the intended receiver and rumbled down the sideline for a 45-yard score to give the Bees a 7-0 lead.
As the Bees’ quarterback, Buchanan added touchdown runs of six and three yards to cap a couple of drives and keep the Vikings at arms’ length.
Buchanan finished the night with 110 yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries.
Buchanan said he came into the game with a little extra fire. “This was the last homecoming game with my boys, my seniors, and I just wanted to make sure I was doing my part and giving my all for them and the whole team,” Buchanan said.
The other Box Elder touchdown came from sophomore wideout Braylen Majors, who took a reverse and found some daylight around the end from six yards out just before the halftime whistle.
On the ensuing extra point try, Buchanan pulled the ball away from kicker Keaton Lamb, took off running, and stretched across the goal line for the two-point conversion.
Lamb played a key role in the touchdown when, after receiving the long snap on a fourth down, he rolled to his right and saw nothing but green grass. He took off for a 15-yard gain and a new set of downs.
On the other side of the field, the Vikings struggled all night to establish anything consistent on offense, but did get two big plays from senior wide receiver Derek Riederer.
Early in the second quarter, following Buchanan’s first touchdown run, Riederer caught a screen pass in the flat, made a couple guys miss, and then was off to the races for a 77-yard touchdown.
Later in the third quarter Schultz again found Riederer on the sideline and Riederer turned that play into a 66-yard gain before he was pushed out of bounds at the 12 yard line.
The next play, Schultz hit Markus Montoya in the corner of the end zone for the score. Schultz finished the evening completing 10 of 23 passes for 203 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions.
Riederer hauled in five of those passes for 169 yards and one touchdown to lead all receivers in the game.
With the win, the Bees move to 2-4 overall on the year and 2-0 in region play, which jump them in the RPI rankings this week in the 5A classification to number 15. The loss drops the Vikings to 1-4 this season and pushes them down to 20th in this week’s rankings.
This Friday the Bees will be on the road to take on Bountiful. The Braves are coming off a 24-14 loss to Bonneville last week and sit at number 10 in the 5A rankings with a 3-3 mark on the year.
Senior wide receiver Brooks Fornelius is leading the way for the Braves with 13 catches on the year for 341 yards and five touchdowns. He’ll look to test a Bees’ secondary that has given up six passing touchdowns so far this season.
The game against the Braves is scheduled to kick off at 7 p.m.
Box Elder linemen open a hole for quarterback Parker Buchanan that allowed Buchanan to break off the Bees’ biggest run of the night and set up the game-winning touchdown.
Box Elder ends four-game skid with 15-14 victory over Farmington
September 16, 2020 • Jeremy Jones • Staff Writer
Senior quarterback Parker Buchanan posted a season-high 131 rushing yards with one touchdown and threw for the eventual game-winning score in the fourth quarter as the Box Elder High School football team came away with their first win of the season, over Farmington, 15-14, last Friday.
Tough defense was on display and yards were hard to come by on both sides of the field. The Phoenix were held to 204 total yards of offense while the Bees put up 278 total yards in the game. To gain the yards they did, each team differed in their success as the Phoenix were held to just 42 yards on the ground while the Bees only got 50 of their yards through the air.
Special teams plays proved pivotal, especially in the second quarter. After holding Farmington and forcing a punt, the Bees blocked the punt and tackled the Phoenix punter deep in the backfield to set themselves up with great field position.
Following the blocked punt, Buchanan capped the drive with an eight-yard run for the score, then found a wide open Nathan Reynolds for a successful two-point conversion and an 8-0 lead.
A fumble by the Bees deep in their own territory set up Farmington’s first touchdown as sophomore running back Boston Reinhold plowed in from two yards out on fourth and goal to cut the lead to 8-7 at the half. Reinhold finished the game with 48 yards on 19 carries with one touchdown.
The Phoenix got the first possession of the second half and made it count, capping an 11-play drive with an eight-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback Peyton Patterson to wideout Mitch Nelson. A successful PAT put the Phoenix up 14-8 at the end of the third quarter.
Patterson ended the game completing 15 of 31 passing attempts for 127 yards with one touchdown.
Bees’ head coach Robbie Gunter said, “We got a lot better this week at controlling the things we can control. We had a great mindset heading into that fourth quarter and I could see the guys were really trusting their teammates. We’ve been in some close games this year already and I was confident in our ability to come out on top of this one.”
With that confidence transferred to the field, the Bees forced a punt and then the offense responded with a 10-play, 82-yard drive. 50 of those yards came in one pop as Buchanan broke free for a long run that eventually set up the score.
To finish the drive and take the lead for good, Buchanan hit senior wide receiver Sean Baker from eight yards out. The crucial extra point was booted through by Reynolds to give the Bees the final lead.
The Phoenix still had just over six minutes remaining to manufacture a comeback, but after a couple of first downs, the Bees defense held firm and forced a turnover on downs to preserve the win.
The win moves the Bees to 1-4 on the year while the loss drops the Phoenix to 1-4.
The 1-4 record on the year also lands the Bees at number 20 in the first week’s RPI standings in the 5A classification published by the Utah High School Activities Association. Salem Hills claimed the top spot in the rankings and Bonneville is the highest-ranked team from Region 5 coming in at number seven.
Bountiful claimed the ninth spot while Viewmont and the Phoenix rank just ahead of the Bees at numbers 18 and 19. Woods Cross landed at number 22 with a 0-5 mark on the year.
The Bees will have their homecoming game Friday, where they’ll square off against Viewmont. It will be a true homecoming game this year as the Bees have played four straight road games since hosting Kearns on Aug. 14.
The Vikings come into the game with a 1-3 record on the year and are coming off a 44-27 loss to Bonneville last week.
Through four games, the Vikings have leaned on their aerial attack and depended heavily on the 6 foot 6 inch frame of senior quarterback Will Schultz. On the season, Schultz has racked up 537 passing yards and five touchdowns, with completions to 12 different receivers.
The game against the Vikings is scheduled to start at 7 p.m.
Box Elder ends four-game skid with 15-14 victory over Farmington
September 16, 2020 • Jeremy Jones • Staff Writer
Senior quarterback Parker Buchanan posted a season-high 131 rushing yards with one touchdown and threw for the eventual game-winning score in the fourth quarter as the Box Elder High School football team came away with their first win of the season, over Farmington, 15-14, last Friday.
Tough defense was on display and yards were hard to come by on both sides of the field. The Phoenix were held to 204 total yards of offense while the Bees put up 278 total yards in the game. To gain the yards they did, each team differed in their success as the Phoenix were held to just 42 yards on the ground while the Bees only got 50 of their yards through the air.
Special teams plays proved pivotal, especially in the second quarter. After holding Farmington and forcing a punt, the Bees blocked the punt and tackled the Phoenix punter deep in the backfield to set themselves up with great field position.
Following the blocked punt, Buchanan capped the drive with an eight-yard run for the score, then found a wide open Nathan Reynolds for a successful two-point conversion and an 8-0 lead.
A fumble by the Bees deep in their own territory set up Farmington’s first touchdown as sophomore running back Boston Reinhold plowed in from two yards out on fourth and goal to cut the lead to 8-7 at the half. Reinhold finished the game with 48 yards on 19 carries with one touchdown.
The Phoenix got the first possession of the second half and made it count, capping an 11-play drive with an eight-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback Peyton Patterson to wideout Mitch Nelson. A successful PAT put the Phoenix up 14-8 at the end of the third quarter.
Patterson ended the game completing 15 of 31 passing attempts for 127 yards with one touchdown.
Bees’ head coach Robbie Gunter said, “We got a lot better this week at controlling the things we can control. We had a great mindset heading into that fourth quarter and I could see the guys were really trusting their teammates. We’ve been in some close games this year already and I was confident in our ability to come out on top of this one.”
With that confidence transferred to the field, the Bees forced a punt and then the offense responded with a 10-play, 82-yard drive. 50 of those yards came in one pop as Buchanan broke free for a long run that eventually set up the score.
To finish the drive and take the lead for good, Buchanan hit senior wide receiver Sean Baker from eight yards out. The crucial extra point was booted through by Reynolds to give the Bees the final lead.
The Phoenix still had just over six minutes remaining to manufacture a comeback, but after a couple of first downs, the Bees defense held firm and forced a turnover on downs to preserve the win.
The win moves the Bees to 1-4 on the year while the loss drops the Phoenix to 1-4.
The 1-4 record on the year also lands the Bees at number 20 in the first week’s RPI standings in the 5A classification published by the Utah High School Activities Association. Salem Hills claimed the top spot in the rankings and Bonneville is the highest-ranked team from Region 5 coming in at number seven.
Bountiful claimed the ninth spot while Viewmont and the Phoenix rank just ahead of the Bees at numbers 18 and 19. Woods Cross landed at number 22 with a 0-5 mark on the year.
The Bees will have their homecoming game Friday, where they’ll square off against Viewmont. It will be a true homecoming game this year as the Bees have played four straight road games since hosting Kearns on Aug. 14.
The Vikings come into the game with a 1-3 record on the year and are coming off a 44-27 loss to Bonneville last week.
Through four games, the Vikings have leaned on their aerial attack and depended heavily on the 6 foot 6 inch frame of senior quarterback Will Schultz. On the season, Schultz has racked up 537 passing yards and five touchdowns, with completions to 12 different receivers.
The game against the Vikings is scheduled to start at 7 p.m.
Photo courtesy Boyd Lancaster
Box Elder High School quarterback Parker Buchanan tries to escape the pursuit of Rigby defenders before finally getting taken down for a sack in the Bees’ 51-0 loss last week.
Box Elder High School quarterback Parker Buchanan tries to escape the pursuit of Rigby defenders before finally getting taken down for a sack in the Bees’ 51-0 loss last week.
Idaho state champs wallop Bees
September 1, 2020 • Jeremy Jones • Staff Writer
The Box Elder High School football team got a harsh welcome to Idaho last Saturday when the team traveled to Rexburg to square off against Rigby High School and walked away smarting after a 51-0 drubbing.
Rigby showed why they are the defending 5A state champions in Idaho throughout the game, scoring on the ground, through the air, and on special teams while also shutting out the Bees on defense in the Trojans’ first game of their 2020 campaign.
The closest the Bees got to getting on the scoreboard came on their first drive of the game. Sophomore Braylen Majors took a reverse handoff 30 yards to set up a 33-yard field goal attempt that ended up sailing wide.
After that point, the Trojans rattled off 37 points in the first half and built the final tally by the end of the third quarter.
The loss drops the Bees to 0-3 on the year ahead of the 100th consecutive meeting between them and Bear River, which is scheduled for Friday at 7 p.m. in Garland.
Any fans or students wanting to attend the game must pre-buy their ticket online at bearriverhsathletics.com. No tickets will be available at the door. Face masks will also be required while on the premises.
The Bears come into the game with a 2-1 mark on the season and are coming off their first loss last week at the hands of Bonneville.
Sophomore quarterback Ryker Jeppsen will look to bring the Golden Spike trophy back to Garland this year for the Bears and comes into the game completing 29 of 52 passes for 239 yards with one interception on the year.
On the ground, the workhorse for the Bears is senior bruiser Kace Jones, who has already amassed 322 rushing yards and four touchdowns through three games.
The Bees will look to counter with their senior play caller Parker Buchanan, who is the leading rusher and passer on the team with 307 passing yards and two touchdowns through the air coupled with 175 yards rushing and another score on the ground.
Buchanan’s favorite receiver so far this year has been Majors, who has hauled in nine catches for 195 yards and both the team’s passing touchdowns.
All time, the Bees have the edge in Utah’s longest running rivalry game, winning 71 of the last 99 meetings and holding a 71-26-2 record in the series history. The Bees have lost to the Bears twice in the last 10 years, in 2010 (19-20) and 2017 (0-19). The Bees won the most recent contest 54-34 last year in Brigham City.
The Box Elder High School football team got a harsh welcome to Idaho last Saturday when the team traveled to Rexburg to square off against Rigby High School and walked away smarting after a 51-0 drubbing.
Rigby showed why they are the defending 5A state champions in Idaho throughout the game, scoring on the ground, through the air, and on special teams while also shutting out the Bees on defense in the Trojans’ first game of their 2020 campaign.
The closest the Bees got to getting on the scoreboard came on their first drive of the game. Sophomore Braylen Majors took a reverse handoff 30 yards to set up a 33-yard field goal attempt that ended up sailing wide.
After that point, the Trojans rattled off 37 points in the first half and built the final tally by the end of the third quarter.
The loss drops the Bees to 0-3 on the year ahead of the 100th consecutive meeting between them and Bear River, which is scheduled for Friday at 7 p.m. in Garland.
Any fans or students wanting to attend the game must pre-buy their ticket online at bearriverhsathletics.com. No tickets will be available at the door. Face masks will also be required while on the premises.
The Bears come into the game with a 2-1 mark on the season and are coming off their first loss last week at the hands of Bonneville.
Sophomore quarterback Ryker Jeppsen will look to bring the Golden Spike trophy back to Garland this year for the Bears and comes into the game completing 29 of 52 passes for 239 yards with one interception on the year.
On the ground, the workhorse for the Bears is senior bruiser Kace Jones, who has already amassed 322 rushing yards and four touchdowns through three games.
The Bees will look to counter with their senior play caller Parker Buchanan, who is the leading rusher and passer on the team with 307 passing yards and two touchdowns through the air coupled with 175 yards rushing and another score on the ground.
Buchanan’s favorite receiver so far this year has been Majors, who has hauled in nine catches for 195 yards and both the team’s passing touchdowns.
All time, the Bees have the edge in Utah’s longest running rivalry game, winning 71 of the last 99 meetings and holding a 71-26-2 record in the series history. The Bees have lost to the Bears twice in the last 10 years, in 2010 (19-20) and 2017 (0-19). The Bees won the most recent contest 54-34 last year in Brigham City.
Wolves edge Box Elder in final minutes
The Bees’ Gavin Hansen gets a chance at a sack on 3rd and 12 in the final two minutes of the game, but Green Canyon’s quarterback was able to slip out and complete a pass to Box Elder’s nine-yard line, setting up the game-winning score.
August 26, 2020 • Jeremy Jones • Staff Writer
In the final 2:45 of last Friday’s game against Green Canyon, Box Elder gave up a 37-yard pass on 3rd and 12, and an offsides penalty on fourth-down that gave the Wolves five yards and a shot to score from four yards out.
Green Canyon quarterback Jacob Lundin took advantage of the opportunity and found fellow senior Jacob Regen in the end zone with 24 seconds remaining to push the Wolves past Box Elder, 30-29.
The Bees started strong on both sides of the ball and took a 22-16 lead into the halftime break and were able to stretch that lead to 29-16 heading into the final period before the Wolves came storming back in the final quarter to ultimately get the win.
Box Elder head coach Robbie Gunter was very complimentary of his team’s effort while giving credit to the Wolves for the win.
“I’m really proud of our effort out there tonight,” Gunter said. “It really just came down to one or two plays the whole game and that one is a really tough one to lose because it was so close. We felt like we had [the Wolves] right where we wanted them with the lead in the fourth quarter, but they did a good job coming back and doing what they needed to to win.”
The Bees started the game missing a key component in senior running back Trevin Johnson, who was out with an injury. He is expected to play next Saturday in Idaho.
In Johnson’s absence, senior Jerrin Weaver had his number called in the backfield more than anyone else and he responded with 60 yards on 15 carries and a touchdown in the game.
Bees’ quarterback Parker Buchanan was again the leading rusher on the team as he amassed 86 yards on 12 carries and also ran in the team’s first touchdown of the game.
The next two scores for the Bees came through the air as Buchanan found sophomore wideout Braylen Majors, first from 30 yards out late in the first quarter, then again for a 53-yard strike just before halftime.
Following the contest, Majors said he was expecting to have a bigger game against the Wolves than he had against Kearns the previous week.
“I watched a lot of film this last week with my coaches and I thought I would get a lot of touches and be able to show out tonight,” he said.
Majors led all receivers with 149 yards on six catches and two touchdowns.
Buchanan completed 8 of 15 passes for 193 yards with the two touchdowns and one interception on the night.
On the other side of the field, the Wolves’ Regen racked up seven catches for 118 yards and the big touchdown at the end that gave Green Canyon the win.
Lundin connected on 15 of 24 passes overall for 162 yards and one touchdown. Lundin also gained 82 yards on the ground on 13 attempts and found pay dirt twice in the first quarter to keep the home team close.
Wolves’ senior running back Landon Peterson found more room to run than anybody as he ripped off 127 yards on 17 carries while being held out of the end zone.
Fellow senior McKade Hellstern scored the other rushing touchdown for the Wolves as he found a seam right up the middle and dashed 26 yards midway through the fourth quarter to ignite the Wolves’ comeback.
The win moves the Wolves to 2-0 on the year while the Bees drop to 0-2.
The Bees will get one extra day to prepare this week before heading to Rexburg, Idaho to take on Rigby High School on Saturday. The Trojans are the returning 5A state champions from Idaho, but it will also be their first game of the season.
When asked about the out-of-staters, coach Gunter said, “[The Trojans] are going to be another great opponent for us. As the returning state champions, we know they’re going to be good, and we love that. They are going to test us and make us better, which is what we are looking for right now.”
The game against the Trojans is scheduled to kick off at 4 p.m.
August 26, 2020 • Jeremy Jones • Staff Writer
In the final 2:45 of last Friday’s game against Green Canyon, Box Elder gave up a 37-yard pass on 3rd and 12, and an offsides penalty on fourth-down that gave the Wolves five yards and a shot to score from four yards out.
Green Canyon quarterback Jacob Lundin took advantage of the opportunity and found fellow senior Jacob Regen in the end zone with 24 seconds remaining to push the Wolves past Box Elder, 30-29.
The Bees started strong on both sides of the ball and took a 22-16 lead into the halftime break and were able to stretch that lead to 29-16 heading into the final period before the Wolves came storming back in the final quarter to ultimately get the win.
Box Elder head coach Robbie Gunter was very complimentary of his team’s effort while giving credit to the Wolves for the win.
“I’m really proud of our effort out there tonight,” Gunter said. “It really just came down to one or two plays the whole game and that one is a really tough one to lose because it was so close. We felt like we had [the Wolves] right where we wanted them with the lead in the fourth quarter, but they did a good job coming back and doing what they needed to to win.”
The Bees started the game missing a key component in senior running back Trevin Johnson, who was out with an injury. He is expected to play next Saturday in Idaho.
In Johnson’s absence, senior Jerrin Weaver had his number called in the backfield more than anyone else and he responded with 60 yards on 15 carries and a touchdown in the game.
Bees’ quarterback Parker Buchanan was again the leading rusher on the team as he amassed 86 yards on 12 carries and also ran in the team’s first touchdown of the game.
The next two scores for the Bees came through the air as Buchanan found sophomore wideout Braylen Majors, first from 30 yards out late in the first quarter, then again for a 53-yard strike just before halftime.
Following the contest, Majors said he was expecting to have a bigger game against the Wolves than he had against Kearns the previous week.
“I watched a lot of film this last week with my coaches and I thought I would get a lot of touches and be able to show out tonight,” he said.
Majors led all receivers with 149 yards on six catches and two touchdowns.
Buchanan completed 8 of 15 passes for 193 yards with the two touchdowns and one interception on the night.
On the other side of the field, the Wolves’ Regen racked up seven catches for 118 yards and the big touchdown at the end that gave Green Canyon the win.
Lundin connected on 15 of 24 passes overall for 162 yards and one touchdown. Lundin also gained 82 yards on the ground on 13 attempts and found pay dirt twice in the first quarter to keep the home team close.
Wolves’ senior running back Landon Peterson found more room to run than anybody as he ripped off 127 yards on 17 carries while being held out of the end zone.
Fellow senior McKade Hellstern scored the other rushing touchdown for the Wolves as he found a seam right up the middle and dashed 26 yards midway through the fourth quarter to ignite the Wolves’ comeback.
The win moves the Wolves to 2-0 on the year while the Bees drop to 0-2.
The Bees will get one extra day to prepare this week before heading to Rexburg, Idaho to take on Rigby High School on Saturday. The Trojans are the returning 5A state champions from Idaho, but it will also be their first game of the season.
When asked about the out-of-staters, coach Gunter said, “[The Trojans] are going to be another great opponent for us. As the returning state champions, we know they’re going to be good, and we love that. They are going to test us and make us better, which is what we are looking for right now.”
The game against the Trojans is scheduled to kick off at 4 p.m.
Cougars down bees in season opener
August 19, 2020 • Jeremy Jones • Staff writer
Kearns senior Charles Henderson took advantage of two Box Elder miscues to score two of the Cougars’ three touchdowns as the Bees dropped their first game of the season, 3-20.
Henderson scooped a blocked field goal attempt in the third quarter, and pulled down a pass from the Bees’ Parker Buchanan at the start of the fourth, and turned them both in to scores.
The Bees controlled much of the game and out-gained the Cougars on offense, 252 yards -141 yards, but failed to convert key opportunities in scoring position. Three turnovers, including the costly pick-six by Henderson in the fourth quarter, also kept the Bees from mounting a second half comeback.
Box Elder scored first, late in the first quarter, when senior placekicker Keaton Lamb booted through a 30-yard field goal.
That lead was short lived though as Jeff Bassa fielded the ensuing kickoff and found a seam to streak 92 yards for a touchdown.
The Bees threatened to take the lead back on their first drive of the second quarter and got inside the 15-yard line before a holding penalty pushed the team back and an interception in the end zone by Dominic Thornton quashed the drive.
The Bees’ defense stymied Kearns’ physical rushing attack all night and forced two turnovers of their own, both fumble recoveries, to keep the game tight.
Box Elder senior defensive end Gavin Hansen led the charge and recorded a team-high six tackles on the night, which included four tackles for a loss and his first quarterback sack of the 2020 season.
The Bees called on senior quarterback Parker Buchanan for their offensive spark and he delivered 89 yards on 14 rushing attempts and completed 11 of 23 passing attempts for another 114 yards.
Junior tight end Carson Arnold emerged as Buchanan’s go-to target through the air and came away with 72 yards on four catches. Sophomore wideout Braylon Majors came up with three catches for 46 yards in his varsity-level debut.
Despite all the positives on both sides of the ball, the Bees were thwarted inside the red zone on three separate occasions, which allowed the Cougars to hold on for the win.
Bees’ head coach Robbie Gunter addressed the miscues and missed opportunities.
“Through the whole game, I always felt confident that our guys could do what they needed to do out there,” Gunter said. “There were just some little things that ended up being really costly for us. We did get some great energy from our kids, especially on defense. My favorite thing to see was when one guy made a play, there were three other guys out there just as happy as he was. So it’s great to see the kids coming together and really playing as a team.”
Midway through the third period, on a drive that got inside the red zone, the Bees were forced into a short field goal attempt. But instead of cashing in three points, the kick was blocked and scooped up by Henderson who raced the other way and turned the play into a touchdown.
Early in the fourth period, Henderson stepped in front of a pass from Buchanan and put the game away with a 55-yard interception and score.
Junior running back Naki Leha carried the bulk of the offensive load for the Cougars as he recorded 99 yards on 22 carries.
This Friday, the Bees will hit the road for the first time this season to take on Green Canyon in North Logan. Last week, the Wolves recorded a 42-13 win over Tooele behind a balanced offensive attack and a lot of help from senior quarterback Jake Lundin, who threw for 184 yards and two touchdowns.
Coach Gunter expects to see more passes come from the Wolves than they saw last week from the run-focused Cougars. He said, “[The Wolves] are a different kind of team and they have a lot of the same players as last year so they are going to be good. We have a lot of good teams coming up on our schedule, so it’s going to be a good start for us to see where we’re at. Our guys will have to show up for work this week.”
The game against the Wolves is scheduled for a 7 p.m. kick off.
Box Elder High School 2020 spring sports seniors
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Baseball
Logan Holgate Zeke Martinez Nate Wheatley Daniel Madsen Brayden Peterson Boys’ lacrosse Cru Andreasen Harrison Clark Logan Clark Harrison Hodgson Colby Jensen Mitch Lenzi Jaxon Rountree Softball Makena Earley Reagan Marziale Sophie Blacker Olivia Griffin Jostlen Leggett Mickelle Lish Gabrielle Morfin |
Girls’ lacrosse
Tylynn Ball Anais Barrientos Brin Billings Ashlyn Braithwaite Sydnee Forsgren Linsey Haddock Priscilla Ramos Chloe Wallentine Rebecca Wilding Kamree Young Boys’ soccer Anthony Esparza Jaden Jeffs Kade Johnson Brayden Maes Clay Mortensen Janson Port Dathan Ranjel Ben Thurgood Jaxon Witt Leo Garcia Ethan Attwood |
Girls’ track and field
Rachel Bishop Allison Bullard Alana Christensen Kaleigh Curtis Esther Dutson Malia Gunter Haylee Holmes Tiffany Hortin Jaida Jackman Jenna Mortenen Cambrie Roper Chesnie Roper Mayu Warner Kayla Wheeler Sydnie Zundel Girls’ golf Tori Bowers Ashley Martin |
Boys’ track and field
Jeff Agren Cooper Manzione Bryson Cragun Landon Dixon Sam Gerlach Steven Guenther Logan Holgate Zeke Martinez Jaron McKee Bentley Miles Jon Newman Brayden Peterson Braunson Provence Hyrum Reese Logan Saylor Parker Singleton Lance Smith Jadon Tucker Nate Wheatley |
Senior moments:
Box Elder High School Track and Field
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Editor’s note: This is part of an ongoing series acknowledging Box Elder High School seniors who lost their last season of high school athletics due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
May 6, 2020 • Jeremy Jones • Staff Writer BOYS Jeff Agren has been a distance runner on the Box Elder High School track team all four years of high school. Agren’s coaches said he has always been a joy to coach and they never had to worry about him or what he was doing. Coach Jeff Rawlins specifically said, “Jeff has always been a really hard worker and never complained about any workouts or practices we gave him. He always just came in and did what we asked him to do.” Bryson Cragun, a distance runner on both the cross country and track teams since his freshman year, had to battle injuries his sophomore and junior years, but despite any setbacks, he always pushed himself to be the best he could be. When asked about Bryson, coach Rawlins said, “He’s just a kid that never gave up. Even with those injuries, he just kept pushing and kept believing he would get to where he wanted to go.” Cooper Manzione has been a leader on the distance running team for the last three years. Coach Rawlins recalled about Cooper, “He did something I don’t think I’ve ever seen before as a coach. It takes most kids two to three years to break five minutes in the mile run, but Cooper did it in his first month of practice. We knew he was going to be a big asset to our team.” The injury bug bit Cooper last year and he was hoping to compete at the state track meet this season to end his career. In addition to his athletic ability, Coach Rawlins also added, “Cooper made a really positive impact on those around him and his personality just draws people in.” Landon Dixon started as a distance runner but was preparing to make the transition to sprinting in the 400-meter event this year. Coach Tom Davidson said, “Landon was probably going to be the top 400-meter runner on our team. We were pretty excited for him to move over as a sprinter. I think he would have impacted our team in big ways this year.” Sam Gerlach has been a varsity-level runner for the last four years and has been one of the fastest distance runners on the team each year. Coach Rawlins said about Sam, “He’s got a great work ethic and has always been willing to do whatever it takes to improve. I can tell that he just loves to run and has always wanted to get better.” Steven Guenther was looking forward to his first and only year on the track team after deciding to give sprinting a try. He was prepared to run the 400 meters this season and his coaches were excited to see what he could have done on the track. Jadon Tucker has shown a lot of promise on the track scene since he won the pentathlon at ACYI in seventh grade. In addition to his natural athleticism, Jadon had shown a lot of maturity heading into this season as his dedication and desire to compete at the highest levels were on display throughout the off-season. Coach Davidson said, “I think Jadon had the potential to be a region champion high jumper this year. He had put in a lot of work and we were all excited to see what he could have done.” Jaron Mckee was dealing with some disappointment even before the season was cut short as he sustained an injury during the basketball season that was going to hold him out from all his events until the end of March. Jaron competed in the high jump, long jump, and hurdles during his high school career. Coach Davidson called Jaron an incredible athlete and a good leader on the team. Bentley Miles is another senior who decided to give track a try for the first time this year. The coaches weren’t even sure which events would best suit him, but they were excited about his natural athletic ability and what he could bring to the team. Coach Davidson said, “Bentley was at practice everyday and was working with a lot of different events. He was one that was definitely going to add to our team.” Brayden Peterson joined the track team last year after competing on the swim team since his freshman season. Coach Rawlins said he loved having any of the swimmers come out for the team because of their experience and athleticism. “Being a swimmer, Brayden brought a great work ethic along with great aerobic capacity, so he was a really good fit as a distance runner right from the get go,” Rawlins said. Hyrum Reese began his journey on the track team as a sprinter, then switched over to distance last year. He was targeting the 800 meters and was set to be the anchor leg of this year’s 4 x 800 relay squad. Coach Davidson was impressed by the progress Hyrum was making as a distance runner when he said, “Hyrum was doing things in distance running in just one year that I hadn’t seen before. He was going to be really good for us this year.” Logan Saylor competed in the high jump, long jump, and several sprinting events during his high school career. This winter, when Logan competed at an indoor track meet and broke his personal best high jump by four inches, coach Davidson felt like things were really starting to come together for him in the high jump. Davidson said, “Logan was really starting to get the high jump figured out and I think he was going to be a very solid contributor to our team.” Braunson Provence bolstered an already strong distance running team when he moved in from Weber High School last year. Braunson had already been running distance races at Weber his freshman and sophomore years so he knew what it would take to compete at a high level. When asked about Braunson, coach Rawlins said, “Braunson came in good already. He was a big help to our team because he pushed our best runners to get even better.” Parker Singleton joined the track team last year after playing soccer the previous two seasons. The speed Singleton developed on the pitch translated beautifully to the track, where he competed in the 100- and 200-meter sprints last season. Earlier this year, the team had one meet at Viewmont before the season was cancelled and Parker won the 100-meter race. He was also prepared to compete with the 4 x 100 meter relay team with his natural speed. Lance Smith competed in the discus and javelin and was described by coach Davidson as, “a dang good dude.” Davidson went on to say, “At the beginning of the season, our regular throwing coach was on vacation. During that time, Lance really stepped up to coach the other throwers and bring them along. He has worked hard every day I’ve seen him and his attitude was always positive. He’s a great kid to have on your team.” Jon Newman has been a distance runner since his freshman year and has shown the drive to continually improve and work at his craft year after year. Coach Rawlins said, “Jon is a kid that went from being kind of middle-of-the-pack to a really good varsity runner just through his work ethic. He has shown lots of improvement each year I’ve been coaching him. He’s also really smart with how he raced.” |
GIRLS
Rachel Bishop was a distance runner on the team and showed her enthusiasm for her senior year by all the work she put in during the off-season. Coach Rawlins said of Rachel, “She has always been a really fun girl to have on the team. She made every practice really enjoyable and just had a good sense of humor about her. She lifted everyone around her up.” Allison Bullard has competed as a sprinter the last few years and has shown a very high level of dedication to the sport in spite of having to battle through painful shin splints throughout much of her career. Coach Davidson said, “Allison has always been very consistent and extremely dependable for us. She has worked her butt off despite the shin splits she has been battling. On top of that, she’s always been a really good friend to her teammates. She’s just been great for our team.” Alana Christensen was preparing to run some sprints this season after running on the distance team her sophomore year. She showed a lot of work ethic and dedication during that sophomore season when there were only seven girls participating on the distance team. Coach Rawlins recalled, “Alana was very self-motivated and a really hard worker. She was out there running when there was almost no one else to run with. She just went out and did it on her own and that was pretty cool to see.” Kaleigh Curtis is another athlete who was already dealing with the disappointment of a lost season after she tore a muscle in her hip earlier in the year which required surgery to repair. Kaleigh has competed for four years as a long jumper and saw a lot of hard work pay off last year when she qualified for the state meet. Coach Davidson said of Kaleigh, “She is a great example of putting in the work and then seeing the results eventually come. She worked really hard on her technique and I’m really proud of what she was able to accomplish. It’s always really cool when you see a kid trust you as a coach and then put in the work. That’s exactly what Kaleigh has done.” Esther Dutson decided to go out for the track team for the first time this year and was expected to be one of the fastest girls at 800 meters on the team. When asked about Esther, coach Rawlins said, “She was in great shape coming off of basketball season and was going to help our team a bunch. She always had a positive attitude and never complained about any of the workouts we gave her.” Malia Gunter was known by her coaches as, “the thrower hype girl.” Coach Davidson went on to explain, “She was just a really great teammate and made things more fun for everyone around. The jumping pits are right next to the throwing ring, so whenever I was over there, I could always hear Malia bringing the party and cheering her teammates on.” Haylee Holmes competed in javelin and was known to be a solid competitor and good friend to her teammates. Coach Davidson said of Haylee, “She really seemed to come, put in the work, and had fun with it. Haylee was a solid girl that just really wanted to compete with herself. She wanted to get herself better at something and be part of something bigger than herself at the same time. And I think she really accomplished that in her time with us.” Tiffany Hortin is a naturally-gifted athlete who rose to be the best discus competitor on the girls’ team. She also has a really good shot put throw and was poised to have a big season. In addition to her athletic prowess, Tiffany was described as a really good teammate and really fun to be around. Coach Davidson said, “Tiffany is an incredible athlete, but she’s also a really good kid and just fun to be around. She came and put in the work everyday and was really going to help our team earn some points this season.” Jaida Jackman’s work ethic and determination was second to none in the hurdles as well as in the high jump over the last several seasons. When thinking about Jackman, coach Davidson said, “I absolutely love Jaida. She would always go just as hard as she could. Because of that, we’ve probably never had a girl wreck harder on the hurdles. But after every crash, she would just stand up, smile, and go practice again. There’s no better example of someone who would just come out and do the work while lifting everyone else around her up.” It’s likely that few people have faced more adversity inside the competition arenas than Jenna Mortensen has this year. She suffered a broken hand at the end of volleyball season that kept her out of the volleyball state tournament and limited her during basketball season. She also finished last year’s track season on a high note, winning medals at the state meet in both the high jump and long jump, and was looking forward to even more success this year. Despite all the trials, coach Davidson said of Jenna, “I’ve not been more impressed by anyone than Jenna as far as her attitude goes and just as a person. If anyone has a right to be angry or bitter over this year, it’s Jenna. But she’s really not and that speaks volumes of who she is as a person.” Cambrie Roper moved to Brigham City last year after competing at North Sanpete High School her freshman and sophomore years. While making the jump from 2A competition to 5A was a big adjustment, Cambrie met that challenge head on and with a smile. She also had her twin sister, Chesnie, by her side as both girls competed in the state meet at the 2A level their freshman and sophomore years and were looking forward to getting to state again this year. Coach Davidson said about Cambrie, “She’s just an awesome girl that always worked hard with a smile on her face.” Chesnie Roper, like her sister, Cambrie, joined the Hive last year after moving in from Mt. Pleasant and brought a great attitude with her. Chesnie was looking forward to running some relays with her twin and was also excited to get to compete with their younger sister, Meggan, who is a freshman this year. When asked about Chesnie, coach Davidson said, “Track was always number one for her and that’s great to see. She’s a really solid kid with a great attitude.” Mayu Warner was going to compete her first year in track this year, and her coaches weren’t even sure which events would fit her best. They did know that she’s a gifted athlete and would have been a big asset on the team. Coach Rawlins said, “She’s a really good, solid kid and is another one I feel bad for because it’s tough to know what she could have done for our team this year.” Kayla Wheeler’s story was called “heartbreaking” by coach Davidson, knowing that this season was going to be lost. “Kayla only did the high jump for us and she hyperextended her knee on a jump during her sophomore year,” Davidson said. “She spent all last year working through both the physical pain and some mental anxiety over being able to jump again. She cleared all those hurdles and was all set to have a breakout season this year.” Coach Davidson went on to say, “We as coaches have really enjoyed being with her over the years and she’s just an overall really good kid.” Sydnie Zundel pushed hard in the off-season and was hoping to shave enough time off her 400-meter race to earn a track scholarship at Dixie State University. When asked about Sydnie, coach Rawlins said, “She’s just an amazing kid that worked really hard. She came every single day in the off-season and during the spring season that we did have. I loved to coach her and she had a smile on her face pretty much every time I saw her. She’s just an awesome human being.” Zundel is still in contact with coaches at Dixie State and is hoping to be able to walk-on with the end goal of still getting on scholarship. Kate Johnson faced as much adversity as anyone this year as her season was already cut short before it began after suffering a knee injury during summer basketball last year, then re-aggravating that injury during the high school basketball season. Had she been able to compete this spring, Kate would have been one of the top sprinters on the girls’ team and would have been the anchor of the 4 x 100 meter relay team. When asked about Kate, coach Davidson said, “Without her injury, she may well have been the MVP on the girls team this year. She’s been amazing on the team for the last three years and we would have missed her big time this season.” |
Senior moments: Box Elder High School softball
Editor’s note: This is part of an ongoing series acknowledging Box Elder High School seniors who lost their last season of high school athletics due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
April 29, 2020 • Jeremy Jones • Staff Writer
Sophie Blacker is listed as a utility player on the roster and has filled that role since her sophomore year.
When asked about Sophie, head coach Brian Merrill chuckled a little and said, “She’s a Box Elder legacy right there. For the last several years, if anyone was talking about Box Elder softball, a Blacker would be in the sentence. And Sophie fits right in with that. She has a good stick, good glove, and is just a great kid as well.”
Blacker said her favorite memory from playing softball is winning the state championship her sophomore year with her older sister. She’s a two-year letter earner on the team and while she isn’t sure what her post high school plans are, she is grateful for the lessons she learned while playing softball and how it has helped her find herself as a person.
Olivia Griffin had to overcome some personal adversity earlier in her career as she fought her way onto the team after moving to the county from Tennessee.
This was going to be her first year as a full-time starter for the Bees, though she did earn a varsity letter last.
When asked what she would miss the most from not getting to take the field this season, Griffin said, “I was looking forward to getting recognized on senior night, and just practicing and playing with my friends. We’ve all put a lot into this and it was definitely heartbreaking to hear the season wasn’t going to happen.”
After high school, Olivia will be attending Utah State University in Logan on an academic scholarship as a pre-med student.
Jostlen Leggett has played outfield for the Bees for the last three years and proved to be one of the hardest workers on the team, putting in many hours outside of normal practices to hone her craft.
Coach Merrill said of Leggett, “She put in more time this last summer and fall than pretty much anyone else. She’s a powerful outfielder and just does everything right, both on and off the field.”
Leggett expressed her disappointment in missing the season when she said, “I had a lot of personal goals I was looking forward to this year and I had put a lot of work into getting ready for the season and it kind of feels like that was all for nothing.” Leggett continued, “This experience has definitely taught me to be grateful for what you have while you have it and take nothing for granted.”
Leggett is planning on attending Weber State University this fall studying radiology.
Makena Earley has been the Bees’ catcher for the last two seasons and was referred to as the brains of the team by coach Merrill.
“Makena totally runs our defense for us,” Merrill said. “She is more knowledgeable on the field than we could coach and she is going to be sorely missed as she moves on.”
After high school, Makena is planning to move to Wyoming and study to become a diesel mechanic.
Mickelle Lish is another student athlete who was overcoming adversity before COVID-19 ever struck as she was recovering from a broken ankle in January. She was cleared by her doctors for limited participation in the St. George tournament earlier in the year, though she could only play on the defensive side of the plate.
Coach Merrill said of Lish, “She’s a great leader and was a team captain this year. I feel like this year was going to be a breakout year for her and she’s just a great kid.”
When asked what she remembered most from her four years playing at the varsity level, Lish said, “It’s just been amazing to watch so many different people come together for a common cause. I’ve learned a lot about how to be a good teammate and a good person. The bonds I’ve formed over the years have been amazing.”
After high school, Lish is headed to Southern Utah University and plans to major in finance.
Reagan Marziale comes from a family of softball players, and cited her favorite memory as winning the state championship as a sophomore with her older sister.
Recalling one game in particular from that championship run, Reagan said, “I remember playing shortstop and the sun was right in our face. I remember Mickelle Lish’s dad was sitting at the top of the bleachers and was holding an umbrella up just enough so we could see. And sure enough, with that little bit of help, we were able to get the outs we needed. That was just an awesome time.”
When asked about Marziale, coach Merrill said, “She’s realistically the kind of girl you can build a program around. She is a top-tier athlete in the whole state and is a great leader both on and off the field.”
Marziale signed a letter of intent to play softball at Salt Lake Community College next year and said she was excited to continue her career at the next level. She also said she has learned to, “play like it’s your last time because you never know what might happen. You just have to appreciate the moments you get.”
Gabrielle Morfin, listed as a utility player on the roster, has also spent some time behind the plate with the catcher’s mask on.
Coach Merrill said, “Gabrielle is one of the strongest and most athletic girls I’ve ever coached. She’s like a wrapped stick of dynamite out there. Because of that, she has some of the funniest bloopers from our team just because she’s going so hard so often. But she also has a great attitude and a great spirit about her.”
When asked about her feelings to the school year and season being cancelled, Morfin said, “Honestly, at first, I thought it was going to be fun because I haven’t always really liked going to school. But I really miss it now, especially the social part. I’ve been working a lot more since school has been out and I don’t feel ready to grow up yet.”
Following graduation, Morfin plans to attend Utah State University and study agriculture.
April 29, 2020 • Jeremy Jones • Staff Writer
Sophie Blacker is listed as a utility player on the roster and has filled that role since her sophomore year.
When asked about Sophie, head coach Brian Merrill chuckled a little and said, “She’s a Box Elder legacy right there. For the last several years, if anyone was talking about Box Elder softball, a Blacker would be in the sentence. And Sophie fits right in with that. She has a good stick, good glove, and is just a great kid as well.”
Blacker said her favorite memory from playing softball is winning the state championship her sophomore year with her older sister. She’s a two-year letter earner on the team and while she isn’t sure what her post high school plans are, she is grateful for the lessons she learned while playing softball and how it has helped her find herself as a person.
Olivia Griffin had to overcome some personal adversity earlier in her career as she fought her way onto the team after moving to the county from Tennessee.
This was going to be her first year as a full-time starter for the Bees, though she did earn a varsity letter last.
When asked what she would miss the most from not getting to take the field this season, Griffin said, “I was looking forward to getting recognized on senior night, and just practicing and playing with my friends. We’ve all put a lot into this and it was definitely heartbreaking to hear the season wasn’t going to happen.”
After high school, Olivia will be attending Utah State University in Logan on an academic scholarship as a pre-med student.
Jostlen Leggett has played outfield for the Bees for the last three years and proved to be one of the hardest workers on the team, putting in many hours outside of normal practices to hone her craft.
Coach Merrill said of Leggett, “She put in more time this last summer and fall than pretty much anyone else. She’s a powerful outfielder and just does everything right, both on and off the field.”
Leggett expressed her disappointment in missing the season when she said, “I had a lot of personal goals I was looking forward to this year and I had put a lot of work into getting ready for the season and it kind of feels like that was all for nothing.” Leggett continued, “This experience has definitely taught me to be grateful for what you have while you have it and take nothing for granted.”
Leggett is planning on attending Weber State University this fall studying radiology.
Makena Earley has been the Bees’ catcher for the last two seasons and was referred to as the brains of the team by coach Merrill.
“Makena totally runs our defense for us,” Merrill said. “She is more knowledgeable on the field than we could coach and she is going to be sorely missed as she moves on.”
After high school, Makena is planning to move to Wyoming and study to become a diesel mechanic.
Mickelle Lish is another student athlete who was overcoming adversity before COVID-19 ever struck as she was recovering from a broken ankle in January. She was cleared by her doctors for limited participation in the St. George tournament earlier in the year, though she could only play on the defensive side of the plate.
Coach Merrill said of Lish, “She’s a great leader and was a team captain this year. I feel like this year was going to be a breakout year for her and she’s just a great kid.”
When asked what she remembered most from her four years playing at the varsity level, Lish said, “It’s just been amazing to watch so many different people come together for a common cause. I’ve learned a lot about how to be a good teammate and a good person. The bonds I’ve formed over the years have been amazing.”
After high school, Lish is headed to Southern Utah University and plans to major in finance.
Reagan Marziale comes from a family of softball players, and cited her favorite memory as winning the state championship as a sophomore with her older sister.
Recalling one game in particular from that championship run, Reagan said, “I remember playing shortstop and the sun was right in our face. I remember Mickelle Lish’s dad was sitting at the top of the bleachers and was holding an umbrella up just enough so we could see. And sure enough, with that little bit of help, we were able to get the outs we needed. That was just an awesome time.”
When asked about Marziale, coach Merrill said, “She’s realistically the kind of girl you can build a program around. She is a top-tier athlete in the whole state and is a great leader both on and off the field.”
Marziale signed a letter of intent to play softball at Salt Lake Community College next year and said she was excited to continue her career at the next level. She also said she has learned to, “play like it’s your last time because you never know what might happen. You just have to appreciate the moments you get.”
Gabrielle Morfin, listed as a utility player on the roster, has also spent some time behind the plate with the catcher’s mask on.
Coach Merrill said, “Gabrielle is one of the strongest and most athletic girls I’ve ever coached. She’s like a wrapped stick of dynamite out there. Because of that, she has some of the funniest bloopers from our team just because she’s going so hard so often. But she also has a great attitude and a great spirit about her.”
When asked about her feelings to the school year and season being cancelled, Morfin said, “Honestly, at first, I thought it was going to be fun because I haven’t always really liked going to school. But I really miss it now, especially the social part. I’ve been working a lot more since school has been out and I don’t feel ready to grow up yet.”
Following graduation, Morfin plans to attend Utah State University and study agriculture.
Senior moments: Box Elder High School lacrosse
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April 29, 2020 • Jeremy Jones • Staff Writer BOYS Cru Andreason is a four-year letter earner on the team and was captain on the defensive end before switching to play some offense this season. He was one of the top scorers on the team this year and his teammates looked up to, and respected, him for his work ethic and passion for the game. When asked what he would miss the most the season, Andreason said, “I feel like we had just started clicking with each other on the field, so I’m going to miss out on some good experiences with my teammates.” In talking about his takeaways from the sport, Andreason said, “I’ve learned to rely on other people to help get me through challenges and I also see I can be there for others, too.” After high school, he is planning to serve a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and then attend Utah State University and study medical engineering. When Harrison Hodgson first found out about the cancellation of the season, he said it, “didn’t really feel real. When it did finally hit me, I kind of broke down. I was just really sad to not get to play with my teammates this year.” Head coach Damon Andreason said, “I’m gonna miss coaching that kid” when asked about Hodgson. Andreason went on to say, “He’s always cracking jokes, but he also works hard. He’s been a solid defenseman his whole career and he’s just really fun to be around.” When asked about the lessons he learned from lacrosse, Hodgson said, “I’ve really learned to be able to work with the people you have in your life. No matter the situation, you can love what you are doing.” Hodgson is planning on attending Southern Utah University’s online program for the next year before serving a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Harrison Clark and his twin brother, Logan, are both four-year letter earners on the lacrosse team and both earned second team all-state honors last year. When asked about Harrison, coach Damon Andreason said, “On top of being one of our best players, Harrison is one of the most humble kids I’ve been around. He just loves to teach and share his love for the game.” Logan Clark, is a four-year letter earner on the lacrosse team and earned second team all-state honors last year. In talking about Logan, coach Andreason said, “Logan and [his twin brother] Harrison are a dynamic duo. Logan’s got a 90 MPH shot and he’s always willing to take newer kids under his wing and make them feel included and part of the team.” Colby Jensen was about to play his first year on the lacrosse team. He went out for the team to gain some experience in a team environment and was excited to fill a role this season in the team’s first year as a Utah High School Activity Association officially-sanctioned sport. Coach Andreason said of Jensen, “He had a very positive attitude and was willing to try anything. He really wanted to contribute and has a great work ethic.” Jaxon Rountree is another first-year player on the team and coach Andreason said that he, “jumped in with both feet from day one and has been a solid contributor for us.” Rountrtee was willing to play both offense and defense for the team and was said to be able to spark joy in others he was around. Mitch Lenzie was new to the lacrosse team this year and new to the Brigham City area as his family just moved in during the year. Coach Andreason said Lenzie picked up on the defensive side of lacrosse really quickly and was pegged for a starting role on the varsity squad later this season. Andreason said of Lenzie, “He has a great attitude and always just wanted what was best for the team. Despite being a new face for us, he quickly became a member of the lacrosse family we have here.” |
GIRLS Tylynn Ball was one of the strongest defenders on the team this year and was named captain of the defense. Head coach Amber Earnest said, “I was really excited when Tylynn fully committed to lacrosse this season. She’s a powerhouse defender and brought a lot of knowledge and positivity to our team this year.” Anais Barrientos wasn’t the loudest player on the team, but she was always leading the way with her actions on the field, according to head coach Amber Earnest. “Anais always worked well with younger players and just brought a lot to our team. She was a starting attacker for us this year and was just always giving 110% out on the field.” Brin Billings was a starting midfielder this year and showed maturity beyond her years when she organized a team to play in Salt Lake during the offseason to help stay sharp. When asked about her favorite memory from playing lacrosse, Billings said, “We had a game at Judge Memorial last year that we should have won, but didn’t. I just remember jumping in the car and heading home with a few of my teammates while singing the Phantom of the Opera at the top of our lungs, just screaming it. I remember that it felt really good to bond with my teammates even though we didn’t win that game.” After high school, Billings is planning on attending Weber State University and hopes to one day become a nurse practitioner. She also hopes to join the club lacrosse team at Weber State. Ashlyn Braithwaite played on the lacrosse team her sophomore year and rejoined for her senior year after missing last season. She said she would miss the adrenaline rush that hits before each game, as well as getting to spend time with her teammates. Coach Earnest praised Ashlyn’s work ethic when she said, “Ashlyn was one of the few girls I could always count on to do her wall passes and running outside of practice. She was very consistent for us this year and really led by her example.” Braithwaite is headed to Rexburg to study at Brigham Young University-Idaho and wants to go into the medical field. Sydnee Forsgren prompted this response from coach Earnest: “Sydnee is little but fierce. She is always willing to play any position just because she wants to be on the field as much as possible. The most impressive thing about her is that she gives her all even if it pushes her physical limits.” Forsgren said that the biggest lessons she’s taken from lacrosse are being able to work together as a team along with not taking things for granted in life. She said, “Missing the season this year proved to me how fast life can change, so don’t take anything for granted.” Sydnee earned an academic scholarship to Weber State University and plans on studying meteorology. Linsey Haddock was known for being one of the most upbeat and energetic players on the team this year. Coach Earnest said, “Linsey is one of those kids that is always the first one to practice and the last one to leave and she always does it with a cheerful attitude. She is always willing to help set up our practices, take down cones, and just do whatever is needed.” Priscilla Ramos took up lacrosse for the first time this year, and whatever she lacked in experience she made up for with her athleticism and positive work ethic. When asked about Priscilla, coach Earnest said, “I knew Priscilla was going to be an asset for us from day one. She’s a great athlete and I was really excited to see what she was going to be able to do for us this season.” Ramos said, “I was really falling in love with the sport after just the first practice. I was building a strong bond with a lot of the girls and I’m sad I’ll miss having that grow even more.” Priscilla is planning on studying to be a dental hygienist at Weber State University and may play on their soccer team. Chloe Wallentine was always going to be one of the team captains coming into the season, and was looked up to by many of her teammates. Coach Earnest said, “Chloe is what I would like all of my girls to strive to be as far as being a great player, student, and just all-around great person. As a midfielder, she can run up and down the field and not get gassed. She’s also a very consistent player and has been a huge asset on our team.” Wallentine said the biggest life lesson she will take away from playing lacrosse is to always do your best in everything you do. She said, “I have really learned not to let other people stand in the way of what you want and to give my all to everything I do.” Wallentine is planning on serving a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and then attending Utah State University to get a business degree. She hopes to one day open her own wedding venue. Rebecca Wilding has been a member of the team for a few years now and brought a lot of experience and knowledge to the field this season. Coach Earnest described Rebecca as, “a very smart player,” and went on to say, “Rebecca has a great shot. She’s a starting attacker for us this year and she has really put in a lot of work in the offseason. I was really excited to see her play this year.” Wilding said that she has gained a lot of self-confidence through playing lacrosse as well as created a lot of lasting friendships. “I was never really a sportsy person growing up,” Wilding said. “I never really felt confident in sports, but over the last few years playing, I’ve gained a lot of confidence in myself. I’ve found it doesn’t really matter what other people think. If you’re trying to improve yourself, there will always be other people there to support you. So that has given me a lot of confidence to keep working towards my goals.” Wilding has been studying cosmetology at the Bridgerland Applied Technology College and is on pace to graduate this October with a degree in cosmetology. From there, she wants to attend Utah State University and get a business degree to hopefully one day open her own salon. Kamree Young is the returning varsity goalie and had already overcome some trials before the season even started. Coach Earnest explained, “Kamree hurt her shoulder over the winter and didn’t think she was going to be able to play this season at all. She still wanted to be with the team and was helping with practices and such. Then, she got an MRI done on her shoulder and found out the damage wasn’t as bad as they first thought. So she was cleared to play, only to end up having the season cancelled.” oach Earnest went on to say, “Kamree is a super uplifting player. She knows the game very well and always brings a very positive attitude and a big smile wherever she goes.” |
Courtesy photo
Box Elder High School baseball seniors: Logan Holgate, Zeke Martinez, Nate Wheatley, Daniel Madsen and Brayden Peterson.
Box Elder High School baseball seniors: Logan Holgate, Zeke Martinez, Nate Wheatley, Daniel Madsen and Brayden Peterson.
Senior moments:
Box Elder High School baseball
Editor’s note: This is the first of an ongoing series acknowledging Box Elder High School seniors who lost their last season of high school athletics due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
April 22, 2020 • Jeremy Jones • Staff Writer
Logan Holgate is a multi-year starter for the Bees and was the designated ace on the mound this season. Coach Jesse Roberts called Holgate, “one of the best pitchers Box Elder has ever had. He’s in the top five for sure.” Coach Roberts went on to say, “When he pitches, he’s not just tough, but he’s been absolutely mowing guys down since last season. Other teams just haven’t even been able to touch him. And even more than that, he’s a great teammate. Logan has taken younger players under his wing, even when he didn’t have to, because that’s just the kind of guy he is. He is really a coach’s dream.” Holgate signed a letter of intent to play at Salt Lake Community College and hopes to be a pivotal part of their team in the years to come.
Daniel Madsen is listed as a first baseman on the roster, though he was always willing to play wherever the team needed him. Coach Roberts said, “Daniel is the ultimate chemistry guy. He always worked super hard and never complained. He deserves the title of being a really good teammate and a really good glue guy. And you can never have too many of those guys.” When asked about his favorite memory from playing baseball, Madsen said, “I just loved being with my teammates. I loved the bus rides, talking baseball, and helping each other through hard times.” Madsen said the biggest life lessons he’ll take away from baseball are the value of hard work and how perseverance pays off. After high school, Madsen is planning on serving a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and then plans to attend Weber State University.
Zeke Martinez was the Bees’ starting first baseman last year and this year and was called a “vacuum” by Coach Roberts. Roberts said, “Zeke has made some incredible plays for us defensively. From doing a full split to catch a ball to skying off the ground and then coming down to tag out a runner, he’s just a vacuum on the bag.” In addition to his on-field abilities, Coach Roberts said, “Zeke is one of the most genuine individuals you’ll ever meet. He’s kind to everyone and is really the perfect teammate.” Zeke said his favorite memory from playing baseball was beating both Bear River and Mountain Crest earlier this year since the team hadn’t been able to beat both of them in the same year in the last several seasons. Martinez is planning on attending Weber State University after high school and going into the medical field while also hoping to land a spot on the football team.
Brayden Peterson played outfield for the Bees and has overcome some extra difficulties this season as he had to recover from a broken hand sustained toward the end of the high school football season. When asked about Brayden, coach Roberts said, “He’s a gifted athlete that’s super fun to be around. Brayden has always known how to joke around and have fun, but he also understands when to get serious and work hard.”
Nate Wheatley played as an outfielder both last year and this year on the baseball team and has the added blow of having the track season cancelled—he will be unable to defend his state title in the long jump. When asked about his baseball experience, coach Roberts said, “Nate always has a smile on his face and is a joy to be around. He’s a gifted athlete and was by far our best base-stealer this year. He’s the kind of guy that will give you a heart attack, but also supply a breath of fresh air.”
Wheatley’s fondest baseball memory came earlier this season following the team’s final game against Mountain Crest. He recalled, “After every win, we all gather around third base and Jesse started our chant shouting, ‘Every pitch! Every out! Every inning!’ and then we would all shout back, ‘We Fight! We Fight! We Fight!’ After we beat Mountain Crest and the news was coming in that the season was going to get cancelled, we still gathered around third but everything was just quiet. Then we started clapping and Jesse couldn’t start the chant because of all the emotions. So I shouted his part and the team joined in. That moment just felt amazing.” After high school, Nate is planning on attending Weber State University with the hopes of earning a track scholarship and he also hopes to walk on to the football team.
