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Show a 1 Htmkm Selected As down the head baseball position as By KEITH DUNCAN well. Hawkins replaces Gary Hansen who resigned the post early last Journal Sports :LAYTON -- - Brad Hawkins, winter. who has always loved football with his baseball, has been handed the reigns of the Layton High football program and thus becomes the third head football coach at the school since Layton opened its doors in the 1960s. AS FAR as handling both baseball and football, Hawkins simply said, Id like to do both until time I think I cant handle both. But right now I believe Im capable. In baseball Hawkins has led his kids to two region titles in three HAWKINS, WHO has assisted in football since coming to the years. The new head coach played his school thfee years ago, was prep football at Bonneville High School under Brent Hancock who selected as the new head coach last week. He will continue to hold is presently the head coach at Clearfield High. As a Laker Brad succeeded as a quarterback and a defensive back. From there he went to Weber State where he played defensive back for Sark Arslanian his freshman and sophomore year. His sophomore year he was named to the Big Sky Team. IM EXCITED to get started. said Hawkins, In fact Im getting started right now. I'm young and Ive got a lot to learn but Im excited about jumping into it all. I believe theres got to be some things done, no drastic changes, but Mime things that will get the kid-- , as excited about it as am. 1 IVE TALKED to people like Coach Aislaman and Coach Hancock and hae already spent a lot of time with those people learm g little things that might be helpful for our program here. like the things see at Wcbei State but everything they do might not be for us. I just like the things they do as far as bringing the tun back into football. "Coach t Mike) Irice gets after it but he also has a great staff that enjoys having some fun with the 1 1 IE- kids too. I dont want to make it a job for the kids, but something theyll look forwaid to both in practice and in games. It's tough to do, but that's the way Id like to do it," said Hawkins. AS EAR AS a football philosophy, Hawkins stated liell do some running and passing. "I'd like to throw the ball more than we have but wont say well put it up ex cry down. In high school you xe got to establish something before you can go out and wing it. "If you'll think back on the successful coaches in out area, 1 theyve been a success because they've done basic things. Coach (Ward) Saw ley at Davis runs the double wing with consistency and doesn't try to trick people. The kids understand what Ward wants out of them and don't make many mistakes because he doesn't have a lot of things for them to make mistakes with. TOMM BLDGE and Ernie Jackin have been successful also because they don't try to complicate things. The kids understand the systems and there's not a lot of questions." REGION MEETS - Can Clearfield win fifth straight or will Lancers upset? And will Darts beat Jt Vikings? Unbelievable Average (Carlson Becomes n Of Swat As Davis Wins er quite got involved with football I just stuck with or basketball. By KEITH DUNCAN Journal Sports KAYSV1LLE - Sixteen years of swinging for Wylee Carlson, not on the dance floor but with a baseball bat, has helped to make a happy cure for the Davis Dart baseball -- team. CARLSON AS a took his first swing at a baseball and guess what? He hit it! Mr. and Mrs. Grant Carlson have a picture for proof. Now 16 years later and a lot of baseball in between that, Carlson has been knocking the heck out of the baseball, enough in fact that his baseball and I learned to love it because I played it nearly everyday, he said. To hear his story would remind you of the hundreds of stories of youngsters who grew up with a baseball in one hand and a bat in the other that eventually became major league stars. First Day Action Taylorsville Bests Davis; Falcons Lose In Slugfest The quest for a MURRAY state baseball championship for both Davis and Clearfield High became a little more difficult after, both lost their opening playoff games in the double elimination tournament being staged at Ken Price Park. one-year-o- ld Dart teammates and himself earned themselves a spot in the 1984 state baseball tournament at Ken Price Park. CARLSON HAS been hitting at a and torrid rate through through the Region Four schedule, at such a hot rate that his batting average stood at .787 after Davis had defeated Roy 3 to earn a spot in the playoffs last Friday in Kays-vill- GRANT IS as proud as anyone of DAMS LOST the Monday noon . game to powerful Taylorsville. Taylorsville is supposedly nationally ranked and whether they arc or not was unimportant as they used some solid pitching and hitting to beat the Darts from Region Four. Davis had earned the right to play Taylorsville after beating Roy 3 in the inter-regio- n playoff game. In last Monday's 8 p.m. game, Clearfield and Cottonwood had an but the Colts offensive finally prevailed. Wylees senior year accomplish- 6-- 1 ments but says the happiest thing is that all the kids made a trip to the state tournament. He said further, Theyre not only talented baseball players, but are super kids off the field. As far as Wylee goes, dad com- 5-- mented, I never dreamed hed hit the ball like this, even though hes always been a great hitter. I always thought his main strength was with his fielding strength. free-for-a- 14-1- 0. 5-- started on the mound for the Falcons and allowed no hits through the first two innings of play. But all heck broke loose in the top of the ve never e. The Darts, with Carl- hot-hitti- son aboard, played Taylorsville last Monday and were to play again on Wednesday in the double elimination tourney. 3 win over Roy last went 2 for 3 with a Carlson Friday, double and a single. Combine that hitting statistic and some sharp fielding at shortstop and Carlson is having himself one heck of a year. Ive never had a year like this, said Carlson, Everything has just come together for me. IN THE hit it, he said, My philosophy has always been basic in not stepping at the pitcher and to not kill it. If youll keep your head down and make good contact, youll get on base. BESIDES PLAYING shortstop, Carlson is also a pitcher and hes been one of Davis main strengths there too. But his No. love is to master the shortstop position, 1 something that Kent Draayer be- lieves hes been able to do. "Wylee is a whiz with a baseball. Hes been our old faithful for a couple of years now. I really believe hell go a long ways if someone gives him a chance to play in college. His shortstop abilities have been improving with every game and his hitting statistics tell that story amply. IVE JUST got the confidence said Wylee, Theres no doubt Im going to get people out. Carlson has helped the Davis infield turn six doubleplays in Region Four play. and 160 pounds, Carlson At grew up with baseball as his father coached local teams for years. With his size being a factor, he nev in my fielding ability, 5-- had a year 55 like this. third when Cottonwood bot- tlenecked the Falcons for 7 runs on a combination of errors and good ;A 5-- Carlson, who struckout only once this year, claims that he isnt a long ball hitter and in fact has never hit a homerun in his baseball career. Where ever they pitch it, I Clearfield-Cottonwood THAT game. Jeff Parry IN pre-seas- CCT, ll Wylee Carlson hitting. In the top of the fourth inning, it appeared Clearfield had the ammunition to come back as both Greg Folk and Phil Peterson hit back to back home runs, thus making the score 4 at that point. BUT IN the top of the fifth. Cot 7-- Wylee Carlson has been ripping the seams olT n and ten Region Four games he baseballs this spring. After .787 an average. batting impressive sported No talk, fast swinging Batting Average .787 tonwood took advantage of six straight walks by junior reliever Ryan Fisher and Folk to take a lead. A nicely executed double play by Folk and Dave Peterson at the catcher spot finally got the Falcons out of that inning. In the bottom of the sixth, Clearfield made a tremendous rally, as Phil Peterson belted his second home run of the game, in fact a 9-- longer hit ball than the first. It was slammed out with two men on base and with a couple more runs, Clearfield found themselves w ithin distance, 9-- 8. BUT COTTONWOOD 2-- 16-- 2 FOLK, WHO heard someone in the stands say he couldn't hit and then proceeded to belt a 2 pitch over the left field wall, was quoted as saying, "One bad inning killed us. really buried us. 1 believe weve got what it takes to come back but we cant commit so many errors and still do it. THE INFIELD has been strong with Todd Snarr, Cole, Sandstrom, John Timothy, Mike Robinson and Bubba Richeson there. Behind the plate has been Greg McNabb and Robinson. McNabb is the senior who should be a strong candidate for the schools Outstanding Athlete Award, having starred in football, wrestling and now baseball. THE OUTFIELD has had presence of people like Mike Wood- who have glistened at times. State baseball tournament for the first time in several years was Davis High. Led by Kent Draayer the squad beat Roy Making It to the 3 last Friday in a playoff but then lost their first tournament game to Taylorsville 4-- 6-- 1 loser to Bingham. tance. Other pitchers have been Eric Herrea, Darrin Sandstrom and Greg Norton. 5-- pulled a strong reliever from the dugout who had enough to silence Clearfields bats the rest of the way. Clearfields second game of the tournament was to take place on Wednesday at Ken Price Park against Highland at noon. Davis' second game was to be played right after that as the Darts were to tangle with Region Four foe. Bountiful. to Bountiful lost the first day, Granger and Highland was a GRANT STATED further, I believe that Wylee made up his mind during his sophomore year that he was going to go all out for baseball, rather than go for football too. Its been a choice for him and I never second guessed him. Of course Carlson isnt the only reason Coach Draayers team has ended the schools drought from state tournament play. Its been the sound play from a combination of many juniors and seniors. David Cole has been a ton of strength from his pitching position. It was he who earned the victory over Roy last Friday in going the dis- ward, Snarr, David Bush, and Mark Petty and Greg Norton, all 4 3-- |