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Show - - rogtrrm.?apwpP5ngn.T1 - " Sporfstacular Ds a champioinslhiiip the wiDtiiiinniaitie goal? ByLyaaArave The ultimate goal of every high school athletic team is to win the state championship in its respective sport and division of competition. State Championships are considered by some to represent that a team is number one and the best in the state. State championships are the pinade of achievement. But of course, though several dozen or more schools may vie for a state title, only one team per year can win it in each sport and division of competition. In Utah prep sports, counting 17 different sports and four divisions of competition, to be , there are slightly less than 68 tqtal state championships won every year. There are 96 total high schools in the State of Utah this year, Of that total, 34 high schools are "big high schools with enrollments totaling 1,000 ore more students; 16 are 9 "medium sized schools with enrollments in the student range; 19 are small schools with enrollments in student range; and 27 are very small high the schools with enrollemnts totaling less than 200 students. Historical records show that 73 of Utah's 96 total high schools have at one time or another won at least one state championship in either boys or girls sports. Of the 23 schools which have never won all the marbles in state competition, 21 are very small schools with enrollments of less than 220 students. These 21 schools represent the smallest of prep institutions in the state and includes such schools as: Piute (151 students), Escalante (76), Tintic (100), St. Josephs (135), Valley (84), Tabiona (36), Eksdale (20 students)... and so on. Now the remaining two school that have never won a state championship in any sport are quite unique from the other 21 such schools in that they have enrollments of more than 1300 students. General facts about these 500-99- 200-49- 9 1) School A has an enrollment of 1,342 students, school B has 1,811 students. 2) School "A began operation in the Fall of 1965, while school B opened its doors in 1964. 3) School A is located 32 miles north of Salt Lake City in Utahs Uth largest city (population 14,356), while school B" is found 90 miles north of Salt Lake City in rural community with a 3,600 population. 4) School A is a southern school west of Ogden, while school B is the northernmost school in region one. 5) School A used the school colors of BLACK AND B uses Columbia blue and WHILE School GOLD, white. The obvious question students, faculty, coaches, fans and alumni of these two schools must be asking is: How come school A after 14 years of operation and school B after 15 years hasnt won at least one state championship in either boys or girls sports? This issue takes an added significance when one realizes that every other major school, including the newer ones has won at least one state title, except schools A and B Even Timpview High School in Utah County, though only several years old has all ready won two state championships. Some may shun the issue of never having won a sate championship aside declaring it to be unimportant. But sports is the religion of American to many people today and s column on the sports pages of the newspaper are the probably read more thoroughly than any item except perhaps the comics section. Winning has become snyonymous with participation in sports. After a game, you will probably find no one asking what happened? but rather who won? win-los- Better believe it, Utahns love their football By John Peterson Ordinarily, Im a pretty quiet guy. I sit on the back pew in church, never get controversial at social gatherings, and always pay my taxes with a smile. I get along with my mother-in-laBarbers, magazine salesmen and car hops love me, and kids and dogs follow me everywhere. There's only one subject I want to scream and shout and argue about, and its coming up again. It comes up every year about this time, when the leaves begin changing color and a little nip is felt in the air. Thats the idea that is being spread around that Utah is basketball country football is just a hold button to push until the guys in the shorts start bouncing their pumpkins. Utahns youd be led to believe, arent sure whether a football is puffed or stuffed. but let me hop on a soapbox for Like I say, Im easy-goina second on this one. Utah is just a great sports state period. While its true that there may not be the mania for football that, say, Texas has; neither is there the single-spohysteria that Indiana has for basketball. Utahns like 'em all, and by any criteria, football is every bit as Important to a Utah fan as basketball. as Fan acceptance? The Aggies, playing such Pacific and Fresno State are talking about stadium expansion. The Utes, with more emotion than talent, go SRO in a stadium designed by someone who hated football fans. The only way to get a seat afCougar Stadium is to be born there. And Weber State, whose last winning season would make a dandy research topic for an ancient history student, recently opened up a new section for season tickets. Excellence of performance? The Cougars and Aggies were both 1978 conference champions; Utah rates as one of the top regional powers this year, and the Wildcats were seven plays away from a crown last season and figure to be a year away from a national championship. Opportunities for players? Jim McMahon at BYU (Roy High); Robbie Richeson at Utah (Clearfield High); Danny Rich at Weber State (Bonneville High) ; and Rulon Jones at Utah State (Weber High) are just four current, playing examples of local boys who have made good very good at 'the area schools. Each of those four has received considerable regional and national attention. Their coaches believe they could play for any college, anywhere. Dont bet against it. Fun, social times? Going to a basketball game is like going to church. It comes often, and with great regularity. You know about whats going to happen, and you feel fine when you leave. Going to a football game is like going to a circus. There are so few of them that each is an event. Every game is different, and you get a lot more associations with fellow fans. Besides, who ever heard of a tailgate party before a basketball game? Get the point? Football has, obviously, a terrific appeal, and for a lot of good reasons. But not just on the major college rt non-riva- v ls level is Utah football dynamite. High school football is developing into a big business, as the new stadiums and large crowds wiU attest. Southern Utah State had one of the finest teams in the NAIA last year, and Dixie and Snow were the two best junior college elevens in the Intermountain area. And while Westminster dropped the sport like they did everything else in a crash economy move the College of Eastern Utah in Price actually began playing football again after a layoff of more than a decade. As far as I know they are the only school in the nation to add football to the activities calendar this year and theyre going after it in a big way. They wouldnt do that if there wasnt a need. Its probably safest not to take anything away from any sport. Utah has proven that it can and does support and foster excellent sports programs on every level. Football, which has produced more professional athletes from the state than any other sport, need not take a backseat to anything. DROP KICKS The High School Activities Association is in a constant hassle about classification of schools. They are committed to keeping an equality in enrollments among league members, hopefully .to?, preserve competition among members. Naturally, youd think a larger school would have a big advantage, over a smaller one, especially in a football game. Normally, youd be right but not last week. Six area high schools played teams from a different classification, and in four of the six games the smaller school won. Roy and Weber lost to a pair of 3A schools, while Ben Lomond and Bear River were felled by some 2A teams. Only Bonneville and Clearfield followed the form chart with wins over schools of smaller enrollment. MORE DROP KICKS the state prep scene has a Speaking of new look this year. The number of 4A schools has dropped to e an low of just 18, with the defection of several institutions that have always been in the top enrollment ranks are names like category. Missing from the Highland, West, Bountiful, and Viewmont. While the 4A numbers are low, the 3A ranks almost wiped out three years ago have grown to 28 schools this year. STILL MORE DROP KICKS Despite having only 18 schools, though, the 4A State Tournament will still be a affair. Shades of the NBA, theyll play a frill league schedule to eliminate two teams. Actually, according to the High School Handbook, thats not even exactly true in all cases. In Region One, the Northern schools, all six teams have already qualified for the State 4A Tournament. The format for the tourney has changed, though. First-roun- d games will be at campus sites, and the loser is out. The will meet at the Special Events Center for a survivors eight three-da- y double elimination Tournament to decide the 1980 state champ. all-tim- big-scho- The once solid sports philosophy of: When the one great scorer comes to write against your name, he if you won or marks-n- ot lost but bow you played the game. is being replaced by such philosophies as: Winning isnt everything, its the only thing. Winning isnt everything, but losing is nothing. If winning isnt the most important thing, then why bother to keep score?? To lose is worse than death cause you have to live with defeat. The idea is to win and not to be a good sport. If a guy is a good sport, then maybe he is a good loser. Bid thats what hell be, loser. Its the guys who get upset with hiring who are the real winners. (Bud Grant). Its a fact that the word has winning taken command In the minds of sports participant and spectators alikje. Coaches are fired or hired on the basis of the winning and lasing. If you do not win the championship, then somewhere along the way you have lost. Ted Smith, the athletic director of school A says, of his school never having won a state championship: I would hesitate to say that out small size has been a real factor, though we have been the smallest school in class He says I Just think Its going to take us a little mbre time (to win a state championship). On the future of possibly winning a state title, Coach Smith said: We are optimistic. He said further that sometimes Ms school has been hurt by a lack of manpower in state comsome of the petition states bigssst schools, but that- - his has very high consistently in both football and basketball. 4--A. trW In state f11 competition. Coach Smith tfafoks both a teams talent and coaching are equally important and yet things facing fade the right place is also a critical factor. The athletic director from school B declined to comment on any poerible reaaoos as to why his school has also never won a single state title. However, both schools and B have at times A . m come quite close to winning a championship. Neither school has even played in a state championship game, though. School B has won three third places in state competition, but nothing lower. School following A has taken the places in state Cent, on Pag 3 |