OCR Text |
Show JULY 20, 1983 The On Gridiron Thriving Gets distinction of being one of the finest offensive line technicians according to several of his peers. By KEITH DUNCAN Journal Sports - LAYTON Chuck Ehin, in referring to his former high school foorball coach, Gary Hansen, said, "Theres a saying that suggests you can get anywhere you want in life by just knowing someone. Of course to me that means something for nothing ninety percent of the time. I GOT TO know Coach Hansen in high school and as an indirect result of my relationship with him, Ive got a pretty good chance to play professional football. But Ill tell you what, it wasnt a something for nothing situation. Coach Gary, (as many of his former players call him), gave me a chance to play when I was a soft sophomore and he put his confidence in my ability. If it werent for that man, I really wonder what wouldve happened. Ehin, who went on to play brilliantly at Layton High and then four more years at Brigham Young University, summed up feelings that many of Gary Hansens former athletes possess today. HANSEN HAS thrived on gridirons in a serious kind of way from his prep days at Davis High to this very summer where he spends an ample amount of hours preparing another Lancer football team. Is it getting old? Hansen offered a reply to that question, "One summer if I dont show up with these kids, youll know then Im through. The straight answer is, that Hansen isnt tired yet of molding 16 and 17 year olds into men through a sport that requires a ton of discipline and stamina, at least in his eyes. The coming fall will focus in on his 12th season as the head coach at Layton High and hes just as optimistic now as hes ever been. 9 reHANSEN, WHO has compiled a cord in his 1 1 seasons and with that a coveted state championship and three region cham60-4- pionships, is described by some as a disciplinarian. And perhaps he is, but the reason is all too convincing. Dee Burton, who coached with Hansen at Layton for nine years and got to know him better than most, commented, "Gary may be one of the most'competitive persons Ive ever met. The guy is a great disciplinarian, in fact if I learned any one principle while coaching with him, it was discipline. BUT WHY all the discipline? Hansen him- self, tells the story best. As a kid growing up in Bountiful I was like kids today. I was quite most football-lovin- g small for my age but I used to idolize the University of Utahs football players. I had all their pictures and used to live for the day I could play like they played. "BECAUSE OF my size, when I finally got a. chance to play, I valued it and took pride in it. I was very hungry to play. The fact I was small, may have a lot to do with my philosophy now. Players who have come through my program know I love hitters, no matter how small or big they are. Weve been known to have starting runningbacks at 125 pounds going into the state playoffs. I WAS 145 pounds my junior year at Davis and graduated at 155. Worse than all that, I was 95 pounds in the ninth grade and was told I was too small to play. But I was determined to play, so determined that several of my friends and I pooled our money and purchased our own weights and set them up in a nearby chicken coop. We worked out most everyday and ran every morning. "My ninth and tenth grades were spent at Bountiful High and they were discouraging. I wasnt getting a fair shot I thought. "WE WENT to Davis High the last two years, the last graduating class to do so before Bountiful became a senior high school. Id heard that Coach (Lee) Liston liked small guys who were quick and could hit and because of that I had a lot of encouragement to stick with football. And Lee did like small players and had me dressing on the varsity squad both years there. All I played was offensive and defensive line and before it was over had received mention as an honorable mention GARY WASNT immediately interested in college after graduating from Davis, but soon entered a trade school and began improving his skills as a journeyman welder. But an older brothers prodding soon had Gary seeking a way into school. Through his former prep coach, Liston, Hansen landed a spot at Weber College where he performed under Wally Naulder. I owe quite a bit to Coach Naulder for giving me the scholarship and a chance to play. He never stopped handing out encouragement, stated Hansen. NAULDER, WHO lives in Layton today and has since sent a boy of his own to Layton for Hansen to coach, called Gary a fine disciplinarian who is schooled in the fundamentals of the game. Naulder also said, As a player, Gary wasnt the typical, outspoken kind of player. He went about his assignment very effectively and always got the job done. Gary had a love for the sport, it was hardly mistak-able, After college, Gary pointed out, I was under the impression back then that when you graduated and had a degree, that the phone would be jumping off the wall with job offers. That degree didnt mean as much as I thought it can pull people together. A crisis might be injuries, discipline problems or something of that nature. Look what happened to our basketball program last winter. A certain crisis situation there pulled some kids together and it was amazing what happened. THE DIFFERENCE too, is whether kids are committed and whether theyre willing to pay the price. During the Hansen era at Layton, some very respectable athletes have come and gone. The names are continuous starting with kids like Ehin, Brandon Flint, Dave Burke, Monte Green, James Suitt, Bob and Mike Overly and tens and tens of others. You never forget kids, said Hansen in reflection back on the hundreds he has coached. A coach has advantages over a regular teacher in some respects. The influence and rapor with them is just different. HAVING PLAYED the offensive line during his playing days, Hansen and his assistants have helped to produce some dandies in recent years. In fact Dee Burton commented, Gary has to be the finest offensive line technician I know. Its amazing the number of kids hes had ' that have gone on to major college competition from that position. If I were a head coach somewhere building an offensive line from scratch, Gary would be the man Id hire. Hes very up to date in technique in that area. In recent years, generally talking about 1981 and 1982, Layton hasnt lived up to the bold tradition that Hansen has been a part in building. But feeling good about things and getting better is the optimistic approach Hansen has carried into his 83 summer conditioning program. ABOUT THAT optimism, Hansen declared, do better than the is last what which before, years club did. year In the week Ive worked with the 83 kids. Im encouraged by what Ivd seen and I see no reason for us to not improve our record again. I feel positive that way because of some of the smaller things Ive sensed. Just as Hansen is obsessed with an intensity gear, he admits that he also knows when enough is enough. He simply believes in applying as much as possible in a small time frame, which is getting the job done and then being done with it for a while. Weve set a standard to did. "IT WASNT until Vaun Barber called me and asked if I wanted a job that I thought college had some meaning for me. Hansen spent two years at Kaysville Junior High and part of a year at Bountiful,. before moving over to Layton High in 1968. One of Hansens most glorious moments experienced in the world of athletics was in the fall of 1978 when his blue and white clad Lancers beat West 4 to capture the coveted state championship. 21-1- SAID HANSEN about that achievement, Getting up on top requires a lot of things, including a little bit of luck. Things were going our way that day. It also doesnt hurt to have certain crisis, so to speak, that if overcome in the right way , THERES A time when things are overdone in athletics. My moderation rule allows me to go home Saturdays and try to forget football, but once Sunday night, the intensity begins picking up all overagain, said Hansen. The thing many people dont understand about a guy like Gary, a person who appears at times to be withdrawn but then again so intense sometimes, is the fact many of them will give you the shirt off their back. "GARY IS just that kind. Hes a very, very talented man. He can do plumbing, hes a carpenter, an electrician and isnt afraid to help you out anytime you need it. I know several times hes come to my home to fix something for nothing. Hes dedicated, but still very human. Hes exactly the kind of guy I want coaching my kids, concluded Burton. Most Appearance In Football Finals Judge High Tops la Tide Games Did you know that since the Utah High School Activities Association adopted the alignment of Utah high schools into the classification in 1969, that Judge and High School in Salt Lake City has appeared in more football state championships than any school. or other four times out of their seven appearances. The team with the second most number of appearances has been the West High Panthers with 6. Four times the Panthers went to the finals in and theyve done it twice iit Its interesting to note that Coach Gean Plaga has been the head coach of the Panthers every time they have gone to the state championship IN FACT the Judge Bulldogs were led to the finals six times by Coach Gil Cordova and then again in 1981 by Coach Frank LEtoile. The final. 4-- 2-- A 3-- 3-- A 4-- A Bulldogs actually won the state championship 4-- A 3-- THE NEXT in line are Davis High with 5 championship final appearances and Skyline County Soccer Contest Set For July 25th The Davis County North-Sout- h High School soccer game will be staged next Monday night at 7:30 p.m. at Davis High School. County high schools. The county has predominantly been a hotbed of talented players in the past. The game will feature some athletes off the state champion Davis Darts team. THE GAME has usually been held in conjunction with the July 4th celebration but is being held a little later in July this year. The contest will feature several of the top high school soccer players from all six Davis THERE MAY be a small charge for the game which will go to help soccer programs in the area. Children under 12 will be admitted free. ar 3-- A 4-- 4-- North-Sout- h All-St- 5 also. All of Davis championship appearances have been accomplished in while every one of Skylines have been in Jay Cullimore was the man who led the Darts to their five showings while Ken Schmidt was the man behind the Eagles their five times. Layton has an impressive record, having been in state football championships four It was Gary Hansen who led times, all in the Lancers to their only state championship in with For further information, contact Andy 7 ston at or Kevin Rigby at 479-006- 544-019- 0. John- 1978. OTHER STATE championship finalists include Bountiful with 3, Viewmont with 2, Roy with 2, Bonneville with a couple and Brighton with a pair. Laytons tireless veteran head coach, Gary Hansen, has already entered his 12th campaign with the Lancers as he prepares his 83 club for the upcoming season. He claims you can feel something about the present group that brings a lot of optimism for the new season. tt Gary may be one of the competitive Fve ever met. The guy is a great disciplinarian, in fact, if I learned any one while coaching with him, it was discipline 55 Dee Burton |