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Show DAVIS Pag 3 FEBRUARY 26, 1986 REFLEX-JOURNA- D Why Bountiful will beat Davis Editor's Note: When Bountiful and Davis tangle for the Region Four championship Friday night, a lot of pride will also be on the line. In a head to head confrontation, sportswriters Tom Hraldsen and Keith Duncan take sides, and give up this "tungue-in-chee- k comparison of the two teams. By TOM HARALDSEN circumstances, huh? Big game? This will probably BUT ENOUGH - Is Keith DunBOUNTIFUL can really serious? Can Davis beat Bountiful Friday night and thus ruin my preseason prediction of an alphabetical finish in Region Four? My sources say no. Fact: Bountiful has better balance. Last week five Braves were sed its last two opponents (View-moand East) and averaged 87 points in doing so. This game is for the marbles, and we all know what happens to the Darts under those nt girls beat Viewmont to finish second in league, their drill team just took state and their cheerleaders finished sixth in the nation Florida last weekend. 1 . ly neither referee will be a Davis High graduate, unlike the debacle in Kaysville last month. Mike Hall will figure a way to keep his players ff from fouling those Darts as they sneak through the defense. Fact: Davis was lucky, and 1 mean real lucky, to beat Woods FACT: Bountiful is stingy on defense. The Braves are only allowing 47 points a game, while scoring an average of over 64. Davis scores about 70 points a game (only 50 from the field), but give up 60.2 per game. They've actually been from the field in Region, WHAT IT all adds up to is a classic matchup, one which rightfully pairs the leagues best two teams, and two of the best in the state, against each other for the title. As Duncan said, it ought to be a wild Cross three weeks ago. They couln't even shoot free throws that night. Woods Cross was able to go inside against Davis, and Bountiful's inside people are even better. out-scor- in FACT: don't want to have to interview Mike Hall if the Braves lose. Duncan says the Braves fans run the famous "chewing gum" play against their opponents. At least they can chew gum and watch the game at the same time. them for preferring the uncontested shot. But this time, hopeful- View-mon- t. and a sixth player had nine points. Balance is what it takes to win caliber games, which this one will be. state-playo- FORGET THAT Davis beat Bountiful in double overtime a month ago, on their floor, with their favorite weapon, the free throw. Forget that Davis has pas- with emotion, double figures versus McMahon. Fact: Bountiful is on a roll. Their FACT: Davis likes living on the free throw line, and when you are six to eight inches smaller than your opponents, who can't blame let's study the facts: in cuts than Davis, four to one. That's working this year, just asl. Jim Fact: The game is being played in Bountiful. Davis has only lost once this year, and it was on the road at Fiast. against a team of equal strength. Davis won't like Bountiful's gymn. the lighting is too good. turn out to be a bigger disappointment than Marie Osmond's marriage counselor. It's number one versus number two, the Globetrotters versus the Smurfs. 1 think the last basketballer over six feet at Davis was Lori Parrish. Sports Editor FACT: Bountiful has more crew 222-22- and unpredictable night. Don't miss it. Why Davis will beat Bountiful By KEITH DUNCAN On Friday night, the Davis Dart basketball team isn't going to walk into the friendly confines (actually quite hostile) of Bountiful High and have the Braves hand them the Region Four championship. THAT JUST won't happen, but Davis probably will still be wearing 4-- A Rees learns rules also have rewards By KEITH DUNCAN I V KAYSVILLE with athletics at Davis High. Jon Rees has learned that every rule may have its price, hut also that they have their reward. THE 2 senior center for Davis High's boys basketball team is enjoying life to the max these days as he and his teammates have led the Darts to a glossy 17-- 1 record. In fact, to be quite frank about it, Rees wouldn't mind living with the present circumstances lor many years to come. It just couldn't get any better, especiallv if he and the crew beat Bountiful for the Region Four title this Fridas night. BUT NO matter how hunky-door- y things are right now, there was a time in Rees' young life that the sea of life was nothing but tor6-- ment. It was just a year ago during his junior season that he was struggling with school and generally just trying to find himself. Sure, he got to play quite a bit of basketball, but there were suspensions and talk of more of that kind of thing. I WAS just struggling." said Rees about the ordeal. "But what turned me around was the talk had with coach (John Robison). Basically I had my choice of whether or not to play athletics. "If chose to play, then I'd have to abide by some rules of the athletic department." AND GUESS what? Rees reached deep down inside and I I made up his mind he was going to bow out of Davis High with his head high. Life has never been the same since. Oh. he still struggles at times, but he has learned that adhered-trules pay great dividends. After he made up his mind he'd follow the rules of the athletic department. Rees went much further and began keenly living by the code o that makes good basketball players. IN OTHER words, he went to work. From the day the 1984-8- 5 season was history, Rees initiated a personal plight to improve in every facet of the game. There was hardhe ly a day go by last spring that didn't pick up a basketball. When AAU basketball came, he as eager as a bushy-taile- d squirrel. And all he nearly ate, summer through last the drank and sport. slept BY THE time basketball season , rolled around for his Final year as a Dart. Rees was having no problems at all with department guidelines. But he was having problems. His problems or as Rees calls, cha- llenges,' were oppsoing centers who sometimes were five or six inches taller and perhaps a lot more talented. But even against more talented centers, Rees has seemingly held his own this year because he never allows the other guy to outwork :him. the region crown when they emerge because of several very SUCH WAS the case last Friday - During his stint night when he battled inside against East's Grant. Grant did score Josh 22 points on the night and his contribution could have been more. But not if Rees had something to do about it. He maneuvered and worked inside, on both ends of the court, until Grant clearly became frustrated. With more than seven minutes to play. Grant was sitting on the bench with five personal fouls. Not every night is that successful, but one thing is for sure. Rees has 17 success stories to tell (victories) to only one unsuccessful one (defeat) this season. Most would have to agree that's a pretty good ratio. ROBISON and Rees appear close and they are. There are times r in a relationship, where things just click and they surely are here. The Dart's new head coach said the reason his center is playing so well this year (averaging over 16 points and 10 rebounds a game) is "his renewed confidence." ROBISON explained. "Jon has assumed a great deal of leadership and withthis year as a out question that has seen his concoach-playe- fidence level shoot sky high. "1 believe because ol his rededication to the sport last spring, his confidence has bloomed. That's all he really needed to succeed in basketball and in school." FOR REES, perhaps his accomplishments this season hav- been intensihis in direct proportion to realty. That kind ofthing becomes ity when you're 2 playing against bigger competition every night. inAnd that's Rees' weapon, his tensity. Sure, he is quick and he can shoot and jump for rebounds well, but he seldom if ever lets down in a game. Especially in key situations, that's when Rees rises to the top. MAYBE MY intensity comes from setting goals and trying to make basketball a top priority for right now. I figured I had a little bit of talent at the end of my junior year, but if didn't put everything I had into the games, then that talent would never surface." said Rees with a tone of maturity. "And a lot of credit has to go to the coaching staff here. They're 6-- 1 great, it's just that simple." - KAYSVILLE DAVIS HIGH'S JON Rees (30) battles for a rebound against Woods Cross. His contribution on and off the floor has helped Davis to the top ranking. he said. REES, WHO has never really played much football or any other sport, has thrived on the winter sport since sixth grade He later went to Farmington Junior and played under Vance Downs and then emerged as a sophomore at . Davis where his playing time has been on the generous side all the way through. Tm really happy for what the football team has done for the school, but it's nice that Davis has received some recognition its a top basketball school too. decisive reasons. Perhaps the first and foremost that comes to mind is the fix that the Darts whammied Bountiful with when they came to Kaysville over a month ago. Since then, the Braves just havent been the same. Oh, they've won four straight since then, but they haven't clobbered their competition like they did earlier in the year. THE BRAVES appear to have reached the peak, so to speak. But don't talk about peaking with the Darts. The Kaysville crew may have played with fire against Woods Cross in the second half, but they've nearly blown Highland, Viewmont and East off the gym the second time around. AND ANOTHER good reason comes to mind. They talk about all the height and talent the Braves have this year, or well, they'll need seven-footer- s maybe even taller guys to dominate the Darts. The opponents' size to Jon Rees, means tiddily-doMike Taylor. Greg Willard. Brent Meier and Chris Card. It's just a the matter of simply giants and yes, a lot of them. You see, they teach more o than basketball at Davis High. SIZE DIDNT help Bountiful win last month at Davis High because the Darts learned their iesson the week before when they played East's Josh Grant. It was then that Grant put on quiet a show, but the Darts learned quick. They won four straight too. and they've beaten bigger competition every time out. In fact, last Friday night irt Kaysville, Grant had one of the most frustrating nights of his life as Davis ran circles around him. If defense.' The their 'sticky-teaentire studentbody there participates on this one. If the Braves on the court aren't getting the job done, then one of their student-bod- ter the percentage gets. They've averaged over 70 points in nine m games, compared to Bountiful's 64 points per game. y DEFENSIVELY the Braves hold their opponents to less output than the Darts, but in defense of that. Bountiful really doesn't have a high scorer. Dave Critchley is their high point man w ith 12.4 per game. The Davis starters just plan on doing the job on their respective opponents, hold them to their average. Then if Taylor and Co. can reach their average, this game will be history. And another question mark. Is Bountiful's guard. Steve Mihas on the decline? He had only two field goals last week against Viewmont. 1 remember right, he fouled out with over seven minutes to play. The list goes on. BOUNTIFUL did experience one of their poorest shooting nights, probably the worst in their lives at Kaysville. expect their shooting percentage will improve, it's hard to get worse than But don't think Davis' won't either. The Darts didn't have one of their better shooting nights either in their double overtime w in. Both percentages will improve and see Davis Hying high the bet 1 1 GUESS we will find out Friday night. And w hen you talk about guards, don't forget that Davis found a I pleasant surprise in sophomore Brian Emery last week. Card couldn't play, so Emery came on in his first start and scored in double figures. That experience he got. won't hurt. When Card needs a rest. Emery will come on and get the job done. MAYBE THE one area that Bountiful has a clear-cu- t edge is toss a w od of gun toward the opposition. It will land smack-da- b in the middle of a Dart player s head and get so messy, that the game might have to be stopped so someone can cut it out. They tried that one on Viewmont s Jason Burningham last week and by golly it worked. And what if this game goes into overtime? The Braves did nothing but panic last time it happened. The Darts controlled the ball of the time in the closing minutes and even though it took them a couple chances to get the game w inner, they finally did. Has Bountiful practiced a little on that or do they think this one will be a cakewalk? AND DON'T overlook the Darts ability to can the freethrow. The slipperty Darts have driven inside against much taller competition w ill and because of their quickness, they have deceived many. And likewise, many foul pitches have been awarded. Already the Darts have hit 192 of 265 freethrow s while the opponents have hit only 84 of 134. It ought to be a wild and unpredictable night. Don't miss it. Darts rout East Revenge smells sweet for Davis KAYSVILLE - Revenge may be nothing more than a little seven-lette- r word to some, but for Davis High, it meant everything last Friday night as the Dart basketball team clobbered East High 87-6- 9 to ACTUALLY THE Leopards never quite recovered from Davis' early blast. They closed the gap to in the first quarter but still 3 after the first eight mtrailed inutes were over. In the second stanza. Faist never Leopards had pinned on Davis just a month ago. got within eight points and at one time, the Darts were up 40-21 at halfDavis eventually led time. -- avenge the defeat that the 11-- 8 22-- 1 42-3- THE VICTORY moved Davis' overall record to a glossy 17-- 1 and 1 in league play. 8-- THE CLOSEST East got from that point on w as 1 in the third quarter. The game was never really in question after the 2 opening There were only five scorers on the Dart's side and they were the starters, all of whom finished in double figures. Meier had one of his finest games of the year and finished with 20 points. Rees was perfect from the freethrow line and had 13 points and eight rebounds. Taylor ended the night with 28 points. assists. 10 rebounds It was another and four performance for the Dart co- captain. 46-4- Davis' lone defeat, a loss at East, was one the Dart players felt they'd let slip away. It was as Jon Rees put it. "We just felt after the loss, that we could beat East and when we got the second chance, we'd make the best of it." 66-6- 0 THE SECOND chance came Fri- day and wow. did they ever make best use of it. Davis burst out of the gate with fury in their eyes and before the Hast coaching staff could call a to halt the explosion, the Darts were up time-ou- t 9-- BRENT MEIER was the one who triggered the bomb blast. He started the game with a three-poiplay and had nine points only four minutes into the game. "Meier has the ability to do things like that," said Coach John Robison. If he gets hot. it gets everyone excited." And Meier did get others excited. Mike Taylor didn't take long either to get the juices fiowdng. He stole a pass and connected on a beautiful pass to Meier in the early nt spurt. 9-- spurt. 6-- 7 East's big gun. Josh Grant, was a bundle of frustration on Friday. Fwen though he did score 22 points and had several blocked shots, he just couldn't figure out how a bunch of smaller basketball players could run him in circles while he played defense. GREG WILLARD 4 hit it too." Region Four Basketball Standings Boys GRANT PICKED up his third foul in the second quarter and eventually fouled out of the game with 7:05 to play and Davis leading 63-5- "As soon as Grant picked up that third foul, w'e went after him." said Robison, "He's a great player and the sooner he was out. the sooner we could put them away." Final Region Four Basketball Girl FOR THE evening, Davis shot 63 percent from the field, compared to East's 55 percent. The smaller Darts also outrebounded The Davis kids had East, 30-2just made up their minds that they weren't going to lose. s Standings Last Weeks Results Bountiful Viewmont 52 49 (OT) Woods Cross 76 43 East Davis Highland nan It enjoyed perhaps his finest night of the year. He got 15 points, which is ten above his average. His most not- - able statistic however, was his 13 assists. He had five of them in the fourth quarter alone. Because of Chris Card not playing on Friday, sophomore Brian Emery got the call and he played well. He was three of four from the line and finished with II points. He also had four more assists. "ALL FIVE of our players have the green light." said Robison after the game. "We don't rely on just one or two guys. Tonight was a perfect example of that. The kids know their roles on the team but when the open shot is there, they'll take it and they've shown they can ! 85 63 |