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Show FEBRUARY lb, 1V4 Continued from page 1 Tennis Hopeful 84 Showing Begins Some Solid Tradition Les Rientjes Was Worred For A Time About Rodney BUT RIENTJES toughest match on the road battle with to the state title was his semi-finIt was there that of Brigham. Danny Montoya he claimed a slim 5 win that vaulted him into the finals. "Danny is the toughest guy I've ever gone against. We've tied this year and I've beat him by two points once and this time by I." said Rod. AND ILL ADMIT I was worried at times Rodney's first two wins were a pin over Rod that it wouldn't work. I told him before the Simmons of West Jordan and a 0 victory over match that he had to go for the gusto and if Jeff Olson of Bountiful. ROD HAS shown a lot of confidence this anything he had to beat his old man's record and he did." said Mr. Rientjes. year." said his father. When it's come right In the tense and close match with Nipko. down to the wire, he's been mentally ready. I Rientjes took his time and was patient. He suppose the only regret I've got is that Rodney scored the first takedown with 48 seconds into is my last boy. He's made my life so enjoyable the first period. 1 took my time and didn't to this point and 1 believe I'm really going to make a stupid move like I did last year in the miss not having another wrestler in the semis." said Rodney. family." Coach Mike Hansen, proud as a peacock of THE REMAINDER of Rientjes' points came his state champion too. pointed out. "Rodin the second round where he scored an ney's main asset is his competitive drive. escape, another takedown and an escape. Nip- When he gets mad at himself it just fuels that ko had cut weight and dropped from 26 where drive ten times more. he competed the year before. ITS NICE too to have another state chamAfter the victory Rodney was in a daze and pion for our school. It proves to the other kids admitted that it might take 30 years before he that despite the fact that wrestling is getting could start bragging about this one. "For then. much tougher these a guy. from our days, he said. was just glad it was all over." ranks can still get the job done." coaches. He basically said, 'if anyone wants me at 19. then come and get me.' At 19 he ate normal meals and did away with his dieting. But at the same time, he worked awfully hard to burn off anything he'd eaten as soon as he could. 1 believe he worked twice as hard this year over last. 1 By KEITH DUNCAN :,r Journal Sports SHADD RAGAN was a fourth place finalist last year and repeated the same feat again this ;2 CLEARFIELD There is meaning, in fact As year, despite a nagging shoulder injury. lot of it, behind the Falcon's ninth place finish Tennis said, Shad came through with flying 'fi n the 1984 wrestling championships. colors when you look at all the problems hes - S had to overcome. Anyone that places fourth two straight years you have to take your hat off to." berth by beating (10-0- ) and Jody Tucker Woods Nipko Cross, Bodero of of Alta knocked him out of the championship bracket with a 0 win. Danny Montoya of in the last 0 Bingham defeated Ragan match for third and fourth places, but Ragan never gave in with a shoulder that was killing Shadd earned a Mike Spidham 6-- 12-1- him. al 3-- 1. 3-- 2. . 1 1 0, two-tim- 1 8-- PERHAPS the talk of the Clearfield team of sophomore Todd Kopecky who ended up finishing fourth at 132. Kopecky won some close and tough matches through the entire three-da- y event. "I suppose the real way to judge Todd's improvement is to look at his scores with kids last week compared to the results earlier in the season. A good example would be his very last match for third and fourth where he lost by a referee's decision to Granger's Jay Simon. Earlier in the year, Kopecky was beaten by that same kid, 15-Tennis said. Kopecky. the younger brother to e state Doug Kopecky who was a champ, beat both Phil Diedrich of Cottonwood and Mike Gerrard of Davis to gain the semifinal round. The apple of Tennis eye has to be the effort that junior Merrill Johnson put forth. It was last year as a sophomore that Tennis took Johnson to a wrestling camp at Alta and said he got literally embarrassed with Johnson. "But, since that. Merrill has worked, and worked and worked. The guy just never gives up. 1 just love kids like that," said the coach. Johnson finished the tournament with a fifth place medal. Johnson was beaten in the opening match by Russ Perry of Alta but came back to stay alive with a win over Darren Hammer of Bountiful. MIKE SORENSON finished sixth at state a year ago and this season ended up fourth. Had it not been for a controversial semi-finmatch against Rob Hill of Hillcrest in which Sorenson he could have been in the state finals. lost Hill was the defending state champion and who later defended his state title. "It could have gone either way, said Ten- nis in looking back, "But Mike a super leader and overcame it to come back and take fourth. Hes been the sparkplug of the team all year." I STILL don t know what happened, said Sorenson. "Hooked on the clock and we were tied 8 but the next thing I know is that theyve taken a point away from me." Sorenson had beaten both Mike Kochevar of Bingham and Golden Meier of Cottonwood to gain the semi- was the effort De-'nn- is 2-- semi-fin- of Hillcrest 11-- 2. i 6-- 6-- 4-- A SCOTT TENNIS in his reign as the coach here, has had teams finish higher than ninth, but he claims this ninth place ranking might be something that will turn the program around for good. "Gosh. I hope it means something." Tennis :Z said as he sat back to watch the championship X round last Saturday night at the Dee Events Center. A lot of returning lettermen have X been a part of this thing and hopefully we've x begun to build some solid tradition." X SOME OF THOSE young wrestlers that ;Tennis aluded to were kids like sophomore .Todd Kopecky who surprised a lot of Clear-,- r field followers and ended up finishing fourth in the 132 pound class. Another was junior Mer-- , rill Johnson who gutted his way to a fifth place .'showing at 138. And there were others that didn't place, people like Mark Martinez. Langford. Gene Smith, and Scott Ferrin who in Tennis' eyes are the bright future of Clearfield wrestling. But as Tennis thinks about the future, he also bids farewell to a solid group of seniors who helped to turn around the fortunes of Clearfield wrestling in a fashionable manner. Besides the two underclassmen that placed, the Falcons saw Wayne Estep grab third at 98. Shad Ragan get a fourth place finish for the second straight year at 19 and Mike Sorenson stake out a fourth place finish at 167. IN ALL, Tennis had five wrestlers place at the coveted state meet. Prior to that, the most he'd ever had was just three. As a team the Falcons chalked up 83': points which was 7 'good enough for ninth place but only 91: points .out of fifth place. Prior to state. Clearfield fell ; only once in a dual meet and that came at the ; hands of a powerful Hillcrest team who even-- i tually finished third in the state title hunt. Then 7 add a second place in region to that, r: And outside Estep, Ragan and Sorenson. 7 Clearfield will also bid farewell to some more : seniors that did a ton to build the program this ; year. Those additional seniors include Dusty McMullin. Randy Shelley, Tom Wood and Rick Herdt. WAYNE ESTEP, the fiesty Falcon had his hopes for a state champion-- . end when Quito Atwood of West Jordan ship match. Despite the ; pinned him in the semi-fin. fact that Estep had beaten Atwood 1 earlier. Til 7 this time Atwood was in full control. ; admit." said Estep, When he took me down ' the last time I just gave up. Both Estep and his coach felt that he should have been put in an opposite bracket than Atwood since Box Elders Ken Smoot came through the other side to eventually face Atwood for the title Estep had never lost to Smoot, berth by beating i Estep earned the semi-fin: Ream's Darren Miller 1 and Cottonwood's ::.Ted Perryman Eventually Estep came to take third ir back to bet Perryman again. 2'. place. al 1 . 8-- 7, 8-- Clearfields Wayne Estep gave the Falcon's their highest individual place, a third at 98 pounds. But four others placed within the top 6. Recreation Dept. Sponsors Freestyle Wrestling Club Come and join the Clearfield Wrestling coach. Parents are volunteer referees, sponsored by the Clearfield pairers and for assisting with Recreation Department. The transportation. For further in program is designed for the formation call Roger Thomas. more experienced wrestlers in. Clearfield Recreation Director grades one through adult, at Freestyle Wrestling Club needed as 773-330- 7. Rodney Rientjes gets a tip from Coach Mike Hansen during title match against Tucker Nipko of Alta. "1 PRACTICES w' held Tuesdays and Thursdays start- jng Feb. 14 from 4:30-- 6 p.m. at the Clearfield High School wrestling room. Tournaments held each Saturday at vL?r'?UkF 'le,$ a!n8I!.c peTy Wilkie S10 is Cost with an additional $2.50 tour- Tennts biggest disappointments in the tour-- nament entry fee assessed for nament were Tom Wood. Rick Herdt and Dus- - each tournament entered, Registration will be taken at ty McMullin not doing better than they did. carc Swim Ro l Wood won his first match but was beaten nas by Mark Romine of Brighton in the second one. Fcb.LHladTstmifoTS Romine did go on to win the state title. ,he program will be Scott Tennis, Clearfield High School 5441070 228 North Ken, Kaysvi.!o (wt oi cansn't) Coupon I Coupon Coupon Monday Night i Special j Tues., Wed., Thurs. Special Weekend Special Any Large 2 Free i Free Pepperoni or i Canadian Bacon j 10 Pizza (any 1 with every Large Pizza 3 or more toppings topping) with every large 4 topping pizza at regular price Liter of Soda Pop l l W'r out to sell twice oi many trucks os lost so year were pushing twice as hard. Theyre here ond they're going fast. Pam Tough Dodge trucks ond Romthorgen; wailing so take on the rood, willing to take on the world, from the sporty Prospector-equipped- , Rompoge to 0 dmom. Dodge hos it oU. So get behind the wheel of a Rom Tough Dodge truck at your Dodge dealer today. While the B'O Dodge Truck Push is on! The Big Push is on! run full-siz- e. Good ury spwg Vach 21) I Good 'bl spr-- g (Va-c- fi 21) Sava Tfcn? 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