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Show v j MARCH 23, 1983 Falcon Yesteryears 6 7 State Championship Will Live On Forever By KEITH well talk about the good DUNCAN Journal Sports CLEARFIELD -- - For all of us there is only one swing through life. For some that swing may have included a love for the game of basketball but only a few of the many some, will ever cherish the moments of championship day. ONE SUCH unforgotten championship gathering was that of the 1966-6- 7 Clearfield High Falcons basketball team. Scrapbooks try to bring it alive, Kenny Gardner may try to tell it and Marcus Garrett is a good one to relive it, but nothing does it justice unless you were the one that witnessed it. IT BECAME the first mens state championship in the school's history and to date is still the only one. Coach Marcus Garrett, the man behind the championship, was Clearfields first basketball coach and stayed with that position from the day he came to the school in 1960 until his retirement from coaching in 1974. TODAY GARRETT still teaches drivers education at the school and he hasnt forgotten one moment of that special championship. Winning a state championship is something no one can take from you. Myself, just like the kids, will cherish those moments the rest of our lives. When the kids come back to Clearfield, theyll stop by the house or the high school and times. CHAMPIONSHIPS arent an easy thing to come by. Some people believe after youve won one, it should be a piece of cake to come back and win another. But it doesnt happen that way, commented Garrett as he took a minute from a drivers education class to relive a few of the past memories. Garretts desire to build a genuine basketball tradition at the school is a story within itself. He began his coaching career at Roosevelt High where in just one year he led that school to the consolation championship. GARRETT moved from there to Uinta High where he led Utes for a couple of years, including one trip to the state tourney. He was turning into a journeyman as his stop took him to his home town and alma mater, Juab High. Seven thrilling seasons were spent there which were topped off in 1959 and 1960 with back to back state championships. AFTER THE final title down south, Clearfield was opening its door to its first basketball season ever. Garrett liked the opportunity he saw in Clearfield and moved his family north. The Falcons, being the new school they were, had ninth and tenth graders to work with that initial year. As Garrett put it, The young guys were all we had. They wanted to get the tradition of basketball started correctly, and did. IT WAS PLAYERS like Jeff Flint, Barry from Hovering over Coach Marcus Garrett and Assistant Coach Ward Sawley, are the 1967 Class A State Champions Clearfield High. Ball, Mike Grover and others that got the ball rolling. Next in line were players like Craig Hansen, Paul Westbroek, Mike Wilson, Jim Wilson, Chamness, and Danny Gardner. This 64 squad went right to the finals of the state cham- pionship, beating teams by 15 or more right . through the playoffs. I COULDNT have been prouder the way . these guys were setting the tradition right. We got right into the championship game. It was in that title game that our biggest man, West- broek, came down on the leg of the East center and tore ligaments in his ankle. We lost Paul but the rest of the kids fought hard and we lost the game by five points, stated Garrett. What a job for a school in their second season of action to take second in the state title chasje. COMING INTO the 1967 season were play- ers like Harley Graham, Ken Gardner, Donny Peterson, Kay Miles, Scott Wiberg, Don WO- Cox, Bob Galliahazi, Craig Fisher, Kent Mur- dock, Bruce Westbroek, Craig Hess and Mike McGraw. Ward Sawley, Lincoln Hatch and Lynn Thome were then assisting Garrett with the coaching. Led by Graham and Gardneras captains, the state title bound team lost their first game and last league game, the only two losses of the year. As the season progressed, Garrett remembers Westbroeks comment, He said to me that he hoped all the sacrifice was going to pay off. For Westbroek and others it finally did. the TEAM entered the playoffs and didnt waste much time in disposing of American Next they blitzed Bonneville 74- Fork, 58 and the game that got them into the state finals was a 3 trounce of South. That set the stage for the championship " game against Hillcrest. IT WAS A hard fought game, recalls Gar- rett, neither team was giving much. But the thing I remember most was late in the game when Ken (Gardner) came up to me after Id called a timeout and said we ought to put Hess on the player that Gardner wasnt handling and who was giving us all the trouble, pre-seas- ... commentary dave wigham How I Expect Coaches Will Play Musical Chairs Continued from page Like most journalists I love a rumor. I dont have the mind or creativeness to start most of them but I do love to hear about them and pass them on. AND THIS TIME of year seems to be the best time to listen to the old grapevine. The end of basketball season is always a great time to get the rumor mill flowing and this year is better than most. The Frank Arnold thing is the biggest rumor of all of them. Not that hes resigned, thats a fact, but the reasons behind it. Ive heard everything and anything about the whys and why nots. As far as I can tell though the players rebellion, or whatever that was, was just the final straw. It wasnt the main reason for his resignation, or why he was asked to turn one in. 1 IN ANY EVENT this column isnt about why the Arnold thing came to a head but rather about the coaching vacancies that are around and we have to start with the one at BYU. So to keep up with me we have one coachs job available at BYU. Heres another one for you, have you heard the one that has Niel McCarthy leaving Weber State and heading to Oregon. You remember Oregon, they were the ones that contacted Frank Arnold about a month ago and he said everything was fine in Provo. KEEP UP, now we have openings at BYU and Weber State. Now on to the junior college ranks. Seems like Ron Abeglen from Snow is right in line for the head job at Boise State of the Big Sky. That would be a great move for the Broncos, Ron is a proven winner and he could even take about five of his players from Snow with him next fall. . County Cagers Noted Steve averaged 13 points an outing, pulled down an average of seven rebounds per outing and led the ON THE YEAR Braves in field goal percentage hitting on 52 percent of his attempted shots. Hibbert is just a great example of hard work and dedication, hes put in the time and effort and his accomplishments speak for themselves. As a sophomore not many high school coaches wanted him but now several junior college coaches are after him for next year with CEU, Snow and Utah Technical College heading the list. KEVIN SMITH Viewmonts contribution to this years club is senior in football. Kevin Smith, who was also selected Kevin was the bright spot f,,r the Vikes this past season averaging 18 points per gam, and 8 rebounds. ty TIME AFTER time opposing coaches noted that Smith of the Vikes was one of the premiere players in the region, and he was. Kevin has tremendous jumping ability and a fine shooting touch. He can play under the basket knocking heads with the big people or he can play the outside forward spot hitting from medium range. As of now no one has approached Kevin about basketball, maybe they know that several college football programs are still trying to get him. Braves Are 6-- 6-- 73-6- con-varsi- ty GARRETT described his 1972 group as one of the hardest working groups in fields history to that point. It was a Clear- triple-lo- YOUVE GOT TO have fun, or it becomes 25 years of coaching, we didnt have fun only one of those years. The rest of them we worked hard and benefited from it. a job. In my al, thats where Roberts and the rest of them : started out. Well lets stay with the rumors. A high school coach would have to be a proven win-ne- r. Meaning maybe a state championship team. Well in that case lets put up the names of Wayne Baker (Woods Cross 1983), Mike Hall ; (Bountiful 1982) and Mike Gardner (Davis STILL WITH me. Now we have openings at BYU, Weber State and Snow. Now, the rumor mill has it that Niel Roberts, the one at Dixie, is in line for the BYU job. Now we have two ways to go, first of all lets put Niel at BYU. That would leave jobs open at Dixie, Snow and Weber State. The second way is if Roger Reid, an assistant at BYU for eight years, gets the BYU job. If that happens then cancel the vacancy signs at BYU and Dixie. But they would still be up at Weber State and Snow. THE WAY I want to approach it though for fun, although I hope Reid gets the BYU job, is to say Roberts gets it. Now we have openings, under this option at Weber, Dixie and Snow. This way well see Roger Reid return to his alma mater and take over at Weber where he played. THEN WE still have Snow and Dixie open. To move up to a junior college one would have to look in the high school ranks. Sounds logic YOUR TAXES; - BOUNTIFUL No matter which coach Bountiful talk to at High about their spring you words two seem to come out. always sports, first word with is the inexperienced Young usually mentioned in the same breath. -- 1980). NOW NONE of these high school coaches : have probably even thought about the junior college move but theyre in the rumor mill. Then we would have openings at the various high schools, depending on which two are selected for junior college duty. Maybe the . assistants at Weber, Dixie and Snow would like to apply? IN ANY event, no one is sure what will hap- pen or if anything ever will happen. But dont you just love a good rumor? IT SEEMS LIKE all three spring sports, baseball, soccer and track were hit hard by graduation last year and although the coaches admitted to having some talented people they still need valuable experience. Here then is a quick glance at those three sports, with a more detailed preview of each sport to appear in the next three weeks of the Clipper. BASEBALL...What can Phil Olsen do for an encore. The past two seasons Phil has guided his club into the state finals, they won the tournament two years ago and placed second to Hillcrest last season. The majority of players from those two years are now playing ball on the college level but Phil remains optimistic about this year. i. i::" 3 SAVE FOR c, fSfc tot( 0Hi, kbo 0, V a, ! "'i) 'V 'Ni THE FUTURE! Open an IRA (Individual Retirement Account) at BARNES BANK. An IRA Will reduce your taxes . . . and help you save, too. COME IN TODAY. Sign up before tax filing time rolls around. HOURS: Lobby, 8-- 5 Drive-i- Monday through Thursday and 6 Monday through Friday n: 8-- 6 on Fridays 8-- MVMETIESS IBAEIIEL 33 SO. Main, Kaysvlile, Utah FULL SERVICE st overtime loss to Olympus that kept Blake Mur- dock and his teammates from further post sea- - son PlaIf I was young. Id go back and do it all over again, said Garrett with moist eyes, The kids I coached knew what sacrifice meant. We had plenty of hours of hard work in the gym, but had plenty of fun at the same time. SAVE ON Young And Inexperienced i: EVERY PLAYER left their mark. If it (Miles) doing it, then it was Gra- ham at 0 turning 8 guys inside out, stated Garrett. Clearfield ended up beating Hillcrest 7 and capping off a brilliant 20-- 2 season with the state championship, The good years continued for Garrett. In 1970 with players like Scott Gardner, Dennis Moss and others, the Falcons lost their first tournament game but came back to beat the favorite Granite and win the solation championship, wasnt Kaye 3 I All-St- ar m 92-6- 7. In 1965 the Falcons took the consolation championship, still building on a tradition that lasts even today. In 66 the squad at Clearfield in the state tournament by a last second T shot to Olympus.' t BUT THE group of 66 players were domin- ted by a group of juniors that one year later would invest in the Falcons first state title, Highland won the championship in 1966, but the Clearfield kids came three points away from beating the state champs. Garrett recalls when his 1966 group, fought East so hard that the panel on the scoreboard HERE WAS Gardner, a high school All- started smoking. They won that game American, and admitting he wasnt getting the against East, remembers Garrett. They just job done and suggesting to me we make a werent going to be beat.- switch. Thats just the kind of great player he 71-5- Accepting the state championship .trophy are Coach Garrett and team captains Harley Graham and Ken Gardner. was, in fact thats the very reason I even called the timeout. We did that kind of thing all year long, the players knew the match-u- p zone we were play-Jiing and wanted to make it work, MEMBER F.D.I.C Since 1891 OUR STRONG BANK IS YOUR BEST SECURITY j ; |