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Show r A Page IB South Edition Lakeside Review Wednesday, May 4, f y. ji; 1 983 1 l Already, a Racquetball Champion Centerville Mean Improving at Being 'Off the Wall' By KENT SOMERS Raviaw Sport Editor Luzell Wilde enjoys showing the club to his visitors away from his mother in a partment store. not when hes prancing around the club. Wilde guides The the visitors to the squash courts, de- Luzell Wilde is no child, but he . doesnt look like hes ready to visitors who have trouble keep- start checking the mail box at the basketball courts, swiming up with him as he bounds up the .first of the month for his ming pools and racquetball stairs as quick as a child gets social security checks either, courts. - &. Finally, the racquetball courts. Thats what the visitors came to hear Wilde talk about. Never mind that Wilde is 65, still active and in shape. And never mind that Wildes triweekly (sometimes more) workouts would make a younger mans lungs burn with exhaustion. Wilde is much more than four walls, using angles, always figuring the angles. Its a game of angles, Wilde said, and much like life in that way, he said. It intrigues him. Where will the ball land and what speed is who still another active, alive and not living in a will it be going when it gets nursing home. Hes a national there? Its a question Wilde conmasters racquetball champion, stantly answers on the court, and has never finished below without thinking and without evfourth place in a national or er making a fool out of himself. He plays the game when hes state tournament since 1974. Cenwho in lived driving. How fast is the car has Wilde, terville, started playing the ahead of me going and where game in his early 50s, and will I pass on the highway and hasnt quit since then, not even how long will it take? Its a game he plays when he when a chain saw fell on his leg, gash. One day and his wife, Georgia, hop into leaving a later, Wilde was playing dou- their small motor home and bles on the right side of the travel to another tournament in court. places like Buffalo, N.Y., San Ive never kept off of it (the Diego or Houston. They stop at court) for a day, he said. I clubs along the way, where usually play three or four times Wilde plays and talks to people. a week. The older you get the It also gives Georgia and Luzell more you have to keep at a chance to visit their four children, who are spread about the things. Hes better now than he was country. yesterday or last year, always Its a pretty expensive hobimproving. Ive kept working by to go to all of those places, at it all the time, and the last Wilde said. Not only are the two or three years Ive been travel expenses high, but some competitive nationally. of the tournaments entry fees Competitive is an incompeare also steep. tent word to describe Wildes All the awards, the traveling, play. He has a list of the awards the notoriety and the friendlonwon tournaments in he has have come to a man who ships a that grocery ger polygamists never played competitive sports list. But dont get the idea that before, not even as a kid growWilde plays like old men using ing up in Carey, Idaho. lob shots to keep opponents conI just never had the opporfused. No, Wilde likes the fast, tunity (to play), Wilde said. I power game. lived on a farm and had to milk He hits a few shots with one of 10 head of cows a day by hand. his visitors, who is a third of And when my family started Wildes age. Wilde toys with growing I never had the time or him awhile, letting him return money to do anything. But Ive the ball while the two talk. always been active and Ive alfit. But the conversation ends, ways kept physically He is so physically fit that he and Wilde begins to hit the ball harder, and lower. There is no plays men in their 20s and 30s safe corner where dust can hide for competition. One of his playwhen Wilde is on the court. He ing partners and friends is Tom six-inc- " 'J , , , , ;A' ',Mf ( , , - one of the top racquetball in the masters division, recently won players LUZELLE WILDE, - ' Staff photo by Dan Miller , invitational title Wilde lives in Centerville. ta national in Tennessee, hammers the ball with a fluid, short stroke, hammering kill shots that the visitor hears, but doesnt see. He cuts the ball, putting spin on it and uses all h Nissalke, coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers and former coach of the Utah Jazz. According to Wilde, game improved when he was fired by the Jazz. For a year he did nothing but play racquetball. He was probably the highest paid player in the nation. And many of the players who see Wilde play come to him for advice or lessons, which Wilde never bothered to take. When I was going last October to nationals in Buffalo (N.Y.) I stopped at a new club in Richfield, (Utah) and played the pro, Wilde said. He got two or three points on me. Nis-salk- es When he returned from New York, a few players in Richfield wanted some personal instruction. They wanted individual help and in the three days I was there, I spent 23 hours on the court. The only instruction Wilde has had in racquetball is trad- ing ideas and tips with other But that training has players. e profits such as the National Golden Master Racquetball Championship in the e division in Chattanooga last month. given-Wild- 65-ag- He allowed his opponent only four points in the two games to win the title Wilde 21-- 21-- 2, 2. often plays doubles in the tournaments also, but rarely has the same partner for two tournaments. He plays with people he and Georgia have met on their way to games, and often sees old friends at tournaments. Wilde even has the patience to show one of his visitors a proper stroke. Wilde hits the ball softly, but low, against the front wall. Then, for emphasis, slams the ball against the base of the wall near the wooden floor. Not bad for a some people might think. Maybe this Wilde fellow will hit his peak at 70. No doubt hell be working at it. Viewmont, Wildcats Finish Baseball Season Tied By KENT SOMERS Review Sport Editor Get out your slide rule, compass and pocket calculator, its time to figure out which teams make it to the state baseball playoffs and who they will be playing. Got your pencils ready? O.K., here goes. In Region One, Lay-to- n and Weber played Tuesday (after presstime) to determine the first place team in the region. First place is not only important because you can tell everyone when youre 30 what a great team you played on, but also becatlse the top team' draws a bye jn the first round of the state playoffs. over Layton won Monday, on the Sky View, and is now season. Weber was upset by 17-- 4 7-- 2 and now has a Roy Monday, record in the region. Now for the part that Confounds and confuses. If Layton beats Weber, the Lancers will be in first, Roy, with a 4 record would be second and Weber third. The Royals split with the Warriors this year but scored more runs than 10-- 5 6-- 3 6-- . Weber, and as a result would be kins, there has been no time to think about play-of- f in second place. games, ' If Weber beats Layton, the especially with Weber hovering Warriors would be in first place over the Lancers shoulders like s because of a previous win over storm clouds that haunted the Lancers, who would then games. And Fridays take the second spot, leaving game against Sky View gave Hawkins no reason for security Roy in third place. win. Those three teams will play despite the or Hillcrest either Brighton, It was not a very good Brigham of Region Two, and game, Hawkins said. We kind that proposition concerns Roy of came out here and played Coach Fred Thompson. Those around, but its always good to people are scoring some runs .get a win before a big game. down there, ha said. There were big wins in Region For Layton Coach Brad Haw , Mon-day- Four also. Viewmont dropped to Cross Monday, The improve its record to also and if Wildcats are now Highland beats East Tuesday, there will be a three-watie for second place in the region. Woods 6-- 6-- 4. 6-- 4 league-leadin- g (7-- y Their first four runs said Cullwere unearned, imore. We booted a lot of game. ground balls. If Highland lost to East Tuesday, East would still go to the tournament as the leagues e team. first-plac- 17-- 4 That tie will be broken by a playoff game, said Viewmont Coach John Edwards. Woods Cross Coach Val Cullimore said his team did something unusual made against the Vikings to lose the costly errors State playoff games are scheduled to begin this Thursday. The state tournament, which will be held in Salt Lake City, is scheduled to begin next Monday and run through Saturday. Highland, East Sweep Region Tennis Tourney Ipall a lot harder and react quicker when I Davis County High School ten- bounce up and down, said nis teams have problems with Kwon. I just started doing it and it made me faster to be abie keeping up with the Joneses as shown in the Region Four to get to wide serves. championships last Friday and Nestman and Robinson are Saturday at Liberty Park. Arm- the former Woods Cross numbeed with players who practice r-one and number-tw- o singles and are instructed at Salt Lake who weie combined as players racquet clubs, Highland and a doubles team bj Coach Glover East dominated the meet, leav- to give them a chance to qualify ing Davis County Schools far for state. Their third place finbehind. ish in region is remarkable, conHighland finished with 24 sidering that they had never points to garner the region played a doubles match tochampionship, followed by East gether before Friday. with 20, Davis ,yith41, Bounti-- ' ' and numbeAs for number-on- e ful, 6, ana Viewmont and Woods r-two singles players, their Cross igame in last place with 2. chances of going to state were points ;each. In the singles and pretty marginal,, said Glover. doubled division, no Davis CounRobinson said that he and Nestty school finished better than man make a pretty good team third behind either a Highland since they play a serve and volor East player. ley game which allows them to who club have players play aggressively all the time. They Davis High Coach John Dawhad racquet in their hand before a baby rattle, said son said Kwon has an excellent Woods. Cross Coach Craig Glovchance to get a state berth FriLake Salt the er, explaining day. Eight singles players and teams domination. Region four doubles teams will qualify state for state. Ward combined his Four qualifying for the number-tw- o held and number-thre- e be will May tourney at Liberty Park. singles players intp a doubles who of DavisJ. Kwon team also, and explained that Eugene this was an acceptable procefinished .third iii number-onsingles, and Gary Nestman and dure. Youre not breaking the honEric Robinson of Woods Cross, who finished third in number-on- e or system unless you drop your doubles are the only players best players down, said Ward. If you lower your number-on- e of the Davis County teams that are expected to qualify for the singles player to number-threthen thats breaking it. But putstate tourney. Kwon is known for his strong ting them as your nuftiber-onreturn of his opponents service, doubles team is acceptable. honor system The which he credits to his rabbit hops. I hit the By BARRY KAWA Review Staff - , 4-- A 13-1- 4 e' e, e i s s' GARY NESTMAN, left, and Eric Robinson of Woods Cross played doubles together for the first time in the Region Four is one reason for the changes in Butler and Mark Miller, fourth doubles. the region tournaments this place, number-on- e Davis finished the region seayear. A controversy over an Ogden High Schools girls team in son with an mark. Glover the fall where a coach put her said that while his team was an best player in a lower division excellent one, East and Highwas a major factor in the lands country club players change. In past years, coaches should garner most of the state were on their honor to play berths this week. In region one, which includes the players where their ability teams from Sky View to merited. Other Davis players who Layton, there are no official replaced are: John Neil, fourth gion standings this season. between singles; Each place, number-tw- o schools is viewed as a practice Steve Sargent third place, number-three singles; Scott Hill and match in preparation for the Paul Bithell, third place, numbe- state qualifying tournament at r-two doubles; and Bryan Ogden High School on May 9 8-- 4-- A duo-matc- h A 2 ' i a ' ... .. - iifissv. . tournament and finished third in the and 10. Instead of having to play in number-on- e singles, number-tw- o dousingles, number-on- e bles and so on, each player is tossed into either the singles section or doubles team competition and the best players overall qualify for state. This is the forfirst year for this mat, which also seeds players s reaccording to their cord in practice matches. I think its a very poor setup, says Clearfield Coach Lynn Thorne. I feel the whole philosophy of high school sports is the team concept. As far as pro-styl- e won-los- 4 4 & t Staff photo by Rodnoy Wright number-on- e doubles. going to state, it will all be individual now. Teams in region one which will be trying to qualify players for state include: Sky View, Bonneville, Clearfield, Roy, Layton, and Weber. The local favorite to win the singles qualifying is Chuck Bierwald of Layton. Sky View and Bonneville players are expected to dominate the region one qualifying next week. Layton Coach David Nielson expects the new format to hurt the players and give the better players a better shot to qualify for state. lower-ranke- d |