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Show ports Covering ivhat matters most A14 • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 04, 2009 Roger Stahle on his experiences as Sp. Fork High's personal trainer Jeril Bills STAFF WRITER Roger Stahle has worked as Spanish Fork High School's athletic trainer for 21 years. He began his career as a trainer for a minor league baseball team, then later worked at a junior college in California and a Division III school in Tennessee. Looking for more stability, he moved back to Utah to do his student teaching. As he looked for a job "there [were] a couple out of state, and I didn't want to move out of state," Stahle said. He found out about an opening for an English teacher at Spanish Fork High School, and with the added advantage of being an athletic trainer, Stahle got the job. A typical day at work for Stahle begins in the classroom, where he is a full-time teacher. Then at 2:30 p.m. it's off to the gym or the practice field. Before practices and games he attends to athletes who need tape or sometimes treatments for injuries, and is on hand during practices and games in case anyone gets hurt. If someone does, he provides treatment, ice, evaluation or whatever other immediate medical help is needed. This work lasts until 6 p.m. on days when there isn't a game, and until about 9 p.m. on game days. In 20 years of attending athletic events and taking care of injuries, Stahle has seen some pretty interesting stuff. One of his most interesting experiences was when a Provo basketball player "smashed into the floor" in a game against Spanish Fork. Stahle said he "turned his neck to such a position that it turned his vertebrae." Stahle did a neurological evaluation on him, splinted the boy and sent him to the hospital. There, a CAT scan left doctors believing the boy was paralyzed. Just hours later, however, another CAT scan Namon Bills / Spanish Fork News HELPING HAND: Roger Stahle helps an injured Brynlie Nielsen off the court during the Lady Dons game at American Fork, Feb. 17, 2009. revealed he was fine. "You see something, and you think it's gonna be one way, and it turns out to be completely different," said Stahle. Stahle has also enjoyed being a part of 20 years of Spanish Fork High School athletics. "I could probably go on in each sport and tell you 10 or 12 different things that I've been a part of," he said. These include experiences with the football and basketball teams as well as state championships in wrestling, baseball and softball. The 2006 softball championship was especially meaningful to him. "That was a good one, because my daughter played on that team," he said. He also mentions some of the many great athletes he's worked with, including the Reid brothers; Scott, Wade and Chad Vest; Diane, Natalie and Nachele Stewart; Whitney Holm; Jessie Anderson; Alii Gardner; Josh Davis; Jordan Smith; and current athletes like Richard Wilson and Breck Lewis. Of the athletes he's worked with, he said "a lot of them are my dearest and closest friends now." Spanish Fork athletic director Doug Snell said Stahle is a good man who is "dedicated to Spanish Fork High School." Barry Dalton / Spanish Fork News AIR TIME: Travis Still pulls up for a jumper in the game against Pleasant Grove. Dons fall to Vikings, 78-63 Namon Bills / Spanish Fork News INTENSITY: Josh Adams beats a Logan defender to the basket in the Skyhawks' state quarterfinal game against the Grizzlies. Skyhawks take on Logan in State tournament quarterfinals Shaun Peterson STAFF WRITER On Thursday, Feb. 26 the Salem Hills Skyhawks took on the Logan Grizzlies in the quarterfinals of the 3A State Tournament. It was a hard-fought battle, with both teams going back and forth. But in the end Logan proved too much for the Skyhawks as they escaped with a narrow 53-47 win. The Skyhawks came out a little shaky in the first quarter, turning the ball over on three of their first four possessions, allowing Logan to jump out with a quick 6-0 lead. SeniAr Dustin Bellis- ton got things going as he knocked down a tough jump shot just inside the arc. Belliston then dialed in from long range to put Salem in a rhythm. Key player, London Simmonson, chipped in as he knocked down a See SKYHAWKS • A12 Steve Taylor STAFF WRITER Spanish Fork hosted Pleasant Grove in their final game this season. It was senior night for the Dons, where fans, players and coaches honored Taylor Jones and Breck Lewis, the only two seniors on a young team. The Dons didn't play like a team that had locked up last place in Region 4, hustling until the buzzer sounded in a 78-63 loss. After winning the opening tip, the Vikings immediately went inside to Sefa Tanoi for an easy bucket. The Dons bounced right back, with Breck Lewis cutting back-door to even the score at 2-2. After that, C J . Wilcox took over, nailing a long jumper and a couple of threes, helping the Vikings outscore the Dons 26-16 in the first quarter. Things got worse to start the second quarter, with Pleasant Grove going on an 8-1 run, to push their lead to 34-17. After a time out, the Dons temporarily stopped the bleeding, with Lewis scoring on a layup. However, right after that, Wilcox took the ball down the court and drained a long two from the top of the key. The Dons had some chances to close the gap in the second quarter, but they didn't capitalize on some sloppy play by the Vikings. They trailed at the half, 44-24. The Vikings started the third quarter just like the first, going inside for an easy two from Tanoi. After being outscored by 10 in the first and second quarters, the Dons played better in the third — a seasonlong trait — only getting outscored by four points to trail 65-41 heading the fourth quarter. Most teams that start See DONS VS PG • A12 y |