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Show Wc\t Sentinel Guardian of Your Community Neivs WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2010 • A13 Courtesy photo HALL OF FAMER: Spanish Fork High School's Doug Snell was recently inducted into SUU's Coaches Hall of Fame. Snell inducted into SUU Hall of Fame Chad Vest STAFF WRITER KayJa Neves / The Sentinel ONE ON ONE: Salem Hills' Jake Skinner guards Maple Mountain's Jace Edmunds. Salem's experience shows in win over Marshall Dunn STAFF WRITER The battle between the two new schools of Salem Hills and Maple Mountain showed how much difference a year can make as the Skyhawks dominated the Golden Eagles in a 61-35 turnout. Salem Hills was coming off of an emotional overtime loss to region foe, Springville, and was trying to avoid a meltdown against Maple Mountain. "We did a lot of team talking this week and we focused on having a good week of practice, to avoid an emotional let down," said Joseph Morhman, who tied with London Simonson for game scoring leader with 16-points. Maple Mountain came out with a full court press trying to force Salem into turnovers. Despite not getting many turnovers, the Golden Eagles were able to hold tough defensively for the beginning of the first quarter. Leading 7-4 midway through the quarter, Salem ended on a 10—5 run, mainly due to the stellar play of sophomore Erik Merkley. The second quarter really exposed Maple Mountain's youth and lack of size, as the Eagles were unable to box out the bigger Skyhawks. Their struggles didn't stop at defense, as they were unable to get anything inside the paint on Salem's zone defense. Down 27-10 midway through the quarter, Maple Mountain eased off the full court press and switched to a zone. Salem, who has become notorious for hitting buzzer beaters at the end of quarters, did not disappoint as Tyler Hardy hit a last second 3-pointer for the corner, to put Salem up 35-12 going into half. Coming out of the half, Maple Mountain's young point guards struggled and Salem was able to get plenty of turnovers early. The quarter ended with Salem extending its lead to 53-21. The fourth quarter featured young players on both sides, as Salem pulled their starters after building a 58-26 lead with 4:47 left in the ball game. The younger Skyhawks struggled against the more experienced Eagles and Maple Mountain was able to outscore Salem 14—10 in the quarter to end 61-35. For Salem, the chance to get some of their younger players experience was invaluable. "It was great for them, so that they can get experience in case we ever do need them do to injury or something like that, they'll be ready to come in and step up," said Morhman. The surname Snell has been an influential name in the little old town of Spanish Fork for some time. Some of the Snell ancestors helped settle Spanish Fork and one of them served as the mayor. Doug Snell, one of its descendents has been around these parts for many years and has definitely made his mark. He has served the community for years as an Athlete, Teacher, Coach and most recently the Spanish Fork Dons Athletic Director. Just a year ago, he was named Southwest Regional Director of the year, one of six finalists for the National AD award. And after 15 years of service as the school's AD, Snell was recently enshrined into the Southern Utah University Coaches Hall of Fame for his achievements at the helm of the SFHS athletic programs. "It's a big deal to me," he said. 'Tin really proud of it. A lot of good things have happened for me these past couple of years and this kind of caps it off to be in the Hall of Fame of my alma mater." Snell graduated from SF in 1977 and accepted a full-ride scholarship to play nose guard for the Dixie Rebels. After earn- ing all-conference honors in both years, he transferred to Southern Utah and finished out his playing career as a Thunderbird. While there, he was an all-conference selection in both years and even awarded honorable mention All-America honors as a senior. Many people remember him as Coach Snell, the leader of the Dons Football squad from '87-'94. Under his direction, SF went into Rice Eccles stadium in 1990 for a semi-finals playoff game versus Bear River, the furthest any SF Football team has ever gone. He came inches from pulling off a win to give SF its first shot at a state title game. Today he is a very successful AD having assembled top-notch coaches who've won state and region titles as well as playoff wins. With all the success, SF has sent multiple student athletes into college programs during his tenure. But more importantly, many athletes have walked away after some fun experiences which have helped them mature into responsible young adults. Snell believes that Spanish Fork kids are as good as any throughout the nation and he says he wants to prove it. Simply put, he loves his job. "It meant a lot to me when I was in high school," he said when referring to his own athletic experiences. "I get to help kids believe that they can accomplish anything they set out to do. People like Del Roy Anderson and Phil Boyack made a big difference in my life and I thought I could try and emulate what they did." Like so many others, Snell would be nowhere without the love and guidance of his parents who taught him how to work, persevere and be responsible in whatever he did. "My parents are a huge factor in what I do," said Snell. "You try to please them whether they're alive or not. My dad recently passed away a year ago and it would've been way cool if he could've been there and participated in this award." However, the person that's most influenced his life for the past 25 years is his wife Dawn. "I would not in any shape or form be where I am without my wife," said Snell. "I wouldn't have achieved any of this stuff. I got lucky because she supports me and we have a great relationship. She's my rock. Dawn and my kids have enjoyed the heck out of me being the athletic director and always supported me." SAM'S PREP OF THE WEEK Ren Williamsen • Senior • Basketball • Shooting Guard Ren Williamsen is the son of Ken and Michelle Williamsen of Mapleton. The 6 T guard came up big when the Dons hosted Salem Hills Friday night. He led all scorers with 23 points, including four treys. Williamsen said it felt good to beat the Skyhawks after the Dons lost by three in Salem earlier this year. He said the keys for the Dons' victory included stepping things up on defense, shooting well and making their free throws. GUARD: Salem's Josh Adams defends Maple Mountain point guard KJ Hall. the Oil Change 552 N. Main • 798-7877 |