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Show Salt Lake City UT 84124-1550 Sports: Salem Hills vs. Maple Mountain, A14 | Schools: Superi...*. , Guardian of Your Community News SERVING SPANISH FORK ^ ^ U SALEM • MAPLETON •WOODLAND HILLS • ELK RIDGE VOL. 4/ NO. 38 formerly The Spanish Fork News WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23,2009 Courtesy photo / Brent McCown, Hastings Tribune MVP: Exfuze's Garrett Hone pitches to a Tuscon Rattlers batter during the championship game of the Class C Men's Fast Pitch National Softball Tournament Sept. 6, 2009 at Smith Softball Field in Hastings, Neb. Kayla Neves / The Sentinel AYE, AVAST! Local actors present a melodrama as part of the festivities at the Harvest Moon Hurrah, Saturday, Sept. 19 at Spanish Fork City Park. The fact that is was International Talk Like a Pirate Day was not lost on Jim Bushman and his pirate horde, nor on Dane Carlson, listening in on their evil plan. For more on the Harvest Moon Hurrah, see Around Town, A8. Lifesaving award presented Lindsay B. Wolsey STAFF W R I T E R Anyone passing the Aspen Meadows Church building on Sept. 15,2009 may have thought there was an emergency due to all the fire trucks and ambulances in the parking lot. The building wasn't on fire; it was a special Court of Honor for Spanish Fork Boy Scout Troop 1508. Webelos Scout Ethan Morley was awarded the Honor Medal for his heroic actions in rescuing his younger brother from a house fire. On Feb. 27,2009 Jed and Michelle Morley left their 14-year-old daughter Emily in charge of their five children and a cousin who was at the house. Forty-five minutes later Emily called in a panic, saying the house was on fire. After evacuating, Emily realized that 4-yearold Nicklaus wasn't with the group. Nine-year-old Ethan ran back across the street and into the flaming house. Ethan found Nicklaus hiding in a closet, and pulled him out of the house. According to firefighters who arrived moments later, the house no longer contained enough oxygen to sustain life. Utah National Parks Council Executive Steve Royster, President Hal Lindsay B. Wolsey / The Sentinel HONOREE: Ethan Morley receives the Honor Medal from Steve Royster Utah National Miller, and Commissioner Tracy Frandsen oversaw the award presentation. Royster invited over a dozen Spanish Fork fire fighters who were in attendance to come up to the front of the room. "Is there anyone available to fight fires in Spanish Fork tonight?" Royster joked. The Honor Medal is given to Scouts who have demonstrated unusual heroism and skill or resourcefulness in saving or attempting to save life at a considerable risk to self. It is the second highest National Scout Award given. In 2008, only 34 Honor Medals were issued nationwide. Morley is the third Cub Scout in Utah this year to receive a national award. "It is meant to signal a particular act of heroism, in this particular case an act of heroism performed by a young man. It is an honor to be in his company, it's an honor to recognize what it is he did, and it's an hon- 1 or to present this award to him," said Miller. Morley received a standing ovation after Miller presented the Honor Medal to him. "We want to thank everyone in this room for the love and support we received as a family. We'd like to say thanks for the Spanish Fork Fire Department, ambulance and police for the quick response and the help we received. Thank you very much/' Jed Morley said. Local national champion Namon Bills EDITOR What began as a joke has resulted in a national championship and MVP honors for SFHS assistant softball coach Garrett Hone. Hone is the starting — and, for the time being, closing — pitcher for Exfuze, current men's fast pitch state champions, who over Labor Day weekend were crowned national champions in Hastings, Neb. after going a perfect 6-0 in the ASA Men's Fast Pitch Class C Western National Tournament. For Hone, the glory road to the softball national championship began inauspiciously after he was cut from his high school baseball team as a senior. His sister was on the BYU softball team, and at one game he and some friends were goofing around, throwing some pitches on the sidelines to make fun of the softball pitchers. BYU coaches Gordon Eakin and Von Alvey witnessed Hone's little performance — and they were impressed. They encouraged him to try fast pitch. "Somehow it just came naturally to me," Hone said. And the rest is history. He began playing in a competitive men's league that year and made the USA Jr. Men's National Team, traveling to Australia to compete in 2001, just before leaving for Ecuador on an LDS mission. Since his mission he's been playing "non-stop," and as part of Exfuze, Hone participated in the national tournament in Nebraska. Competing against a field of 23 teams, Exfuze played in six games, and Hone pitched every inning. Although the team has other pitchers, Hone knew he would be the go-to guy throughout the tournament. "Pretty much going out the thing was they were going to ride me until I died," he joked. The team played one game Sept. 3 and another Sept. 4. On Saturday, Sept. 5 they had three games — one at 11 a.m. and then back-to-back games at 5 and 7 p.m. Hone said pitching three games in one day was a tall order, but he felt like he was prepared for it. "It's like I tell my pitchers, if you're in shape and doing correct fundamentals, you can go all day," he said. Their final game was the championship against the Arizona Rattlers, Sept. 6 at noon. Hone said he felt better than he'd expected going into the championship game. "I actually felt pretty good — better than I thought I would coming off three games," he said. Exfuze had defeated the Rattlers once before in the tournament, and were See HONE • A6 |