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Show Monday April 6, 2009 Thunder pick up first win over New Mexico Sports writer The Utah Valley Thunder picked up their first franchise win after coming back from a 12-point deficit and scoring 32 unanswered points, leaving the New Mexico Wildcats in the dust, 55-34 in the McKay Events Center. The Thunder found that they were in a hole early, but managed to dig out starting with defense, headed by veteran Antar Brame and rookie Duane Paul, which halted the Wildcats' air attack. Former BYU player Chris Bolden jumped on a fumble recovery that would lead the Thunder offense to three straight touchdown passes to Akamu Aki, to lead at the half 34-18. "We came out a little sluggish," said Coach Chad DeGrenier. "1 don't know why. They got a couple big plays, but we were in the defensive position. Our guys started making plays offensively and then we just started making plays after that. It was exciting to watch." • In the third quarter there was no question that Michael Affleck began to look comfortable in the pocket. For the game he threw the ball for 10-of-14 completions, 130 yards and 3 touchdowns—and ran for two touchdowns. Affleck did throw one interception but was never sacked the entire game. Affleck might as well have had a recliner and a big gulp behind his meaty line. "You know, we started off really slow but it really motivated us to get our butts in gear. It was like the stress factor. We just thought, 'we got to take it one series at a time and score every time,' and that's what we challenged ourselves to do every time we got the ball." Does this win make Utah Valley a legit team in the American Indoor Football Association? Yes. There are lots of games left in the season, but one thing is for certain, the Thunder played great execution football. In 27 plays Utah Valley scored 55 points, while New Mexico hiked the ball 48 times for 34 points. Utah Valley's offensive line with JP Salisbury and Sikoti Uipi has a large part to do with the success of Affleck being so mobile and comfortable in the pocket. "Everything that we do is because of our offensive line," said Affleck. 4t I didn't even get touched once tonight. The only time I got touched is when I was running." After such successful offense, defensively the Thunder pressured quarterback BJ Hall the whole night with three sacks. The Wildcats went for a wild 1-8 on third downs and 3-5 on fourth downs. Dave Iba/UVU Review The Thunder picked up their first win in franchise history last week beating the New Mexico Wildcats 55-34. Tiger masterful at Augusta Rodeo event goes off without a hitch Sports writer Every April, golfs greatest players meet in Augusta National Golf Course in Georgia to compete on the most majestic course this country has to offer. In other words, the Masters tournament will be played this weekend, and the favorite to win it all is none other than Tiger Woods. Last week Woods won the Arnold Palmer Invitational for the sixth time in the past nine years. It was a come from behind victory in vintage Woods fashion as he birdied the final hole to win by one stroke. A routine victory by Woods standards except for one thing: He had his torn ACL repaired only nine months earlier. Before the 2008 US Open Championship back in June, it was revealed that Tiger Woods had a torn ACL and a fractured shinbone. Woods decided he still wanted to compete in the Open, which led to one of the greatest performances in the history of golf. Woods spent the entire tournament favoring his left knee, often using various clubs as a walking cane as he limped the course. Woods also altered his swing to keep weight off his knee and was seen doubled over in pain- throughout the competition. During the last round of the Open, Woods birdied the final hole tying Rocco Mediate. This forced the pair to play another 18 holes of golf the next day as a playoff. When the pair finished their round Monday evening, they remained tied, which forced a one-hole sudden death playoff. Woods made his par putt while Mediate missed his, giving Woods the victory at dusk. 'This guy does things that are just not normal by any stretch of the imagination." said an exhausted Mediate. 'Epic' is the word that most people used to describe Wood's performance that day while Woods himself stated that it was his "greatest ever championship". Golfer Kenny Perry noted that, "He beat everybody on one leg." That win gave Woods his 14th major championship of his career, which is four behind the record held by Jack Nicklaus. Comparing a golf "major championship" win next to a regular tournament win like the Arnold Palmer Invitational, is like comparing the Super Bowl win to a regular season football win. It's no wonder that Tiger Woods is favored yet again to win the Masters. What else would you expect? This is the guy that may one day be remembered as the greatest golfer the game has ever seen. Sports writer Before apple pie, before baseball, there was the old west and rodeo. Could there be anything more American than rodeo? Rodeo is a compilation of all of the skills required to survive in the rugged old west. If you didn't perfect those skills, quite simply, you could die. Over a hundred years ago a rodeo was an event between two ranches for the cowboys to see who was the best. This competition gave cowboys a way to perfect their skills. Last weekend the UVU Rodeo team held its home rodeo in Heber City, Utah. This was no slapped together event, the announcer was awesome and the cowboys and cowgirls trained to perfection, there were crazy bucking horses, huge bulls, big steers, handsome cowboys and gorgeous cowgirls. Slipping into the arena you enter a different world, there are no sagging pants here. Cowboys wear their is helping. It takes a lot of jeans tight and cowgirls time, money and sacrifice carry ropes. The speakers to get good at rodeo events, broadcast loud country mu- the animals and training are sic with just a bit of rock very expensive. Head coach mixed in. Shane Draper, when asked Rodeo people are a pa- said, "A good roping horse triotic bunch; their love of or barrel racing horse has to America was strong, sure, be trained for three or four and easily felt as a horse and years to get good at their rider carried the American job. The amount of money flag at a gallop around the it takes to do this is easarena as the Star Spangled ily within the tens of thouBanner was sung and all sands." hats covered hearts. AddThe UVU rodeo team ing to this patriotic moment was the school's first athThursday was Shad Bond, a letic program and they are member of the UVU rodeo still going strong, after this team and National Guard weekend both the men' s soldier. Recently returned and women's teams are in from Iraq, Shad carried the 2nd place and will be hard American flag in his guards- to knock out of the running man camouflage fatigues. for the national title. The No one questioned the at- team and several individual tire as the place was filled members, at least six boys with veterans. Shad said he and most of the girl's team salutes the patriotism of the are very near to qualifying, rodeo community and that if not already have, for the he is honored to carry the College National Rodeo flag for them. held in Casper, Wyoming in These young people May. and their families have a hard work ethic, everyone Findley's hat trick wrecks the Crew Real Salt Lake soccer club started things off at home with a 4-1 win Thursday night at Rio Tinto Statium in Sandy over the Columbus Crew. The season opener couldn't have gone any better for Real with three goals by Robbie Findley in minutes 2, 29 and 62 pf the home opener. The game started with a spectacular in-house firework display and despite a little rain, Real was able to put on a "Real" good show. Robbie Findley maneuvers around the goalie of the Columbus crew to score his 2 nd Dave Iba/UVU Review goal In the minute 29 of the game. |