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Show NOVEMBER eS WASATCH COUNTY COURIER 15, 2000 Life and Sports Go ) Lady Wasps Ready to Defend ‘Title -Hand-In-Hand - guys that. schedule our life around our favorite sports teams. Hardly a day goes by that we aren’t in athletic apparel or wear‘inga sports cap. We’re the ones running out to our cars in between - church meetings to check a football score. Yes, it’s a funny tae we eS Many _call it a waste of time, some say we are nothing but Neanderthals. To that person I say thank you. You see, I would much rather be a sports junkie than an art guru. or ballet freak. sp 3d | Not that. those. things ie ; have | their place iin. society,, It’s good to. be cultured and: diversified, but to me watching a football game is, much more interesting than firing up a kiln, tuning a tuba, or dancing around in tight pink pants. Yes, us sports guys are a differ- When the morning came, so did the opposing team. A few minutes | before the store opened people start-_ ed showing up at the.store, pushing and shoving to be the first ones in line. Although we. had. spent. the || night, the store manager said he wasn’t going to honor any kind of line. Like Tickle-Me-Elmo " and the. | Cabbage" Pater” Dolls, the ee Playstation: Qis the hotest item for. Christmas this year. I have seen the ‘ footage of grandmothers tackling one another and hitting each other| with shoes just to get a stupid Furby.I didn’t want to be a part of that. One thing is for certain; I wouldn’t want to get in the way of one of those grandmas. going for a Barbie. y would. rather be: blindsided bya blitzing linebacker than eyed hen looking for the most. | WV _ successful’ athletic pro| gram at Wasatch High, one needs to: look no further than the women’s basketball team. ~~ Last year they. finished first in region 10 with a 16-8 record, and have won four region titles in seven years, including a ‘state 1996. is “Bepectatiins are championship high, but in ee “coach Roger Pyper feels he has the big guns to. make another run at a region title. “Tt’s hard to ‘compare us to past teams because we’ve had some great athletes,” he said. “But if we stay on the same page we'll be tough to beat.” _ This: year’s team boasts three returning starters, including forward Shalee Fackrell who was aS only sophomore to be | selected to’ the aside by z -maniac wearing a girl. and smelling of Preparation H.- real strong kid, very The Wasps offense and quick athletes sure defense, like to run the take advantage they have with which can tire motion of the . a presplayers out very quickly. And, although the Wasps aren’t very deep, Pyper feels they are at their best with a tight rotation. | 3 “We mix eae up offensively and defensively,” he said. “I’ve had my best success with eight players—the. quarters. go by fast in high school basket: ‘Dall.’ : Although the season is still a couple | weeks away and fall practice has just begun, many of the Wasps took advantage of the summer to. polish their skills in an off-season league. “Our program has a tremendous summer league and:we played some of the: oaeherld teams in the state. They __ love the game and @ are ready to play,” “No, I wouldn’t be a part of PS 7 , : —_ all-state team last | Pyper said. — would lose with class, much like the . oS VCAls os. Whimpey feels | J azz year after year. The: Wasps E the Gane Wey, Sey But as soon as Risse Soc have size, speed, ing that this year’s opened, there I was running to the experience, and team has more electronics department like a sissy. confidencechemistry than a. ent breed. Everything we do can be At that point, there’s no doubt I everything it: science lab. -and related to sports or be tied into ath- could have qualified for the summer takes to be a sucmore emotion: than Olympics. In fact, ’m as slow as letics one way or another. | cessful athletic a lovesick: Pelag Greg Ostertag running up hill car- Take a couple weeks ago for _ team. | | er. example. Besides being a sports— rying an anvil and I still finished “Our post play “T think’ we'll fourth. junkie, I like video games. No not will. be good, we have a good team. Much like a oe scrum, all of Pac-Man and Frogger, but the have excellent We don’t have ‘sports simulation games where you _us huddled together fighting for our post — players,” many seniors so prize. After much pushing and shovcan lead your favorite sports teams Pyper said. “And well be _ pretty ing with a few choice words that and heroes sR Beni ase -defensively,..we'll " young,” she said. on Sees reams __ Last year’s girls’s basketball team. “even Jerry Sloan wouldn’t repeat, be quick and “We've been excitthe manager had seen enough. He | ‘And ¢So, -when the cach anticipathave the ability to | - ed since summer ed Playstation 2 was released -on called all of us together and had ~ take teams out of their offense.” ball and we're anxious to a our October 26th, I figured I would have — everyone put their name in a hat, In addition to Fackrell, the Wasps title.” probably 30 names in all. to pick one up. Only problem is, return shooting guard Ashley Whiting In ie Got to a rigorous region One by one, he called out names. they were sold out within five minwho also runs track and will bring schedule that includes last year’s state There was only six, and everyone utes of every store opening its plenty. of quickness to the Wasatch | runner-up Judge, the Wasps also take knew it. By the time he got to five, I doors. _backcourt. Joining Whiting at the on Delta, Springville, 1 one of the Many people Sat out and had already started for the exit. This guard. position is point ‘Heidi best teams in Colorado. © oe waited in lines all night to be the wasn’t going to be my day. I would Whimpey, also a returning starter. “I think we can be a “etal confirst to get their hands on this pow- have to look ahead to next-season.. Other returning lettermen include tender. We have been playing together Then I heard it. Russ. Russ erful machine. Not me, however. I point. guard April Brown who is. for awhile and we click. We have it all, -had dropped the ball. Missed a Riggs. My name had been called. I returning from a knee injury; forward | speed, quickness, and height,” clutch free throw to win the game. - felt like Steve Young in 1994 when Rachel Remund who has the best hops — Whimpey said. a | And besides, waiting in line all night» he finally won a Super Bowl ring. I on the team; and center Brittany The first chance to see the Lady in the freezing cold wasn’t for a guy- immediately thrust my hands to the _ Peterson who is tall, strong, and can - Wasps will be this Friday at 7:30 when like me. It was for-Star Wars fans sky and did.a dance that was the rebound like a machine. the men’s and women’s basketball with Yoda: Masks and fake light Icky shuffle, Lambeaux leap, and Sophomore Liz Turner, who Pyper teams will hold a scrimmage open to— sabers. waiting for the release of the dirty bird all rolled into one. considers the best shooter on the . the public. . - I was triumphant. My. season of new movie. It was for that guy with - team, will most likely have an impact “We invite the fans to come out and tight Wranglers, chaw, and an $8 hard work had paid off, and I felt this year as will newcomer Chelsey : support us. We'll put a team on the like spraying myself with cham- cowboy hat from Wal-Mart waiting Griffith who just moved to aug from court that will be competitive. We're » pagne. More importantly, I learned for Travis Tritt tickets. ~ New Zealand. excited to go,” Pyper said. But yet, something drove me too . a few things. One of which is that I hee BRD tee push on. Like John Elway and the Denver Broncos Super Bowls, after losing three I kept pores towards glory. | found out that there was one won't be camping out for anything again. Another guys, anything sports. is that for sports can be related to SPORTS CALENDER : And lastly, aad. es most store in Utah that hadn’t received importantly, steer’ ‘clear of an oldwoman holding the end of a shoe. their shipment yet. I was prepared Because nothing’s going to stop her to do the unthinkable; camp out all from getting that toy, and perhaps night in the rain for the prized posone of those industrial size lunchsession. : | The store was getting six units- lady bras. As for me, I’m not even going to the next morning, and there were play my beloved prize. Nope, it’s six of us waiting in line the night before. | All of us were there for different reasons. Some wanted it for them- my little league Junior Jazz trophies. baseball — TT Women’s basketball at Delta @ 7:00 p.m.\ and After all, it’s not how you oe the right? And this victory was oh so. teammates sweet. : around our sleeping bags playing cards and planning our strategy. Men’s basketball vs. Morgan @ 7:00 p.m., ? game, but whether you win or lose, night, huddled Tuesday, November 21: going to. sit in my trophy case next_ to selves. Some wanted to sell it on the Internet. Some people were getting it for their families. But we became that TCT Teena - » ou. know us _ Sports guys. * We're the to work together. a ream. os “She’s aggressive. Once she learns the program, she'll be great,” Pyper said. : ; EDITOR | are SPORTS RUSS. = COURIER STAFF Like all gréat teams, ‘we were going Happy everyone!. Christmas | Teping -; | RUSS RIGGS: |