OCR Text |
Show WASATCH COUNTY COURIER Wrestlers NOTHING LIKE CHURCH BASKETBALL RUSS RIGGS SPORTS COLUMNIST — se lived has in. Utah for : awhile, and hammer’ anyone who dares. LDS or drive the lane. His teammates love him; women and children fear him. Although he has the coordination “not, knows about the most brutal, _of an ironing board, he's caused physical, on-edge sport there is. more and smiles on Sunday and elbows to the gut and cursing © on Wednesday night.— It's bishops vs. elders quorom presidents, sunday school teachclerk trying to run his opponent into the hard, wooden stage where loving wives come to support rese modern gladiators. of them have ever seen the game they take more heat than a wood- you'll typically see a couple of different types of players battling it out for bragging rights during Sunday night's fireside. | _ First, you have the thirty-year — old ex-jock still trying to relive his — _ ---ees, and is the first one to try and pick a fight with men twice his Next, | you have . the middle aged guy whose only exercise of the year is the five church games that winter. He plays just for fun, and can be characterized by the heavy breathing, coughing, and wheezing he does while running - down the court. Everybody likes — Mike -_of basketball played before — Yet _If you ge te any church game, every shot, because he's younger and stronger than the old farts around him. He's also the one screaming down volunteer refer- than have never refereed a game before. In fact, I don't think any ers vs. scout leaders, and a ward that it should be him who takes noses con" = = But this is the beauty of church basketball. Nobody knows what. they're doing, and everybody is having a good time. : Well, that is everybody except the referees. These guys volunteer for the job, and most of them I'm talking about LDS church basketball, where it's hand shakes age. bloody TVSONs And no, it's not the XFL. high school glory days. He thinks the sides. | Can he shoot? Oh, no. Th ae backboards shiver at the thought of his jumper. | | a His job is to stand in the fadaie | ee: that ees down burning stove. By they've finished the time officiating a game, they've been beat up and their homes have been set ablaze. Not to say they don't make bad calls, because that's all they make. _Tonce saw a guy drive the lane and © get smashed with a 2x4, sprayed — with a fire extinguisher, then whacked in the face with a frying pan — all to be called with an offensive foul. ; Sound like more. violence than ~— your typical Rambo movie? Well, there is. Not to worry, HE WEEL ‘Sunday all will be Wounds heal, noses stop bleeding, and backboards can be replaced. That's the premise of church basketball. And so, if you plan on cnléne the trip to your local chapel and taking him the ball. If the game is on-the- game, be forewarned. You will see violence, bloody noses, bad refs, and out of shape bodies. _ And, perhaps most frightening of all, you will see the guy with tight 70's shorts and tube socks — count on it. And if that guy happens. to be your husband or father | — please, help us all. Buy him some new shorts. at half court and wait for further _ orders. Lastly, you have your most _ famous church player of all — the hacker. You know this guy. He's usually wearing goggles, a faded “Canyon View 45th Ward” jersey, yellow and red tube socks, and | S official: Wasatch County has a sports dynasty. The Wasps won the 3A state title on Saturday, which makes it two years ina row they’ve been the state’s best. Wasatch outlasted runner-up Delta 242.5 to 205.5, although the Rabbits had the lead after Friday’ s events. “Tt wasn’t a suprise that we were los- in a church basketball pinned Pine View’s Gene Moses i inthe _ first period — which made him undefeated on the year. Jon Carlisle’s state championship came when he major —decisioned Pine View’s Seth Ure, 8-0.. Sweat pinned Richfield’s Daren Albrecht at the 4:58 mark, and Francis decisioned Carbon’s Shea Timothy 3-1 in overtime. Other Wasatch’ results are Sharp (140), Uintah, Zack Elliot (145), semi-finals on Friday, including Peter Rose (103), Colton Salazar (130), Luke Francis (135), Danny Laneri (140), - Judd Sweat (152), Jon Carlisle (171), David Gertsch (189), Cody Bigelow - Bear River, Mike Casperson (160), Pine View, Gerard Habibian (189), Dixie, and _ Tyrell Curtis (275), Delta. The event, held-at Utah Valley State College, was well represented by the (189), and Will Webster (215). However, only four of these nine Wasatch faithfull. At times, it seemed became state champions — Webster, Sweat, and Carlisle. Francis, “We were expecting those four for sure, but we were expecting a few more to be in the finals,” Distafano said. as if hundreds of people sporting the black and gold were™ — and receivea FREE sandwich item. Arby’s 1245 ve Main Heber City, UT (435) 654-6444 ee —arreta rey PRS BICESE TSI BOI OeDGD Bow VE CAs. FE £eTIC? SED ee So BAD Ayr, LPS the ~ Wasps on to victory. “It’s neat the community and every- one supports tis — the whole town is behind us. It’s fun,” Webster said. _ The Wasps finish as state champiSweat, who finished second each of the past three years, finally got the ons, Region 10 champions, and are regarded by many as the best wrestling state championship his senior year. “He was really excited — he team in the state — no matter how big deserves it. I was happy for him, he’s a the school. However, for Webster and the rest of hard worker,” Webster said._ ‘Its great for Judd. He could nee | the Wasatch wrestlers, the- greatest wrestled anyone and he would have won. | reward is knowing that all the extra work has paid off. There was fire in his eyes, ? Distafano ~ “It was the best feeling I’ve are _ said. Webster came e out ageressive, and had,” Webster said. “I’ve worked so hard. It’s just awesome.” mae ae a (CHELSEA — Grade Leu : SEA Ong Basketball Other Sport/Activity: Volleyball, Track Favorite Music Group: Rascal Flats — Favorite Movie: Gladiator Favorite Movie Star: Julia Roberts Favorite Athlete: Jeff Hornacek Favorite Sport: Volleyball Favorite Sports Team: Utah Jazz Favorite Food: Anything | can get down Bring in your sports questions to Arby’s fol- _ The Wasps had nine wrestlers in the _ Favorite School Subject: Accounting Send your fan mail to our sports guy: sports@wasatchcountycourier.com as lows: Peter Rose (103), third place, Cody Sweat (112), sixth place, Colton | Salazar (130), fourth place, Danny Laneri (140), third place, Skylar ing on Friday,” Wasatch wrestler Will Distafano (145), third place, David Gertsch (189), fourth place, and Cody Webster said. “We didn’t wrestle that Bigelow (189), fifth place. well, but our guys in consolation Other state champions included — rounds did well on Saturday.” “I knew we would come back and ~ Andy Hochstrasser (103), Tooele, Chase Christensen (112), Delta, Tel Carter beat them. We weren’t really too wor(119), Morgan, Cameron Dansie (125), ried,” Wasatch wrestler Skylar Carbon, Chris Peterson (130), Delta, Pat Distafano said. ) come forgotten. him, but nobody wants to pass line, the captain tells him to stand — Take State RUSS RIGGS © SPORTS EDITOR tight green jogging shorts fresh from the 70's. You know, the ones with the white A113 | Person Who Has Influenced You the Most: Mom Goals for the Future: College and marriage Car You Wish You Had: Honda Prelude Se iT ~ | FEBRUARY 21, 2001 |