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Show UJIto ITill Oivn Key To City? By DAVE WIGHAM BOUNTIFUL - The deciding decid-ing factor on who owns the key to the city will be this Friday when the Bountiful basketball team goes across town to battle the Vikings. EACH YEAR the Vikes and Braves battle in football and basketball for the bragging rights to the city, and mythical key. Bountiful won the football battle, Viewmont the first meeting in basketball. basket-ball. Round three, the deciding one this week. FORGET ABOUT all the talk concerning which team needs the win, the word is that both of them want the win. True the first meeting was a blowout for the Vikings but don't bet heavily on the same type of game this time around. Consider these facts. BOUNTIFUL is sky high after beating the league-leading Clearfield club last week. A team that beat Viewmont twice this season. Viewmont has now lost three games, Roy, Layton and Clearfield, which doesn't set too well with their players and coaches. THE BRAVES finally played up to their capabilities last week as all their players turned in excellent performances. perfor-mances. The Vikes have been hit hard by a rash of minor yet nagging injuries. Several are nursing sore ankles. BOUNTIFUL would like the win not only for the bragging nghts but for a chance to 'Uh the pack and secure a berth, lewmont would like the nut only for the key to the uiy but to avoid a chance to fall back into the pack. THE BOUNTIFUL win over the Falcons really didn't change the feelings of the Viking coaches, "anyone in this league is capable of winning. win-ning. When you have to prepare like mad for the bottom bot-tom club in the league you know you're in a tough league" noted Ron Johansen. Bountiful was almost flawless in their win last " week, most people thought the Braves would split but no one figured it would be a loss to Bonneville and a win over Clearfield. REBOUNDING was the difference in the first meeting of these two clubs with the Vikes owning the boards and fast breaking. Bountiful hit the boards hard, Scott. Stewart 16 rebounds, Clark Mabey 11 and Mike Nelson 9 and will need another performance perfor-mance like that to stop the running game of the Vikings. Scoring-wise, coaches around the region are starting to realize what a pure shooter Blaine Benard is, an open shot within twenty feet for this senior is automatic. With the big men hitting the boards so well, Jim Perkins was able to get a few fast breaks for lay-ups. Viewmont got off to a fast start in region play but have been slowed up this half of the schedule, but nagging injuries in-juries have been one cause. "Each day it seems like someone gets hurt, especially in the ankles," noted Coach Johansen. Against Layton, Doug Day, the trigger man on the fast break, was at about half speed with a bad ankle. Paul Hansen was nursing a sprained ankle, Brad Thacker and Jim Miller are just getting get-ting back to full strength after sore ankles and Kelly Downs has a broken finger. REPORTS ARE though the Vikes will be ready to go against the Braves. It would take surgery to keep some of these players out of this game. As for the key to winning. Bountiful must rebound like they did last week to stop the Viking running game. Viewmont View-mont must rebound to get their running game going. BOUNTIFUL HAS the revenge motive, yet the Vikings have the home floor on their side. Both want the win and the key to the city, yet only one can get it. |