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Show . - y. - ( .. j f ' -v i V ' . v5:j ; -.. - .: - THE UTES' three time state champion Scott Ruppe clashes jn i977 with Craig Walker Two Uintah Utes kept Walker from being a three time champ. Eugene Woody, Uintah, downed Walker in 1975 and Walker toppled Woody in 1976. Ruppe downed Walker in 1977. , llV-.. i if . K "e- , ' & t ... V- THE FIRST three time champion at Uintah High School was Billy Murray, right,, who now serves as a reteree in wrestling matches. Murray nabbed nabb-ed state crowns in 1956, 1957 and 1958. Three Uinfteiii flusslers wri nine svave diGpionshins . Only three wrestlers in the history of Uintah High School have ever pocketed three state tussling crowns in a row and they are Billy Murray, 1956-58; John Price, 1970-72 and Scott Ruppe, 1975-77. Murray was the only Uintah Ute to pocket a first place crown in 1956 and also placing for the Utes that year were Jim Baxendale, third, unlimited; Dan Collier, third, 133 and Lyle Southam, fourth, 112. Murray wrestled in the 138 point class. The Utes placed sixth as a team that year with 33 points. Delta captured first place when they edged Cedar City 63 to 62. Uintah's wrestling coach in 1956, Leo Conk remarked, "The boys did very well especially as all the other schools they competed with have had a wrestling program for a number of years while the Uintah team has just begun. Most of the boys from the other schools were seniors while the main part of the Ute squad was sophomores." Murray pocketed another state crown in 1957, but the Uintah Utes had to wait one more year for their first ever state tournament championship. Murray pinned Long of Pleasant Grove and became the first Uintah Ute to ever win three state titles in a row and the Utes also nabbed their first state crown in 1958 when they toppled Cedar City 79 to 73. Murray pinned Hone of Millard in a first round match and decisioned Anderson -of Cedar City 1-0 in the second round to advance into the 154 pound championship match with Long, Also nabbing first places for the Utes were Lyle Southam, 133 and Ronnie Lewis, 175. Leon Smuin, 120, placed second. Lewis pinned Finilinson, Millard, and dropped Patrick, Mon-ticello, Mon-ticello, due to a fall. Lewis pinned Karmos of BY High in the title match. Southam toppled Maxfield, Delta, 1-0. A member of the Uintah state championship team in 1958, Leon Smuin, remarked, "Billy Murray's favorite hold was the cradle-especially cradle-especially his senior year. He pinned most all of his wrestlers with that. It was his favorite pinning combination. He won first place and it was the first time a Uintah team took state." The next Uintah Ute to join the three-time three-time club was John Price in 1972. Price gained the first part of his three-in-a-row crown when he defeated Nor-thington Nor-thington of Parowan in the 98 pound class in 1970. The Utes also won their fifth state crown when they edged Delta and Union at 86-74-7. In region mat ches Price pinned Smith of San Juan, ' decisioned Frost, Monticello, 6-0 and downed Robinson, Grand, 5-2. Bill Labrum of Union, who suffered a true second loss to Creg Wilkins in 1969, was defeated by Clifton Southam, 8 to 4, in a . true second match in 1970. Price garnered his second crown when he blanked Union's Grant Green, 11 to 0, in 1971. Uintah's Price posted a 29-0 mark in 1971 and pinned 18 opponents op-ponents in two years. Price had a two year mark of 59 wins and 3 losses, and 53 straight wins. The Utes had six other first place champions in 1971. Tim McDonald decisioned Dovie Jensen, Emery, 3-2, for the 105 pound crown and Creg Wilkins blanked Mike Romero, Morgan, 4-0, for the 112 pound title. Mike Murray won the 138 pound crown when he downed Calvin Poll, Morgan, 2-0. Greg Cook, 145, decisioned Gilbert-Hallows, Gilbert-Hallows, Wayne, 4-3 and Cloyd Wooley, 167, decisioned Kl Moody, Delta, 6-1. Jack Boren, 185, crushed Ed Street, Richfield, 9-2. Uintah crushed Delta for the state crown 123-64. Also nabbing crowns for the Utes in 1970 were Dave Broome, 112; Jim Miller, 165; Greg Cook, 137 and Jack Boren, 155. Broome defeated Clark of Delta. Cook downed Randy Hackford, Union and Boren blanked Craig Phillips, Union, 5-0. Jim Miller blanked Cloyd Wooley 5-0. Price acquired his third state championship when he pinned Weaver of Morgan in 1:19 of the third round in the 112 pound championship match in 1972. Price also pinned Clyde, Wasatch, and defeated Jensen, Emery. Uintah thumped Delta 120' 2 to 50's for first place. Also nabbing first places for Uintah were: Chris Walker, 105; Cliff Grua, 138; Mike Murray, 145; Gary Duke, 155; Robbie Gray, 167 and Brent Merrell, 185. Walker downed Abbott, Delta, 6-5 for first place and Grua downed Moody, Delta, 3-1. Murray toppled Murdock, Union, 5-2 and Duke downed Robison, Delta. 5-2. Gray ' defeated Joe Jensen, Union, 3-2. Merrell nipped Cressler, Monticello, 2-1. 2-1. "Price was the only wrestler to go through junior high undefeated at 26-0. He had good speed and real good balance. He had his share of pins. His quickness and balance were his strong points. He was also good on takedowns," said Leon Smuin. who coached' Price at Vernal Junior High. The third Uintah Ute to join the three- time club was Scott R acquired his first crown in i97??t' He ' pinned Quintana of Tooele in i? round after racking up an in, I Ruppe, 119, was alsVnaJ-V standing wrestler in the JrJnjY Uint ah won their ninth state cm, 1975 when they toppled Bingham? " ' 57. Also placing first were jXto 98; Eugene Woody, n2- Rick m ' 126 and Ron Perfy, 155 T?D sse', t his second crown when he thm 1 Springville's Wilson 7-1 and S'W I his second straight tS 2 defeated Craig Walker of P1 Grove. Massey defeated F 2 , Pleasant Grove by two points f championship match and Perrv ' Bascom of Springville by one 3 Ruppe, 126, acquired his second stai. Q crown in a row when he nint Z American Fork's Garth Hyde 2 to i j i 1976. Ruppe also pinned Scott Hen Cyprus, and thumped Randy RU(u' I Carbon, 7-1. Massey, 138, second crown when he toppled Garv " Bowden, Cyprus, 8-5. Uintah won the? fc tenth championship when they downai t Pleasant Grove 90-73. Tripp", 105, m f Woody, 119, suffered losses in their shots at joining the three-time club 1 Tripp lost to Alex Maestas, Davis 5.1 and Woody lost to Walker of Pleasant Grove 3-2. 0 The Utes' Ruppe entered the three- C time club in 1977 when he blasted Cram L Walker, 132, Pleasant Grove, 7 to 1 7 Ruppe also toppled Jerry Frarihouser Murray, due to a pin in the second round and decisioned Dallen Red. f dington, Cedar City, 14 to 5. Uintah thumped Pleasant Grove for the first place title 158-132. Also nabbing state crowns were Kevin Huber, 112' jr " Tripp, 138; Stacy Hall, 155 and Jem Murray, 185. Huber downed Joel', Bradford of Spanish Fork 5 to 2 for first , , place and Tripp edged Tony Spehartf Davis 8 to 6. Hall pinned Brian Storms, Pleasant Grove and Murray edged Ray Fugal. Pleasant Grove, 9-6. Ruppe was selected as the outstanding wrestler. "Fundamentally Ruppe was. probably the best wrestler we everted come out of Vernal Junior High. Ruppe's biggest advantage was that he was in good shape and pushed his op- ponents for a full six minutes and took advantage of any mistake," said Smuin, who coached Ruppe at Vena! Junior Hieh. |