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Show B2 Friday, January 7, 1983 Signpost Seniors provide experience and leadership for the unified Wildcat basketball team by Lisa Wright Managing Editor In any organization, whether it be business, civic, religious or governmental, there must be good leadership to keep things running smoothly and to teach the rules of the organization to the newer members. Sports organizations are no different from any other in that respect. It takes good leadership to motivate a team and keep up the quality of player output. It takes leadership' to hold different personalities on a team together, and it takes leadership to keep a team strong and productive. Coach Neil McCarthy feels that the Wildcats have the kind of leadership needed for a strong program, and that the responsibility for leadership doesn't fall to just one man, but is distributed among the five seniors on the Wildcat squad. 0 Matt Hafterson, putting in a injuries. McCarthy said, "The seniors form the core of leadership for our program. They help with our new players. So far this year they have done a great job." The five seniors on this year's basketball team are Royal Edwards, Tom Heywood, Dave Weber, Matt Hafterson and Doug Eilertson. Royal Edwards is a business finance major who would eventually like to be a loan officer. He is one of the co-captains of the team and considers himself a leader primarily because he is the only player going on his fourth year at Weber State. Edwards is a three-year letterman and this is the third year he has been a starter. When asked how he likes the basketball program this year Edwards said, "Ah man! It is fun! It is all in your attitude, but it has been fun in practices, in the games... it has just been fun." Edwards also likes the new defense. He enjoys e w St . -Mk, - - tz v 1 V f J fine performance after earlier learning new things and the challenge that is required to play basketball this year. "This year we are playing differently, spreading the responsibilities out among a lot of the members of the team. It requires us to be in better shape, and because we are always doing something new we have to stay on our toes." Learning how to be a competitor is one of the most important things that Edwards feels he has gained from basketball. "You have to compete in everything you do in life, Doug Eilertson, lining up backboard. and I feel that basketball has helped me in that area." Tom Heywood, who is also a co-captain, came to Weber last year from Ricks College. Heywood outlined the responsibilities of the co-captains like this: the co-captains represent the team before each game, they lead the team in pre-practice exercises and, finally, they act as liaison between the team and the coaches. Heywood made the decision to come to Weber on Jan. 14, 1981, before the regular season at Ricks had started. He felt it best to commit and get the pressure off before starting the season. There are several reasons why Heywood chose Weber State. He was from West Valley City and he wanted to stay in Utah. Weber had a winning basketball tradition and the team was in need of a center at the time and Heywood fit the bill. The goals that Heywood has established for himself v h i ; - J V f a shot from under the this season are to shoot a 60 percent field goal average and to average 10 rebounds and 14 points per game. The final co-captain for the Wildcats is Dave Weber. He came to WSC from Milwaukee, Wiscon-. sin, and this is his second year with the Wildcats. Weber broke his foot earlier in the year, but he feels like he will be back to full strength for the regular season. V". 1 ; :ys r Royal Edwards trying to Weber's goals include being on the team that wins the Big Sky Conference championship and then playing in the NCAA playoffs. He said that Weber State's winning traditions was the main reason that brought him here. "I like playing here a lot. The people from the community give great support to the team," Weber said. He added, "I know we have got a great team and that we will be a contender for the conference title." Matt Hafterson has come back to full strength after suffering a broken hip last year which caused him to miss the whole conference season. He feels, as do the rest of the players on the team, that there is no one player that really stands out this year. "Everyone on the team plays a big part. We are one big happy family," Hafterson said. Because of the broken hip, Hafterson did a lot of 3th " ' . ' " ' " fX" ' ' " ' L . r : - i f Li - n, I -- tt-n-.Tin get off a pass under pressure. swimming during preseason practices instead of running like the rest of the team. He feels that he was able to build up his endurance as well as the rest of the team. His goal to win the Big Sky Conference is one that is shared by the s entire team. After graduation, Hafterson would like to open up his own auto body shop. He said that he is "just not a person that can work behind a desk. I like to be outside and moving around." Relating to and meeting new people is an area that Hafterson feels basketball has helped him with. With the idea that giving 100 percent is something that should be done every day, Hafterson said, "I want to do my part and do it every day. I don't think that anyone expected me to do as well as I have done so far this season." con't on next page |