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Show As the Ball Bounces L By G, BRETT HART Welcome to the veekend Welcome to the first edition of Weekend Sports. Although there may be a bug or two (maybe three) yet to work out in our sports coverage, this weekend edition, complete with timely South Davis sports coverage, should be a treat for all you Clipper sports fanatics. When contemplating just what this first weekend sports column should be about, I decided that I would take this opportunity to get a few things off my chest. COMMUNITY SPORTS This summer, I began working with coaches and directors of some of the youth leagues throughout the county. I was impressed by the amount of time sacrificed by many of these individuals on behalf of the kids who participate in little league and city recreation programs. Most of the coaches aren't in it to relive their "glory days" at the expense of their athletes. They just want the kids to have fun. HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL As school approached, I had the opportunity of getting to know the high school football coaches in conjunction with our Clipper football preview. As I talked with the coaches, although each one had a totally different style and approach to their athletes and the game in general, I couldn't help feeling that my own high school football experience was lacking something when compared to the programs offered at Bountiful, Davis, Viewmont and Woods Cross. Now whether you love, hate or remain indifferent to the South Davis high school football coaches, you have to admit four things: First: Bountiful Coach Larry Wall knows how to win football games. The Braves have been in the playoffs for the last five consecutive seasons and look as if they're headed in that direction again this year. Two: Davis Coach Jim Dickson has continued and enhanced the long-lived winning football tradition at Davis. His kids would run head first into a goal post if Coach Dickson told them to do it That kind of loyalty says something for the program pro-gram Dickson runs well, that and his winloss record. Three: If you look at the intensity with which the Viewmont Vikings Vik-ings play and the solid orf-season program coach Joe Yanowski has developed for the Vikes, you have to ask yourself why they don't win more games than they do. Personally, I think it has something to do with the number of empty seats on the Viewmont side of the field. In all fairness, I have to say that Viking fans packed the Falcon stands last week to witness Viewmont's disappointing loss to Clear- , field; however, I'm convinced that if that were the norm rather than the exception, Viewmont would have the extra push it needs to pull off some of the close oneslike the Woods Cross game which featured a pretty weak Viewmont cheering section. Four: John Haning has taken the Woods Cross Wildcats from the basement of Region Six to a second place finish in last year's state playoffs. He's young, charismatic and has an inescapably contagious positive attitude. His athletes love to play for him. ' Win, lose or draw, these are four things you can count on in South Davis County football. THE BIG PICTURE Finally, what does all this babbling about sports really mean; why is it so important? I've said it before and I'll say it again I have no idea. But, if you ask me, sports are to life what color is to television-a little dab of excitement to spruce up a generally mundane picture. Then again, I may be wrong, but that's the way the ball bounces. |