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Show LEADER-GARLAN- TIMES. November 23. If77 D 'I Iks X o o si(Oi i A preview of this year's Bear River High basketball squad is enough to make even the stout of heart weak in the knees. In short, it's hard to build an optimistic picture about season the forthcoming which opens Friday, Dec. 2, when the Bears host Idaho's Marsh Valley at 7:30 p.m. First year coach Mark Gardner is smart enough not to raise any high expectations with only one letterman back from a squad which took its lumps last year. "I don't know where Bear River is going to come in," Gardner said frankly.'"... This team would have to work a miracle to win it." Gardner doesn't say that out of disrespect for his squad. He's told the kids that all odds are against them. "We're very young and very small," he noted. Let Defensively, the Bears will throw every type of pressing situation at their opponents that they can come up with on every play. Gardner sees n the squad using both a and zone press both full and half court with traps thrown in for good measure. "We'll stick on the ball side and sag on the others, inch to two inches. The only other size to speak of will send Gardner reaching down into the ranks of his sophomores in the person of Gary Miller, who sees eye to eye with Stokes. Gardner looks at the mountain of odds against him as "almost an advantage this first year." His kids are working hard and conditioning hard. "We know we've got to do that in order to compete," he said. If the Bears are successful it will be with a squad that will have to show the spunk of street fighters and the patience of Job. "We're not going to out physical anybody because we can't." he said. "All we ft'0 0 can do is out work them and out think them." terman DeVerl Stokes tops the team out at 6'4", which is exercising a coach's prerogative to stretch his player's statistics anywhere from an man-to-ma- hopefully, unless DeVerl gets into trouble or we can't match up," he added. The Bears will have to look much like the pressing defensive teams Ike Christen-se- n used to field at Skyview. Offensively, the Bears are going to have to be as picky as a female in a shoe store. "Because of our size we can't expect to throw up shots when we're going to only get one shot," Gardner explained. Like a football team, the Bears' best defense may ultimately be their offense. Gardner will adapt his offense to the situation but is n looking at a spot (behind , . its,!, ' V ST. " iSvl , i: 2 man-to-ma- offense using double screens where "everybody has to know the spots." With four seniors, eleven juniors and a sophomore, the squad is looking to captain Stokes for leadership. "The kids look to him to be a leader.. .he's the only one who has any playing time," Gardner said. Stokes has "got to be the leader. He's the one to make or break 25 us." If Gardner had to come up with a starting squad today, he'd go with Stokes, David Brown (6') and Bob Allen up front and David Petersen (6'1") and Blake Sandall (6') at the guard spots. Gardner is also waiting for Bart Bowcutt to shake off a football injury to help out at. the guard line and Larry Hess is "not a bad ball (6') lfi)ftir D flrtt Security handler." Bank) Tremonton, Ball handling, Gardner added, is not the team's long suit at this early point in the season. "We're working on it and hopefully we'll be better in a couple of weeks." Miller, who may not start for a while, is destined to crack the lineup if he comes along as expected. The sophomore shows as much potential as anyone on the squad, Gardner indicated. Other squad members include Ned Peterson, Bob Payne, Jeff Leak, .Shawn Lish, Garth Chadaz, Mike Giles, Brent Sorensen and Kirk Bourne. Bourne and Miller should both get chances to back up Stokes,' who had trouble with fouls last year. "Our main goal is to work hard, play well and compete in every game because we're Gardner said. Best shooters on the squad look like David Petersen, Payne and Miller. Sandall has the "capability of being a good shooter, but right now he's too worried about it," Gardner added. Some experience should help ease that problem. How does the league stack up? "Box Elder, by far, should be the best team," Gardner is quick to say. Their roster reads like guest list at a tall men's convention. But with 11 seniors and one junior-w- ho is expected to start-keepi- ng everybody happy could be a problem. Ogden gets the second place nod from Gardner. '"Ogden right now could beat Box Elder," he said. they're better. But he questions whether they have the discipline to get the job done. Davis tradition could pull them to third place or higher and Logan should come next. South is "really down" and is a squad which could have a rougher time than the Bears. Woods Cross is still maturing to senior status and will get hurt by inexperience but has personnel. Ben Lomond, 0 last year, is also down. Gardner is much like the Bears, young and in need of experience. At age 24, he takes over as head coach from Paul Jeppesen who moved on to greener pastures. Gardner broke in as an assistant last year at Ben Lomond. He played high school ball at Clearfield and Davis and at Dixie Junior College before graduating from Weber State. He comes from a basketball oriented family with a brother coaching at Davis and cousins at Orem and Provo Trade Tech. Talent-wis- e ," THRU SAT. DEC. 3 Dennis Petersen, Exalted Ruler of Brigham City Lodge No. 2208, has announced the appointment of Ed Laursen as chairman of the annual Elks National "Hoop Shoot" Free Throw Contest. Chairman Laursen urged all Box Elder County boys and girls to practice their free throws and enter this year's contest. There are three age brackets each for the boys and girls: and Boys compete against boys; girls only against girls. The top winner in each age group in the local contest will compete with other winners in the district contest, this year scheduled at Park City, January 28, 1978. District winners then advance to the state contest, then on to regional semifinals, and those winners to compete for national championship honors in Kansas City, Missouri. Dates, time and place will be announced at a later date. 10-1- VARMINT HUNTERS AND TRAPPERS We've got your supplies Including traps & scent f 1. . , , , ,vi ' - -- 1 . "" rn r"! I 100 Marlin 22 39 Lid '134.95 A 10-1- 1, 12-1- . 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