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Show r 1 1 i SunZNews. Wednesday M,r A special Continued from page 10 to Okerlund, who put in an easy lay-ubumping the lead back to five. With six seconds left, a held ball was called and Richfield was given the ball on the alternate possession rule. A hopeful shot went up, but fell short. North Sevier rebounded, and a wide-ope- n rt Torgerson received a pass. Torgerson laid the ball in just before the buzzer to give the W olves a seven-poivictory, with a 64-5- 7 score. With the win, the Wolves beat Richfield for the first time in 1 6 years. This was the time to do it, as it put North Sevier in the championship game Saturday afternoon. The defeat made headlines in the next-day- 's papers; and on television newscasts. North Sevier was credited with a "surprise" win over the Richfield Wildcats, "despite Ryan Cuffs 37 points." But it was no surprise to North Sevier fans, who had seen the Wolves play an outstanding game at Richfield earlier in the season. The Wolves lost that game on a "thanks" to these merchants: p, length-of-the-cou- nt last-seco- Cuff basket This time it was a revenge match, and Wolf fans had doubt from the start whose game this was. Individual scoring was balanced for the Wolves, Hallows scoring 18; Jason Okerlund 15; Jensen 14; Torgerson 10; and Justin Okerlund 7. Barb's Just for Her no Kanab nt nt the Something clicked on inside the Wolves' defense in second quarter, as North Sevier held the Cowboys to two early points. The Wolves scored 12, putting the game away by halftime, 22-1The teams traded to start the second 4 in half, but North Sevier outscored the Cowboys the third period, stretching the lead to 1 1. The Wolves turned up the heat in the last period, with help from Nathan Hallows' 11 points. North Sevier outscored Kanab 22-- taking a lead with 1:51 to go in the game. North Sevier cleared its bench in the last two minutes of the game, giving each Wolf a chance to play. Kanab used that to its advantage, outscoring North Sevier 1 in the last part of the game. The final score was North Sevier 6 1 , Kanab 44, giving the Wolves the official title, "state champions". Hallows led Wolf scoring with 25 against Kanab. Jason Okerlund followed with 13. Also scoring were Hatch 8; Justin Okerlund 6; Jensen 6; Torgerson 2; and Ryan Braithwaite with the Wolves' final basket, scoring one point in the game. Coach Gladwell, after the game, said, "This is just the greatest feeling. I don't want to leave the arena." 3. three-pointe- rs 16-1- 8, grasps hands as the players prepare to return to the floor after a The tradition helps bring the players together as a team. Excellent teamwork carried the Wolves through the season, and helped them win the state championship. TEAMWORK: North Sevier time-ou- t. As the Wolves met in the locker room after the exciting win against Richfield, Coach Gladwell told the team, "This is just one more game, the big one's tomorrow." And the Wolves came ready for the championship match against the Kanab Cowboys. . This was a grudge match as well, with North Sevier's loss to the Cowboys in the region tournament. North Sevier and Kanab started out evenly matched, lead for Kanab, 1 ending the quarter with a one-poitwo-poi- 32 East Main - Salina 25-poi- nt 9-- Celebration After the traditional cutting down of the nets, the Wolves celebrated on the court for about a half hour, doing interviews with newspaper, television and radio reporters. They also did their own versions of the "I'm going to Disneyland" commercials, using the team's video camera. The real celebration came, though, as the team bus pulled into Salina. "I've never seen anything like it," Gladwell said of the people and cars awaiting the Wolves at Shaheen's Best Westerns parking lot. More than one hundred cars joined the Salina fire trucks in celebrating the Wolves' championship. Looking back As Coach Gladwell reflected on the past season, "I can really see why things happened the way they did." The Wolves faced some tough times through the shots season, including a few games lost by Richat Sevier's North game by Wolf opponents, like field. Gladwell said he's grateful now for those experiences, because they have made the team so much stronger. Gladwell said the loss to Kanab in the region tournament also turned out to be a blessing. After the victory over Richfield in the state tournament, "something like that can drain you emotionally. It's hard to play the day after a game like that," Gladwell said. But the loss to Kanab gave the Wolves an extra boost for the final game. "We owed them," Gladwell said. Gladwell and the rest of the team have stressed all season that the key to North Sevier's victories was team effort. The final game was certainly no exception. "It was all teamwork," said Gladwell. last-seco- The players Jason Okerlund "I think Jason Okerlund really came into his own this year," said Gladwell about his 6'6" starting center. "Weve Justin Okerlund win the game. Just like the rest of the team, he's areal team player. "He can score inside, he can score outside, he can rebound, he can pass the ball. He's an excellent passer. His passing has helped everyone else learn to pass better, because they see him do it "He's one of those players that can hurt the other team in so many ways. That's what's so good about a player like s, he can post up, he can that. He can shoot He's helped us in defense. he 'em and in, tip plays good of the game." every aspect Gladwell said six-foJustin Okerlund was also a very important part of the Wolves' team. "Hes a very heady ball player. He can see things that happen in a game and communicate it to the other team members. He'd say things in the locker room at halftime or even the type of things that coaches notic- e- that players don't usually notice. "He's a very quick player, a very smooth player. Probably his biggest problem was you couldn't get him to shoot the basketball. He has a very fine shot, but he tends to lack confidence a lot of times. "He was another kid that I thought really came on and played his best at the state tournament. He seemed to have more confidence , and he kept his composure better, particularly in the last two games, more than he has at any other time. I was really pleased with his effort there." "A lot of people have wondered, and maybe they still wonder why I don't start Ricky," said Gladwell of the six-fojunior. "Coaches know that the sixth man is one of the most important positions on a team, someone who can come off the bench and give you a spark. That's what Ricky has the ability to do. You need someone who can come in and make things happen. "Rickys probably our best defensive player. If you have a Ryan Cuff or a Jason Hafen or somebody hurting you after the first four or five minutes, you can stick Ricky on him, and you have abetter defense on him than you already did. "He's the kind of kid whose quickness can make something happen offensively, so he's been an excellent sixth man." always known he's had good skills and has been an outstanding player. At the first of the year probably his biggest problem was foul trouble. We've fought that through most of the year. "For big games like the region and state tournaments, he was able to overcome a lot of those problems, and stay in the game and play. "Jason, I thought, became the main force in the state at level inside. There wasn't anything that could the stop him, and I think other teams knew that." 2-- A John Hatch Coach Gladwell described 5'10" John Hatch as "coach-able- ". "He really worked hard. He always listened to you and Salina, Utah three-pointer- Ricky Torgerson ot pre-gam- e, Barretts & Hollys Pantry ot Ross Anderson Ross Anderson has helped the team in ways you dont always see, Gladwell said. "A lot of times when you have a senior that doesn't play much, his attitude can drag you down, but Ross has had a great attitude. He's stayed very positive, and I've noticed during practice, right up to the end, he's been working hard on drills, always paying the price to be a team member. "Many people don't see how those guys that play second-teapush your first team a lot and makes you better. Ross did that, and we're pleased he was part of our always tried to do what you asked of him . He doesn't have a lot of quickness, but for him to accomplish the things he did this year I thought was one of the most important things on our team, because it allowed us to have a sixth man situation. "He did very little scoring during the year, but he seemed to give us the points when we needed them. Many team also." games you'd look and he'd have only two or three points, The assistant coaches but we always felt like he contributed in other ways." "Myron Mickelsen, my JV coach and assistant has Cameron Jensen e type All the players put in a lot of hours, Gladwell said, and really helped in a lot of ways, with the well as as administrative helping things, 6'3" Cameron Jensen put in his share. "When you drive things, perdowntown, or by the elementary school in the summer, coaching. His attitude, hard work, and he's always out there. You could see him every day out spective has helped the team tremendously," Gladwell said. there. He was always working, always working. "Coach Jerald Dcmille and Coach Larry Shaheen "When the season ended and we won the state title, he with the freshmen, which was a very difficult job. worked was sad. He felt bad. He said it's all over. I told him if a struggling year for them, but they've done some It's been it has to end, which it does, at least you went out on top. After we got back to town, and saw the celebration, his good things in that program, and I was pleased to have them on the bench at region and state tournament time and spirits went a lot higher, realizing it was over, but also be part of our program. They've given positive feedback, what we had accomplished. "Hes one of those players that you really neede- d- a and helped me keep track of things going on at the games. "One coach cant possibly sit there and see everything. physical player that'll bang against the other guys. It When you've got three assistants sitting there saying seems every good team has one or two of them. He'd "What about this...What about that...." They'll never counter-balanc- e that a lot. "He had an excellent state tournament I thought he know how much difference theyve made because its came out and played some of his best basketball. He really been a team effort. Principal Larry Shumway struggled for a couple of weeks going into the state "Mr. Shumway has definitely been a positive thing tournament, but at the tournament he was in double figures every night except that last night, but even then, his towards our program," said Gladwell. "He's supported us, he's done a lot of things for us. He's been there to all of the rebounding was very important to us." games, even most of the road games. Nathan Hallows "It's been good having a principal support us. We "It's always nice to know you have a sophomore, an he's done for us, financially, physiability that you've got coming back for two more years," appreciate everything there behind us. been he's mentally, cally, Gladwell said of 6'3" starter Nathan Hallows. "When we won state and when we beat Richfield the "He's possibly the Finest player I've ever coached. I've never had a player that's done the things he's done. He's night before, he was just as happy as if he was part of the a real competitor. He'll do whatever he has to do to try to coaching staff. We knew he was behind us and we appreciate his support." The fans "The fans were great. The fans were great," said Gladwell. "I just can't say enough about them. There at the state tournament again, especially the last two days. It was just beyond descriptio- n- the celebration after both games. It became evident that they were there behind us. We knew they had been all year ul course the stimulation at that time, and the support, the cheering on, just being there, sup- i'-'-H porting the team was unbelievable. "Then, of course, when we came back and were greeted by them after the championship game Saturday night, it just boggled my mind. I knew the fire engines would be waiting, and there'd be some people out, but I had no idea it would be near the magnitude it was. I was just overwhelmed with the support that was there. I just can't say enough about the fans." Coach Gladwell "It's hard to put your feelings into words," said Jason Okerlund about Coach Gladwell. "He's a great guy. He did a lot for us. He's got a lot of love." Briggs Leavitt Insurance 3 East Main - Salina Cedar Creek 60 North State - Salina m fXtmffe Utei behind-the-scen- team-play- - er Encore Realty 195 South State - Salina I 1 Gary's Body Shop 255 South Main - Aurora "Y SMte&nrP QHDdfeBCS) OSuEEMMi Health Quest 525 West 400 North - Salina Open 6:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Holt Hub City Pawn 40 East Main - Salina Salina Florist John and Vickie Schmidt 85 East Main - Salina 'S&a win. Two Salt Lake stations TV TIME- Nathan Hallows talks to a TV reporter after Saturday's championship or coach interviews of showed highlights of the game during their nightly sportscasts, but none the player aired on TV. anna ! |