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Show MAY 5, L, 1987 Keiths comer Viewmont baseball returns to days of glory and wins By KEITH DUNCAN VIEWMONT It appears the days of Viewmont baseball resting on the doormat of Region Four are over. There is enthusiasm and a feeling of confidence bursting at the seams spread among a mixture of seniors and juniors that have denied the odds and put Viking baseball back on the map. As a reporter and generally an outsider to the program, even I have been touched by the contagious spirit that has gripped Wade Benders club. In the beginning, based upon what I was getting from coaches and the players, the future looked bright with the return of Bender to baseball, and the addition of Roger Farnsworth who assists Bender. But the future everyone talked about wasnt necessarily this spring, it might be a season or two before the program was whipped back into shape. I quickly got the feeling it might be awhile before the good ole times got back again as Viewmont got stampeded in four of five games. It wasnt just the superior competition that was getting the best of the kids, but just a general lack of confidence about things. In five games, the Vikings scored just seven runs in five games and were hitting a dismal .140 as a team. Kids like Paul James were going 3 for 15 and another, Jimmy Bender was pre-seas- Viewmont boys won this spring, but Davis took home top honors as the Dart boys downed Viewmont 1 to capture the Region Four dual meet title last Wednesday. Both teams are now preparing for the Davis High Invitational this weekend, to be followed the next two weeks with region and state meets. , 80-6- pre-seas- just 1 for 14. The pitching staff looked just as bleak and when the team lost Corey Stokes, I thought it might be an extra long league season. I planned on giving the fans in the area as good a picture of Viewmont baseball as I could, but deep down inside, I wasnt expecting anything terrific. But oh how things have turned around. Its almost unbelievable. The team banged out 17 hits in 37 appearances at the plate against East and that was all they needed to get started. Then against Highland the Vikings collected 14 more hits in 33 tries and even though they lost Benders kids had the spirit of this thing and were on their way. , the team has now won four in a row with solid Going from victories over Bountiful Davis (10-1- ) Woods Cross and East They are just a game back from first place Highland who is 0 and on Tuesday afternoon in Salt Lake City these two teams square off for a showdown for the region championship. Bender and Farnsworth are just the coaches these kids needed. Theyve been patient and theyve worked them hard. Just when the kids looked like they were letting up, someone did or said what it took to keep em on the line. Now in six league games, Viewmont has scored 63 runs. As a team they are batting .398 while whipping out 72 hits in 181 stops at the plate. Compare that to a .140 batting average in five games. Im really amazed at the kids aggressiveness on the base paths. In just three league games, this team busted the school record in stolen bases and against East last Friday afternoon, they stole 19 bases in just one game. James went from three hits in to 9 for 23 (.391) in hit league action. Reed Goodwin excelled from one to a seven for 14 batting record in league. Dereck Hope is now 6 for 17 from the plate and both Jim Bender and Jim Allen are 7 for 16 from the plate in six league games. The pitching has been equally as impressive. Dereck Hope and Travis Cullimore have been stalwards on the mound. Hope went the distance and beat Bountiful in the first half and later held Davis to just three hits in seven innings. Cullimore went the distance and beat Woods Cross and just last Friday handcuffed East with four solid innings. The big thing with these kids, is that they are growing in confidence, said Bender, But even they know weve still got further to go to get where we want to be. Bender, who left coaching in the late 1970's and has come back after a six year layoff, has been impressed with the teams ability to work hard and listen to what the coaches are trying to teach. Its different kids that are contributing all the time, said Bender, If I want to try someone else in the line-uusually the new kid has responded. All I can say, is keep it up Vikes. We here at the Clipper root for all the the county schools but when a team like the Vikings comes together, its especially good for the area. 15-1- 4, 1- -1 (8-4- ), (5-4- ), (11-1- ). 6-- Davis soccer players scoring big in classroom By KEITH DUNCAN who sports a 3.8. J.D. Oldham has a sparkling 4.0 average as does John Liston. The injured Kevin Morris also has a 4.0 average. Davis High soccer players not only spend KAYSVILLE time learning the tricks of their sport, but they also spend plenty of time in the classroom. In a recent review of his teams performance, Bruce Bitner found that the composite grade point average for the entire varsity team was a remarkable 3.45. And the future looks good too as five junior varsity players carry 4.0 averages. Bitner just hopes his learned athletes can put it together on the soccer field in their remaining three league games and try to nail down one of the four playoff spots. On Tuesday of this week, Davis was to have battled Bountiful in a key Region Four dual. Going into that contest, Davis record while Bountiful was sported a Davis lost to the powerful Woods Cross team last Friday at Woods Cross. Im proud of the kids for their efforts in the classroom, said Bitner, Its a tribute to them to carry such a high GPA. Sam Gardiners average of 3.94 is one of the highest on the team and he is in good company with others like Brad Richins Over a period of four years, Liston carries an impressive 3.9 average, while Gardiner is just slightly better over that period of time with a 3.95 average. Gardiner, who also played as a running back on the football team, has been able to divide his time between athletics and homework better than most. senior is a captain on the soccer team The where he mans a fullback position on the right side. continued Bitner, Hes not a Sam has to be admired, sitter, hes a participater. He not only helps us out on the right side with his deceptive speed, but he helps himself in the classroom by applying the same kind of hard working attributes. Gardiner brings strong leadership capabilities to soccer which is another point Bitner likes about him. Its just good to have intelligent kids like Sam out there leading the way, said the coach. The entire fullback line of Gardiner, Rod Flood (3.3), and Curtis Stoddard (3.3) give Davis some brain and brawn upfront. hard-worki- 3-- 4. -1 5-- 0 pre-seas- Cittes hitting leads Darts past Wildcats, pre-seas- pre-seas- By KAYSVILLE Jason Citte, the Davis High centerfielder, considers himself a pretty nice guy but last Friday he turned villian on the school where his mother teaches. Citte smacked out three base hits in four tries last Friday afternoon here to help his Davis baseball team to a key 5 victory over the 7-- The DWRs biologists and con- servation officers are conducting surveys of 225 breeding areas for sage grouse in Utah. Sage grouse are the largest North American grouse with some mature males reaching more than seven pounds. They live exclusively in sagebrush, and feed entirely on the shrub from October through April. Hens prefer sagebrush to nest under and the young use the shrub to escape from predators. Sage grouse congregate in traditional breeding areas in March, April and May. These breeding areas, known as strutting grounds or leks, are critical to sage grouse existence. Most nesting occurs within two miles of these strutting grounds. Too often, the spraying, burning and plowing of sagebrush results in a decline in the number of sage grouse. In fact, sage grouse numbers in rUtah and across the Intermountain West are declining due to loss of key sagebrush areas and land-us- e changes. Sage grouse strutting grounds provide an opportunity for biologists to assess relative numbers from year to year. Males assert themselves by standing erect, fanning their tails, and inflating their esophagus bag. Plopping sounds are made when pressure on the trapped air in the esophagus is suddenly released. The white breast feathers of the male are distinctive, and flash like beacons in the early morning sun. When sage grouse strut, males are highly visible. An index of size is obtained by counting the males seen displaying in early morning. These counts are made with the largest count being the official index. The best time to see sage grouse strut is during the first two weeks of April. Figure skaters to perform and 16, the Utah On May and Bountiful Club Skating Figure 14, 15 Recreation Center will present their annual ice show. The show features local skating talents (beginner to senior ladies competitors) as well as international and world guest stars. Guest stars this year are Christopher Bowman, 1987 U.S. NationWachs-ma- n als Silver medalist; Gillian and Todd Wagner, 1987 U.S. Nationals pairs silver medalists, Bountifuls own Holly Cook, 1987 U.S. Nationals 8th senior Ladies division; the Peppermint Sup-rem- es Precision Skating team, 1987 U.S. Nationals silver final first Junior division; and the Mini Mints Precision team, 1987 U.S. Nationals silver final, 4th juvenile division. The ice show is sanc t tioned by the USFSA. This years show Before and Beyond Time under the direction of Kathy Brasker promises to entertain young and old alike as you take a trip through time, visiting prehistoric dinosaurs, the old west, Renaissance eras and even outer space, all mingled with a good old fashioned melodrama. Beautiful costumes, music and the exciting skating talents of this year's cast of over 120 skaters will be featured. Tickets are on sale now at the Bountiful Recreation Center and are available from cast members before May 14. For further information please contact the Bountiful Recreation or show chairCenter at 298-612- 0, man Donna Smith at 298-118- 2. in Region Four and they now have Woods Cross Wildcats. Woods Cross just happens to be the place where his mother Pat Sawley, teaches physical education. Sometimes you just have to do what you have to do, said Citte. Cittes efforts included a triple and three RBIs. Second baseman Travis Nord-gre- n added an RBI double for the sole possession of third place. in Overall the Darts are now league play. This Tuesday the Darts were to 5-- The victory moved Davis to 3-- tough to beat in the long jump if she competes in it. Ive also got a now she has hit the 17 foot 6 inch mark. I know I can do even better than that, she said, My coaches are helping me to not look down at the board which takes some distance out of my jumps. I need to look out ahead to get some height. Webers Connie Johnston will 2-- extra-innin- g 3 Big, bushy, beautiful $4 30 4 Geraniums be Continued from previous page 7 have played in Bountiful for a right to maintain their sole keeping of third place. The Braves were 8 and coming off an loss to Highland High. Darts as well. Darts Schryver is a Wonder Woman on track p, Sage grouse being studied KEITH DUNCAN 7-- 5 , of respect for Laytons Corrie Phelts and Viewmonts lot Bun-derso- 6 Geraniums n. Lisa has already received an academic scholarship to attend Utah State University where she also plans to participate in collegiate track and field. Lisa plans on majoring in business. I believe Ive got the talent to win an event at the state meet, said Schryver, My biggest thing is to keep my confidence level up. $025 Flint Floral 336 E. 2nd S KaysviHe 4 New wildlife chairman named "IMP' 'll Dr. Hugh Hogle has been named chairman of the Utah Wildlife Board. He replaces Jerry H. Little who served as chairman for 1986-8- !!ll, l!lPl.1llllllllll ..lllllUhlm JllllIlllIlL' 7. An avid outdoorsman, Dr. Hogle member of the Safari Club In- Minn 'IHIHMIIHIII fWiililH, is a ternational, the National Rifle Association, the Raptor Society, the Utah Chapter of Ducks Unlimited, the Utah Bighorn Sheep Society, Trout Unlimited and many other wildlife organizations. He is a patron of the Utah Wildlife Habitat Development Foundation, and a member of the Board of Directors of the Tracy Aviary. Dr. Hogle was appointed to the Board in 1983 to represent District Three. He is a practicing surgeon at Holy Cross Hospital, a graduate of the University of Utah Medical School, and served as a major in the U.S. Army Medical Corps. Other members on the board are Jerry H. Little, Dr. Paul String-haWarren T. Harward, and Dr. Joann S. Bowns. William Geer, director of the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, is the executive secretary. Know In Ov hi" hiiiiiiiihiHllltiiijiiilnii, MHMMMlliMi.gv """'"will '',Wlllll!!llllllillll!!lll!llilil l'Nl "Illlll JProfessionffl"JWpiiSpt'l "ttirSflpf1 Benchmark m 0U1MM fciva wiimiiiP lillliilllilllilllllllliiiiUmii Benchmark Regional LZD Hospital 84087 H-- Tl 592 West 1350 South Woods Cross. UT, j 9-- 4 |