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Show SportstaculorPag - 16 Thursday, December 13, 1979 Mdl&ms te!!efs ffioysHs csm wOm M. a Mm3! ,4- - Vi' By Keith Duncan Everyone else in Region One, besides Dennis Adams and his teammates, might think the Royals of Roy wont win their third straight region crown, except Dennis himself. Certainly the Royals arent to be favorites in region basketball wars this winter, but neither were they in the two previous years. A lot of people have put the pressure on us saying we dont have the talent we had last year. That point may be true, but we do have team unity, claimed the senior basketball player. Hie guys that are playing on this team have been together for a long time. We do things together whether on or off the court, said Adams. If the Royals dont win the region championship this for his opyear, one cant blame the 3 timism. That optimism may have come Adams way after hurdling obstacle after obstacle but still coming out on top, including his very basketball career. Dennis finally broke into the limelight last season state tournament role he played for after a Coach Ted Smith and the Royals. During the season he may have seen a minute, maybe two, of action in each game, but performed brilliantly in the four games the Royals played in. Injury Prone But before his amazing show in the event, try to imagine Dennis breaking an ankle in the summer before his sophomore year, the summer before his junior year and still coming back to play. Try to imagine him nearly being cut from the sophomore team and being called into the coaches office and told he wouldnt see much action if any at all. Then imagine if you will, an operation this put fall 6-- life-savi- season-endin- g Dennis Adams won't have to much in this condition. A bad too time spend last him week from playing against sprain kept The him need back. Ogden. Royals HOPEFULLY, Roy's that prevented several weeks of layoff from basketball play and a sprain edankle last week in practice. And after all this, go one step further and imagine Dennis still thinking his team and even be himself possibles for a region champion. Perhaps thats why Roy wins region basketball championships. Coach Smith 8uports Dennis admits that Coach Smith is the reason he plays high school buketball today. Hes a great coach. He gave me a chance to prove myself many times, especially in the state playoffs lut year, said Dennis. Coach Fred Thompson wu his sophomore coach, the one that almost cut him. But towards the end of his sophomore year at Roy, Adams proved himself and later developed into a starter. Now he pitches for him in the spring on the baseball team. What has sports done for the family? Brought us closer together, even though Im hardly ever home," uid Dennis. Dennis father, Calvin, hu traveled with the Air Force during the time Dennis grew up. Because of the travel, Dennis didnt get involved steadily in buketball until 1975 in Lubbock, Texas. From there the family moved to Kansu and then to Hill Air Force Base. Dennis hu a twin brother named Chris, an older brother Tim, who graduated from Roy lut year and a sister who is a Junior at Roy. When not on the basketball court or chumming with his teammates, you can usually find Adams at home g coin and stamp collection. tending to his But where ever and whatever, you wont find him giving up. ever-growin- Bert Rich strikes it Rich in Royal athletics a r, y who attitude. He is a hopes to one day graduate in physical education and go into coaching. He is an honor student at Roy High School, where he is very popular with his pern. The coaches are high on Bert Rich. They praise hiim By Bliss Fullmer Ted and Noreen Rich rejoiced in the birth of a seconc son, born December 12th, 1961, whom they named bout Bert, but they almost lost him in a touch-and-g- o with the flu, a few months later. Young Bert had become dehydrated from the effects of the dreaded disease, but miraculously recovered. Bert was the second son to bless the Rich household, and like his big brother, starred in athletics at Roy High School. Ted Rich Jr. played football for the Royal Black, White and Gold, and was voted M.V.P. of his baseball team in born-leade- never-say-da- little-league- r, pre-tee- r Ogdon High team to boat ace-pitch- er - Gang way Region 4 . Ogden said Oiler. Coach Oiler will rely High Basketball is coming heavily on the quickness of his through with the quickness of a team to wear down his opponents. rabbit and the speed of a fly, hud Coach Bruce Oiler and his turn could very well take the Region Despite .the overpowering trophy. quickness of the Tigers, Coacn The Tigers grace the court with Oiler did admit he had some some' impressive quicknus. problem ,in. the shooting departCoach Oiler quipped. This hu ment. Were not exactly a great got to b the quickest team Ive shooting team,, but .well be ever coached,, refering to his good, Oiler replied. Robby Oleu Ayers returning Oleas Dockery are wm: pgNjcery and Kevin Green. The good shooters, and. theycan do , Salgers also have an impressive the. job.- big man advantage with Greg Rounding off some of Ogden's Dockery and Dave Hogan to team is . Marten Frazier, Jay name a few. With such an abvious McDonald, Mike Memmott, Jim a advantage, Coach Oiler plans on Beach, Team Captain Kevin using full court mu on mu Green, Mark Wallis, . Mike ROYS BERT RICH tpspei ini' freethrow .during press. The only time we Ml Burnam, Thompson plus n game. Rich is the .'hustleman" on really have to use a zone is when others thatLarry were unavailable at the Royal's 79-8- 0 squad. we are protecting press time. (Apologies). something, a ace-pitch- er V late-bloom- e, 1975. and Bert cut his teeth in all sports as a played under the coaching eye of his father in baseball n and buketball, most of his years. He played for Pete Goff in Roy Recreation, and began his football career at the center position on a 70 pound team. In his second year, he played in the line. It wasnt until he was eleven years old, and 85 pounds that Bert got a chance at playing quarterback, and hes been there ever since. He graduated from little league into a backup role in three sports in his eighth grade year, at Roy Junior High School. When he was a ninth grader he quarterbacked the Redskin football team, was a guard, and the leading scorer on the buketball team and on the baseball team, where he was also the leading hitter and M.V.P. of the team. Bert did not participate in sports in his sophomore 'year. His appendix ruptured, .late in the summer before football, and he broke his leg in two places, the day before basketball tryouts. It also broke his heart, but he somehow survived to regain valuable ground in his junior year, and made his move in all three sports. He was backup quarterback on the football team, that year, a starter on the J.V.- buketball team, and a starting pitcher for the Roy baseball team. In this, his seniqpyear, he tocjc over the quarterback chores in football, is presently starting guanjjon the oh tile Roy basketball team, and will be the bueball team. . . . Bert credits his father for a great start in athletics, and also is grateful to Coach Okroi of Roy Junior, Van Hadly.hfe J.V. coach and Ted Smith, who ia presently guiding him on the varsity buketball team. Bert is not considered a top college prospect in any sport; he carries only 155 pounds on his lean 51 frame, and he Isnt bleued with blinding speed. He is agile, and exhibits totardedication and desire and hu for his competitive attitude and they! say' he tt86 ',r,i coachable. Hes a uid Fred Thomp- -' son, now he is coming through for Roy High. I cant r wait to get him out on that baseball diamond, added Thompson. Ernie Jacklin praised Bert for his desire to succeed and Ted Smith credited him for making the Royal buketball team go. Noreen Rich didnt like her son to play football. Like most mothers, she was a little and afraid her son might be injured. She never went to any of his football games, until this his senior year. After that first game, nothing could stop her from attending the games, though she did admit to nervousness, with her son on bottom of a pileup, and especially when he was a little slow getting up. She has always been an avid fan of Bert in bueball and buketball. Roy had a disastrous football season in Region One football, and the Royals are picked in the middle of the pack in basketball and baseball, but with the true-gr- it of Bert Rich in the midst of any Royal game, theres ' got to be hope. Bert Rich will be in there giving his usual 110 per cent effort, and wanting to give more. AU-Stat- er ud , -- pre-seaso- js. iVS Mi 'J'S |