OCR Text |
Show By KEITH DUNCAN Journal Sports KAYSVILLE - Ask yourself this question? ITS FRIDAY night in January and youve got three hours to do anything pleasurable youd like and anywhere in the world to do it. What would you do? The answer for Craig Hansen was simple and came quick. Hed like nothing else than to be coaching a group of high school basketball contest. players in a hotly-contest- Craig Hansen, father of Ryan, and the present Clearfield High HANSENS reply came on the eve of another Kaysville, Utah summer, where he lives and serves that community as its recreation director, His mind and time may be occupied with little league baseball, tennis clinics and whatnot, but hes always got time to talk basketball. Does he really enjoy the coaching profession? You better believe it, said Hansen, Im doing exactly what I wanted to do and Im thoroughly enjoying it. I guess Im fulfilling a dream Ive had for a long time. mens basketball program, says prep became the head coach in 1979, his IVE still got more dreams too, Hansen said, Any coach wouldnt be telling it how it is if he didnt want to walk with a smiling . basketball coach. Hansen once starred in a Falcon uniform back in the early 60 s. When be face off a championship floor someday. But even if I never win a state championship, Ill never think of myself as a failure. And thats because this great game has taught me things about life and allowed me to meet super people Id never get a chance to anyplace else. Most youngsters who have as avid a love for basketball as Hansen once had Giving in Syra-- , cuse dream of being a Falcon, or Lancer or. perhaps even a Dart someday. When Craig was an elementarian, his was to be a Dart and nothing else. MY DAD, Norman, used to take me to Davis games every Friday night. I sang their dear ole school song many a time with my dad who was a Davis graduate himself. I dreamed for the day I could be playing for the Darts and it lived with me all through elementary. When I went to North Davis Junior High through seventh and eighth grades, it was only getting stronger. ma- jor goal was to continue the basketball DESPITE the season (which is how the Clearfield Falcons ended up last season), Hansen appears to be enjoying himself through and through. Im not coaching for the record, to me thats not entirely important. Its seeing young men have a little success and enjoying a sport thats been as much a part of my life, as anything, said Hansen. I like high school basketball and thats where I want to be right now. If I was asked to be an assistant at B YU tomorrow, Id turn it down. Like I said, Im fulfilling a dream being a prep coach at the school I once played for. AND hes completely happy as a rich tradition. BUT MIDWAY through my eighth grade year, it was announced that wed be going to Clearfield High. What a letthe brand-nedown at first. But as it turned out, it became one of the best things that could ever happen to me. It gave me a chance to be more involved in athlesaid tics because of the fewer numbers, Hansen. w HANSEN remembers the rapid progress he and his teammates experienced going from 4 freshman' to seniors. As seniors they won the state baseball championship and soon after became the second graduating class at the school. But the most memorable time Craig will never forget, was the championship that wasnt won. The highlight of my athletic career was the 1964 basketball year. As juniors the year before, wed lost to Davis in a playoff to get to state. Despite the loss, it gave the juniors a lot of experience and desire to come back. THE FUNNY thing about it, we almost lost to Davis again my senior year. Wed blown them out twice in the regular season but theyd tied us for the region crown anyway. That set up a playoff game in the old Weber State gym. Grant Cullimore, the Davis coach, slowed it down that night. After a quarter it was 3 and ' at half it was 8 but we finally pulled it off. "We played well in the tournament. South Cache, Ogden and Granite were all beaten badly by us. We then moved to the University cf Utah for the championship game against East. I DIDNT believe there was anyway we werent going to win the title, not jintil Paul"1 Westbroek left the gam1? With a badly sprained ankle. We played our hearts out, but East came from behind to beat us by six points to win the . state championship. But like Ive mentioned, even though the title eluded us, principles were learned and friendships were made that will last a lifetime. Paul, Dave Thurgood, the late Eddie Gardner, Mike Wilson, Danny Gardner, Brian Parry and all the rest were and still are some of the best human beings Ive known, Hansen remembered. 5-- 9-- HANSEN moved on to Weber State where he played freshman basketball and baseball, before serving a two year LDS mission. Upon returning home, Craig was back again at Weber State finishing out his baseball career under Dick Williams and Blaine Sylvester. The dream of being a Clearfield basketball coach took a big stride the year he joined the Falcon faculty staff. I LOOKED forward to the day I could become a head coach. I had adored Marcus Gar-TtSOonT 'Wwas for tim and Vhenl ' played V , f I'"m assisting him. "This school (Clearfield) has had a tremendous pride in basketball, especially by what took place through the 60s. tr .W , WHEN ROGER Reid came in the 70s, the winning tradition continued. When I took over, my only aspiration was to continue the winning ways too, he said. AND HANSEN hasnt performed below par, having led his Falcons to a couple of region titles and a fifth place finish in the state tournament one year ago. But is it harder for players of the 80s to the 60s? Hansen perform like ones did during so. thinks definitely THE CLEARFIELD coach remarked, Players today have many more distractions, which always arent entirely bad. When I was going to school, there was just basketball and very little else. Young people for us. It today have cars, which was very rare was rare for us to be working, but today a lot of kids have jobs. Snowmobiling and skiing were not as popular then as it is today. Just a lot of things that create more diversified interests, which isnt all bad, but there isnt the concentration on just one thing. PLAYERS today have a tough time in Once laying down exactly what they want. it another or basketball to sport, they commit and dedication. sacrifice lot of a requires The Clearfield coach was hopeful that he of his playmight perform and gain the respect his high coaches for did during he ers like school days. I believe I am, said Hansen, "Many of the kids have asked me to speak at their mission farewells and Ive tried to attend even those that Im not asked to speak. I like to follow the kids through their lives, their marriages, their successes and everything about them. Thats what ahtletics are all about. JIM CLEVERLY, Coach Garrett, Tiny Grant and all the others built that kind of relationship with me and I hope I can keep it with the kids I'll come in contact with. Some of Hansens favorite topics are team performing well under play, leadership, such and things as that. pressure, AND THE MAN responsible for teaching him those principles was his own father. Said Craig about his dad, What an influence hes had. Hes a leader, but that doesnt mean he never lost. Dad always taught that champions lose a lot, but they never give up. The difference is, they usually get up on tope after a lot of headaches and losses. Through Hansens final two years as a prep, he rarely ever failed to start in a basketball game. Though as a coach today, he tries to downplay the starting role in belief that the kid off the bench is just as important, he admits that there is still something special about start" ing a game,. BY ALL rights there is something special about it, said Hansen. Perhaps it shows the boys that are battling and struggling to be in the starting five. I remember as an 8th grader there were only 18 uniforms for 20 players. Usually it was I or Paul Westbroek that didnt dress. That kind of thing drove us to improve and we spent many cold nights shooting around my outside basketball court. BY THE TIME we were seniors in high school, we were the primary starters. Everyone has a chance if they let themselves have a chance. Acrobatics Northern Davis County Athletes Championship Held Locally - The boys of Northern Davis County have proven their stuff, enough in fact to have them called the Big Guys Around Campus. THE NUMBER of local athletes who have four-yegone on to bigger and better things on the varsity college level, is impressive. These athletes in many cases are the core of the very programs they represent. Those that have gone on to represent our area in football takes up about half the list. ar NEXT FALL Weber State will include for- mer Davis High star Lance Hill on their roster. Hill played under Coach Ward Sawley and while at Davis helped bring Davis one of the four consecutive region championships that have come along in recent years. Hill was awarded an MVP athlete award while at Davis. Another Weber State Wildcat is Freddie Cook, who played under Coach Brent Hancock at Clearfield High. Cook is regarded at the present time as one of Weber States top three runningbacks. While at Clearfield, Cook was Mr. Everything as he starred in football, basketball and track. He too was voted a MVP athlete his senior year. STILL ANOTHER Weber State football candidate is Kail Wilson who two seasons ago also played for Coach Hancock at Clearfield. Wilson looked impressive in spring workouts with the Wildcats. Wilson played football, wrestled and was a track standout at Layton High has produced its share of four-yecollege varsity talent too. This coming fall the BYU Cougars will look very often for the strength and experience of Brandon Flint to carry them through. While at Layton, Brandon helped lead the Lancers to a coveted state championship in football. He also played basketball and baseball. Coach Gary Hansen was Brandons high school coach. ar The local basketball talent is awesome too. Take Davis Highs Brian Taylor for instance. Taylor, who after graduating from Davis a year ago, became a starter during one stretch of BYUs basketball season last winter. Taylors career looks promising with the Cougars. While at Davis he played under Mike Gardner and helped lead the Darts to the state tournament in all three years he played varsity basketball. UNIVERSITY of Nebraskas Dave Burke is now established. His play in last Januarys Orange Bowl was sparkling and had many area fans quite excited. Burke still has another year left with the Comhuskers. While at Layton, Burke was a standout football, basketball and baseball star. Hansen was Burkes football coach also. Another major college player is Laytons Rich Ipaktchian who now plays at the University of Utah. Rich went straight from Layton High a few years ago to the U. of U. While a Lancer, Rich stood out in football and track. In track he still holds the school record in the discus. ANOTHER local standout has to be Weber Campbell, who will be playing for the Wildcats after two years at Utahs Technical College at Provo. The seven-foCampbell played his high school basketball under Coach Doug Moon at Layton High. A couple of women athletes who have gone on to do well include Clearfields Karleen Peart and Michelle Kelsey. Both are key parts of Weber States womens program especially Peart who has earned a starting forward spot with the team for the past couple of seasons. Both played for Coach Margo Jones at Clearfield High. ONE LOCAL player who graduated this fall who will try his talents out in football will be Clearfields J.C. VonCollin at BYU. J.C. e earned a scholarship on the strength of hi outstanding play at linebacker for the Falcons. J.C. might also throw the discus while at BYU. During the past couple of years, J.C. was the state champion in the discus and shot put events. TWO OTHER guys, who upon returning home from missions, could very well help any major college team in the state, include two Clearfield High graduates in Lane Riggs and Jeff Scofield. Both are standing over 6 presently and both are stars on their junior college teams before they left for missions. Both played for Coach Craig Hansen at Clearfield. One baseball talent that was not to be denied full-rid- States Shawn ot 6-- was Laytons Alan Gentry. After graduating off Brad Hawkins region championship team a year ago, Gentry migrated south to Florida State where he earned a starting centerfield spot. The Florida State team earned themn selves a bid in the 1983 NCAA While at was the top playoffs. Layton, Gentry hitter for Hawkins team. post-seaso- ANOTHER standout Lancer includes University of Utahs Mike Cooper who ended up placing sixth in the WACs 400 meters this spring. Cooper was a standout track man under Russ Jones at Layton High last year and busted it open on the college level in just one year. Clearfields Mark Carter is an ace in his own right. Now with the Utah State track team, this Aggie is perhaps the finest shot putter on the college level in Utah. He owns the state record in high school in the shot put, with a throw over 60 feet. WEBER STATES top pole vaulter happens to be Bart Thompson, who once was the pride of the Davis Dart pole vaulter crew. Thompson took fourth in the Big Sky Conference this spring and is consistently jumping 15-6. Three other local kids who could very well make it big in a year include Laytons Myron Cooper who is going to the University of Utah, Jerry Cooper of Layton who is headed for Weber State and Del Espinosa of Davis who is also going to Weber State to run for Chick Hislop. SUNSET The Sky Twisters Acrobatic Team from USA Gymnastics World Layton, hosted a United States Sports Acrobatics Federation Western United States National Qualifying Regional Championship competition recently. AWARDS at the meet went to Mike and Lisa Wells 1st, for mixed pairs; Holly and Lisa Wells 1st for girls pairs; Carrie and Chrissy Musser, 2nd; Michelle Mann and Stephanie Adams, 3rd; Jeri Alvey and Becky Mathews, 4th; Carrie Jeppson and Toni Ovellette, 5th; Mary Jean and Debbie Pritt, 6th; Amber Wamsley and Crissy Wells, 7th; Tricia and Alicia Mallard, 8th; Erika Major and Danelle Toole, 9th. In girls trios, Mindy, Crissy and Melissa Wells placed 1st. Beginner competitors placed as follows: Boys pairs, 1st Dan and Ben Pritt; 2nd, Brian and Brad Mathews. Girls pairs, 1st, Julie and Debbie Pritt; 2nd, Susan Alvey and Melissa Hirschi; 3rd Vickie and Marie e. DAVIS COUNTY youths who have qualified in acrobatics to attend USSAF National Championships in San Francisco, Calif., June 24 and 25, are Holly and Lisa Wells, Carrie and Chrissy Musser, Michelle Mann and Stephanie Adams, Jeri Alvey and Becky Mathews and Mike and Lisa Wells. Qualifying for nationals in platform tumbling were Steve Cooper, Halli Campbell, Kay Davis, Stacy Hansen, Debbie Symonds, Nicole Alder, Bradi Skipper and Kristen Osborne. A special all around award was given to Mike, Holly and Lisa Wells for qualifying for nationals in both acrobatics and platform tumbling. 4 |