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Show May 37, 1983 REFLEX JOURNAL BULLETIN LEADER wy w-tt- Brandon Flint Gearing Up For Football Ti The f ' S4 v.' - ' c0fiP Season To Relax W; Keith Duncan Journal Sports ; LAYTON If you are as good a college football player as BYUs Brandon Flint, trying to forget the game isnt always easy to do. But with his sophomore year in the bag and a summer full of softball ahead of him, Brandon knows this is the time of year to relax. came The former Layton High athletic-greon strong in the latter part of the Cougar schedule last fall, enough in fact, that the name Brandon Flint is almost a household word when talking about the BYU defense. His outstanding performances against New Mexico and Wyoming and his consistent play down the stretch as the Cougars marched towards another WAC title, give him a definite base to build on during his final two seasons with the Cougars. at Flint, who was a member of the state championship team at Layton High, had no idea that success would come the way it did his second year in the'Cougar pads. There really isn't any specific way to describe it, said Brandon. You just play every game hard and hope you stay healthy. I just hope things get better and better my last two seasons. Coaches and teammates who work with Flint admit he caught onto the BYU system rapidly. The difference at BYU is the coaches and the winning tradition. If players can develop some mental toughness, like I had too, the program can go a long ways, he said. Outside winning the state championship at Layton, two of Brandons most memorable occasions have been chances to travel and perform in the Holiday Bowl in San Diego. Although he didnt play in San Diego his freshman year, he saw plenty of action against - Washington State last December. Even Bran- dons parents, Reed and Kay Flint, have at- tended both Holiday bowls. Its a special feeling to see your son down on the playing field, said Mr. Flint. My wife knows Im his greatest fan, but she also tells me Im his best critic. ; Brandon and his family are especially close and he isnt afraid to say that they are his greatest supporters, especially his father. Dad is my greatest fan. I always play the best when he comes to the games. Mr. Flint knows the game of football, having played tackle on the 1950 state championship team from Davis High. Two years after that he played football for Weber Jr. College. Ive been excited for Brandon ever since he started little league where I coached him for a couple of years. I believe he has something that is invaluable to him and thats his dedication to the sport. Hurt or healthy, he loves the game. Many times at Layton High he played despite being hurt. He plays to win, said Mr. Flint. The BYU defense will be even better this fall according to Brandon. He says the only losses were two defensive backs and Kyle Wittingh-aI think we will win another championship because our defense is getting better. The offense probably wont score as many points as theyve done, but theyll be tough too, said the defensive star. Tom Holmoe and Mike Morgan may be the seniors that everyone will look to for leadership, but the way Flint is coming along, people will be following him too. Brandon hasnt forgotten the Lancers though. There arent too many Saturday mornings in Provo that he doesnt pick up the paper how his alma mater has fared the Friday night prior. Greatest Thing To Coach At Layton My major is in physical education and it would be the greatest thing in the world to get a chance to go back to Layton to help coach, to see f. i I $1 JA ....... said Flint. Chuck Ehin, one of Brandons teammates at BYU and a guy who played by his side at Lay-to- n High, is Flints best friend on the team. They roomed together their freshman year until Chuck decided to get married. "Chuck is glad to be at BYU. I think he is very happy with his decision to play here instead of going back to Alabama and taking the chance of getting lost in the shuffle, said Brandon. When the summer months begin to fade from the picture and football preparation gets more important, Brandon admits that his personality changes a bit as the mental toughness gets a tle stiffen Its got to be tal committment. The that way, he said. lit- Its a to- stadium enlargement at BYU has ever- yone excited. Its going to help them build an even stronger program for the future, he said. The thoughts of always linger in a good football players mind. Brandon is no different. You dont just play football all your life and then one day hope its all over. All the good guys want a chance to play pro football. A lot of people look up to kids like Brandon, said his father. I go to the store and people talk about him and guys like Dave Burke all the time. The kids in the area have a little something extra to pattern their lives after pro-footb- all to a point. Brandon Flint plans before heading to spend a summer playing softball back to the football grind at BYU. Clearfield held a slim lead h after 20 innings, but when the stadium lights came, so did the Lancers. After 66 grueling innings and bowing to fatique, Layton was declared the winner. Money raised from the marathon baseball event went to supporting summer baseball leagues. Jeff Roberts, a Layton senior, slides into home safely, aiding his team to come from behind for the marathon victory. Baseball Marathon, Laytons To Sixty-Si- s Victory Innings Keith Duncan Journal Sports LAYTON Baseball, baseball and baseball. It seemed like the game played between Clearfield and Layton would never end but finally after 66 innings, the Lancers were declared the winner and a lot of tired bodies went home to soak some muscles. However in this contest, neither team could be considered a loser because the marathon baseball game helped to raise money for these players to play more baseball this summer. said Coach Ken I think everyone had some fun Hicks of Clearfield. "At Clearfield we had a goal to raise about $844 and I believe we will reach that goal. That will provide enough money for these kids to continue testing their baseball skills in a summer league. The Falcons held a slim lead in the long dual about fifteen innings into the game but the Lancers came back to win the game, : ; : 40-3- 4. Coach Brad Hawkins was the leader of the Layton squad and while he mixed seniors, juniors and sophomores together during the 66 innings, the Falcons went with their juniors for the first 30 innings and a majority of their untested young players the remainder of the contest. For players like Alan Gentry, Rob Folgerman, Mike Bunting, Mike Moss, Jeff Roberts, and others, it was without question their final chance to play together in Layton attire. The mechanics of the marathon were much different than a regular baseball game. Each team was given two innings at the plate at a time. A pitching machine was used instead of a regular pitcher. Also batters were allowed only two strikes before being called out. Players who performed in the contest went through their schools and communities prior to the game and received pledges if in return the kids could go the full 66 innings. pri-mar- ly Thank goodness for a pitching machine. A Clearfield player loads another pitch during the five-ho- ur contest. |