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Show SPORTS SECTION DailySHerald FRIDAY, MARCH 31, 2006 SPORTS EDITOR | Darnell Dickson - 344-2555 - ddickson@heraldextra.com BYU FOOTBALL INSIDE VALLEY PREPS 50 od they're scary MARIO RUIZ/Daily Herald capes dase tein ed ean) Talentis too : wide-spread to pick a favorite * * nae in Region 7 Harline runs drills during spring practice on Thursday. 9 E ey ects Jace Anderson HERALD CORRESPONDENT e ntering into regular season play; there's one thing that the Region 7 certain. coaches agree on — nothing is for Despite having two of the best teams in the state in Pro- ‘ 9 vo and Timpview, no coach is stepping up to declare his team as the top contender for the 2006 season. Withthat beingsaid, here is a look each team in Region 7: best ever Provo DarnellDickson DAILY HERALD USC was “Tailback U.” Penn State became “Linebacker U.” BYU earned the nickname,“The Quarterback Factory,” but you couldjust as easily call the school “Tight End U.” With a 6-0-0 recordin the preseason the s come into region play as the team * to beat: But regardless of the unblemished record Provo coach Cesar Cardoso believes that his team stil] has a long way to go. “Despite being undefeated I really feel like this team has Nameslike Gordon Hudson, Chris Smith,Itula Mili and Chad Lewis pop up whenever BYU fans have a a lot of workto do,” Cardoso said. “Since we are unbeaten, every team weplay will have discussion (or JEREMY HARMON/Daily Herald Mountain View's David Salazar will lead a deep and talented Bruins team through a competitive race in Region 4 See REGION 7, C5 argument, as Mountain View rules stacked Region 4 it.were) about BYU SPRING PRACTICE who was the school's great&°ttight end. You can even * Jared Lioyd DAILY HERALD inciude Todd teams believe this could be the year they ride the “dark horse”role to the title. nthe classic movie “The Black Stallion,” two dominating racehorses meet in titanictitle showdown. While Cyclone and Sun Raider are the champions,it’s the title character that steals the show by Sulspenting the othersto the finish line. Region 4 boys soccer teams already know who the twobig guns are coming into the 2006 season,but the other four Christensen, thoughtechnically, he was a fullback for the Cougars. Christensen wenton to an All-Pro career as a tight end for the Oakland Raiders. At 6-foot-4 and 240 pounds, BYU senior Jonny Harlinelooks like he could join the ranks of the school’s best tight ends — and he's got plenty ofhelp. BYU assistant head coach Lance Reynolds, drawing upon his 25 years of coaching experience in Provo,said this year’s group of tight ends could be special. “They're flat out good,” Reynolds said. “It’s tough to compareindividuals butI wouldn't hesitatetotoaay compare heck favorably eran Ive “It’s the someold thing,” Pleasant Grove headcoach Erik Bayles said.“You've got to beat Mountain View and LonePeak. They're the studs and even though Lone Peak has struggled in the preseason, you still have to beat them in region.” The Knights come into the year with the added pressureofthe “Defending 4A State Champions”title, something new head coach Dave Woolley said has both hurt and helped his squad. “These players are following a team FILE/Daily Herald Sean Aslett (right, white uniform) has helped lead Region 7 powerProvotoa 6-0-0 mark through the preseason. that didn’t lose all seasonlast year,” he explained. “So whenthey lost (in the preseason), it was a foreign experience. They See REGION 4, C5 TOP PLAYERS TO WATCH seen. Asa group,all four guys, fee as good as we've ever REGION 4 Last year, BYU tight ends Har- ae ea REGION 7 DAVID SALAZAR, MOUNTAIN VIEW, F SEAN ASLETT, PROVO,F line and Dan Coats combined for Dangerous, athletic scorer who can at- A goal-scoring machine whoexpects 84 catches,1,042 and eight scores in Robert Anae’sspreadoffense. This year, Harline and Coats are tackin variety of ways NATE DENNIS, LONE PEAK, GK/F Versatile player who canstopgoals or double teamsyet still finds the net , TIMPVIEW, MF Great playmaker who can dominate stronger andwill be joined by sophomoreVic So'oto.and redshirt ca Cues, n eve of spring, the tight ends | put themin ‘TAFT FULLER, TIMPANOGOS, MF Seniorwill play key leadershiprole for young TW es See FOOTBALL, C3 anywhere onthefield BRAD HOWARD, OREM, GK Junior could be one of most dominating ke ‘eepers in state tate ee ‘ probe into i ids criticized criticized Conte: ‘I did nonot’ Baseball's steroids Conte: oie ee Come give Bonds ONGS Sterol ter ids THE Score PRESS NEW YORK — Baseball began its investigation Thurs- day into alleged steroid use by Barry Bonds and others, eeeae because of his close tiesto the sport. determine = The goal here isto i i facts, not engage in supposition, * baseball's investigation into.alleged use by-Barry Bonds and In the wakeof a searing about Bonds, i er Bud Selig appointed former Selig said Mitchell’s report Songs Haieesy Lote, Saree will be made public but didn’t Mitchell — and set a timetable. By then, Bonds director of Gusboston Reasex seay we rave peee Ee aeeee will be ered oes since Sepember 202 when the sport formance-enhancargs ing bt ical hase authority to expand it. ndo.” rumor or innuendo. Bud Selig MLB commissioneron the Taacon for the Ruth’s home-run mark on way onard Hank Aareak time recor ras goa here sta Gee! mine facts, not engage insupposition, speculation, rumor or innuendo,” Selig said. steroid Whatever the findings, it wal be ard fo anyone for conduct the steroids i began drug testing in 2003 and started testing with penalties the following year. At San Francisco’s home ballpark, Bonds wouldn't disthe matter. “I said no, no, no,” he said, Pry ater feyae t'o jump of ff the Stat e added ug Mitchell, meanwhile, said he will not resign his position with Denconae THE ASSOCIATED PRESS SAN MATEO,Calif. — BAL- the Red Sox. Healso is chairfoees pe CO founder Victor Conteinsisted Thursdaythat he never gave broadcast partner of baseball. to Barry Bonds and that a new coafict"be uid i teepoas interview with The fed Press.“I’m going to be independent, have completei ity and act.” Bee ano te: “full of outrigh lies.” Conte spoke to The Associated Press outside hisSan Mateo home hours after his release from prison, where he four months after pleading “{ don't think there’s an at Bonds — with the Giants star’s cooperation — starting next week, Along with working for the Red Sox, Mitchell is a See STEROIDS, C2 i i j book that makes those claims is to orchestrating an illegal roids distribution that allegedly involved many high-profile athletes, including ‘Asked whether he gave Bonds performance-enhancing Victor Conte A chronicles the founding of the Bay Area Laborat ive and details alleged extensive steroid use by Bonds and other baseball stars. Baseball issi Bud Selig announced Thursday that former Senate Majority See CONTE, C2 |