OCR Text |
Show Thursday, May 20, 1976 1 Sun Chronicle 976 Chronicle, Courier All-Are- Page 1 1 team displayed a by Keith Duncan Chronicle Sports Editor Courier Sports Editor Sun Chronicle and Clearfield Courier weekly newspapers are proud to present the 1976 Baseball squad composed of Bonneville, Clearfield, and Roy High. Baseball success at these three powers was at maximum levels this spring with Clearfield capturing the Region Two championship for the second consecutive season, Roy finishing with a 3 mark in Region One and qualifying for a state playoff berth, and Bonneville just missing the playoffs in their final two games of the season. There was plenty of abundant talent in these three teams and the squad combines it all for a quality 1976 team. Roy, Bonneville, and Clearfield all played each other through the course of the season. Roy downed the Lakers twice in league action, Clearfield beat Roy and lost to Bonneville. Acting in his fifth year as head baseball coach at Clearfield High, is Coach Ken Hicks. Hicks is a former Weber High athlete and was the 1958 North-Sout- h game MVP. He later went on to pitch for Weber State and BYU of which teams both won championships in their respective conferences. Roys colorful mentor is Fred Thompson, only in his second season as a head coach. Thompson has to be most tickled out of the bunch in attending the state tournament this week. He is another former Weber High athlete star. He attended Weber State where he was a member of two Big Sky All-Ar- 4-- 9-- All-Ar- Rodney Neville Clearfield -- Joey Hill Greg Nichols Bonneville - Roy - Rightfield Conference championship baseball teams. Thompson has guided the Royals to the best two-yerecord in Region One. Steve Gardner just completed his first year as a head coach of the Bonneville Lakers. He finished second in the balloting for the Region One Coach of the Year, an honor well deserving for bringing the Lakers to heights theyve never been before. Gardner and his Lakers lost their last two games to finish third in Region One. Steve played for a championship Weber State baseball team and later ar Stonehocker Rick - Brad Dahl Roy -- Clearfield played with the Houston Astros baseball organization. Clearfield, Roy Place Seven Both the Falcons and Royals placed seven players on the 1976 team, with the Bonneville Lakers having another three. DeVerl Hoskins, a Clearfield senior, has been tabbed as the teams starting catcher by all three area coaches. Hoskins started the year with a n and belting out rampage, hitting .333 in eight extra base hits. Through the league, he hit .255 and had one home run batting as the Falcons cleanup hitter. Hoskins defense behind the plate says the most for himself as he was selected as the Region Two starting catcher. Hurlers for the 1976 team were taken from Roy and Clearfield, Jim McMahon and Clair Hamblin respectively. There were numerous outstanding pitchers but these two stood out just a head above everyone else. McMahon was a big key in Roys drive for the title and he finished with a 1 record in Region One. Jim was also the teams clean up hitter and shortstop when he wasnt pitching. Clair Hamblin was the intricate artist among fellow hurlers. He finished 2 in league action but saved three other games in late inning appearances. Hamblin usually was hit off often but these hits came in the variety of pop ups, ground outs and fly outs. Rice Unanimous as First Baseman Everybodys choice as the first baseman, is Clearfields Todd Rice. Rice was the leading hitter of all 1976 team picks with a .469 average in league play. Overall he hit .444. He led the Falcons in hitting last season with a .527 average that set a new school and region record. Rice is both a short range and long ball hitter and there is speculation he baseball. might be looking toward semi-pr- o Another Clearfield athlete has been chosen to serve as the second baseman. He is Brad Dahl, another one of those defensive minded Falcons who has been a member of football, basketball and baseball region championships. At shortstop in Roys Rick Stonehocker. Rick has exceptional talent and has a lot of hard work in the bag that can back up what he does on the field. Rick was recently voted by his school as the outstanding senior athlete. Stonehockers home run against Bonneville propelled the Royal crew into the state baseball playoffs. Rick plays short, third and some second base. Hot hitting Orlando Gallegos has been named the teams third baseman. Orlando, along with teammate, Claude Payne, were voted recently as the MVPs of the Roy baseball team. Gallegos has had the hot bat in league play and led Roy with a .369 average. His range in the field was superior to most in the state. Outfield Positions Filled Greg Nichols, who can run like a deer and swings a the bat with authority, is the 1976 r. He has been the Royals most steady outfielder this season when considering hitting, defense, and basepath maneuvers. In 44 plate appearances during league play, Greg struck out only twice. Rod Neville of Clearfield is a speed demon who has taken the centerfield spot. Neville hit well over .300 for league and was among league leaders in stolen bases as only a junior. Rodney performs in a track uniform as well as on the baseball diamond during the spring. Taking the final outfield spot is Bonnevilles Joy Hill, another junior. Joey hit .325 during the season and has Coach Steve Gardners compliment as one of the finest to come along. Hill has quickness and a an alert attitude for a 1976 outfield. Utility players chosen Several utility players were selected behind the starting team. The 1976 team was made up by the three area coaches and they feel the utility team isnt much behind the starters. Mike McCoy of Roy was tabbed as a utility outOne pick. fielder but was a first team Kelly Shepard of Bonneville took the utility catching honor. Three more pitchers were named, Ken Francis of Roy, Gary Tracy of Bonneville and Mike Sandoval of Roy. Tracy is only a junior, while Sandoval and Francis are seniors who will be playing very important parts in their team's chance in the state pre-seaso- 5-- Orlando Gallegos - Todd Rice Roy Clearfield 3-- All-Are- DeVerl Hoskins - Clearfield Me Coy selec ted top athlete All-Are- Mike McCoy was recently named at Roy High, the The ansports athlete for 1975-7nouncement came in a letterman banquet where McCoy was awarded the gold watch from the Ogden Standard-Examine- r as the top sports hero. Rick Stonehocker was named Roys outstanding senior athlete in the same awards ceremony. McCoy earned a total of eight varsity letters at Roy High, including three in football, three in track and two in baseball. In football, Mike was selected to the prep team in 1975. He was also chosen to the first team in 1975 and was an honorable e mention gridder in 1974. a and McCoy was also selected to the was named the and season teams last grid schools most valuable player and best running back in 1975. McCoy gained more yards and scored more points than any running back in Roy High history and helped lead the Royals to the Region One grid crown last season. e In track, Mike was a State champion in the long jump. McCoy also set a Region One long jump record of 22' 2 in the recent 1976 league meet. He was also named a prep in track and field. In baseball, McCoy was an outfielder whose explosive speed helped him rank among the top players and base stealers in Region One. Mike is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Dan McCoy of 2495 W. 5175 S. in Roy. He will attend Utah State University next fall on a football scholarship. 6. Ken Francis Gary Tracy Bonneville Relief Pitcher - -- - Roy Kelly Shepperd - -- Relief Pitcher Bonneville -- Utility Catcher All-Sta- te All-Stat- All-Are- two-tim- Joe Garcia Claude Payne - Roy -- Utility IB - Clearfield Infield Mike Sandoval Clearfield 3B Pitcher -- -- 4-- All-Are- n tournament. Infielders named were Claude Payne of Roy, a hitter playing first base. Joe Garcia of Clearfield was another infielder named as only a junior, he hit .325 during league play. .343 |