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Show A N E D I T I O N O F P R I D E & PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID SPANISH FORK, UTAH PERMIT NO. 2 P R O G R E S S Hie Spanish Fork News VOL. 1/NO. 9 J L L O C A L L Y O W N E D A N D O P E R FRIDAY, A T JUNE E D2, 2006 50$ SPANISH FORK, UTAH Bring out the brooms, Dons sweep state!t Softball squad shines in Championship Lane Henderson David Davis / Spanish Fork News TITLE WAVE: Members of the Spanish Fork Softball team celebrate their 5A State Championship. After running the table, they left little doubt who was number one. Somewhere, somehow, Moochie is smiling. Why, you ask? Because the only way to have heaven on earth is to have some one you love in heaven. Larry Gardner, now deceased, must have been watching. He was Coach Andrews' friend and an avid supporter of Girls softball. After the game, the crusty Andrews had to keep his sunglasses on to keep his girls from seeing a softer side. You see, the game was dedicated to a man that meant a lot to a lot of people and especially to local softball. To play the game is in the mind, but to win is in the heart. No team at any level showed more heart than Spanish Fork. '-The Dons rode an emotional roller coaster to the 5A State Softball Championship with a methodical 4-0 victory over Timpanogos. Senior Whitney Robinson owned the circle. The right hander went the distance to pick up the shutout victory. She helped her own cause by fielding her position like a vacuum cleaner. It seemed like every inning she posted two or three assists on come backers to the mound. "It was a good indication that her ball was moving," said Coach Andrews. "She hit her spots and kept them off balance at the plate. When they did connect it came back to her." When asked to describe what makes this team special Coach Andrews wasted fittle time in summing up his thoughts. "They never saw a pitch that they didn't like," added Andrews. "They are simply a bunch of free swingers." The biggest swinger in town was catcher Susan'Cole: The slugging junior had a phenomenal tournament. "I'm swinging with confidence," said Cole. She paced the Don See SOFTBALL • A4 SF Dons rule 5A diamond at state Lane Henderson Baseball is timeless and once in awhile time seems to stand still. Never in the history of Spanish Fork athletics has an event of this magnitude topped the charts. Even before the game began, Coach Nelson knew his team had come to win a state championship. "In warm-ups and batting practice you could see we had a purpose," said Nelson. "We came out with every intention of winning the first game." The Dons, a squad Coach Nelson referred to "as solid of baseball team as I've ever coached," were focused on one goal. Their business like approach to the title game carried them to the winner's circle of the 5A State Baseball Championship. The Dons steam rolled the Jordan Beetdiggers 12-3 to claim the hardware. "Let's just face the facts," added Nelson. "We came to play. We are pretty good." The 2006 Dons won the school's first ever 5A baseball title and the school's first state baseball title in 14 years. They finished with a glossy 22-3 record. "I just wish every athlete had the chance to win state. For a player, it is the ultimate accomplishment. That experience will last a lifetime for them, but for a coach we will start with a new David Davis / Spanish Fork News F BUS ES S > ing X tJ e Shoe Sch o1 of #.,nrfa« * . c u'^ , l^! !u . ? ! " ° " baseball, the dictionary defines champions as a group of players who excel at the fundamentals. Spanish Fork did ail the right things at the right time to win the state championship. team and try to do it again next year," added Nelson. Nelson was referring to his talented senior players. "We have a dedicated senior class." One of those was tournament MVP Jace Brinkerhoff. Brinkerhoff wrapped up his stellar high school year in style. He went 3-4 at the plate with three RBI on a tape-measure home run. He also closed out the victory on the hill to pick up the save. Every senior in the lineup contributed to the cause. Cory Grover had two hits, including a home run; Seth Spinhower had two hits; Aaron Binks delivered a run scoring single; Kasey Carling continued his torrid hitting with a single in his first trip to the plate. Nelson Castleberry picked up the pitching victory, Eric Whiting stroked a single and first baseman Colby Bird See BASEBALL • A4 |
