| OCR Text |
Show ports WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 20, 2008 • B l Covering what matters most FOOTBALL PREVIEW Namon Bills / Spanish Fork News !N DEMAND: Spanish Fork's Richard Wilson has been recruited by top college programs across the country and should be a formidable component in the Dons' arsenal. ALA looks to make the playoffs in its third year Chad Vest STAFF WRITER The American Leadership Academy Eagles are heading into their third season in High School Football. Though last year's squad didn't make the 2A State Playoffs, they still managed to grab a nice home win in Region 14 against Altamont early in the season. The Eagles may still be fresh from the nest, but they're eager to soar to new heights in 2008. "We want to make the playoffs," said head coach Tom Felt. 'That's our goal. You know, once you make the playoffs, let's see where the chips fall. With the piay-in game everyone's got a shot." In 2A football, the play-in game will decide who advances to the state tournament. Whether ALA wins the outright championship in Region 14 or finishes at the bottom of the cellar, they still will have to win that crucial play-in game to make it to the tournament, which is a different format than 3A5A schools. Currently, the Eagles are training at a rate of two practices a day and have been for over a week. However, recently they have begun using pads to shake off the rust and reacquaint themselves with the pop that occurs when two forces collide. ALA returns several See ALA • B12 TEAM LEADER: Tailback Micah Keeno is expected to step up as a leader for the Eagles as ALA looks to make state playoffs for the first time in school history. Spanish Fork seeks to take play to the next level Chad Vest STAFF WRITER The Mighty Dons are looking to improve upon last year's record (6-6), which concluded with an early exit to Layton in the first round of the state playoffs. Facing off with the best Lancer team that Layton has had in decades, which advanced to the title game, was a tough draw, to say the least. Spanish Fork would love to excel in region play with hopes of notching a higher seed come late Oct. or early Nov. "This group wants to take it to the next level," said Coach Matt Christensen. "Our focus is to win a region title. To give ourselves a chance, we've got to win those close games. If we don't finish first, that doesn't mean you can't win it [state title]. But that [region title] is something we haven't done since 1991. This region (Four) will be tough even with Lehi getting better. It will be a dogfight." This year's squad has roughly sixty-five student athletes who have suited up and endured two-a-days for a week now. Approximately 25 of them will be donning the red and gray in their final year at SFHS and in the 5A ranks. Coach Christensen has been very impressed with 15-20 seniors who've put in daily workouts in the weight room. Many underclassmen have caught his See SFHS • B3 Salem Hills enters rookie season with big plans Chad Vest STAFF WRITER Salem Hills Head Coach Monte Morgan is all too familiar with building a program from nearly ground zero. As you probably already know, Morgan comes to Salem from Lone Peak High, where he conditioned two teams to playing state title games. After establishing a solid program for the Knights, he embarks on a new journey, which is to build a Sky Hawk program from the ground up. Already, he has in place a coaching staff which consists often men, the majority of whom are incoming teachers at the school. Two familiar faces are Scott Haney (Salem's Head Baseball Coach) and Layne Moody. Haney will work with the receivers and Moody will be the defensive coordinator. Both men have quality experience with coaching on the gridiron, as both have at least 20 years of coaching experience under their belt. Other assistants come from solid football backgrounds or simply have a deep love and knowledge of the game. With no returning starters on either side of the ball, fans won't know what to expect. "We're going to play a little ball control," said HC and offensive coordinator Morgan. "We're going to play aggressive defense and be sound in See SHHS • B12 Salem Hills Soccer Namon Bills / Spanish Fork News USING HER HEAD: Storie Brockbank heads the ball in the game against Granger, above. OFF ON THE RIGHT FOOT: On Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2008, the Salem Hills girls soccer team welcomed Granger in the first-ever varsity athletic contest for Salem Hills High School. The Skyhawks finished the first half with a 2-1 lead. Heather Rowley scored first, assisted by Hailey Ingram. Lindsay Stevens scored the second goal. In the second half Granger scored again, sending the game into overtime. With neither team able to score in the first overtime, the game went into double overtime. Three minutes into 2OT, freshman Adrienne Clark, above, scored the golden goal to end the game and give Salem the win. |
