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Show K Covering what matters most Clark invited to Midlands ! i l I »/ $ and Dave Beagley belong there as well. Clark finished second in ninth and Jeb Clark was recently tenth grade before finishinvited to the Midland ing strong is hisfinaltwo Wrestling Tournament years where he won back (Dec. 29-30) which is held to back state titles. During in Chicago, 111. Other than his junior year, he had to the NCAA tournament this face off with a senior who is the biggest wrestling was a two time state chamevent which will square pion from Carbon that off the best 32 wrestlers in transferred to Timpanogos each weight division in a named Cameron Dansie. two day competition. This It was a clash oftitansbut opportunity comes via in- the SF star prevailed and vitation only and not only still to this day, his former will Clark be amongst the Coach Layne Shepherd finest collegiate stars in says, "That was the best the country, he will also wrestling match I've ever face off with some talent- seen as a C6ach at SF." ed men overseas as well as But his greatest accomformer college all-ameri- plishment in high school can wrestlers who are now was when he was named training to win gold at the a HS All-American after Olympics. competing at the Senior Tournament "I'm pretty excited Nationals where first and second about it," said Clark. "Overall it's a good oppor- place state finishers can tunity because our Coach enter to compete on a natold us that we (three UV tional stage. Clark made Wrestlers) might be able the trip to Cleveland and to get into it but it was finished third in the counpending for awhile. Now try and instantly gained that they've accepted us, national respect from big we're excited and have name wrestling schools been working hard to get that began to take interest. Growing up, he looked up ready." It's challenging for to his elder brother by four most people to lose the years Ted who was his faadded weight that comes vorite wrestler. from all the great food "I just remember seeing during the Holidays but him win state," said Jeb. a wrestler has to do it in "He should've won it twice such a short period of time but seeing him I thought, which makes it seemingly 'Man, I really want to be impossible, yet they do a wrestler like that.' When it. In fact, that's the only I-saw his finals match, the thing Clark dreads about arena went dark and they the sport. But he men- - blew smoke out with lasers. tioned why he is so drawn They made it a big deal and to it as well. I wanted that for me." "The best part of wresClark was tempted to tling is that it's so com- sign and wrestle right out petitive," he said. "It's one of high school but opted on one. It's so competitive to serve an LDS mission. and that's one of my big- When he returned, he was gest things in sports and farfrombeing in top condireasons I think was ever tion. At the end of his misany good at anything be- sion, he developed a probcause I like to win. I really lem with his parathyroid hate losing." gland which caused him He must hate losing to build calcium and the because he was in the result was kidney stones at state finals all four years a young age. Interestingly, in high school starting in during his freshman seahis freshman season. It son of wrestling, he passed is a rare feat and he's the nearly ten of them and it afonly wrestler to be there in fected his overall shape and four consecutive seasons. performance greatly. He SF die-hards may say that even passed some stones a Clark is the best wrestler day before the JUCO nato. ever don the red and tional championship bout gray, but you could make a very strong argument See CLARK • A8 that both Travis Shepherd Chad Vest STAFF WRITER 1 I ; -,; ;V > ;; 2 WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 3 1 , 2008 • A7 the hat angin Steve Wilson retires as SF hoops announcer Chad Vest STAFF WRITER v Steven Wilson is a longtime resident of Spanish Fork who has been involved in community and high school sports programs for many years. He has spent the majority of his time as an SFHS public address announcer. His face and voice have become familiar to the people in this town. Now, after many years behind the mike, Wilson has decided to retire from sports announcing. Wilson graduated from SFHS in 1966. As a Don, he competed as a foursport athlete. In football, he played running back and was known for some dazzling moves which earned him the nickname "Crazy Legs." In basketball, he played point guard and when spring rolled around, he participated on two different teams — as an outfielder in baseball, and as a track star. Wilson thoroughly enjoyed his experiences as an athlete and still has vivid memories of his playing days. After high school, he accepted a football scholarship to play running back for Brigham Young University in the fall of '66. White at BYU, he had the privilege to be teammates with stars such as quarterback Virgil Carter and a famous WR named Phil Odle. Wilson enjoyed his experience and had the opportunity to play punt returner for the blue and white in his first season. But after the season, he informed his coach of his mission plans and Tommy Hudspeth didn't believe that football and a mission could co-exist. "If you chose to go on a mission, you had to forfeit your football career," said Wilson. "Coach Hudspeth told us 'You can stay and play football or you go on a mission but not both. If you go on a mission you're not welcome back.' So I served a mission and when I came back I joined the.lacrosse team." Upon his return, he joined the National Guard, married his high school sweetheart Glenda Tanner ,?• \ .• ' • - - ' -• T •*- •• JK^^W^^B^^K9^^93 Namon Bills / Spanish Fork News VOICE OF THE DONS: For many years Steve Wilson's face and voice have been synonymous with SFHS athletics. and graduated from BYU with a degree in financing. He worked in Salt Lake seven years before making his way back to SF where he has been for several decades as a State Farm Insurance Agent. "Spanish Fork athletics had given me such a positive experience in my life," said Wilson. "It did so much good for me that I had a real desire to somehow give back to the schools programs. So I started looking for ways to help build the programs at the high school." Wilson began coaching little league football, baseball and basketball and for a short stint, he coached the sophomore football team under his former high school coach Del Roy Anderson. But when it comes to sports, Wilson will mostly be remembered at SF for being the voice of the Dons, most notably in basketball. He has announced football, baseball, wrestling and basketball with the latter sport being the one with the longest tenure (20 years this season). In 1989, Jack Swenson decided to step down as the basketball announcer for SF. "The next thing I know, See WILSON • A8 Tyson Brummett moving up in pros Steve Taylor STAFF WRITER • SP orts By now, most Spanish Fork sports fans know who Tyson Brummett is, and they know he is a pretty good ball player; the fans of the Reading Phillies are starting to find that out too. . After a dominating two years as a UCLA Bruin, Tyson was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 7th Round, and by the end of his first full season as a pro, he has moved from low A ball to the AA Reading Phillies—a pretty quick aseent for those of you that don't know a lot about the minor leagues. ' In senior year as a UCLA Bruin, Tyson earned PAC-10 pitcher of the week honors three times, and was named a member of the All Pac 10 Team to * top things off. Following that, the Phillies drafted Tyson; the way the MLB draft and College baseball schedule things meant that Tyson's first year as a pro would be short. He joined the Williamsport Crosscutters — Low A — for a short stint to close the season, and he started his next season as a member of the Low A Clearwater Threshers, in Clearwater, Fla. Tyson was impressive as a member of the Threshers, leaving with a 3.59 ERA and 39 strike outs in eight starts; with solid numbers, he moved up to the Double A Reading Phillies. Moving quickly through the Phillies farm system is a good sign; you may have heard of a few players they recently See BRUMMETT • A8 Namon Bills / Spanish Fork News FUNDAMENTALS: Tyson Brummett gives some pitching advice to 12-year-old Austin Hanks at his recent pitching camp. |