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Show Tribute paid to Parowan High grapplers, fans BY I. A. NELSON If you ever have the feeling that you would like to become involved in this great sport of wrestling, I would strongly recommend that for starters you attend a meet and try standing between Coach Dave Jenson's w ife Judy, and Iron County Assessor, Dee White, especially when Dee's son, Craig, is out there on the mat trying for a pin. Last Saturday evening it looked like the entire City of Parowan had pulled up stakes, lock, stock and barrel and moved every man, woman, child, cat, dog and half the chickens over to the Panguitch High School Gym. In all my days of attending sports events, and over the past 60 years I've attended several, I fail to recall a more devoted, excited and enthusiastic crowd of loyal supporters than this Parowan Ram Wrestling team has. Each time that a Ram Wrestler would either win or lose he would have every one of the parents, friends, relatives, student body and co-team members on their feet screaming, clapping, waving their arms and in every way possible encouraging the young man on to greater effort. Even if one of the boys w as defeated and ended up in fourth place I noticed no difference in the enthusiasm in the response that the crowd gave him as his name was announced. an-nounced. As the matches progressed and the points for the various teams began to stack up you could sense the tenseness growing in the crowd. Mothers were seen biting their finger nails, pulling at their hair and wringing their handkerchiefs. han-dkerchiefs. Fathers were pounding their knees, punching their hats and twisting their programs into unrecognizable masses of scrap paper. Out near the mat w here the wrestlers were straining to pin each other was Coach Jenson sitting on the very edge of his chair, screaming encouragement and instructions to his boys. Team members sitting on the benches, hands clasped, faces tense, watching every move that both wrestlers made, leaning to one side or the other straining as if trving to help their team-mate turn the opposing op-posing foe over. Then about one or two matches from the end of the meet, we v, ho had been keeping score, could see that it would be impossible for either Milford or Piute, the two closest rivals, to catch up. As this news circulated through the crowd of Ram supporters all the members of the cheering section, parents and team mates stood up and started screaming, "We want No. 1." As the final match of the evening came to a close in which the Ram's State Champion, Bill Tincher, defeated Everett of Piute in the unlimited class, the announcement was made that Parowan had indeed won the Region 8 Crown and would receive the Trophy. All the Ram team members rushed Coach Jenson. hoisted him to their shoulders and paraded around the Gym floor, then up to the Judges stand where he was presented with the lovely trophy in token of their winning the Region 8 title. The Parowan Ram Wrestling team has enjoyed a good season this year. Going through the entire season with a league record of 10 wins and no losses, they have shown their power and desire to win by taking the Region Match, and have placed seven wrestlers into the State meet that will be held in Mon-ticello Mon-ticello next week end. Six of these seven wrestlers go into the State meet as First Place winners in the Region meet. Parowan, through this decisive win, must be given a good, strong second look as a potential contender for the State Championship in 1A wrestling this year. A year ago the Rams entered the State Wrestling Meet with four wrestlers and came out in fifth place. This year my personal feeling is, after following the team this season, that they are going to place somewhere in the top three places. Truely wrestling has come of age in Parowan and it all stems from the devotion to duty of these Continued on next page PHS grapplers, fans praised group of young men that it had been their opportunity to serve. To me something like that is just I as important if not more so, than being able to carry that Region 8 1 Trophy home to Parowan High. Continued from previous page fine young men who comprise the Ram Wrestling Team. To their willingness to adhere to the strict training rules set down by their coach, to the long and straineous hours of practice, to that extra spark, that desire within ones self to win that is so necessary in either any sports event or in this old battle of life. To the loyal, devoted, unselfish support of parents, relatives and friends to let these boys know we are behind them in all their endeavors, en-deavors, and last but by no means least, to a truely dedicated man who loves not only wrestling, but all sports Coach Dave Jenson. As a final tribute to this fine group of young athletics I would mention one other fact. After the Wrestling meet last Saturday night, my family and I had the distinct privilege of sitting down and eating dinner with this fine Ram Wrestling Team. Maybe you might think that being a husky group of young High School boys, out on the town so to speak, full of strength and the vigor of youth, fresh off the floor from an important victory, that these boys would be rowdy and maybe just a wee bit rude, but this young group of athletics, while you could see that they were keyed up and highly excited under the spell of victory, acted every inch as gentlemen should in a public place.. I think this in itself is a distinct reflection on the correct treatment and training that these young men have received from their parents in their homes. You can always tell what sort of training a person has received in his home by the way he acts out in public when he is away, from his parents influence. in-fluence. The Management of the Cafe where we ate commented on the fact that in all the years they had been operating a restaurant that the Parowan Ram Wrestling Team was the most well behaved |