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Home > Archive > Oct 3, 2007

Off to State
By Stephen Vincent
Two high school state championships will be held this weekend, and some local teams are among the favorites to bring home the state trophy.
In golf, Dixie is the favorite to win the 4A title, and Pine View is considered to be one of the contenders.
In girls’ tennis, Pine View is considered to have a good shot at the 4A championship.
Girls’ Tennis. The Panthers have won the last three 3A state titles. That means seniors Karlie Hancock and Lauren Wright can, with a state title this year, accomplish the rare feat of being on a state championship team all four years of high school.
They will have that chance when they play in the 4A state tournament at Liberty Park in Salt Lake City on Oct. 5 and 6.
Pine View coach Dow Christensen worries that his team, because of its past success, may not approach the tournament with the appropriate intensity.
“Hopefully, they'll be hungry,” Christensen said. “Sometimes, it seems that teams that have won so much get a little bored.” 
The Panthers' toughest competition at the 4A tournament seems likely to come from Orem, Bountiful and Cottonwood. Ordinarily, Snow Canyon and Dixie would be in that mix, but with the new region setup, those two teams will have struggle to get all of their teams to state.
A bad day at region can ruin a team's chances at state, Christensen said. That's because the region tournament not only determines who will go to state, but what seed those players will have at the state tournament.
“Down here, it's a little more dangerous,” Christensen said. “You have a bad day and get beat, you could miss state; whereas, in other regions, you could still have a fourth seed.”
The Panthers, though, averted the danger by winning titles in all five divisions at the Region 9 tournament at Tonaquint Park, Sept. 28. Dixie will have three entries in the state tournament: Charly McCombs at third singles, Annie Davis and Afton Staheli at first doubles and Tara Sevy and Lauren Beck at second doubles.
Allie Bergen will represent Snow Canyon in first singles, and Malea Hendrickson will be the other Warrior at state, playing at second singles.
Christensen said his team is familiar with the stronger 4A teams from playing in some big tournaments in Logan and the St. George Challenge Cup. He doesn't see 4A being that much stronger than 3A.
“I think when we, Dixie and Snow Canyon were in 3A, then 3A was a little bit stronger,” Christensen said. “You take those three teams and put them into 4A, and then 4A is a little better because now 3A has about three good teams, and 4A has five or six good teams.”
To get that fourth straight title, the Panthers will rely on a freshman, Morgan Anderson, to pace them at first singles.
At second singles and third singles, Melissa Cowles and Hancock, respectively, should each contend for singles titles in their divisions.
At doubles, Pine View will send out Andee Gempeler and Wright at first doubles and Hilary Wright and freshman Alexa Ford at second doubles.
“If our kids play like they are capable of playing, then they'll be there at the end,” Christensen said.
If Pine View wins, it will be their fifth title in the last six years.
Golf. The Dixie Flyers breezed through the Region 9 play, winning the state's top golf region by over 100 strokes.
They seem poised to make a run for the state at the Soldier Hollow Golf Course on Oct. 3 and 4.
The Flyers' Mike Jurca, Jordan Hammer and Stephen Archibald finished in first, second and third, respectively, in the Region 9 medalist competition. Dixie coach Reed McArthur, who will be coaching the Flyers for the last time at the tournament, expects those three to team with Andrew Huff to form the foursome that will help Dixie earn the title.
“These are the four guys who have to step and play their game,” McArthur said. “It's them vs. the golf course.”
At state, the teams take six players and count the four best scores. If Griffin Schone or Mitch McArthur plays well, they could atone for one of the other Flyers having a bad day.
McArthur said consistency, though, was the key for Dixie winning region in the style that they did.
The Flyers' toughest competition, though, will be a familiar team: The Pine View Panthers.
“If we can put together a good first round and be within a few strokes of the leader, then we'll have a good chance,” said Pine View coach Darrell Larson. “We like being the dark horse. Our kids are playing really well. In a two-day tournament, it's anybody's game.”
Pine View is led by senior Jordan Adams, but the Panthers are getting good play also from Stephen Wade and Mason Van Orden. Larson hopes his other seniors, Drew Van Orden and Zach Hafer, can have strong showings.
If they do, the Panthers expect to be there with Dixie and the other title-contending teams, like Timpview, Sky View, Bonneville and Springville.
“I think for the most part, we have a pretty good team,” Larson said. “We have been playing with Dixie all year, which is a pretty good measuring stick for state.”
Snow Canyon will be represented by Tim Miller and Tyson Tanner at the tournament. The two tied for fifth place in region.
“It's unfortunate that Snow Canyon can't take their whole team because they're very talented,” McArthur said.
In fact, McArthur said the strength of the Pine View and Snow Canyon programs has benefited the Dixie program and vice versa.
“The reason our region has been so successful is that these kids feed off each other,” McArthur said. “They know each other, they practice together, and they're all friends.”
His final tournament of coaching Dixie High School will be an emotional one for McArthur, who said that he is more proud of building young men than building a state golf powerhouse in his 14 years coaching the Flyer golf team.
“It's been an honor to be a coach,” McArthur said. “I've had some great kids over the last 14 years. Some have gone on to play college golf, but they've all become great family men.”
McArthur has already started his new job as the head golf coach at Dixie State.
But he would like to end his high school coaching career with another state title and believes he has the kids who can do it.
“Our guys don't have to go worry about anyone else,” McArthur said. “They just have to go play their game, and they'll have a chance.”

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