Rocky basketball: David Trompke profile

In early June, I interviewed Rocky Mountain (Idaho) High School athlete David Trompke. He's truly a special kid, and has such a bright future that you will likely hear about him in the years to come. Here's the article that will appear in this year's Rocky basketball yearbook.

David Trompke:

His winning attitude and various skills

pushed every team to a higher level

By Bruce Smith

Matchup

             David Trompke’s high-school resume reads like few – if any – others.

            He was a three-sport athlete (football, basketball and track & field) at Rocky Mountain High School, but his biggest accomplishments were mostly off the field.
            “I was in the (National) Honor Society and I had a bunch of service projects,” he said. “I was always busy.”
            He was a member of Athletes Against Drugs, the Junior Red Cross, and helped with the Idaho Food Bank. He was part of so many organizations, his family created a website to name them all.
            His grades? He earned a scholarship to Harvard.
            Not surprisingly, despite all that he accomplished in high school, it was the email and telephone call he received from America’s most well known Ivy League school that he treasured most.
            “The goal of high school was always to go on to something better,” Trompke said. “I had a lot of fun, but I’ll always remember Dec. 15.
            “They (Harvard) were supposed to let me know by 3 (p.m.) that day,” he added. “It was right before we played Capital. I was sitting in the library working on a project. I went online and kept clicking the refresh button (waiting for an email). I never saw anything. I finally went home and mom grabbed me and hugged me at the front door. She was checking all day, too.”
            Trompke was a varsity player all four seasons at Rocky Mountain. He put the crowning touch on his career by using his sprinter speed to help the Rocky track team to its second consecutive state championship. The basketball team didn’t have as much success, but who know where it would have ended up without him.
            “Trompke has a mind to play defense … well,” said Rocky basketball coach Dane Roy. “He hurt his knee and wasn’t his complete self. Some kids would have shut down, but he stayed with it. He’s a special kid and showed a lot of leadership.”
            Trompke suffered a knee injury in football and underwent surgery shortly afterward. He recovered quickly and missed just one basketball game (the opener). He really came on as the season progressed.
            Trompke said that because Roy focused on defense, he was an obvious fit into the new system. He did everything he could to help the team.
            He averaged 8.6 points per game and 3.3 rebounds for the season. He also led the team in free-throw shooting percentage. He had a high game of 21 points against Meridian on “Senior Night” and played a major role in the Grizzlies’ 56-50 victory over Mountain View in the season finale.
            “We started playing really well at the end of the season,” Trompke recalled. “We were a young team, with a new coach, and had a lot of injuries early. When John Sherle came back that was a huge relief to me because I went from the point to a ‘2’ guard.
            “It was right about then that I also realized I was almost done playing basketball, so I started to try to enjoy it more,” he added. “I had become more consistent and I shot more. Those were fun games.
            “The (Mountain View) win was our best moment, but it was followed by the worst moment. I knew right after the game that we weren’t going to make the (district) tournament. My parents were texting people (at the Meridian-Vallivue game) and they told me afterward.”
            The next day, Roy texted the players to show up for practice, but not to dress down. Trompke’s season actuall continued as he played in a local all-star game. He also started preparing for track.
            He battled a hamstring injury in the spring. While he never was able to improve on his personal bests (11.0 seconds in the 100 meters and 22.0 in the 200), he was still motivated and an athlete that others respected. Despite only being its fourth year as a school, Rocky quickly became a track and field power and was a popular sport for its better athletes.
            “A lot of the kids are really buying into track. They knew what to expect going into the season. They’re getting more kids to come out and it’s building excitement,” Trompke said.
            Trompke planned to compete in football and track at Harvard which, officially, does not offer athletic scholarships but granted Trompke a huge academic fee waiver. He planned to major in business and/or economics.
            If he continues on his current path, there’s no doubt his successes will continue, too.

Rocky basketball: 2011-12 season recap

Starting in April, I interviewed Rocky Mountain (Idaho) boys basketball coach Dane Roy and several of his players regarding the 2011-12 season, which was coach Roy's first at the school. Here is the article that will appear in the team's postseason yearbook.

Big finish has Grizz longing for more

Feist, Trompke lead athletic group that showed
a lot of potential for coach Roy’s future teams

By Bruce Smith

Matchup

             The 2011-12 school year meant Rocky Mountain High was in just its fourth season. In boys basketball, traditions were still being learned. The previous summer brought the end of coach Todd Morrison’s era and ushered in Dane Roy.

            A longtime assistant, Roy brought a winning background learned at nearby Mountain View and good genes (he was the son of Centennial legend Emery Roy). The Grizzlies struggled early, but rebounded late in the season only to just barely miss qualifying for the postseason.
            “It was a good start. We built a positive atmosphere and that was the ultimate goal,” said Roy. “My expectations were always high. I wanted to show the kids what it takes to win.”
            The Grizzlies opened the year with impressive wins over Mountain Home and Nampa, but the league offered plenty of competition. In fact, several schools touted “special” teams. Borah had a 23-game win streak and ended up winning the district and state titles with one of its finest groups of players in its history. In the 10-team SIC, two teams didn’t make district, and Rocky was on the wrong side, even after defeating Mountain View in its season finale.
            “We were told before we played that if we won, we would qualify for district,” said Bryce Feist, the team’s leading scorer. “We pulled it together and had a really good game. After the game, we found out we didn’t make district. It was a phenomenal game and the coaches were proud of us. That was the highlight.”
            The players noted that it was a disappointing end, but the team’s improvement was no noticeable that there was no sign of depression. Rocky proved it was better than its record and, in fact, the biggest disappointment was not having a chance to pull off a big upset at district.
            “The thing we did best was push the ball up the floor,” said Roy. “We had a lot of athletes. When we could get a stop and start running, we’d look extremely good. After a while, we made doing that one of our priorities.”
            Feist was one of the team’s fastest players, and he received Rocky’s best postseason award – honorable mention all-SIC. However, the Grizzlies also had other attributes. They had the most players (10) named to the all-academic team with grade-point averages at 3.5 or higher and narrowly missed being the state’s academic champion.
            “We didn’t have much size and, although we played with a lot of heart, sometimes that can’t carry you,” Roy said. “But we had a good group of stable kids.”
            Besides Feist, Rocky also had enterprising athlete David Trompke. He was a three-sport star who came back from an injury suffered during the football season to become one of the team’s best players. Junior Matt Grooms was among the SIC’s best rebounders.
            Nate Bruneel, John Sherle, Garrison Pace and Elijah Slayden also had plenty of good moments and had Roy looking forward to next year. If not for some bad breaks – particularly with injuries – Rocky might have had a chance to show more this year.
            Trompke was named the team’s top defensive player at the postseason banquet. He and Sherle, when healthy, could dominate even the most talented opponent. As a team, Rocky set a school record by holding Vallivue to 29 points
            Offensively, Trompke had some impressive outings late in the season, but Rocky’s offense focused on Feist. One of the best baseball players in the school’s history, Feist was a dangerous three-point shooter. He broke two school records at Eagle, when he lit up the Mustangs for 30 points.
            The team was at its best late in the season when consecutive wins over Timberline, Boise and Capital to put itself into position to challenge for a district bid.
            “We realized we had to start winning to make district and we played a ton better,” said senior Colby Henderson. “We definitely stepped it up.”
            Certainly, the team proved what it could do. Next year, the first-year learning curve under Roy won’t be so large and the goal will be to show it on a nightly basis.

Rocky basketball: Bryce Feist profile

In late May, I interviewed Rocky Mountain (Idaho) basketball player Bryce Feist, who is mostly known for his baseball skills. Here is the article that will appear in Rocky's basketball yearbook.

Bryce Feist:

All fell into place for Rocky baseball star

to show his basketball talents, too

By Bruce Smith

Matchup

            Bryce Feist left Rocky Mountain High School as one of its most decorated athletes.

            He was a dominant baseball player and, as a senior, led Rocky to its first state baseball championship. The previous November, he visited St. George, Utah, and his play spoke for itself.
            “If I hadn’t got my Dixie scholarship so early, I didn’t think I was going to play (basketball) because I was going to focus on baseball,” he recalled. “Baseball has always been my No. 1 priority. I got the scholarship at about the same time basketball started.”
            Dixie didn’t want to wait and offered Feist early. It ended up being a good decision for all because, as a senior, Feist was named the SIC’s top player, and was the Gatorade player of the year (as the top baseball player in Idaho). He played third base and pitcher and had an amazing .476 batting average.
            He helped the Grizzlies to a 27-1 record, which included a victory over defending champion Eagle in the state title game.
            “My best memory in high school has to be winning state,” he said. “We had a chance to win state my sophomore year, but lost to Timberline. This year, we finally got it. It was a great achievement, and we’re a young school, too.”
            Coach Dane Roy knew of Feist’s baseball talents and wasn’t certain Feist would be part of the basketball program. However, once Feist had that scholarship, he appeared at the first practice and went on to have a record-breaking season. The Grizzlies finished 8-12 overall and missed the 5A District 3 tournament, but there were great moments that made the team feel like it had accomplished something.
            “The last game we played against Mountain View,” Feist said. “We pulled it together and had a really good game. It was a phenomenal game and our coaches were proud of us. That was the highlight.”
            Feist was Rocky’s top scorer, averaging 12.3 points per game. He led the team in three-pointers made and steals and was No. 2 in free-throw shooting. Feist also broke several school records. His 30-point effort against rival Eagle easily bettered the school’s previous best and it’s likely most players on the team will never forget his performance that night.
            “I was just feeling it,” Feist said. “They were leaving me open at the three-point line and I definitely wasn’t afraid to shoot it. I had three threes in a row in the first few minutes, and it just kept going from there.”
            Feist had 18 points by halftime and helped the Grizzlies take a big lead. Unfortunately, the game turned in the second half but Rocky didn’t give up. He hit two more treys in the final period, but Eagle won in the final seconds.
            “That was a really big game and we’re rivals,” Feist said. “We had a really good fan section and everyone was chanting. We were all into it. I had some adrenaline going and that helped my game.”
            Feist made a lot of good friends on the basketball team, particularly Colby Henderson and Garrison Pace. At the post-season banquet, he said he laughed hard as Roy tried to describe Feist’s basketball talents.
            “They said I did a lot of ‘cherry-picking,’” he said, laughing. “I didn’t … really. I’m pretty fast and got downcourt quickly. I ended up getting a lot of baskets this year.
            Cherry-picking might have been a good description, though. Feist grew up in Emmett (where there are ample cherry trees) and was the youngest of six children. He began going to school at Rocky because his baseball talents were only beginning to be recognized and, as a sophomore, he wanted to compete against Idaho’s bigger schools. He had played baseball with a couple of kids from Meridian, and decided to begin commuting.
            The rest is history – at least at Rocky. Feist said he has plans to make more.
            After graduation, his family moved to Minot, N.D., and then he was ready to play baseball again.
            “It’s exciting,” he said. “Baseball is my life. I’m looking forward to what’s next.”

Rocky basketball: Colby Henderson profile

In late May, I interviewed Rocky Mountain (Idaho) basketball player Colby Henderson and we talked about his athletic career, and the team's season. This is the article that will appear in the 2011-12 Rocky boys basketball yearbook.


Colby Henderson:

Grizz relished beating Mountain View

and showed what might have been

By Bruce Smith

Matchup

            Colby Henderson felt Rocky Mountain’s 2011-12 boys basketball season ended too early.

            The Grizzlies turned around a disappointing year with three straight victories late in the season, and the players’ hopes were at their peak when they then finished off the regular season with a 56-50 upset victory over Mountain View.
            “We definitely stepped it up,” Henderson said. “We were told that if we won the last Mountain View game, we would go to district for sure.”
            Henderson said the Grizzlies played their best game of the season that night. He certainly felt he did. The victory and postgame feeling were his best memories of the year. Afterward, every player congratulated each other for beating one of the best teams in the league, and doing it to first-year coach Dane Roy’s former school.
            “We just played amazing,” Henderson said. “It was my favorite game. They were our biggest rival because of coach Roy. Eagle was probably our chief rival in other sports but, in basketball, it was Mountain View.”
            Henderson was Rocky’s 5-foot-11 senior guard. He averaged 3.2 points per game and 1.9 rebounds during the season. He missed four games because of a sprained ankle but was a big factor in Rocky’s late-season successes. The Grizzlies finished 8-12 overall. Unfortunately, they were just one of two SIC teams that didn’t qualify for the 5A District 3 tournament.
            Meridian’s win over Vallivue that night forced a three-way tie for seventh place, and the Grizzlies were forced out in the tiebreaker. It was a disappointing end, but the Mountain View victory made the team realize how far it came during the season.
            “It was the opposite of how it should have been,” he said. “The night we beat Mountain View was one of the best nights of my life, but it didn’t work out.”
            Henderson was a two-year varsity player. He started and came off the bench at times during his senior season. His high game was an eight-point effort at Centennial. He also scored seven points in a home game against Timberline and in the Mountain View finale.
            He had just three blocked shots during the season, but saved his best for last.
            “(Brandon) Luedtke had a turnaround (jumper) and I swatted him out of bounds,” he said. “That didn’t happen to him very often … not as often as it should.”
            Henderson felt his role on the team was to come on to the court and provide energy. He was athletic, and Roy noted that Rocky needed a spark because it often struggled early in games.
            “Some games we just started terribly,” Henderson recalled. “Then we would go into half and be ‘pissed’ and just dominated the second half. Coach Roy didn’t have to say much. He would talk, but we knew what we would have to do. We would make it happen and give us a chance to win.”
            Henderson was one of the guys Roy looked to in order to create the best player combination. He had always been competitive, playing football, hockey, T-ball and basketball growing up. During his freshmen year, he played quarterback and running back in football, but suffered a broken leg and a torn MCL. He said that set his athletic progress back more than a year and he decided to just focus on basketball.
            He played for coach Todd Morrison, but appreciated the changes Roy brought to the program his senior year. Besides the games, he said another highlight of the year came at the team’s postseason banquet when Roy stood in front of the crowd of players and parents and gave his thoughts of the season.
            “He dug deep for each player and  told what he remembered … little things that we wouldn’t remember that stuck with him,” Henderson said. “It was a good time, and it was good to go off like that.”
            After graduation, Henderson said he hoped to continue playing basketball. He received an offer to try out at Blue Mountain Community College in Pendleton, Ore. If that didn’t work out, he said he probably would attend Boise State.

Olympus basketball: Jackson Coleman profile

In late May, I interviewed Olympus basketball player Jackson Coleman. He was injured midway through the season, but it was remarkable how he adjusted to it and help his team. This is the article that will appear in the Olympus 2011-12 boys basketball yearbook.

Jackson

Coleman:

He turned a midseason ankle injury

into a new means to help the team

By Bruce Smith

Matchup

            Jackson Coleman and his father had a lot to talk about the 2011-12 Olympus High School basketball season.

            “My dad played football and broke his foot his junior year (in high school),” Coleman said. “Then he came back his senior year and ended up winning state (championship), so we talked about how important it was to come back from an injury.”

            And how to recuperate during it – both physically and mentally.

            The highlight of Coleman’s senior year wasn’t a highlight – more like the opposite. The 6-foot-5 senior forward was only used to having success on the basketball court when he landed on teammate Coulson Hardy’s foot in practice and fractured his left ankle.

            But instead of moping about it, he adjusted quickly.

            “It taught me a bunch of big-time life lessons,” he said. “Like how to be a teammate.”

            Coleman started the school year playing for the Olympus golf team. He carded an 82 at the state tournament and was one of the team’s top finishers. He was expecting even more in basketball.

            Coleman averaged almost 10 points a game before the injury, and was one of the team’s deadliest outside shooters. He scored 12, 15 and 16 points in a three-game span against Woods Cross, Alta and Highland – a time when the rest of the Titans’ offense wasn’t doing much more combined.

            However, after an 11-point effort in Oly’s 83-53 victory over Hillcrest, he wasn’t seen on the court again for a month.

            “I felt it pop,” he recalled. “I had that uneasy feeling. The guys came and helped me up. I tried to walk it off, but it felt way unstable. It swelled up a ton. The next morning there was a lot of bruising. I knew I was going to be out for a while. I went to St. Marks (Hospital). They x-rayed it and they found a little crack in the bone.”

            The doctors told him it would take 4-6 weeks to heal. Turns out they were about right. The healing in his head, however, occurred far more quickly.

            “Stats wise, this season wasn’t what I hoped for, but that didn’t matter,” he said. “It couldn’t have gone any better building me character-wise. I learned to play a much different role.”

            Coleman was on crutches, and then wore a walking boot. He went to almost every practice, and every game. He sat behind the team bench and tried to encourage his teammates. He was proud of how they adjusted, particularly guys like Will Cannon, Nick Barney, Stuart Pace and Hardy.

            “All of us were really tight and they had to step up,” he said. “Stu filled the role that I had and it helped a lot, especially in the state tournament. Guys were used to having to step up.”

            By that time, Coleman had returned, but it was rough. He said he had to have his ankle taped heavily before each game and felt uncomfortable.

            He played briefly in Oly’s 54-45 win at Skyline and got additional minutes in the “Senior Night” win over Murray, where the Titans won the Region 7 title.

            “Coach Barnes kept talking to me and he said he would try to work me into the starting lineup, but it worked out better with me coming off the bench,” he said.

            Coleman’s play picked up in the 4A state tournament, but he saved his best effort for the state championship game.

            “That was my best game,” he said. “It was the first time I felt 100 percent after my ankle injury. I was able to play and didn’t have to worry about any pain.

            “I’ll always remember that game,” he added. “All the alumni, and we had so much support, especially our students. I remember looking around and seeing so much support. It was wild.”

            Coleman scored 11 points and tied his career high with eight rebounds in Oly’s 58-50 loss. He said the atmosphere, the fans and the healthy feeling he had was almost intoxicating, despite the loss.

            “We all felt like we accomplished a lot. We would have liked to win it all, but it was still a great ride.”

            The ankle problem didn’t ruin Coleman’s golf game, and he planned to try to continue his basketball career at Multnomah University in Portland, Ore., where his brother, Seth, attends.

            “I’m going to try college golf, and maybe basketball,” he said. “We’ll see how it goes.”

Olympus basketball: Stuart Pace profile

In mid-May, I interviewed Olympus guard Stuart Pace, who had an interesting season for the Titans. It was to his credit how he applied his skills to help the team. Oly preaches the team concept and Pace is a great example of why the Titans' approach to the game is a good one. Here is the article that will appear in this year's Olympus boys basketball yearbook.

Stuart

Pace:

He had a lot to live up to, and provided

the support that elevated the Titans

By Bruce Smith

Matchup

             For Stuart Pace, playing basketball team this was a tale of two seasons.

            He survived and, looking back, said he became a better player due to it.
            The 6-foot-2 senior guard had a lot to live up to as Olympus prepared for its 2011-12 schedule. Longtime coach Matt Barnes knew of the talent that came from within the Pace family. There were two brothers who played for Barnes in late 1990s and Pace’s sister, Michelle, was a first team all-state pick a few years ago.
            Stuart was the fourth – and final – member of the Pace basketball clan..
            “I’ve been around Olympus basketball since I started walking,” Pace said. “I had always known that I wanted to play for Barnes. I had been going to Olympus (basketball) camps since the second or third grade.”
            After being a key member on the Olympus junior varsity team last year, Stuart opened this season following in his sibling’s footsteps. He said the best part of his game was his defense, and was often asked to guard the opponent’s top player.
            “I had played with the team during the summer and they knew what I could do,” he said. “I knew I would play but I didn’t think I’d have such an important role as I ended up having.”
            Pace and Connor Haller were in the starting lineup on opening night. However, after three losses in the Titans’ first four games, Barnes brought them both into his office and asked them to play a different role.
            “Coach Barnes made the change because we were not getting off to a good start in games,” Pace said. “We still played and we weren’t too bumbed about it.
            “Coming off the bench was a little difficult at first, but I just figured it was the same game and I’d be fine. Once I stopped worrying about not starting, I didn’t feel bad. I still got to play a ton and we were winning games, which was most important.”
            Pace ended up averaging 3.7 points per game and 2.1 rebounds. He had a high game of 11 points in the 4A state tournament against Provo, and an impressive 10-assist night vs. Taylorsville.
            The only downfall, of course, was not being able to jump into the crowd when the starters were introduced. Pace accepted his role, but when Jackson Coleman injured his ankle a short while later, he moved back in as a starter and his play improved.
            “My best game was either East or Provo in the state tournament,” he recalled. “Those were my higher scoring games, but I was never much of a scorer. I guarded Parker Van Dyke for most of the East game. That was pretty tough because he was just ridiculously good. We made a big comeback in that game and I helped a lot with that.”
            Pace said there were many good memories during the year. He felt Oly’s 57-51 overtime win at Murray “was awesome” because the Titans trailed by as many as nine points in the final minutes but still managed to force overtime.
            “Barnes got a technical and I figured we were done,” Pace said. “But Will (Cannon) and (Nick) Barney kept playing hard and made some plays. Everyone then started playing hard. Before you know it, it was in overtime. By that point, we knew we could win it and then we dominated overtime.”
            Beating Skyline was also important, even though Pace played only a small role. He said another of his favorite memories came when the Titans beat Murray again to wrap up the Region 7 title. Besides cutting down the nets and posing for pictures, there was also another – less known – celebration.
            “We partied afterward,” he said. “We had a bunch of sparkling apple cider. We were all in our underwear and spraying apple cider on each other. It was a blast.”
            The excitement didn’t stop until the final buzzer of the state championship game. Pace may not have had the statistics of his siblings, but he certainly appreciated the success. He said he would never forget the experience as his life continued. Almost immediately after graduation, he was scheduled to leave on an LDS Church mission to Kiev, Ukraine.

Olympus basketball: Jake Bengtzen profile

In mid May, I interviewed Olympus guard Jake Bengtzen, who played guard for the Titans' basketball team. He told me about how the season progressed for him and I found it interesting that, if not for a few small decisions, this year could have resulted in something totally different. Here's the article that will appear in the Olympus 2011-12 basketball yearbook.

Jake Bengtzen:

Small decisions made a big difference
in his season - and for the team, too

By Bruce Smith

Matchup
 
            Jake Bengtzen came in hobbling to the first day of basketball practice.
            He left a free man. In between, he said, was basketball season. It released him.
            “It was awesome,” said Bengtzen, a 6-foot senior guard. “At the (postseason) banquet, that was the last hurrah about what we had done. We accomplished a lot. If we don’t realize it, we need to step back.”
            The Titans, of course, finished with an 18-7 record, won the Region 7 title and advanced all the way to the 4A state title game. Bengtzen averaged 5.2 points per game led the team in assists. His best game was a 15-point effort at Westlake when he nailed three treys to start the game.
            Still, it was his consistency that was most appreciated.
            At the start of the year, few expected all of that to happen, and it probably wouldn’t have if a few key events hadn’t occurred.
            Bengtzen came into the year with an ankle injury that he had suffered the previous spring when Olympus competed at  a basketball tournament in Santa Cruz, Calif. A few weeks later, he aggravated it. Doctors gave him a choice – surgery or no surgery?
            “I tore two ligaments completely,” Bengtzen said. “I didn’t know if I was going to play. I chose no surgery, but I had to rehab it a lot. I was in a little bit of pain all season, but it was worth it.”
            The second event occurred after the fourth game of the year. Oly had just come off a 41-38 loss at Highland and had a 1-3 record at the time. Bengtzen had spent much of it on the bench.
            Early the next morning, Bengtzen was in the gym. At such a frustrating time, he felt it was the only place he should be.
            “We all had Barnes’ basketball class first period, and he had told us to just sleep in,” Bengtzen recalled. “I couldn’t do that.”
            It turned out Barnes couldn’t sleep either. That afternoon, the coach changed the starting lineup, inserting Bengtzen and Nick Barney. Barnes knew all the Oly players were talented, but he needed something to provide a spark. The next five games were against top-level teams and, if the Titans were going to make a move, it had to be then.
            “When coach told me, it wasn’t really a personal moment, but I really remember it,” Bengtzen said. “I thought we totally turned it around in that day or two after the Highland game.”
            “We played a really tough preseason and I thought we needed some more energy,” said Barnes. “After making Jake a starter, we really started to mesh and we started to work hard to get Will (Cannon) the ball.”
            The Titans defeated 5A power Bingham and won nine of their next 10 games. Bengtzen became the team’s top three-point shooter and assist man. Perhaps more importantly, the change also got Cannon more involved. After three games where he scored 6, 6 and 2 points, Cannon took advantage of the extra attention paid to Oly’s outside shooters and went on to be the Region 7 MVP and make the all-state team.
            “The best part of my game was passing,” said Bengtzen. “I always joke with Will that if he would have made more layups, I would have had more assists. I would kid him that he would miss the layup and then get the rebound and score. I liked to bug him about that.”
            The two helped each other – and everyone else on the team. The Titans drew attention after beating the likes of Bingham, Fremont, Bountiful and Davis, and it led to one of the most memorable seasons in school history. Here are a couple of Bengtzen’s favorites:
            * - “I remember the night before we played (at) Skyline. I got sick and threw up multiple times and didn’t go to school that day. I woke up at 5 p.m. and was told I had missed the bus. Mom gave me some medicine and we ended up dominating them on their ‘Senior Night.’ That was a great time.”
            * - “In the state tournament, I remember walking out on the court in that first game and feeling like ‘wow, we are actually here.’  Being introduced in the state championship with all those fans there was cool. I don’t remember that as well as I wished I did because it was such a crazy moment.”
            When the season ended, there was lots of time for reflection. Bengtzen said his sports career was probably over and the ankle wasn’t a factor. He said he earned an academic/alumni scholarship to the University of Utah and planned to major in business and minor in communication.
            “I’m still up in the air about what I want to do.”