Bingham band: Jared Edwards profile

In late January, I interviewed Jared Edwards, the section leader of the Bingham High School Marching Band's Front Ensemble group. They played to their own tune, so to speak. Here is the article that will appear in the Bingham 2012 Marching Band yearbook.

Jared Edwards:       

They didn’t mind the jokes because

they had their own musical agenda

 By Bruce Smith

Matchup

             The Front Ensemble group of the Bingham Marching Band was primarily in their own world.

            Their instruments were too big – and bulky – to join the rest of the group. They became “The Pit” and accepted their role with a smile.
            “Percussion was going all summer,” said section leader Jared Edwards. “By the time we got to Band Camp (in early August), we had most of the songs memorized and were working on specific details. We didn’t have much time off. The most I had off was when I got my wisdom teeth out (three days).
            “Yet everyone still called us lazy,” he added. “We had to live with stuff like that.”
            Edwards wasn’t totally serious, of course. He and the other 10 members of the group relished their time together. He called it a great year, starting with Camp and ending with Bingham’s finish at the Bands of America competition.
            “In 30 years, the thing I’ll remember most was the Bands of America. It was a long trip (to California, with a return stop in St. George), and it was cramped.  We had a lot of camaraderie.”
            The camaraderie started early in the summer and, with the help of instructor Jake Van Weezep, the group was more finely tuned by the time Camp began on Aug. 9. Edwards said they felt more comfortable with what needed to be accomplished.
            “There was quite a bit of goofing off, but that’s what made it the most fun,” Edwards said.
            It also resulted in a lot of advantages.
            We got to stay inside. It was great,” he said. “Everyone else was outside (in the 90-degree heat). We were excused from the morning warm-ups. We came in at noon and were only there for eight hours. We had to set up and be ready to play at noon and then we’d play until dinner. At that point, we would move our stuff to be outside with the band.”
            Edwards’ role in the Bingham band actually started a little late. Most of his family are musically talented and he got interested in playing an instrument in seventh grade. At first, he chose the drums, but soon realized he liked instruments that involved mallets and started mastering the vibraphone. He became aware of the Marching Band his sophomore year and joined as a junior.
            He said he didn’t know many people in the band outside of his group, which also included his younger sister, Rachel. He said it was nice having her in the group, even though she sometimes told embarrassing stories about him to her friends.
            It was also nice having her at the team’s late-season trip to Disneyland. The group spent one day there (Halloween) when the crowds were relatively thin. Edwards said he liked the roller coasters best, but it was difficult to get motivated at first became they arrived there after an all-night bus ride from South Jordan.
            Now that the season is over, Edwards said he turns 18 on July 3 and planned to go on an LDS Church mission shortly afterward. After that, he’d like to go to college and major in engineering. Music will likely just be a hobby.

Bingham band: Anthony Olivares profile

In late January, I interviewed Anthony Olivares, who was the section leader of the Bingham Marching Band's drum line. He had a lot to say about the creative talents and abilities of his group and they had a fun year, even if they weren't always understood by others. Here is the article that will appear in the Bingham 2012 Marching Band yearbook.

Anthony Olivares:

 

He led a creative group that wasn’t

understood except by themselves

 

By Bruce Smith

Matchup

 

            The drum line section was always in the middle of the Bingham Marching Band performances. Handling one of the most well-known instruments, the group was often the center of attention.

            If not for their play, then for their actions.

            The section, including its leader, Anthony Olivares, wasn’t always understood by the rest of the formation. For much of the season, they were on their own and developed their own attitude.

            “We typically did our own thing,” Olivares said. “We often were doing things we weren’t supposed to. Sometimes the rules are a little too strict. Everybody (in his group) was complaining and I would try to keep them happy and keep (band director Darin) Graber happy.

            “Spencer (Lepley, the head drum major) didn’t like that. He wanted us to conform to every rule.”

            In a long season, discipline frequently keeps team’s focused. There was no doubt the Bingham band had that, as shown by its season-long improvement that eventually resulted in a third-place finish among the larger Utah schools at the Band of America competition in St. George.

            “That was our best (performance),” Olivares said. “It was so good that there people crying over it. I didn’t celebrate, but for a lot of people, this was their very last competition and it was a great way to end.”

            For this 13-member group, though, sometimes it was the means that justified the ends.

            “For us, the highlight was midseason,” he said. “Things were flowing and there wasn’t much commotion. I liked to keep us more of a section and be unified so we can learn how to deal with each other better.

            “We had a lot of fun,” he added. “We had a guy from California (Jake Goehring) come and and took our co-captain’s spot. He was the most creative and spot-on funny guy. In any situation, he could come up with a witty comment. Being with him made it a lot more fun.”

            Olivares also pointed to Andrew Smith, who sometimes showed his funny attitude.

            “Andrew was one of the tenor players. The bases didn’t talk much. They were the silent, but favorite group,” he said. “It was mostly the tenors and snares that were obnoxious, but it was pretty funny to us.”

            Olivares said the unifying factor for the drum line was Larry Edvalson, an experienced percussion instructor who, in his first year, provided a lot of good advice to the squad.

            “He was a big help and we learned a lot from him,” Olivares said.

            Olivares said he hoped to continue learning after the season ended. Besides band, he said another highlight of his schooling has been working with special needs kids.

            He also wants be active in music. He started playing the drums in seventh grade and now has experience in virtually all the percussion instruments. He planned to perform with the South County Percussion drum line in Provo and try to earn a music scholarship to the University of Utah.

            “I’d really like to make a career out of it,” he said. “ I don’t know in what way, but I’ll find something.”

Stansbury football: Colton May profile

In late January, I interviewed Stansbury (Utah) linebacker Colton May, who led the Stallions' defense and was a big part in the team's success in only the school's fourth season. Here is the article that will appear in the Stansbury 2012 football yearbook.

Colton May:

 He came into the season motivated

and led Stallions’ best-ever defense

By Bruce Smith

Matchup
 
            Colton May left the Stansbury football program as one of its most well-decorated.
            It almost didn’t happen that way. But because he approached the 2012 football season so motivated, success couldn’t help but follow – for him and the team.
            As a junior, the 6-foot, 200-pounder was a stalwart on the Stallions’ 2011 team, which won their first region title, finished the season with a 9-2 record and made it to the second round of the 3A playoffs. Even though Stansbury had an impressive run in only its third year of existence, giving up just 12 points per game, only Jeremy Café made first team all-state.
            May had a team-high 103 tackles and made three interceptions but, surprisingly, he didn’t even make honorable mention.
            He put that snub to good use.
            “I felt deprived,” he said. “It was one of my goals to get all-state and break my record of tackles that I had last year. I also wanted to average in double figures in tackles per game.
            “I worked very hard this year to get that recognition,” he added. “Being elected first team all-state was my best highlight.”
            May played almost entirely on defense. At linebacker, he was all over the field, and was often able to relax late in games after Stansbury built comfortable leads.
            However, he appreciated the close games more, and that’s where he made his mark. That was never more noticeable during a midseason stretch of games. It started in the Stallions’ 29-28 overtime win over Morgan, where May broke his own record with 16 tackles.
            The following week, he achieved even more as Stansbury defeated Desert Hills 12-7, avenging the playoff loss from the year before. That win gave the Stallions a lot of confidence.
            “Revenge was sweet, that’s for sure,” May said. “But our team really came together at that point. It was very memorable.”
            “He had a great season,” said Stansbury coach Clint Christiansen. “He was our leader on defense and had a great attitude. We had a lot of team speed and he was part of it.”
            Another memorable moment for May came at Grantsville, even though he wasn’t part of it. On the Cowboys’ “Senior Night,” the Stallions averted a loss when Iosua Opeta and Ronnie Hill blew open a hole on an extra-point kick and Jackson Clausing blocked it, which led to Stansbury’s eventual 14-13 victory.
            May grew up playing many different sports. He began playing competitive football in fourth grade with guys like Clausing, Chandler Staley and Cole Merseth and became great friends with them. Together, they helped the Stallions go from a low-level squad to a 3A championship contender.
            “It was really exciting to see what we could accomplish,” May said.
            He said he could see Stansbury’s potential during his sophomore year. Playing sub-varsity against 4A teams at the time, he relished the challenge of going up against the bigger schools. He said Christiansen kept most of the underclassmen off the varsity at that time to prepare them better.
            “Coach was kind of grooming us,” he said. “Coach broke us down and made us more disciplined. He made it so we wanted to work harder.”
            On defense, there was no harder worker on the field. May finished his Stansbury football career with an amazing 234 tackles, a record that likely will be difficult for anyone to break. As a team, the Stallions also improved. They won another region crown, finished 11-1 and the defense held opponents to an average of 10.5 points per game.
            There were also four shutouts, including a 55-0 pounding of county rival Tooele. May said the only lowlight was Stansbury’s 20-13 loss to eventual champion Dixie.
            With football over, May said he planned to compete in the short sprints (100, 200 meters) on Stansbury’s track and field team. After graduation, he hoped to go on an LDS Church mission and then earn a scholarship to play football at Dixie State in St. George.
            “They showed a lot of interest and I like the coaches down there,” he said. “The weather is great and I’d like to stay in state close to my family.”

Brighton football: 2012 season recap

The Brighton (Utah) High School Bengals finished the 2012 season with an 8-5 record. Here is the article that will appear in the team's 2012 football yearbook.

Making history

 
Hot start gives Bengals momentum, but it was
the way they finished that will be remembered

 By Bruce Smith

Matchup
 
            In Brighton High School football lore, it will just be remembered as “the play.” There may be others in Brighton history, but now there’s certainly another.
            Fourth down and 12 yards to go. The clock was winding down with just over a minute remaining. The Bengals were playing West Jordan in a play-in game on a comfortable Monday afternoon at Hillcrest High’s field and trailed 7-6. The winner would go to the playoffs, the loser went home.
            The Bengals had a good season going. They would eventually finish with an 8-5 record. They started the season winning their first five games, including an impressive 21-14 comeback victory over Davis in the opener.
            “We had a very successful year. Best since 2005,” said coach Ryan Bullett. “Winning at Davis … I had been trying to do that for a long time and we talked about it a lot. But if we hadn’t beaten West Jordan, I don’t know how important it would still be.”
            On that memorable play, freshman quarterback Drew Jensen couldn’t rely on his best runners – Uaea and Osa Masina. The Bengals’ backs averaged almost six yards per carry during the season running behind a talented line.
            On this play, Jensen’s only option was to hurl a deep “Hail Mary” pass.
            “We were dead in the water, but a lot of kids kept believing that something would happen,” Bullett recalled. “The play was 89-Jet and he had to catch it.”
            Alec McArdle leaped between two defenders to catch it about the 10-yard line. He took two steps toward the goal line, but suddenly dropped the ball and it scooted into the end zone. As fans from both sides of the field screamed as loud as they could, McArdle caught up to the ball and dove on it with about a foot to spare.
            It was McArdle’s second reception of the season and his only touchdown.
            “I didn’t know what to think when I caught that ball; I just ran,” McArdle said. “Then I dropped it and thought, ‘Oh crap, I have to get it, no matter what.’ When he (the nearby official) signaled touchdown, it was just happiness. We’re going to state.”
            It was the fourth time in the last five years Brighton had been forced to play an extra game to make the postseason, and the first time the Bengals won. Despite injury problems to the Masina brothers, Brighton was in every game. The season finally ended in the first round of the 5A playoffs when the Bengals lost 24-17 to defending champion Lone Peak.
            “We had a tough schedule, and our region was really tough,” said Bullett. “In the first five games, we were plus-10 (in turnovers) and had a lot of momentum. Overall, the kids really battled.”
            Offensive lineman Jackson Barton, a 6-foot-8, 270-pound junior, was named first team all-state. Osa Masina made second team in one newspaper and Uaea was in the other. The two brothers played both ways and combined for almost 1,300 rushing yards. Uaea also had two kickoff returns for touchdowns and received a scholarship from the University of Utah.
            The strength of the team was clearly the line – on both sides of the ball. Led by Barton (who also accepted an offer from Utah), Josh Menna, Ethan Finlinson, Lowell Groberg, Tyson Aldridge, Aaron Sleight, J.J. Mahe and others, they had a great size advantage. In most games, Brighton’s running game controlled the clock and kept the pressure off Jensen, who rarely – if ever – hurt the team, despite his youth.
            “He had a good season,” Bullett said. “He did everything we asked him to.”
            Isaiah Kaufusi, Chandler Gee and Tyson Reid were capable receivers. On defense, Kekoa Kane easily led the team in tackles. Kaufusi was also a force. He and McArdle topped the team in interceptions.
            The Bengals didn’t win state. They didn’t win region and, in fact, barely made the playoffs. But they did it, and in a memorable fashion.

Brighton football: Uaea Masina profile

In mid-January, I interviewed Uaea Masina, Brighton's talented RB/LB, who played a big role on the Bengals' football team. Here is the article that will appear in the Brighton 2012 football yearbook.

Uaea Masina:

 

Injuries forced him and the Bengals

to adjust their game to find success

 

By Bruce Smith

Matchup

 

            If it hadn’t been for injuries, Uaea Masina might have been one of the most prolific players in Brighton football history.

            Growing up, he played football, soccer and basketball and was always among the best players. Now, at 6-foot-4 and 205 pounds, he focused solely on football. The University of Utah recognized this and offered him a scholarship after his junior year.

            Playing behind Brighton’s talented line, everything was set for a great senior season.

            “It was a fun year, but there were some letdowns,” he said. “Getting hurt and losing some games we shouldn’t have lost.”

            It started with a rush. He had 129 yards in the opener at Davis, including a 28-yard touchdown run that was the deciding score. After the season, he said it was his favorite game, but for another reason.

            “I got to play with my brother (Osa),” he admitted. “I don’t know how many times we ran that quarterback draw where he would take the ball and just ran free. I was blocking for him on those plays.”

            For the season, Uaea rushed for 622 yards. He averaged just over six yards per carry and his blocks probably accounted for a lot more. A knee injury in Brighton’s win at Sky View the third week of the season, however, ended up being a big deal. He reinjured it against Jordan six weeks later.

            In all, he played maybe half of the Bengals’ games. However, it was the confidence he gave others that was missed the most.

            “When Uaea was on, everybody else raised their game,” said coach Ryan Bullett.

            Like most players, Uaea often relived the injury as he stood on the sidelines.

            “I was playing defense. It was right after half,” he recalled. “A guy came across and tripped against my knee and just took it out. I couldn’t even practice. I had to go visit a physical therapist.”

            Brighton adjusted by giving more playing time to Osa. Just a sophomore, Osa had showed potential in the Bengals’ earlier games and he ended up leading the team in rushing. When Uaea returned, their combined experience made the Bengals even better.

            “We knew what each other was thinking,” Uaea said. “We could just look at each other and know. We had great chemistry.”

            When the Masina brothers were both in the game, Brighton had one of the best 1-2 running tandems in the state. When Uaea returned against Alta, Osa had become such a force that Uaea could focus his talents more elsewhere. Even though he was still hobbled at Alta, he gave the Bengals a big momentum boost by returning a kickoff for a touchdown.

            Two weeks later, Uaea made the play of the game on defense, wrestling the ball from a West Jordan ball carrier in the fourth quarter that helped seal a 20-14 victory.

            “I tried to do as much as I could,” Uaea said. “I didn’t want to miss (playing) Alta. The Thursday before the game, I was finally able to run. I tried to get back in shape and get my lungs back, but that was about it.”

            In retrospect, Brighton had become two teams – one with both Masina brothers and one without.

            “When Uaea was out, we realized we couldn’t rely on him,” said Bullett. “But we built a lot of team chemistry. Even when we weren’t winning all of our games, we still believed in ourselves.”

            Part of that was because Brighton felt it could run the ball on anybody. The Bengals often controlled time of possession, giving their defense some rest and relieving the pressure on freshman quarterback Drew Jensen. For the season, the Bengals averaged 5.8 yards per carry and Uaea and Osa combined for 1,328 yards and 15 touchdowns.

            It also gave them valuable memories, even if they weren’t able to reach their potential.

            “I was just getting a feel for the game,” Uaea said. “But I’m going to U. to play some more. I can’t wait.”

Brighton football: Ethan Finlinson profile

In mid-January, I interviewed Ethan Finlinson, a lineman for the Brighton (Utah) High School football team. He was in a good mood and his laugh is catching. He had a good season, and even a shoulder injury didn't dampen his spirits. Here is the article that will appear in the Brighton 2012 football yearbook.

Ethan Finlinson:

 
Late injury put a damper on his season,
but Bengals’ success kept his spirits up

 By Bruce Smith

Matchup

                Ethan Finlinson was introduced to football rather late – in the eighth grade. And, in retrospect, it was his senior year at Brighton High School that – by far – had the biggest impact.

            Finlinson was part of Brighton’s dominating line. At 6-foot-2 and 235 pounds, however, he was considered the lightweight.
            “I brought down our average (size),” he said, laughing. “But we all worked together and had fun. That’s what was important. We had fun the whole year.”
            It started in the summer. Playing in local 7-on-7 tournaments, Finlinson said it was pretty obvious that the Bengals would be pretty good in 2012. He ended up playing both ways. He broke his shoulder, however, in Brighton’s game at Jordan and spent the rest of the time on the bench.
            Watching the remaining games was difficult, but it didn’t dampen his spirit.
            “My favorite memory was beating Davis on their home turf,” he said. “The last couple of seconds, taking a knee and letting the clock run down. We celebrated on the bus, going crazy. It was our best game and Davis was always a tough game for us.”
            All during summer workouts, Finlinson said the Bengals had been looking forward to playing Davis. The 21-14 victory allowed the team to start to live up to its preseason hype.
            “We wanted to trash them. Every day in the weight room during the off season we would break in with a ‘Beat Davis’ cheer, and then we did it.”
            Finlinson was a big part. Although his statistics didn’t show it, he was part of the offensive line that helped the running game average over 200 yards per contest – and 5.8 yards per carry. The defense also had its share of good games, especially early in the year when the Bengals won their first five games.
            Davis was the first victim. Then came Fremont, Sky View, American Fork and Pleasant Grove. Finlinson said his best game was at American Fork. However, his best individual memory was at home vs. West Jordan, when he teamed with Lowell Groberg to sack the Jaguars’ quarterback.
            “It was early in the game and it was just one of those key shots,” he said. “I blindsided him right in the back. I was going for a kill shot.”
            It also ended up being one of his last memories because he was hurt the following week. He still went to practice, and dressed in full uniform for the games, but was unable to play. He still remained involved, and will never forget the team’s best memory – Alec McArdle’s “Hail Mary” catch in the play-in game against West Jordan.
            “I saw the whole thing,” Finlinson said. “I couldn’t stand not to watch it. When he dropped it (the ball), I almost crapped myself. I saw him dive on it and I saw the refs signal touchdown. It was crazy after that. I was yelling so loud. I was so happy.”
            The Bengals’ season was a big change from previous years. He made a lot of friends playing football. In 2011, he got a lot of playing time on Brighton’s junior varsity team, and was used sparingly on varsity.
            “I remember some of the players … how they played. It was inspiring to be like them,” he said. “We only had 15 or so kids on our JV team, so I had to play both ways.”
            Finlinson is the second oldest of four kids. After high school, he planned to go on an LDS Church mission and then attend the University of Utah. He hadn’t decided on a major, but his favorite high-school classes were science, math and commercial art.  

Brighton football: J.J. Mahe profile

In mid-January, I interviewed J.J. Mahe, who was a talented lineman for the Brighton football team. Here is the article that will appear in the Brighton 2012 football yearbook.

J.J. Mahe:

 His physical play on the defensive line

forced teams to make him their focus

By Bruce Smith

Matchup

             Wearing uniform No. 53, J.J. Mahe had a big impact on the Brighton football team.

            The offensive line got most of the preseason hype but, in practice, they had to go up against Mahe. In games, it was the defense that frequently kept the Bengals alive. It started in the season opener against Davis, when the Darts were held scoreless in the second half on their home field.
            The following week, Brighton blanked Fremont 27-0 and, afterward, at least one Bengal coach exclaimed, “now that’s Brighton football.”
            Tough, tenacious, physical. Twenty one players weighed in at 200 pounds or more. Mahe was one of the heaviest – at 310 – and the most athletic. He said coaches often noted that he had quick feet, and that he never gave up on plays, which set him apart from other players.
            “It was a great year. We did so much. Probably one of the best years we’ve had here since 2005,” said Mahe. “I’ll never forget those times.
            “The best part was the excitement we felt even before the season started. It was the biggest line we had in a long time. All of our line were returning starters. We knew it would be a better year. I don’t think other teams knew. We were unexpected.”
            Mahe finished with 32 tackles – ranking fifth on the team – but those statistics didn’t show how his true value. His quickness often forced opponents to adjust their plans. He frequently disrupted plays, even if he didn’t get in on the tackle.
            In Brighton’s first five games, the Bengals allowed just 11.6 points per game.
            Mahe said there were two turning points for the Bengals.
            * - The first came at halftime of the Davis game, when Brighton rallied for a 21-14 win.
            “After that game, we knew it was going to be a long, fun year,” Mahe said.
            * - The second came two months later. Brighton had lost to Cottonwood 20-0 in a play-in game and faced West Jordan for the final playoff spot at Hillcrest High’s field. Some of the players were dejected, but it was the beginning of what would be a momentous day.
            “The coaches started tell us great (inspirational) stories and all of the seniors starting cheering up and got excited,” he said.
            The contest’s deciding play came with about a minute left when Alec McArdle made a leaping catch of a “Hail Mary” pass and scored the go-ahead touchdown. Mahe was on the sideline when it happened, but will always remember the scene.
            “I saw Alec jump up and catch it,” he said. “Then he dropped it. I just fell on my knees and said, ‘Thank God’ when he got it (the ball) back.”
            Mahe’s career at Brighton started his freshmen year. He lived in the East High boundaries, but followed his father, Sione, who was an assistant coach with the Bengals. J.J. is the oldest of five children, but so far it seems his siblings will all be Leopards.
            Besides football, Mahe played on Brighton’s rugby team, which made it to the state championship game two consecutive seasons. He suffered a dislocated shoulder his junior year, which forced him to miss rugby in 2012 and play in pain during most of his senior football season.
            Mahe said he had surgery shortly after the football season and had high hopes that his play would eventually result in a college football scholarship.
            He planned to go on an LDS Church mission shortly after graduation.