Month: September 2011

The Hurricane Tigers remain undefeated after a match up Friday against the Pine View Panthers. Hurricane showed why they have made it to the state championship the past three years by putting the first points up on the board with a 9-yard run from Thompson. After a 30-yard run from Scott, Pine View was able to sneak across the goal line to end the half 14-7. 

The Tigers continued to run the ball after the break, scoring another 7 on another Brian Scott run. Ty Matavo was able to put up another Panther score. Brian Scott ran the ball into the endzone again to add to the Hurricane lead. Following Scott’s lead the defense wanted a turn, Taylor Parker returned a interception 42 yards to end out the Tiger scoring. The Panthers fought until the end with Quaterback Braxton Peterson able to run one more in to end the game 35-21. 

Scott surpassed 1,000 yards on the season with his performance tonight. He had 27 carries for 168 yards and three touchdowns.  Mortensen and Edwards added a combined 23 tackles and one sack for the Tigers.

The Dixie Flyers hosted the Canyon View Falcons in a Region 9 battle Friday, and Dixie came out strong, starting things off with a 84-yard pass from Barney to Hansen.

The second quarter was all running as Justin Cummings ran the ball for two touchdowns to give the Flyers a 21-0 lead at the half. Cummings wasn’t finished showing the Falcons what he was made of, as he was able to run the ball in one more time.

Austin Barker put up three with a 23-yard field goal to add to the lead going into the fourth. Kyle Hansen again partnered with Barney, this time for a whopping 91-yard pass resulting in a touchdown. Cummings recovered a fumble to end out the game with the Flyers soaring over the Falcons 44-0. 

 

When southern Utah football coaches get together for the same cause, the outcome tends to be an unstoppable one. That is the plan for Youth Football USA and for several coaches here in St. George.

“We are here to show the rest of the world that we are a force to be reckoned with,” assistant coach Vince Tauanuu told SUN News, “this is an opportunity for our kids to prove everyone wrong.”

Generally, Utah has never been known as a powerhouse in football compared to states back east like New York. “Now we get the chance to play nationally if we win, and we will do our best to give these kids that chance,” tournament director Alii ‘Bear’ Alo said. “They have the potential, and now we are giving them that opportunity to show their talent.”

This event is the newest property of All-American Games (AAG), the owner and producer of the U.S. Army All-American Bowl on NBC, the nation’s biggest high school all-star football game. The Bowl has featured the nation’s top preps such as Tim Tebow, Adrian Peterson, Mark Sanchez and other NFL stars for 12 years.  All-American Games elite properties also include the Eastbay Youth All-American Bowl that has annually featured the nation’s top youth athletes and Football University, the country’s most elite training camp that trains the nation’s top 6^th through 12^th grade football players. Both the U.S. Army All-American Bowl and the Eastbay Youth All-American Bowl are played in San Antonio’s Alamodome during early January.  For several years, these all-star games have highlighted the country’s biggest weekend in youth and prep football. Now, Football University will add an 8^th grade National Championship and a 7^th grade Regional Championship featuring the best youth athletes selected from the best youth leagues and top youth programs from around the region and around the country.

The team is undergoing recruitment currently and practices will start soon, preparing them for their first game in St. George shortly after Thanksgiving.

“We would love to see the community’s support. These are the best players that southern Utah has to offer, and it’s all about the kids,” Coach Ray Hosner said.

 

Dixie State College’s men’s basketball team is one of the school’s elite athletic programs, as the team has won two consecutive PacWest championships and enters this season fresh off a Sweet 16 appearance in the NCAA Tournament.

By the intensity already evident this preseason, it is apparent that Dixie head coach Jon Judkins feels encouraged.

 “I love how hard we’re going,” Judkins said. “We’ve got a lot of new guys so we’ve got to slow down and go back to the basic kind of stuff. And hopefully, our seniors and juniors will help these guys and set up and be leaders.”

Dixie graduated accomplished players last season like Jeremiah Barnes and Tom Whitehead, primarily wing players. This season, the Red Storm roster is loaded with capable post-position athletes which is a change from recent seasons.

Forward Derek Owen said the new emphasis on post players could help the team improve from a competitive standpoint. “Playing with other great post players, we’re able to feed off each other; able to push each other for greatness,” Owen said.

Overall, the addition of several post players, along with losing several wing players, could change the playing style of DSC men’s basketball this season. “We’ve got some more bigger guys this year than we did last year, and we do miss our wings but we still plan on shooting the ball from the wings but we are going to go inside a lot more because we have bigger guys,” Judkins said.

Despite the roster turnover, and despite the past success, the Red Storm continues to place their eye on the prize of making the NCAA Elite Eight as they continue to get ready for the 2011-2012 season.

“Personal expectation is we’re going to make it; same spot and try to go farther,” Owen said. “There’s nothing that’s going to stop us if we work as a team. I said it last year when we played Chaminade, ‘Great team; great group of guys from Chaminade.’ When we play as a team, it’s hard to stop teams that play together.”

Official practice for the Red Storm starts on October 15, where they’ll prepare to start the exhibition season November 1 against Westminster College at the Burns Arena. On November 4, the Red Storm will continue the exhibition season by traveling to Provo to take on the Brigham Young University Cougars at the Marriott Center.

CEDAR CITY – Southern Utah University women’s volleyball will continue conference play this weekend when the Thunderbirds host Oakland University on Thursday night and IPFW on Saturday night. The contests will be crucial to conference standings with SUU standing at 2-3, Oakland at 2-2 and IPFW at 3-1.

“IPFW and Oakland are always tough matches,” head coach Debby Baker said of the weekend. “We expect both teams to come in and compete and expect the same thing from our girls. This league is so tough this year and you have to take care of business at home.”

Southern Utah will be riding a three-match winning streak against Oakland when the teams take to the court on Thursday night. The Thunderbirds won in five sets in Rochester last season and then swept the Grizzlies in straight sets in Cedar City. Analaine Pelaez-Mailoto combined for 36 kills during the two games, including a 20-kill performance in the Centrum Arena that ranks second all-time in a three-set match.

SUU and IPFW split games in 2010 with the home team taking the victories in both contests. The Thunderbirds swept the Mastodons in straight sets in Cedar City as Cashaana Renfro and Pelaez-Mailoto each tallied double-digit kill numbers and the team recorded 58 digs which still ranks in the top four all-time.

Peleaz-Mailoto continues to power the Thunderbird offense in 2011 with a team-best 244 kills, averaging 4.00 kills per set to rank third in the conference. Kylie Schofield and Cashaana Renfro are behind her with 126 and 116 kills, respectively. Pelaez-Mailoto and Renfro are also the leaders for the team defensively with 167 digs and 62 blocks, respectively.

Both matches are scheduled to begin at 7:00 p.m. this week with the match on Saturday featuring a Ladies Night promotion with women able to get into the match for only $2. Fans can follow the matches online at www.suutbirds.com with live stats and live video anticipated to be available.