How She Wins

Superstitions, Superstitions, Superstitions! Everybody has them and some of them are very strange.

Jason Terry of the Dallas Mavericks, will wear the game shorts of the opposing team to bed the night before the game.

Bruce Gardiner who was a former Ottawa Senator, would always dunk his hockey stick in the toilet before every game, prior to going on the ice.

Lone Peak athletes have pre-game rituals too. Rituals can come about in many different ways, and help athletes in their own specific game play.

Lone Peak senior soccer star, McKenzie Evans, has some superstitions of her own. Evans says, “Before every game I have to juggle a ball 14 times.” This ritual began when she was a junior and her number was 14 and juggling helps settle her down before games. McKenzie has many other rituals that improve her game such as; she has to wear her shin guard sleeve and put her bracelet in it that she wears everyday, but only on her left foot and then tape her right shin guard with medical tape. Evans says, “After devotional, before the game we pass around skittles. I take only four and if I get matching colors that means I will have a good game, or it determines how many goals I or my team will score depending on how many matching colors I pick.”

The Lone Peak girls soccer team have a tradition together. They drink out of the same water bottle named, “Dale”, to receive good luck in the upcoming game. Not only does the team drink out of the same water bottle, but five players (McKenzie Evans, Kaitlyn Wright, Kim Josse, Sara Burns, and Cara Olsen) have to perform their own handshake prior to walking on the field before the game.

McKenzie Evans comments, “Personal training helps me get in shape for the season and for try outs. It helps a ton!!” When asked how juggling the ball helps her in her game she says, “Juggling the ball, I initially did it to help me settle down and find my touch, it helps me calm down and focus, even if it is just 14 juggles. The skittles, shin guards, and handshakes are all mental superstitious things for me, but they keep me focused, motivated and pumped before games.”

Through athletes careers they acquire their own unique, superstitious pre-game rituals. Lone Peak’s, McKenzie Evans, is one of those athletes, and these specific quirks help her in her own game as other routines help athletes all across the world.

What Happens In Vegas, Travels The World

On Friday, Jimmer Fredette, made jaws drop around the world, when he dropped 52 points against the New Mexico Lobos, to help his team get to the finals in Vegas. Shooting 59% from the field and 50% from beyond the arch, he could not be stopped. The National Player of the Year, as named by cbssports.com and si.com, and also the nations leading scorer proved himself on the court at the Mountain West Conference Tournament. Averaging 28.5 points per game, he has shown the world that not all of the best players go to the NBA right after the first year of college. Fredette has been a basketball enthusiast ever since a little kid, being in kindergarten when he would go to his older brothers varsity basketball practices and watch all the drills and workouts intensely, and even became the ball boy. Now off to play Wofford in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, the hardest worker on his team, Jimmer, has shown that the best players can come from anywhere. Just remember, What Happens In Vegas [Jimmer], Travels The World.

It's KNIGHT-TIME

You Can't Beat Us! You Can't Beat Us! These were the words that echoed through the Dee Events Center, during the 2011 5A State Basketball Championship, when the Lone Peak Knights got passed the American Fork Cavemen for the third time this season. The Knights are now ranked #10 in the Nation, #1 in the State, and they have shown that they truly do deserve this sort of recognition. Sophomore, Nick Emery, completed the season with 542 points and 73 3-pointers, to help his team win the 5A Crown. None of this was easy. Lone Peak came across a scare when the Fremont Silverwolves gained a 17 point lead in the first half of the semi-final game, but when a die hard fan, Tyler Johnson, was asked, "Are you scared? Do you think that we will win now?" His response was, "Do you see that man crouched down on the side of the court? Ya! He is the best coach in the state...Don't worry, We Will Win!" And that is exactly what happened, the Knights came back, closed that gap, and beat Fremont by three, to advance to the State Finals and win their 5th State Title, which is also Coach Lewis' 4th, since he started coaching in 2003. Any way you look at it, the Lone Peak Knights are now State Champions and one of the Nations Top Teams.

Homecoming to State

And for the Lone Peak Knights, Homecoming was a success. The Lone Peak Knights Varsity Football team ran out of the locker room taunting the Beetdiggers of Jordan as they approach the field. Looks like it worked. The Knights went to the end, in this battle and pulled off the amazing win. The final score was 35-30 and it was with the help from Talon Shumway's run that ended in a front flip over the Diggers into the endzone for the touchdown to give Lone Peak the lead late in the game. This week will be a grueling match up between the Lone Peak Knights and the Pleasant Grove Vikings. If Micah Hannemann can work his football magic and getting that most needed interception for Lone Peak to get the lead early in the game and keep that lead to seal the deal. Another key to the game will be the defense. Dax Eisinger, Alec Jensen, Bubba stratton, and Kyle Hannemann. When they walk out of that field they will need to as the dance group, Flawless, would say, " chase the goal not the competition." When they do this it will improve their game play, toughness, and desire to win not just this game, but the state championship title.

The Knights are now Runnin' The Field

As The Utah High School regular season football starts, it is clear that Bingham and Cottonwood are powerhouses, but anyone can be beat. Lone Peak High School has the talent and teamwork to become the 2010 Cinderella team. With junior, Chase Hansen, as Quarterback and a defense consisting of Keyan Norman, Kyle Hannemann, Tanner Larsen, and Josh Stephan, the Knights have a very powerful team. Under the direction of Tony McGeary, there is a huge opportunity for Lone Peak to go all the way. Currently, Lone Peak is 2-1 in preseason and 2-0 in regular season. The Knights have injuries on the team right now that are affecting the them, but the coaching staff works with every player on the roster to become an excellent replacement. On September 24th, this school of great tradition will compete with Alta High School in their third region game to fight for the number one spot in Region IV. No matter what, it will result in an amazing high school football season for the state of Utah.

Another Hannemann Rises

Jacob Hannemann is now gone, he has been sent out on a mission, but he was not the end of the Hannemann clan. Now a senior, Kyle, has bee one of the best athletes that have come through Lone Peak. He works as hard or even harder than anyone in the state, to chase his goal of starting at a Division-1 football program. His father, Howard, has helped both him and his brothers conquer many challenges, which they have gone through in, both sports and in life. Being LDS, young adults serve missions for two years, and when Jacob was drafted by The Kansas City Royals, it was with much help from his father to help him decide to serve the Lord instead of serving the MLB. This is one of the many times that Father Hannemann has been there for all of his children. Kyle has overcome many injuries, and nothing can stop him from playing the game that he loves. Watching the great Deion Sanders has helped Kyle become the very talented player that he is. From little league to playing at a school of great tradition, Lone Peak, Coach Tony McGeary is extremely lucky to have a player of this caliber on his team. As the Hannemann family continues to get older they will help Lone Peak athletics in the years to come. GO KNIGHTS!!!

Mountain West Disputes

ATTENTION….. BYU is headed to Independency. Boise State decides to enter the Mountain West. The University of Utah enters the Pac-10. Fresno State and Nevada accept the invitation to also enter the MWC. All of this has happened in the span of three months. Brigham Young University has been a member of the Mountain West Conference since 1998. But, after going to the Las Vegas Bowl for the past 5 years, they want to show everyone that they are as much of a contender as the teams in the automatic bid conferences. As an Independent, BYU does not have to have a set schedule. For example: Now they have to play all of the teams in the MWC, but not belonging to any conference would give them the chance to play tougher competition. Why was Utah chosen above BYU to enter the Pac-10? Many people feel like BYU is more qualified, is it because of Sunday play? BYU will have to make their final decision by September 1, but this decision alone, it has to be approved by the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Only 3 teams in the NCAA are currently Independent; Navy, Army, and Notre Dame. On August 19^th on ESPN, Lou Holtz said that as BYU chooses to become Independent it just puts them in a good position to enter a better conference such as the Big-10 or the Big-12. As no one knows what the final decision will be, it will make the 2010 College Football season be a great one.