Matt LeBaron, Payson High's standout basketball player, will not suit up Tuesday night for what should be the final game of his high school career.
After shining as one of the leading scorers in 4A for the better part of the year, LeBaron hung up his basketball shoes last week -- just three games before the end of his senior season.One paper reported that he quit after a loss a week ago Friday, but LeBaron actually left the team after allegedly being yelled at and talked down to by his coach at a practice early last week.
During the practice, Payson coach Dan Lunt chided LeBaron by "swearing and being verbally inappropriate," said Lynne LeBaron, Matt's mother. Matt then walked out of the practice and missed Wednesday's game.
Lunt would not elaborate on the incident, which he feels has been blown out of proportion.
"The situation's been handled by me and him," he said. "I haven't done nothing wrong, so there's nothing more to comment on."
LeBaron and Lunt apologized to each other on Thursday, and he was even planning on rejoining the team for Friday's game against Springville.
However, another coach apparently persuaded him not to because he felt LeBaron would have just sat at the end of the bench and not played. As a result, the assistant told him his scoring average (18.8 points a game) would drop. And that, the coach felt, might've hurt his chances of getting a college scholarship.
So, just like that, the career of a fine player concluded a few games shorter than it should have.
"I hate to see his senior season end like this," Lynne said, adding that she's afraid others might unfairly label her boy a "quitter."
"It looks like he has an attitude, but he doesn't," she added. "He loves playing the game, and he has a great rapport with other players."
ROHATINSKY 2ND TO ONE: Provo High's Josh Rohatinsky became the first-ever Utah boy to run in the prestigious L.A. Indoor Inviational last Saturday. And he just about was the first to win an event there, too.
Though ranked No. 3 in the nation in the two-mile race, Rohatinsky took a stab at the mile run in a standout field and almost won. After taking the lead with a lap-and-a-half left, Rohatinsky was just overtaken before the tape by a fast-finishing James Debruhl of Chino, Calif.
Debruel won the race in 4:18.39, only three-tenths of a second ahead of Provo's junior running star.
"(It was) one of the most exciting high school races I've seen in some time," said Provo coach Mark Low, who ran in L.A. as a prep.
PLAYERS OF THE MONTH: Five of the state's top scorers -- Orem's Shawn Opunui, Cottonwood's Josh Neeley, Layton's Brady Drake, Mountain View's Erin Thorn and Viewmont's Kristen Crockett -- highlight the Utah Tip Off Club's selectees for the Frank Layden player of the month award for January.
Rounding out the boys' winners are: Lance Allred, East; Nate Bleak, Davis; Kevin Dorenbosch, Cyprus; Aaron Hill, Gunnison; Marc Jackson, Olympus; Jared Jensen, Fremont; Ben Randall, Sky View; Trevor Richins, Uintah; and Marc Roberts of Timpview.
Other girls winners include: Michelle Brotherson, Altamont; Lisa DeVries, Fremont; Mickey Folsom, Sky View; Holly Harris, Skyline; Marcie Jackson, Juab; Lindsey Karren, Box Elder; Sarah Marks, Hunter; Kammie Jo Massey, Payson; Chanell Rose, Provo; and Cherise Weatherspoon from Ogden.
College awards were given to: Andre Miller, Utah; Jill Adams, BYU; Amber Russell, Snow; Tiffany Massey, UVSC; Megan Lofthouse, SUU; Kenyatta Clyde, SUU; Hayden Prescott, CEU; and Maurice Baker of Dixie.
WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS: Wayne successfully defended its 1A wrestling championship Saturday night at Southern Utah's Centrum. In racking up a state-high 309.5 points, the Badgers won six individual titles, had six runners-up and earned three bronze medals.
Wayne's individual winners were Bryant Anderson (119), Taylor Rasmussen (130), Jordan Pace (130), Jake Jones (189), Josh Chappell (215) and Josh Brown (275).
WASATCH GETS A TREE: Former Wasatch High football coach Ron Tree is rejoining the Wasps after a seven-year absence from the sideline. Wasatch's coach from 1984-91, Tree has been hired to replace the departing Tim Stanley, who quit after two years in Heber City.