For the first 12 years of my journalism career, I was pretty much detached from the high school sports world.
I kind of kept track of how a couple of my cousins were doing playing football, basketball and baseball for Springville High. But since I had no children playing prep sports, I only attended a few high school games. My sports time was spent coaching and watching the younger leagues and at the golf course honing my own skills.
Professionally, I spent my days and nights covering city council meetings, school board meetings and murder trials. While those areas provide plenty of excitement, it was of a different sort than you'll find at a high school athletic event.
Soon after my bosses decided I was the guy they wanted directing prep coverage in Utah County, however, I discovered what I had been missing. One of the first games I covered in my new assignment exposed me to prep sports electricity at the highest level.
It was Jan. 28, 2003. The No. 1 ranked Provo Bulldogs were hosting the No. 2 ranked Timpview Thunderbirds in boys basketball. I was a little naive as to how big of a deal this game was to the folks in Provo, and by the time I arrived at the gym there were few empty seats remaining. I squeezed into an open spot midway up the bleachers and barely had enough elbow room to write.
There were lots of familiar faces in the overflowing crowd. It seemed like all of the "who's who" of former Provo and Timpview players were there. The place was rocking from the opening tip. The intensity on the court spilled over to the stands. It didn't take me long to realize that this was good stuff.
Timpview, behind then-juniors Matt Pinegar and Chris Miles, pulled off a thrilling three-point road win. A month later, when the two teams met at Timpview High, the excitement level was comparable. And the reward was returned to Provo fans when the Bulldogs headed home with another thrilling come-from-behind three-point victory. Both games between the two teams that year were classics, among the best I've ever witnessed at the high school level.
Not to offend the other rivalries in Utah County, but in the past few years none have compared to Provo/Timpview basketball games. They're always high-intensity, packed-house, hard-fought, high-caliber and close battles. And they always seem to be crucial in determining the region champion or playoff seeding.
In 2004, the year the Bulldogs finished the year strong and won the state crown, Timpview won both meetings. Last year the teams split, but Timpview fans remember that it was that late loss at Provo that forced the Thunderbirds into a play-in game. I'm sure Provo fans loved that.
The rivalry resumes tomorrow night when the two teams get together at Provo High for the first of two region meetings this season. The game again has all the makings of a dandy. Both squads are ranked in the top five of 4A schools. Timpview can't afford another league loss. Provo will be in the driver's seat for the region crown with a win. I expect no less than another classic.
If you're not going, you should. If you are going, arrive early — but please, save me a seat with plenty of elbow room.
EARLY SURPRISES: Because of parity, we all figured this basketball season would be full of surprises. Well, strange things are already happening. When Springville beat Lehi and Spanish Fork beat Lone Peak in boys basketball, it marked the first time in several seasons that either school had won a league road game. Everyone knows Provo is good, but a 32-point win at Payson, the most difficult place to play in the valley?
We've already had two overtime games, a game-winning buzzer beater (Lone Peak's Tyler Haws) and a 60-foot prayer (Timpview's Chris Nash) to end a half. There's even been some shockers in girls basketball with Pleasant Grove defeating Timpanogos and then the Timberwolves knocking off perennial power Mountain View. Stay tuned, there's much more to come.
LET HIM PLAY: With just under a minute remaining in the American Fork/Spanish Fork Region 4 opener, Dons' scrappy forward Jason Steenstra was whistled for his fifth foul. The official also called a technical on American Fork in the same sequence. The public announcer informed fans that Steenstra had fouled out. But somewhere in the confusion, the coaches from both teams forgot about Steenstra's status.
When the teams returned to the court for the final minute, Steenstra was on the floor and played the rest of the game. According to the rules, the Dons should have been whistled for a technical foul, but no one caught the mistake. It would have been interesting had Jace Brinkerhoff hit that final 3-point shot and sent the game to overtime.
Would Steenstra have played those extra minutes, or would American Fork's coaches finally have figured out that he should have been gone long ago? I guess we'll never know, and Steenstra can laugh about it now.
E-mail: jimr@desnews.com