Sports
Former Caveman Chase Roberts a football superstar with a heart of gold
Brynn Carnesecca | American Fork Citizen
Since 2019, Chase Roberts has been making a name for himself at Brigham Young University. As a wide receiver and team captain, Roberts has led the 2024 team to an astounding nine out of eleven winning streak. With a promising potential future in the NFL, Roberts has continually worked hard to bring his team to victory.
Since he was young, Roberts has been a football player and fan. Before committing to play at BYU, he was an all-star player for American Fork High School.
“I actually was in the boundaries to go to Lone Peak as well,” Roberts said. “But I felt like American Fork was a better atmosphere for me. The coaches are awesome. The head coach, Aaron Behm, always taught us to be a man and to live like Christ would. He is definitely a role model, and I look up to him so much.”
As he continued to play at AFHS, Roberts made connections that have lasted him throughout his college career.
“I grew up with Boone Abbott, my quarterback. We both wanted to go to American Fork. I wanted to stay with him and continue to play with the guys that I had always known,” Roberts explained.
Throughout his time at AF, Roberts was a standout receiver. He finished with 217 receptions, 42 touchdowns and 3,708 receiving yards, placing him fifth in Utah high school history. With numerous awards and accolades, Roberts also boasted an impressive 6A All-State first-team honors in his Junior and Senior years. His fantastic ability and leadership traits made Roberts a three-star prospect in 2019.
Growing up in American Fork has impacted how Roberts views the game and himself as a player.
“They really love and buy into you outside of football. Not just the good player that you are, but they also care about how you are off the field. It’s a community full of great people that don’t get into all the drama,” Roberts said. “They embrace the simplicity of being a good person and going out and living life to the fullest.”
From his high school career, Roberts was invited to play at BYU. After serving a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Calgary, Alberta, he returned to BYU to continue playing the game he loved.
Shortly after, Roberts was faced with a devastating injury, resulting in necessary surgery on his hip. This redshirted him until the 2022 season, meaning it had been four years since he played the game. Still, Roberts decided to push through and fight to be a Cougar.
“There was a time when I was injured and didn’t know if I would ever get back to where I was playing in high school with my speed and cuts,” Roberts remembered. “It was a hard time, but I kept to the grind and ultimately got healthy. I was able to start making plays and have confidence moving forward. I kept getting so much support from family, friends and coaches. It all worked out.”
Since then, Roberts has steadily become a fan-favorite and Cougar nation legend. He has won numerous accolades and awards, paving his way to the NFL shortly after he earns his degree in business.
This season, Roberts has led the team to a 9-2 winning streak. After two losses to Kansas and Arizona State, he strives to continue building up his teammates and Cougar nation as a whole.
Roberts said he recovers by “Staying positive. That is life. You make mistakes and you lose sometimes. You have to bounce back. We have had a great practice this week, every day has been awesome. We are excited … to bounce back and to keep doing what we do.”
As he reflects on his time at BYU, Roberts finds it hard to choose moments that stand out.
“It is hard to pick a specific moment because it all accumulates into one big, amazing memory. Being with your brothers, gaining friendships and building bonds that will last forever,” Roberts said.
Repeatedly, Roberts emphasized the role his family, friends and community have had in supporting him on his journey.
“They are everything. My dad and mom have always been super supportive. They haven’t been the helicopter parents that forced me to do whatever they wanted. They allowed me to make mistakes, learn and grow. They have been a big influence on me and my football career,” Roberts said.
In addition to his close circle, the city of American Fork has rallied around Roberts in numerous ways.
“They are always reaching out and texting, especially my coaches. I see the support everywhere,” Roberts explained. “I love the little kids that come to the games and say they are Cavemen. They are always there at the game, supporting and loving us. We have a couple of AF kids on the team, so it’s fun to see us play.”
No matter what happens on the field, Roberts always puts his faith above all else. Off the field, he runs a podcast with another BYU football player about church programs, attends church on Sunday and continuously engages with the faith-centered BYU community.
“You just have to trust in God,” Roberts said. “I have to make sure that I put him first in everything. When I do that, then everything else falls into place.”
In looking toward the future, Roberts is extremely grateful for the support and love he has received from American Fork. Coaches, teammates, family, friends and neighbors have all helped him in unique ways as he continues in his career. As a role model for young athletes everywhere, Roberts encourages players to “keep it simple.”
“Put the priorities first. Put God first, make sure you listen to your parents, be a good kid, be kind and remember that sports isn’t everything,” Roberts said. “When you prioritize God and put all of those things first, everything else will work out. God has a plan for you. It may be playing sports in the future, it may be something else, so trust in Him.”
Chase Roberts can be seen playing with the BYU Cougars every game day. To keep up with his journey, follow him @chase.roberts27 on Instagram.
Beky Beaton / American Fork Citizen
The defending state champion American Fork boys tennis team won all of its matches on the first day at the 6A state tournament at Liberty Park in Salt Lake City on Thursday (May 7). The semifinals and finals will be played tomorrow (May 9) at the same venue.
Lone Peak also advanced an entrant in every bracket and Skyridge moved forward in four of the five positions to set up what promises to be another epic showdown for the gold trophy.
Caveman Braeden Johnson remains the top seed at No. 1 Singles and moved on after sweeping No. 17 Mountain Ridge and beating No. 9 Weber.
In No. 2 Singles, Camden Johnson got the No. 1 nod and eliminated No. 16 Mountain Ridge and No. 8 Westlake to reach the semifinals.
Matt Davis at No. 3 Singles also occupies the projected top spot and moved forward after besting No. 16 Copper Hills and No. 9 Syracuse.
In No. 1 Doubles, the duo of Sam Fairbanks and Sam Karras prevailed over No. 14 Mountain Ridge and No. 7 Bingham to get their spot.
The pairing of Phillip Steed and Drew Jacobsmeyer are ranked No. 3 and they retired No. 14 Copper Hills and No. 6 Bingham on their path to the semifinals.
Check back later for further updates and more photos.
Photos by Sam Penrod.
Here’s how the baseball team is positioned entering the state tournament.
American Fork
Season record: 13-3 Region 3 (1st), 17-8 overall
Final RPI ranking: 1 in 6A
MaxPreps ranking: 1 in 6A, 1 statewide
Next contest: May 13
Prospects: The defending state champion Cavemen look like the favorite for a 6A title repeat by all measures coming into the state tournament. As the top team in Bracket 1, they will host #16 Farmington (8-17) in the Super Regionals best-of-3 series on May 13 and 14. The first game is scheduled for Wednesday at 4 p.m. The next one is set for 1 p.m. on Thursday, with a tiebreaker to follow if necessary. American Fork did not play the Phoenix this year. The series winner will take on whoever advances from #8 Layton (18-6) versus #9 Jordan (13-12) at 4:30 p.m. when the tournament moves to BYU on May 18. The Cavemen never saw the Lancers but had the series edge 2-1 over the Beetdiggers in Region 3 play this season.
Here’s how the American Fork boys soccer team is positioned entering the 6A state tournament.
American Fork
Season record: 3-5 Region 3 (3rd), 6-8 overall
Final RPI ranking: 14 in 6A
MaxPreps ranking: 15 in 6A, 50 statewide
Next contest: May 12
Prospects: The two-time defending state champion Cavemen earned a bye in the first round and will visit No. 3 Farmington (12-3) in the second round of the 6A state tournament on Tuesday (May 12). The default time is 4 p.m. but the schools may agree to change that. If American Fork wins, the Cavemen will advance to the quarterfinals and host whoever prevails between #11 Copper Hills (9-8) at #6 Westlake (11-5) on Thursday (May 14) at 4 p.m. American Fork did not play the Phoenix or the Thunder this year but lost to the Grizzlies by a one-goal margin back in early March.
Beky Beaton / American Fork Citizen
After returning from the spring holiday, the American Fork boys volleyball team posted an identical 1-3 result in the second round of Region 3 play. They Cavemen finished in fourth place in the league with a 2-6 record and ended the regular season with a 9-19 overall mark.
Following is a summary of post-break April results. Statistical information for this team is unavailable.
- April 16: Lehi 3, American Fork 0 – The Cavemen played a spirited first set with the top-ranked Pioneers, but the firepower of the visitors proved to be a bit too much as Lehi prevailed 25-21, 25-14, 25-9.
- April 21: Corner Canyon 3, American Fork 0 – The Cavemen competed and got stronger as the match went on against the Chargers on the road. They played particularly well in the third set, but the host school was still able to secure the sweep 25-16, 25-18, 25-22.
- April 23: Lone Peak 3, American Fork 0 – The Cavemen challenged the region co-champs in the first set on their court. However, the home squad went on to pick up the win 25-22, 25-13, 25-18.
- April 24-25: Cavemen go 3-2 in tourney – In the two-day Skyline Tournament,American Fork won all three matches on the first day in the shortened best-of-three format. The Cavemen topped Highland 25-17, 26-24, then beat Judge Memorial 25-9, 25-18 and finally bested Taylorsville in the nightcap 25-20, 25-8. Playing in the full format on the second day, American Fork engaged in an exciting back-and-forth battle with Copper Hills. The Grizzlies won the first and fourth games, but the Cavemen prevailed in the second and third sets to bring on a tiebreaker fifth game. Copper Hills pulled out the narrowest possible victory 25-23, 11-25, 19-25, 25-19, 15-13. In their final match of the event, American Fork fell in straight sets to a highly-ranked Bingham team.
- April 28: American Fork 3, Skyridge 0 – The Cavemen claimed a sweep at home on Senior Night, earning a 25-16, 25-22, 25-18 victory over the scrappy Falcons to secure their spot in the final region standings.
The Cavemen are seeded No. 14 in the 6A RPI playoff rankings and earned a bye to advance to the second round of the 6A state tournament at Utah Valley University’s UCCU Center on Wednesday (May 6), where they will face No. 3 Lone Peak (21-6) with a scheduled match time of 5 p.m. on Court 3.
Photos by Matt Paepke.
Beky Beaton / American Fork Citizen
The returning state champion American Fork boys tennis team won the Region 3 tournament, hosted by Corner Canyon High School in Draper on April 23 and 24.
During the hotly-contested league season, American Fork earned a 30-12 record in individual matches and a combined 68.93 seeding points to get the No. 1 spot for the region tournament.
Lone Peak had a 33-9 mark but was second with 65.86 points, while Skyridge had a 22-20 record and 62.19 points for the third seed.
No. 5 Corner Canyon earned a narrow win over No. 4 Lehi to advance to face the Cavemen in the first match for American Fork. The Cavemen prevailed 5-2, sweeping the singles matches and also winning in Third Doubles.
The region allows an extra entrant in both singles and doubles to provide additional experience, but the state competition is limited to three singles players and two doubles pairs.
American Fork’s four singles players lost five games combined and won 48 as they dominated the Chargers in these matches. Braeden Johnson at No. 1 and Matt Davis at No. 3 both swept their opponents 6-0, 6-0, while Camden Johnson won 6-0, 6-2 and Anson Gifford completed the set 6-1, 6-2.
In the First Doubles bracket, Sam Fairbanks and Drew Jacobsmeyer bowed 3-6, 1-6. In the hard-fought No. 2 Doubles match, Phil Steed and Cade Egbert came out on the short end as Corner Canyon prevailed 5-7, 7-6(1), 6-2. Broxton Barron and Jackson Ricks ended on top in the No. 3 slot 6-2, 6-3.
In the final match, the Cavemen faced No. 3 Skyridge, which upset No. 2 Lone Peak on the first day to grab a spot in the championship tilt. American Fork won the first three singles bouts but then needed to garner a victory at No. 3 Doubles to earn the region title.
Braeden Johnson prevailed over Mack Mandelaris 6-1, 6-2 in the No. 1 Singles bout while Camden Johnson retired Crew Mandelaris 6-0, 6-1 at Second Singles in a double battle of brothers. Davis topped Cam Higginbotham 6-1, 6-0 in No. 3 Singles.
Skyridge started their string of victories at Fourth Singles when Sam Droubay beat Gifford 6-4, 6-0. In No. 1 Doubles, Michael Sperry and JJ Lewis took out Fairbanks and Jacobsmeyer 6-3, 3-6, 4-6. Ben Schmidt and Jace Peck got the 6-3,7-5 win over Steed and Egbert at Second Doubles.
However, Barron and Ricks triumphed 6-4, 6-1 over Walker Johnson and Parker Swope in the No. 3 Doubles bracket to finish the event and capture the crown for the Cavemen.
American Fork is now preparing for the 6A state tournament. Seedings will be posted tomorrow morning (Apr. 30). The first round will be played at Brighton High School on Saturday (May 2).
The competition will then move to Liberty Park in Salt Lake City, where the second and quarterfinal rounds will be contested next Thursday (May 7) and the semifinals and finals will be played next Saturday (May 9).
Photos by Sam Penrod.
Here’s how the American Fork boys volleyball team is positioned entering the third sanctioned state tournament for this sport.
American Fork
Season record: 2-6 Region 3 (4th), 10-18 overall
Final RPI ranking: 14 in 6A
MaxPreps ranking: 12 in 6A, 40 statewide
Next contest: May 6
Prospects: The Cavemen earned a bye to advance to the second round of the 6A state tournament at Utah Valley University’s UCCU Center on Wednesday, where they will face No. 3 Lone Peak (21-6) with a scheduled match time of 5 p.m. on Court 3. American Fork lost to the Knights both meetings in Region 3 play.
Beky Beaton / Lehi Free Press
The American Fork girls golf team is in fourth place in competitive Region 3 and ranks fifth in Class 6A after the first three league tournaments.
Corner Canyon and Lone Peak are separated by a single stroke in the battle for first place in the region and they rank second and third, respectively, in the classification standings behind Bingham, which leads the Chargers by a fraction of a stroke.
No one will likely challenge those teams for the top three spots since all other programs trail them by about 25 strokes at this point, but the Cavemen are in position to potentially move in a tight race for the next three positions in the rankings.
Skyridge is averaging an adjusted score of 346.5 per tournament, ahead of American Fork at 351.05 and Copper Hills at 352.7.
Audrey New is the top Caveman in the individual region standings at No. 6 with an adjusted stroke average of 82.97 coming into this week, which places her at No. 10 in 6A overall.
After her, four American Fork players are clustered together in spots 18-21 in the region standings. They are Abbie Bahr at 89.33, Tyler Dunkley at 89.35, Sophie Davis at 90.64 and Ellorie Layne at 90.75.
In the first region event at Fox Hollow Golf Club in American Fork on April 13, American Fork edged Skyridge 355-358 to finish in third place.
New had the best card of the day for her team with an 83, with Dunkley at 88, Bahr at 91 and Layne at 93 for the counted scores.
The next day, the teams played again at Mountain View Golf Course in West Jordan, where the Falcons easily outdistanced the Cavemen 344-355 and American Fork finished fourth.
New again led the way with an 87. Dunkley and Davis both shot an 89 and Bahr finished with a 90 for the team combined score. Layne also posted in 90.
Last week on Tuesday (Apr. 21), the region programs squared off at Thanksgiving Point Golf Club in Lehi, where American Fork again came in fourth at 360. New shot her best region round to date with an 82, followed by Davis at 89, Bahr at 93 and Layne at 96.
The teams are next scheduled to play on Thursday (Apr. 30) at Talons Cove Golf Club in Saratoga Springs.
Beky Beaton / American Fork Citizen
The American Fork High School boys tennis team earned the tournament title in the Utah Valley Ashton Invitational, a 16-team event played at local high schools on April 17 and 18 which included many of the best programs in Class 6A, 5A and 4A.
The competition included four singles and three doubles levels. The Cavemen swept Wasatch in the first round 7-0. Continuing in the winner’s bracket, they defeated Orem 6-1 and Desert Hills 4-3 to advance to the trophy round against 19-time and defending 5A state champion Timpview.
In No. 1 Singles final, American Fork senior Braeden Johnson defeated Ryan Austin 6-2, 6-4. Caveman sophomore Camden Johnson prevailed in Second Singles over Rowan Halladay 6-3, 6-0.
In No. 3 Singles, American Fork senior Matt Davis fought through a tough second set with DJ Gunnell but prevailed 6-3, 5-7 (10-3). At the No. 4 Singles spot, Caveman freshman Cade Egbert topped Nathan Fellars 6-2, 6-4.
In First Doubles, American Fork junior Sam Karras and sophomore Sam Fairbanks had to come from behind to oust Danny Beutte and Tommy Gauff 4-6, 6-3 (10-1).
The most challenging match of the Finals was in the No. 2 Doubles bracket, where Caveman juniors Phil Steed and Drew Jacobsmeyer survived to triumph over Levi Teemant and Gabe Balzotti 7-6 (7-4), 4-6 (13-11).
The Cavemen suffered their only loss of the title round in Third Doubles, where freshmen Broxton Barron and Grant Jensen put up a fight but ultimately bowed to Blake Baker and Sean Yamada 6-1, 3-6 (10-2).
This event was excellent preparation for the defending 6A state champions as they enter the rugged Region 3 tournament to be played April 23-24 at Corner Canyon as well as the state tournament to follow on May 2, 7 and 9.
Photos by Sam Penrod.
Megan Wallgren / American Fork Citizen
American Fork Track and Field athletes turned in a strong, balanced performance as hosts of the Caveman Classic Invitational on April 17.
The defending state champions Varsity Combined team won the day with 169 points. The Cavemen girls won the girls team title with 98 points and the boys placed third in their division with 71 points.
American Fork senior Ginger Ballstaedt led the way with points in multiple events. She claimed the gold medal in the long jump with a personal-record, state-qualifying jump of 18-feet-2-inches.
She also earned silver in the 200-meter Dash, crossing in 25.98 seconds, a personal best. In addition, Ballstaedt also helped the Cavemen capture the Girls 4x200m relay title.
That relay team posted a combined time of 1:43.67 in the event. The gold-medal squad also included freshman Ivey Jacobson, senior Hannah Cluff and junior Charlotte Anderson.
Topping the podium in the Girls Pole Vault was junior Aleah Godfrey. Her vault of 11-3 feet was a personal best and state-qualifying mark.
Senior Ella Edwards turned in a standout performance on the track, capturing the bronze in the 100m Hurdles in 16.35 seconds, placing fifth in the 300m hurdles in 49.18 seconds, and adding an eighth place in the 200m in 26.80 seconds, a personal best.
Senior Kaden Fairbanks also scored in multiple events, placing third in the 200m Dash with a state-qualifying time of 21.74 seconds and fourth in the 100m in 11 seconds flat.
Distance standout Sophie Steiger garnered the bronze medal in the 3200m Run with a time of 11:29.79.
In the field, Caveman senior Madden Jensen contributed silver medals in two boys throwing events, in the discus with a state-qualifying mark of 147-11 feet and in the shot put at 50-9.25 feet.
Senior James Sherratt added a second-place finish in the javelin with a throw of 147-10 feet.
American Fork’s Girls 4x100m relay team also produced a silver medal. Their combined time of 49.66 seconds also met the state standard. Running for the Cavemen were sophomore Rickeisha O’Keefe, Jacobson, sophomore Abby Slater and freshman Britton Woods.
Additional state-qualifying performances came from sophomore Chase Hejny placing fifth in the 3200m in a personal-best 9:15.34; senior Tyler Zabriskie placing fifth in the long jump with a PR mark of 21-1.75 feet; and senior Hannah Cluff finishing fifth in the girls long jump at 16-6.75 feet, a personal best.
With strong midseason performances, the American Fork team continues to build momentum leading into the upcoming region meet and the state championships in mid-May.
Photos by Sam Penrod.
GINGER BALLSTAEDT
GRADE: 12
SPORT: Track and Field
EVENTS: Sprints, Long Jump
RECENT HIGHLIGHTS:
Long Jump: 18-2 feet; 100m: 12.53 seconds; 200m: 25.98 seconds
COACH’S COMMENTS:
Ginger has been on fire all season and this month has hit a new level. Her long jump is ranked #2 in the state and is only 3.5 inches away from our school record. Her 100m time is 6th all-time at AFHS. She has been an integral part of our state qualifying 4x100m and 4x200m relays that are also amongst the top three in the state. Ginger has worked very hard this season, and we are seeing the results.
– Coach Brett Myrup
Sponsored by the Utah National Guard.
State boys tennis: Cavemen advance to semis in all brackets
Say “howdy” to Lehi’s newest country dance lessons
AF baseball earns top seed, starts playoffs Wednesday
‘BIGGEST LOSER’ CONTESTANT FROM AF DIES TRAGICALLY
Aspen Peaks School Board “Meet the Candidates” night recap
Tragedy Strikes American Fork: Local Couple Found Dead in Apparent Murder-Suicide
-
Local News1 month agoUtah lawmakers approve legal framework for driverless cars, hoping to attract companies
-
Art/Culture1 month agoAmerican Fork students earn top honors at Utah’s All-State High School Art Show
-
Local News1 month agoFederal funding to advance Utah Lake restoration efforts, expand public access
-
Schools1 month agoAspen Peaks School District announces key hires, launches boundary study
-
Art/Culture1 month agoK-pop laser show brings music and light to Space Center in PG
-
Local News1 month agoAnnual flag retirement ceremony set for April 15
-
Obituaries1 month agoBarbara Marie Greenland Reisner
-
Obituaries1 month agoDennis Richard Meyring
-
Local News1 month ago
Lehi City Council declines to fund study of ice complex, forgoing possible support from Utah County and NHL franchise
-
Local News1 week agoOutdated city website leads AF couple into a misdemeanor tree‑planting charge