Beky Beaton / American Fork Citizen

For the sixth year in a row, American Fork tennis coach Jason Herrud trained and prepared a group of local student athletes to go down and work on the ball crew at the BNP Paribas Open, a full-spectrum professional tennis tournament that ranks right below the acknowledged four “majors” in the pro sport.

Herrud supervises a ball crew at the event and also conducts the intense training required to prepare youngsters for this service, which involves much more than retrieving balls on the court, though that’s the most visible evidence of the job.

“This year, we had four boys from our team and probably three future Cavemen come down and train,” Herrud said. “We also had players from Corner Canyon and Lone Peak and other area schools, 35 total trainees here at our American Fork location.”

Herrud said the ball boys and girls perform what amounts to a community service by their participation. “They couldn’t run the tournament without these ball kids,” he said. “This year, they had an overwhelming response to requests for student volunteers.

“So, we had to be on top of things, because there were over 500 kids who applied to be ball kids, and many of them didn’t get in. So the ones that went and got to perform service were pretty lucky and pretty fortunate to have the opportunity.”

The American Fork contingent this year included parents, administrators and three other teachers who went down to experience the spectacle. The program boys included Matt Davis, Drew Jacobsmeyer, Bridger Hansen and Truman Jones.

“From my standpoint and from the other teachers that went down, it was pretty neat to see everything about how a tournament of that magnitude works, how it’s organized, how corralling that many kids and getting them to lock in on what they do each day works,” he said.

“It’s not for the faint of heart,” Herrud continued. “They’ll work six-hour shifts. A lot of the kids are working a double shift a day, so that’s 12 hours. And out of those 12 hours, they will physically be on the court at least six of those hours.

“They’re out there running around, grabbing towels for the players, servicing them while they play a match in any way they need. And they have to be on point, because the last thing they want to do is be a distraction.”

Davis, a senior, is a repeat participant. He explained, “We were required to do six shifts throughout the week where each shift is six hours—we would work an hour and be off an hour so really only working three hours a shift.

“It’s always fun to have a road trip with your friends, but it’s especially fun when you’re going down to California with your close-knit tennis team working for a professional,” he said.

“Being a ball boy at first is a little nerve-racking, but after your first shift of working, you pretty much get the hang of it. It’s really fun to be on court with the players because you see them from a level no one else gets to see.”

Although the time to staff the event is donated, it does come with some perks. “We didn’t get paid but we got credit for food there. It was enough for a cheeseburger and fries just because the food is so expensive,” Davis said.

“We got shoes, socks, pants, a shirt, sweats, a hat, wristbands and a sweatshirt that we got to keep as uniforms,” he added. “Additionally, we got two grounds pass tickets that we could give to people like our parents.”

Davis loved the whole experience, but there were still a few things that stood out. “I enjoyed the community of friends we brought down. We made (new) friends there and we met some really cool people, but our group was really the best.

“One of the greatest parts about this event is to meet your favorite players and see them play,” he said. “I think my favorite part of the tournament was watching Joao Fonseca play Karen Khachanov with my family on the first row of seats on the sideline. The energy that the Brazilian brought to that match was next level. It is really awesome to see!”

Jones was excited about his chance to serve at the event. “It was a really cool experience being a ball boy at BNP,” he said. “I loved being so close to the matches and seeing how fast and competitive the game is at that level.

“One thing I learned was how organized professional tournaments have to be, with everyone working together to keep matches running smoothly,” Jones said.

“I also learned how important it is to stay alert and react quickly so you can do the job well without getting in the way of play. It was exciting to be part of such a big event, and it gave me a new appreciation for the sport,” he concluded.

“It’s a great opportunity for the boys and the girls from other schools that do it as well, just to foster their love for tennis and to perform a pretty cool service for these professionals,” Herrud said.

“They get to be on court with some of the best players in the world. They get to see them up close. They get to service them, be part of the game. The tournament itself is pretty overwhelming with how many people come through there. They set a record for attendance this year,” he added.

The Indian Wells Tennis Garden hosts the event. It’s located near Palm Springs in California and this year lasted from March 4-15. The American Fork participants were there for a week in the earlier part of the event, when the need for staffing is greatest because of the number of matches being played.

According to the venue’s website, it includes 29 world-class courts, including the 16,000-seat Stadium 1 which is center court for the BNP Paribas Open. Last year, tournament attendance surpassed 500,000 people. The men’s and women’s singles winners each received a prize of $1,151,380 in 2026.

“To see people from all over the world, top athletes, it’s pretty inspiring to up your game and to work on your own game,” Herrud said. “That’s one of the reasons we love our players to go down and do that.

“With the new tennis club being built over in Lehi, the Utah Valley Tennis Club, we’ve got a bona fide training facility for this in years to come,” Herrud said. “It really does just empower kids to have a little more confidence, to be around the game. It gives them knowledge of the game.

“And you know, that’s why everyone’s doing it,” the coach added. “It’s because they love it, and tennis is one of those sports that we love around here, just because, no matter what the age, no matter what the level, you’re out there on the court, getting a good workout and really enjoying life.”

Photos courtesy of Sam Penrod.

HAZEL JENKINS

GRADE: 10

SPORT: Track and Field

EVENTS: Pole vault, hurdles

RECENT HIGHLIGHT:

Hazel got a huge personal best of 10-feet-6-inches in the pole vault on March 12, becoming the first American Fork track state qualifier of 2026.

COACH’S COMMENTS:

She has been working so hard and it paid off earlier than expected this season. She is now ranked amongst the top few in 6A.

– Coach Brett Myrup

Sponsored by the Utah National Guard.

Beky Beaton / Lehi Free Press

Although the state basketball tournaments were still going on, tryouts for spring sports took place last week and the first contests are being played this week.

The spring season is the busiest part of the sports year at our local high schools, which field teams in 10 sports where state trophies are awarded. This promises to be an exciting season for the Cavemen as two teams were ranked in the 6A preseason coaches polls and others have top talent returning.

Here’s a sport-by-sport look at some of what’s ahead for American Fork fans this spring:

BASEBALL

To no one’s surprise, the defending state champion Cavemen were tabbed No. 1 in the preseason poll. American Fork has won three of the last five 6A state titles. Despite significant graduation losses, the team still returns significant talent with varsity experience and has a bunch of developed players ready to try their hands at the varsity level. As always, the program has a purposely-brutal schedule, but even early losses against good teams have a way of translating into big wins come tournament time.

SOFTBALL

The Cavemen are coming off a rebuilding season under a new head coach. The team lost just two seniors, so virtually the entire squad returns with another year of experience under their belts. That should translate to more success on the field this season.

BOYS SOCCER

The two-time defending state champion Cavemen start the season as the No. 3 pick in the preseason poll, listed after Region 3 foes No. 1 Lone Peak and No. 2 Skyridge, which suggests a lively battle this year for league supremacy. Keep in mind that American Fork finished third in the region last year but still won the title. The team graduated a bunch of seniors, but the ranking reflects the fact that this is a solid program that just reloads every year.

BOYS VOLLEYBALL

Highly-successful basketball coach Ryan Cuff takes the reins of this team for the first time this season. He’s excited about the challenge and has hired an excellent staff to assist him. The team lost some seniors, but Cuff said he has talented athletes to work with and the team is ready to compete.

GIRLS LACROSSE

The Cavemen return a solid core of experienced players including their leading scorer from last year, who is still just a junior. The team anticipates continued improvement under their second-year head coach, who plans to emphasize the development of the program’s younger players this season.

BOYS LACROSSE

This team brings back most of its starters on both sides of the ball from last season, giving the Cavemen some experience to build on under their second-year head coach.

BOYS and GIRLS TRACK

The Cavemen are the defending state champions in both divisions and return some of their top medalists from last season. As always, American Fork will have a cadre of outstanding entrants in the long- and middle-distance events, but they also have returning talent in the sprints and field events as well.

BOYS TENNIS

The Cavemen earned their second 6A state title in three years last season and their prospects are excellent again, led by reigning Mr. Tennis and 6A First Singles champion Braeden Johnson, now a senior and a BYU commit. The team also returns three of last year’s four silver medalists with capable players coming up to fill the other slots.

GIRLS GOLF The Cavemen have four players back who competed both days at the state tournament last season and will provide a great foundation to build the team around.

Beky Beaton / American Fork Citizen

American Fork High School tennis player Braeden Johnson has added another honor to his already-impressive list of achievements. He’s now the 2025 recipient of the Lee Hammel Outstanding Male High School Tennis Player Award from the Utah Tennis Association.

According to the organization’s website, this award was named after Lee Hammel, who coached high school tennis in Utah for more than 40 years and led his teams to multiple state championships.

“This award recognizes a male athlete for his achievements in high school tennis and also recognizes the individual for their overall performance, team spirit, sportsmanship and attitude both on and off the court,” the award description says.

“Braeden Johnson is currently the No. 1 ranked junior in both our Utah district and the Intermountain section,” said Cherstin Harris, Junior Competition Manager for the USTA Intermountain Utah. She said that Johnson earned the award for his outstanding 2025 junior season at American Fork High School.

“Braeden went undefeated for two straight high school seasons and led his team to the 6A Championship by defeating the reigning state champion during his junior year in 2025,” Harris said.

“His excellence on the court, competitive spirit, and leadership make him a deserving recipient of this honor. We look forward to seeing what he accomplishes in his senior season,” she said.

Last year as a junior, Johnson was the top-ranked player in the 6A classification and earned the gold medal as the bracket champion. He was dominant in all of his state tournament matches leading up to the First Singles final with a combined total score of 36-5.

However, he then faced off against a formidable opponent: senior defending state champion and No. 2 seed Calvin Armstrong of Skyridge.

Armstrong easily won the first set 6-2, so Johnson had to come from behind to earn his title. He proved equal to the task, securing the final two sets 6-4, 6-3.

“Our region is extremely tough and that actually really helped us, not only to get us ready for State, but it bumped our Braeden Johnson right over the edge of Cal Armstrong for the number one seed in the tournament,” AFHS Coach Jason Herrud said after the state meet last spring.

This was important because it meant that Armstrong had to play a challenging opponent in the semifinal before Johnson. “It was just an extremely physical final,” the coach said. “That was kind of the difference, just who could outlast who in that last set.”

Johnson was also Utah’s 2025 Mr. Tennis and received a  Tennis Outstanding Athlete award, both from the Deseret News.

Photos courtesy of Sam Penrod.

Beky Beaton / America Fork Citizen

The No. 2 American Fork High School boys basketball team pushed a game they had once controlled to overtime with a buzzer-beater but were unable to keep pace with No. 3 Bingham in the extra stanza, and the Miners (18-8) prevailed 69-65 to move on to play No. 1 Westlake (22-3) for the 6A title.

The Cavemen started out hot and nearly doubled up Bingham in the initial period, which ended with American Fork ahead 15-8. The lead ballooned to 34-21 by the half with the team converting 58 percent from the field.

The gap reached its widest point at the 6:30 mark of the third quarter when it topped out at 17 points. The Miners were held under 30 percent shooting in the first half, but at this point they started to see the ball go in and the momentum began to swing in their direction.

By the end of the period, the deficit had narrowed to just six points at 41-47. Bingham erased it with 2:39 to play and took over the lead at the 1:12 mark. They owned a 59-56 margin with 11 seconds to go.

After two timeouts with a miss in between, the Cavemen had one final chance with less than a second on the clock. Junior guard Jax Oyler was able to connect the in-bounds pass to senior guard Ashton Hucks, who put up a 3-pointer that dropped through the net as the buzzer sounded to extend the game.

However, there were no more late heroics in the overtime as Bingham scored first and maintained its advantage most of the rest of the way.

Senior forward Jax Clark jump-started American Fork in the first quarter and finished with 24 points and seven rebounds. Senior guard Bryce Mella added 19 points and nine boards. Check back later for the full story with more photos.

Beky Beaton / America Fork Citizen

The No. 2 American Fork High School boys basketball team blew open a close contest in the second half of the quarterfinal against No. 10 Herriman (16-9) on Wednesday (Feb. 25), posting a 46-39 victory at the University of Utah’s Huntsman Center.

The Cavemen (18-7) now move on to the semifinals Thursday (Feb. 26) to play No. 3 Bingham (17-8) at 9 p.m. at the Huntsman Center. The Miners survived a rugged quarterfinal contest against No. 6 Mountain Ridge (17-8). They needed 42 points from one player to advance with a two-point win.

American Fork got things started right out of the gate with a triple from junior guard Jax Oyler. The Cavemen led 11-4 with two minutes to go in the first period, but the Mustangs scored the next four points to close the gap by the end of the quarter. They did a similar thing as the break approached, and American Fork went to the locker room up just 17-15.

There was a seismic shift in momentum in the third period as the Cavemen netted seven points in the first two minutes for a 24-15 margin. Herriman continued to run at them, but the rugged American Fork defense prevailed as the Mustangs never got closer than seven points the rest of the night.

Senior guard Bryce Mella was his usual efficient self, totaling 22 points to lead the offensive effort. Senior forward Jax Clark added eight points, eight boards and three blocked shots.

Check back later for more details and photos.

Beky Beaton and Ryann Anderegg / American Fork Citizen

The American Fork High School swim team finished third in the boys events and 18^th in the girls division of the 6A state championships concluding Saturday (Feb. 21) at Brigham Young University.

It was a close race for the boys trophies but Lone Peak edged Mountain Ridge 315-302 to get the title. The Cavemen tallied 247 points to outdistance Wasatch at 222 for third place. The Wasps won the earlier contest between the two programs at the Region 3 meet by a considerable amount.

American Fork Coach Michael King was named co-winner of the Utah Swimming Coaches Association 6A Men’s Team Coach of the Year award with Catherine Crenshaw of Mountain Ridge. This is a peer honor voted on by members of the Association.

The small contingent of Caveman girls earned 35 points. Wasatch won the girls title as expected with 311 points, but Skyridge surprised for second place by sneaking past Lone Peak 257-251.5.

“We started the meet off really, really well,” King said. “Our boys team relay came out of nowhere and got second, something that we had talked about all year, and we knew there was a potential of doing that.

“And then we just kind of carried that momentum through the competition,” the coach said. “You don’t really know what other teams are dealing with in terms of kids being sick or disqualifications.

“We got to swim better than what we thought was possible, in the relays especially just because if the team qualifies, that opens the door right?” he said. “And that happened on the first event. We made it through and finished strong.”

Following are the American Fork athletes who earned points for the team in their state events.

In the boys events:

• Battling an illness on top of his competitors, junior Sam Petersen had to fight hard to get a top medal in the 500-yard freestyle, cutting nearly six seconds from his seed time to capture the silver just a third of a second behind the winner. He earned the bronze medal in the 200-yard freestyle with a drop from his seed time there as well.

“It didn’t really go how I wanted it to, but I’m still happy with what I placed,” he said. “I’ve been working a lot on my top speed, so that I can get out faster in the races. I think that’s going to be a big thing for me next year too. I’m really excited to see what I can do next year.”

• Junior Oakley James took about 1.5 seconds off his seed time and finished only behind the new 6A record holder for the silver medal in the 100-yard backstroke. He also reduced his mark in the prelims but then had to swim even faster in the final to stay in sixth place in the 200-yard individual medley.

“I feel great,” he said after the backstroke event. “There is always room for improvement, but I worked hard and am really proud.”

• Sophomore Conner Fellingham finished fourth in a super-close 100-yard breaststroke race where the top four swimmers were separated by a tiny fraction of a second. He also came in 14^th in the 50-yard freestyle.
• Junior Luke Nelson came in fourth in the 100-yard backstroke and placed 15^th in the 100-yard freestyle event with a 2.5-second time drop just to make the final.
• Junior Noah Christensen shaved four seconds from his seed time to move up in the 200-yard individual medley for fifth place and also bumped up a spot to sixth place in the 100-yard butterfly.
• Senior Zack Stevens cut about 1.5 seconds from his seed time to claim seventh place in the 100-yard breaststroke and reduced his seed time by nearly four seconds to place 10^th in the 200-yard individual medley.
• Senior Kyle Robinson garnered eighth place in the 100-yard butterfly.

• The Cavemen captured silver in the 200-yard medley relay in dramatic fashion, dropping a second from their time in the prelims and out-touching the Sentinels with Nelson, Fellingham, Robinson and James. The winners from Brighton set a new 6A record.
• In the 200-yard freestyle relay, American Fork placed fourth with Petersen, Robinson, Fellingham and Christensen.
• In the 400-yard freestyle relay where another 6A record was set, the Cavemen earned fifth place with Petersen, Nelson, Christensen and James.

In the girls division:

• Sophomore Darcee Smith improved her seed time by more than nine seconds to earn a spot in top final group and finished eighth in the 500-yard freestyle. She also earned sixth place in the 100-yard backstroke.
• A Caveman team took 12^th place in the 200-yard medley relay with senior Tenley Anderson, sophomore Gracee Marlowe, Smith and sophomore Mayla Harward.
• American Fork reduced the squad’s seed time exponentially to advance to the final and then came in 16th in the 400-yard freestyle relay with Smith, freshman Jane Ririe, Harward and senior Anisten Evans. The group improved their entry mark by more than 10 seconds in the final.

Megan Wallgren / America Fork Citizen

The No. 2 American Fork High School boys basketball team dominated in its first game of the 6A state tournament, defeating No. 15 Copper Hills 67-35 on Friday (Feb. 20) in The Cave. Both teams earned a bye in the first round.

With the victory, the Cavemen (17-7) advance to the quarterfinals, where they will face No. 10 Herriman (16-8) on Wednesday (Feb. 25) at 12:50 p.m. in the University of Utah’s Huntsman Center.

Adding extra intrigue to this matchup, the coach of the Mustangs is Doug Meacham, who spent many years as an assistant and later head coach at American Fork. Herriman ended up in a three-way tie for first place in Region 2 with Westlake and Bingham. The Mustangs eliminated No. 7 Skyridge on Friday.

The Cavemen showcased their depth with 12 players scoring and everyone in uniform getting some time on the floor. The team’s big men controlled both the paint and the boards, shutting down Copper Hill’s offensive and defensive efforts.

The Grizzlies led in the opening minutes as American Fork turnovers allowed the visitors to start the game with a couple of three-pointers. American Fork quickly settled in however, making threes of their own. They led 15–13 by the end of the first quarter.

The Cavemen took firm control in the second period, outscoring the Grizzlies 17–6. Strong defense and rebounding limited scoring opportunities for Copper Hills, while American Fork capitalized on high-percentage shots around the rim for a 32-19 advantage at the break.

The home squad’s momentum carried into the second half. The Caveman defense was especially strong in the third quarter, holding the Grizzlies to just four points. On offense, American Fork extended the lead even farther, moving ahead 48-23 by the end of the third quarter.

Although the Grizzlies made an offensive rally in the final period against some younger players, they couldn’t stop the Cavemen, who scored 19 points in their most productive quarter of the game.

American Fork finished the night shooting at 53-percent efficiency from the field, compared to just 25 percent for Copper Hills, highlighting the Cavemen’s skill on both ends of the floor. They claimed the rebound battle 43-18 and recorded 19 assists on 26 field goals.

Senior forward Jax Clark led the way for American Fork with 14 points on 6-of-9 attempts, most of them coming in the paint, along with one three-pointer. He completed a double-double with 11 rebounds and also made three assists.

Senior guard Bryce Mella also had an efficient outing with nine points on six shots plus six boards and three assists. Sophomore forward Lincoln Zimmerman made the most of his minutes with nine points plus three rebounds.

Junior guard Jax Oyler contributed eight points with four boards and senior guard Ashton Hucks scored six points with three assists. Senior guard Bridger Burnside collected six rebounds.

“The key for us was defense,” said Coach Ryan Cuff. “Our team continues to focus on our defensive principles and play as a team. Tonight was special as every member of our 20-person roster got in the game, and each person played hard. It was a great team effort.”

Beky Beaton / American Fork Citizen

After a bye in the first round, the No. 9 American Fork High School girls basketball team went on the road to face No. 8 Davis in the second round of the 6A state tournament on Thursday (Feb. 19). The Cavemen battled throughout the contest, but the Darts prevailed 44-40 to end American Fork’s season.

The teams both had trouble finding the net in the initial period, after which Davis led just 6-5. The action picked up in the second quarter however, and the Darts still held a slim lead of 20-17 going into the locker room at the break.

American Fork continued to work hard and managed to reduce the deficit to a single point by the end of the third period. However, Davis was able to get one more basket down the stretch run to earn the win and the right to move on to the state quarterfinals.

Senior small forward Julia Fugal sank three triples and finished with 16 points, six rebounds, four steals and three blocked shots to close out her prep career with an outstanding effort.

Junior shooting guard Jalise Chatman furnished 11 points including a perfect 6-for-6 at the charity stripe to go with six boards, five steals and a pair of assists in another solid outing for her.

Senior power forward Taylor Jensen added seven points while freshman small forward Maya Durrant contributed four points and junior point guard Morgan Felix collected four rebounds and a couple of steals.

“That one hurt,” said Coach Robert Harmon. “The girls gave their everything. They left it all on the floor and that’s really all you can ask for.

“Credit to Davis, they played physical and even though we came out right to start the game, we had chances and we just couldn’t convert when we needed to,” he continued. “These girls have put so much hard work and effort into this year. They really came together as a team and believed in each other.

“When we first started, we were a bunch of individuals who happened to wear the same uniform,” Harmon said. “No one believed we would do much this year, but they became a family and believed in each other and went out every night to prove we were more than people thought we would be.

“Our seniors have been such great leaders. They really set the tone of what we are trying to accomplish. Being the first to practice, celebrating teammates, staying after practice for extra shots, keeping the team together. We couldn’t have asked for better examples of excellence and leadership.

“This is a special group and they’ve come so far,” the coach went on. “I know it’s not how we wanted to finish but they can be proud of what they’ve accomplished together. I love this team and I hate for it to come to an end but I’m also so excited for our next group coming in.

“When we started the year and we had a couple of losses, I told the team, ‘there are winners, there are losers. And then there are those who have not learned how to win yet.’ I knew this was a team that needed to learn,” he said.

“They showed up every day to learn, and they taught our younger group how to win,” Harmon said. “We’ll be back!” After going 5-19 a year ago, the Cavemen earned a 13-9 overall record this season.

Beky Beaton / American Fork Citizen

For two years they’d had to endure it.

The doubt. The questions. The enormous pain of losing in a state championship game two years in a row, the way only a teenage athlete can feel it – like it was the end of the world. The year before they’d been the favorite, and that made it sting even more.

When the 1975-76 basketball season started, the players on the American Fork boys basketball team were on a mission – to win that elusive state title. Interviewed after they achieved their goal, point guard David Dean told a reporter that there was “no way we were going to let that happen again.”

It’s not like this team had come out of nowhere. Everyone knew they were good; they had been for years. Some of the seniors had been on varsity for three seasons and had only gotten better.

Wesley Ruff, ABC4 sports anchor, was a senior playing for Springville that season. The Red Devils were one of the Cavemen’s league foes. “Their second team could have started for most teams in Utah County,” he said.

The team had experienced great success in Region 6, winning three straight league championships, and American Fork appeared most of the time in the top three of the 3A rankings for that entire stretch. They had earned the state silver trophy twice, but they wanted more.

However, making a wish or setting a goal doesn’t make it so. They still had to do whatever it took, day by day, practice by practice, game by game.

They rolled to a 12-0 record in the league and wrapped up their fourth consecutive region title weeks before the tournament. Right after that though, the Cavemen lost to Pleasant Grove in overtime, a repeat of a defeat exactly one year earlier which had ruined a perfect record then too.

American Fork responded by trouncing Springville 86-59 to finish the regular season. Keep in mind this was before the adoption of the 3-point shot, which was still a decade away. “We thought we could have beaten them, but they were mad,” Ruff said. “Their team culture was great.”

The loss to the Vikings may in part explain how the Cavemen were considered the underdogs to defending state champion Davis when the tournament started, but that only added fuel to the fire.

The first-round opponent was Cyprus. The game started a little tentatively, but American Fork quickly warmed to the task, building a 24-8 lead by the end of the first quarter and going on to an 89-44 victory using the entire roster.

Cedar City put up a stiffer fight in the quarterfinal, but the net result was the same. The Cavemen raced out to a 27-10 advantage in the initial period and cruised to a 98-84 victory. The Redmen made up a few points only late in the contest against American Fork’s deep reserves.

That brought on the Dixie Flyers in the 3A semifinals. Dean called this “one of the best games of all time.” A sportswriter of the day opined, “The Cavemen’s triple-overtime victory … was one of the most memorable games ever played in the long, illustrious history of Utah prep basketball.”

American Fork trailed by eight points early in the third quarter but then mounted an 18-4 run to gain a six-point advantage. The Flyers fought back and worked to a 65-63 lead with seconds left and looked to have punched their ticket to the final.

However, forward Andy Burgess managed to beat the buzzer with a 10-foot jumper to send the game into overtime.

Dixie got ahead in both of the next two periods, but each time the Cavemen responded as first center Mike Bond and then guard Brian Hansen hit jump shots to tie the score and bring on another chance.

A successful drive by Bond followed by a made free throw was the key play that secured the 81-77 victory for American Fork in the third extra stanza.

The Darts could be forgiven for thinking that such a long, tiring game for their next-day foe would be to their advantage. They had sailed through the earlier semifinal and no doubt watched at least part of the subsequent game to size up their opponents.

If that was indeed their opinion, it turned out to be wrong.

In front of 10,000 fans in the Marriott Center plus a statewide TV audience, the Cavemen took the floor. The teams battled toe-to-toe through the first half and American Fork had only a slight lead of 22-19 heading into the locker room at the break.

However, once they returned to the court, they owned it, leaving no doubt by outscoring Davis 46-30 in the second half to roll to the 68-49 oh-so-sweet victory.

“Psychologically, we wanted it more,” Coach Carl Ingersoll told a reporter, who also noted that the coach had “been living with the bridesmaid syndrome more closely than any other human these past couple of years.”

Ingersoll added, “I know there were some who stayed away tonight, thinking that we’d do it again. But we soft-pedalled that second-place business. We had confidence in our program.”

With gold trophy in hand at last, the Cavemen rode into the sunset. It was the school’s first hoops title since 1962, and the first after they had joined the “bigger school” ranks. Class 4A was as high as it went in those days and Class 3A wasn’t far behind in prominence.

This was a rich year in the state for athletic talent on the court, with a crop that included Bruce Hurst, Scott Runia, Danny Vranes, Scott Labrum and others who would be familiar to Utah basketball fans. Yet even with that competition, the Cavemen racked up an impressive list of post-season honors.

Ingersoll skippered American Fork to another title in 1979 and eventually went on to an assistant coaching job at BYU. Though well past 90 now, he continues to attend ball games whenever he can to watch his numerous descendants and relatives or just for the fun of going.

The echoes of this team and its other personalities have continued to resonate down through the years. Many have assisted the program as coaches, booster parents and fans. Some of their children have suited up for the Cavemen, or played against them.

The team’s reputation for toughness has remained intact too. Here’s an anecdote shared by Reed Bromley, a player on a later team who also coached at American Fork. He shared an experience with Frank Pulley, a junior reserve on the 1976 team who played in the post despite being only six feet tall.

Pulley also had a nickname: the Wolverine, which may offer a clue to his approach to the game. “He only got limited minutes that year but talking to the seniors, he brought a fight to the team that was impacting in them winning that state title,” Bromley said. “Every practice was a war.

“Well, Frank served for years as a volunteer fireman in AF and was also an assistant sophomore coach for Bob Eckles,” Bromley went on. “He was so great and again taught toughness like few I’ve seen. I had first-hand experience with what the varsity boys in 1976 must have gone through.

“I was afraid to come to practice for nearly two weeks because I had caught Frank with an elbow and I knew the Wolverine would get his revenge,” Bromley explained.

Enough said.

See https://afcitizen.com/2026/01/31/cavemen-celebrate-1976-state-basketball-champs/ for the story on the celebration.