The Rich Life: Basketball

While ultimately I would end up being better at and having more success with football, basketball was my first love.

But sports in general were not of much interest to me when I was young. I believe my parents signed me up for soccer before we even moved to Grantsville. I don't remember any games or practices, but I do have a memory of my dad getting after me because my parents were looking all over the house for my cleats or shin guards or something while I sat on the couch and watched TV, apparently not too concerned whether I made it to the game or not.

Once we moved to Grantsville, I played a couple of years of t-ball. The first year I played, Danielle Estrada was my coach. I don't remember too much about that year, other than that to start the year, I was afraid of the ball, and therefore couldn't catch the ball. I played deep in the outfield. But then one weekend, we were at my Grandma Nalder's and I specifically remember my Uncle Carl playing catch with me and probably some others. And something clicked for me and I went from not being able to catch the ball at all to being pretty good at it. I went from deep in the outfield to playing pitcher and catcher. The other memory I have about that year was my neighbor Andrew Proctor, who was on my team (I think it was the same year, but maybe not), making an unassisted triple play. I think he was playing second and there were runners on first and second and he caught a line drive, tagged second to get the runner who had been on second, and then ran down and tagged the runner from first before they could get back. I mean, it was t-ball so the base-running could have been a little suspect, but still.

But oh yeah, basketball, I'm supposed to be talking about basketball. My first memory of basketball was my family and the Tripps being invited over to Matt and Lori Lawrence's for a barbecue not long after moving to Grantsville, and they had a basketball hoop in their backyard. I remember George and I shooting over and over, without any success. At some point, George informed me that he had already made one (I didn't see him make one, but whatever, I'm sure he did). Not wanting to be outdone, I lied and said that I had as well. Sometime later on that same evening, I did make one, and probably was a little too excited about it, especially since I had allegedly already made one.

Not too long after we moved to town, my dad put up a basketball hoop on our driveway. I wish I could remember who, but I'm pretty sure it was someone in town who made the standard. That driveway and that hoop would become somewhat of a sanctuary for me, particularly during my middle school years.

I didn't start playing Junior Jazz until Fifth Grade (not sure if it was available to be played earlier than that or not at the time). I don't remember my coach's name (Dennis?), but he was married to Sherry Barrus at the time. I wasn't very good at getting the ball in the basket yet, but I could jump high and seemed to do alright that year. The following spring, the Jazz beat the Portland Trailblazers in the first round of the playoffs and then took on the mighty Lakers, who were trying to repeat as NBA Champions. The Jazz ultimately lost in a hard-fought seven-game series, but that is the point I fell completely in love with basketball. I rooted against the Lakers for the rest of the playoffs, and when they beat Detroit, I got so angry I ran to my room and ripped down a picture of Magic Johnson I had cut out of a magazine and taped to my wall. (The Lakers beat Dallas in seven games in the Conference Finals, and then Detroit in seven games in the finals. Three consecutive seven-game series, but they successfully repeated as champions).

That summer and into the fall I played basketball constantly, seemingly spending every spare minute shooting baskets in my driveway. (Where our house was on the corner of Main Street, anyone who drove past could see me out there shooting baskets. Janiece Snively once told my dad that whenever they were headed out of town they'd bet whether I would be out shooting baskets or not when they passed my house and that usually whoever bet that I would be out there would win). By the time basketball season rolled around again, I had improved immensely at being able to put the ball in the basket.

I don't remember if I played Junior Jazz the next year, but it was my first year playing Bantam basketball. Bantam was unique in that they had a draft and once you were on a team, you played on that team for all three years of Bantam basketball, and if you had any younger siblings that overlapped you, they would automatically be added to your team (this resulted in Mouritsens being on the Bulls for many years). I don't think Bantam is still around, at least not in the same form, but it was great at the time. I don't know if I can remember all the teams and coaches, but my recollections is that Steve Larson coached the Chaps, Brad Sutton coached the Stars, Jack Nelson and Kim Palmer coached the Bulls (the team I was drafted to), Kenny Nelson coached the Lakers, Roger Cowan coached the Celtics, and Jeff Hutchins and Loren Anderson coached the Bucks.

I only have a couple of memories of individual games. I think the way it worked, is that the first four minutes of the first and third quarters, the starters would play, and then there would be a timeout, and the younger kids would sub in for the last four minutes. My first game, our team got down in the first four minutes and I came in at that point and scored six straight points to get us back in the game, which we went on to win. I remember Josh Hill and Danny Andersen being on the team that year.

I don't remember much about my seventh grade year, but my eight grade year, I remember that Bob Silva was on my team and we were one of the best teams. My buddies Aaron, Dave, and Travis Tate were on the Lakers who were the other dominant team that year. My recollection is that we each went 9-1, with each of us winning one against each other. We lost the first game to the Lakers in a close one, sealed when we had too many players go into the game toward the end and got a technical foul. In the second game against them, it was tied as time was expiring. I drove to about the free-throw line area, elevated, and hit a shot over both Aaron and Dave as time expired to win by two. (I believe they both informed me that they could have blocked the shot, but were afraid they'd be called for a foul. Maybe). Definitely my single best basketball highlight to that point.

I do remember also playing Junior Jazz in seventh and eighth grade. In seventh grade, Roger Hunt coached us and it seems like we only had one Grantsville team and we mostly played other teams in the county. In eighth grade, I was coached by Gary Christley, and we cruised through the regular season, but were upset by Roger Cowan's team and his infamous Tiger Paw offense. Erich Christley, Spencer Parkinson, and Cass Bleazard are teammates I remember on that team, and Brent Cowan and Philip Ware were on Roger's team that beat us.

Going into high school, I definitely thought that basketball was going to be my thing, to such an extent that I chose not to play football as a freshman so that I could "get ready for basketball." (I'm sure the fact that I didn't like to get hit had nothing to do with it).

Our freshman year, we were coached by Roger Cowan and Don Wayne Nelson and had a great season. We only lost two games (at Millard and at Morgan). In the game at Millard, I not so subtly jumped on one of their player's back when he was down on the floor. Not one of my better moments. I don't remember a lot about specific games. I do remember that toward the end of the season, we had a one-on-one competition and a three-point competition and that I won both. Unfortunately, that year was probably when I peaked as a basketball player.

The next year, we were on the JV Team and would practice with the Varsity. Mark Hutchins was the head coach and Jeff and Mike Didericksen were his assistants. I don't remember too much about that year, other than that I was one of a couple of sophomores invited to dress for the varsity games, but I soon decided I would just as soon change and go watch the game with my friends. So I just stopped dressing without telling anyone. No one seemed to notice until the Varsity was winning big one game and Coach Hutchins went to put me in the game, only to find that I wasn't there.

Another JV memory I have was from our junior year. We had played at Manti earlier in the season and they had just destroyed us. On paper, they were definitely a more talented team, but when they came to Grantsville, we were motivated to redeem ourselves and came out and played the game of our lives. I remember leading by 25 midway through the third quarter. They made a bit of a run, but we still ended up winning by 12 or so. One of the most fun games I ever remember playing in.

That year, I would also play some varsity. We were playing South Summit at home and trailed by three late in the game, but had the ball. I don't remember who took the initial shot, but it missed badly, but someone on the team managed to corral the rebound. Several players collapsed on whoever got the rebound in the paint, and they pivoted to find me all alone (probably with good reason) angle right outside the three-point line. They threw it out to me, I took the shot, and nailed it, tying the game. When their last-second attempt missed, we went to overtime, where we prevailed.

My senior year, I don't remember a whole lot. I remember guaranteeing a win at Millard and following through on it. I remember losing a tight game at home to Morgan after John and me had both fouled out. I remember a close game against South Summit at home and thinking we had the game in hand when John was fouled and went to the line with only a second or two remaining, with us up by two. John missed the free-throw, a South Summit kid grabbed the rebound, heaved it the full length of the court, and banked it in, putting them ahead by one as time expired. But wait! The ball had bounced off the rafters in the ceiling mid-flight and was consequently waved off. We escaped!

We had a decent season, but lost to Juab on a last-second shot in the region tournament, which meant we didn’t go on to state. My high school career was over.

I didn't end up having as much success playing basketball as I maybe thought I would at one point. But I still love the game. And there's still nothing quite like playing basketball with your buddies.

(This ended up being longer than I thought, and I didn't even mention church basketball, or the Alumni Tournament, or basketball at the MTC. I know it was probably exhausting to read, but imagine what it was like to write).