MoaBlog

The Lady Devils high school softball team won the state championship last Saturday, defeating South Summit 3-2 in 10 innings. The team won all five of its games during the three-day tournament, which was held in Spanish Fork.

The Red Devil boys soccer team won both of its playoff games last week, a 10-0 win over shorthanded Mount Vernon on Wednesday, followed by a 3-0 victory over defending state champion Rowland Hall on Saturday afternoon. Both games were played at Moab. These pictures show some of the action on Saturday. The Red Devils, still undefeated this season with a 14-0 record, will next play St. Joseph High School in the semifinals in Salt Lake this Friday afternoon, May 7.

Last week, there was a Donkey Basketball game fundraiser at the local middle school gym. Teams of faculty members and students from the high school and the middle school played each other while riding atop donkeys. First, the high school faculty beat the middle school faculty 12-6. Then, the high school boys beat their middle school counterparts 18-4. Then the high school boys beat the high school faculty 8-5 to win the championship. Jeff scored a total of 7 points, including a three-point shot in the final game.

The local high school also hosted an invitational track meet this past Saturday. A total of 10 schools participated. The Red Devil boys finished fifth overall, while the girls placed seventh. Sam (top photo) set a school record in the 300-meter hurdles with a time of 41.33 seconds. Rachel (bottom photo) placed in four different events, including the javelin.

The local high school's baseball and softball teams began their respective seasons this past weekend, each playing a total of four games in invitational tournaments at Moab.

The local high school girls basketball team, the Lady Devils, pulled off a surprise upset in the first round of post-season play last weekend. Tonight, they'll travel to Richfield to play Beaver in the 2A playoffs, which continue tomorrow and Saturday. These photos are from the final regular season home game against San Juan.

London's team won their city rec basketball game last Saturday morning. She's pictured here attempting a free throw after getting fouled while attempting a shot.

River's team (coached by Penny) recently started playing their city recreation basketball schedule. They won their first game 8-6 and their second game 21-18. River (middle and bottom photos) scored 2 in each game.

A Thanksgiving Day tradition in many families and neighborhoods is to have a friendly game of touch football in the morning, to burn off a few calories before the traditional holiday meal. A group of nearly 30 men and boys gathered at Moab's Old City Park this morning. After dividing up into four teams, the group played a few games against each other on parallel fields. No tackling was allowed, and teams could achieve a first down only by crossing midfield, meaning they had to score a touchdown in no more than eight plays each time.

Several dozen students, parents, and other members of the Moab community participated in a "Save Our Sports" rally last Friday afternoon. The group's goal was to show support for athletics and extra-curricular activities, many of which are facing severe budget cuts due to the district's current financial crisis. County voters recently rejected a voted leeway that would have raised taxes to help solve the problem. The sign-carrying marchers first went from the high school to the school district office, where they voiced their concerns about budget cuts to the superintendent and school board members. Then, they continued their march for several blocks downtown and back to the high school, while passing motorists honked their horns in support.

Jeff and his parents attended the University of Utah football game on Halloween night. The Utes came from behind in the second half to beat the Wyoming Cowboys, 22-10.

The Lady Devils took 3rd place overall in the state volleyball tournament in Orem this afternoon. They won both of their games yesterday, then lost to South Summit this afternoon. They then rebounded to defeat Waterford later in the evening for the 3rd place trophy.

The Red Devils lost their football game tonight against the North Sevier Wolves by the score of 28-16. Quarterback Billy (bottom photo) scored both of the Red Devils' touchdowns.

The Red Devils won their homecoming football game on Friday night, beating the North Summit Wolves by the score of 35-14.

The Lady Devils won their home volleyball opener on Saturday, defeating Gunnison in three sets. Pictured here are Shelby and Lillian making a block at the net. To support a fundraiser for breast cancer research, the two teams wore special uniforms -- the home team wore black jerseys with pink lettering instead of the usual red and white, while the visitors wore pink shirts instead of their school color, royal blue.

Jeff's brother Dave and Dave's wife Shawna participated in a "sprint" triathlon in the Salt Lake area last weekend. The event included a 400-yard swim, a nine-mile bike ride, and a 3.1-mile run. Dave’s final time was 1:25:33 and Shawna’s was 1:12:39, good enough for fifth place out of 33 competitors in her age division.

Tonight was the annual Powder Puff football game, an annual homecoming tradition involving female students at the high school playing a game of flag football for bragging rights. Tonight, the seniors beat the sophomores 18-0 and the juniors beat the freshmen 26-14. But the playoff for the championship was delayed until Wednesday night because of a lightning storm.

Brooklyn and her Lady Devil teammates had another tennis match this afternoon. It was a three-way match against two other schools. Brooklyn and Cori won their JV doubles match against San Juan.

The local high school's cross-country team held its only home meet of the season on Saturday morning. The 3.1-mile course began and ended at the high school football field. Derek (bottom photo) was the top finisher for his team, placing 10th overall with a time of 18 minutes, 40 seconds.

The Red Devil football team won their second straight football game tonight, defeating the Monticello Buckaroos at Moab by the score of 24-7. A large crowd filled the stands to watch the team's first home game of the season.

Prior to last Friday's game, quarterback Trevor had someone write the following verse from the Bible on his forearm, to help motivate himself for the game (which the Red Devils ended up winning, 14-0). The version of Ezekiel 25:17 as written on Trevor's arm reads as follows: "And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who attempt to poison and destroy my brothers. And you will know my name is the Lord when I lay my vengeance upon thee." The King James version of Ezekiel 25:17 is translated a bit differently: "And I will execute great vengeance upon them with furious rebukes; and they shall know that I am the LORD, when I shall lay my vengeance upon them."

The Red Devil football team won their season opener football game Friday night, beating the Emery Spartans at Castle Dale by the score of 14-0. Dallen (No. 27 in middle photo) scored two touchdowns during the game.

Eric Maynor, a 22-year-old point guard drafted earlier this year by the NBA's Utah Jazz, made an appearance in Moab yesterday afternoon. Maynor put on a free hour-long clinic to more than 100 youngsters gathered at a local gymnasium. Maynor is 6-foot-3 (1.91 meters) and weighs 175 lbs. (79 kg.). He played college basketball for Virginia Commonwealth University. He recently signed a two-year contract with the Jazz that will pay him a total of $2.7 million.

More than 400 youth are participating in Moab City Recreation's summer baseball and softball leagues. Pictured here are 10-year-old pitcher Alan in a boys' baseball league, and 14-year-old Linda of a girls' softball league. Linda hit a home run during her team's game last week.

River, Penny, Rachel, Nick, and other family members had fun playing softball at the park one night a couple of weeks ago.

More photos from the Red Devils' 3-0 win over St. Joseph last Saturday. They play in the state semifinals tomorrow, and if they win that game, they'll also play for the state championship on Saturday.

On Saturday, the Red Devil soccer team won their second straight playoff game at home, defeating St. Joseph by the score of 3-0. Check back tomorrow for a few more pictures of the game. The boys will be heading to Salt Lake on Friday to play in the state semifinals.

The undefeated Red Devil boys soccer team won their opening-round playoff game at home this afternoon, defeating American Leadership Academy 5-1. They'll play their second-round game on Saturday afternoon, also at Moab.

The local high school softball team participated in the annual "Swing for Life" exhibition tournament in Salt Lake last weekend. The event featured dozens of games and a hit-a-thon to raise money for breast cancer research. The Lady Devils wore pink uniforms instead of their usual red and black jerseys. On the back of each pink T-shirt were the words "Fight Like a Girl." Pictured, from top: Stephanie, Miranda, Mikayla, and Shelby. The Lady Devils won three out of their four games on Friday.

Jeff's bowling team took first place in their league on Monday night. They finished the 33-week season with a playoff against the winning team from the first half of the season, and outscored them in the final, 20 points to 13. The team consisted of (from left) Bernie, Edward, Ronald, and Jeff.

Jeff snapped this series of photos of Red Devil catcher Trevor making a successful steal of home plate during the first inning of a high school baseball game last week.

The local high school track and field teams have also been holding practice every weekday after school. They are scheduled to compete in three weekend meets this month, including a home meet on March 28.

The high school baseball team has been practicing weekdays after school, and will have their first game next week. A new structure (seen in background of bottom photo) is being built behind the field's backstop fence. The new building will house bleachers, restrooms, a concession stand, and a place for the game announcers to sit. The structure, built with $50,000 in county rec funds, is expected to be completed in time for the Red Devils' season to start.

The local high school basketball team, the Red Devils, lost their game against San Juan last night by the score of 63-44. Shane (top photo) scored 20 points for the Red Devils.

River's city recreation basketball team concluded its season on Saturday morning with a 22-15 victory. The team (pictured at top) was called the Shooting Stars. Players were Tyra, Riley, River, Jade, Molly, and Britney, with coach RayeLyne. After the game, the girls received medals, and the coach treated them to an ice cream cone at the local diner (bottom photo).

While in Salt Lake, Jeff attended a city rec basketball game played by a team coached by Jeff's youngest brother Steve (top photo). Jeff and Steve's 10-year-old niece Morgan (bottom photo) plays on the team. Saturday's game was a low-scoring affair, with neither team making any points in the second half and Morgan's team losing 6-4.

The Red Devils won their wrestling match against Dove Creek, Colo. last Wednesday night. Winners included Jordan (top photo), who won by pin, and Sean (bottom photo), who won on points.

River had another city rec basketball game tonight. Her team won 18-16 and she scored eight points. Last week, her team got its first win of the season. River scored seven points in the 21-20 victory.

The Red Devil boys basketball team played its first varsity home game of the season tonight. The game was tied with a couple minutes to play, but the Red Devils lost to Monticello 63-55. Red Devil center Shane (bottom photo) led all scorers with 29 points.

The Lady Devils basketball team suffered their first loss of the year tonight when they fell to the defending state champions, the South Sevier Rams, by the score of 54-30. The Lady Devils were behind by just two points midway through the third quarter (see scoreboard photo), but managed only four more points the rest of the game.

The local high school wrestling team had a match tonight against their rivals from Blanding, a town about 75 miles south of Moab. The Red Devils and Broncos were tied 30-30 heading into the final matchup of the night, and the Blanding wrestler defeated Moab's in three rounds on points to give the Broncos a 33-30 victory.

After making it through their preseason undefeated with 8 wins and 0 losses, the local high school girls basketball team is ready for its first regular-season test this coming weekend. The Lady Devils will face South Sevier on Friday and North Sevier on Saturday, with both games at home in Moab.

Tonight was the Sugar Bowl college football game in New Orleans, Louisiana. The University of Utah Utes defeated Alabama by the score of 31-17. Utah finished their season with 13 wins and 0 losses, which makes the Utes this season's only remaining undefeated Division 1 football team in the nation. Many Utah fans, including Jeff, watched the game on television.

Nine-year-old River recently started playing in a city recreation basketball league. Her team is called the Shooting Stars. The girls play on a court that has 8-foot-high hoops instead of the regulation 10 feet.

The local high school recently received a new scorer's table to use during basketball, volleyball, and wrestling contests. The front of the table includes a billboard with the school's name and logo, along with the name of the sponsor that donated the table (the local hospital). Click on photo to enlarge.

Motocross races are being held today and tomorrow at a dirt track near Jeff's house. More than 600 riders are entered in the competition, which features motorcycle riders of all ages.

The local high school girls basketball team won their season opener tonight, defeating Green River by the score of 69-45.

Jeff's nephews Jake, 9, and Dallin, 10, (cousins to each other) both play on the same Little League football team in Riverton. They have had a good season so far, winning nearly all their games.

Jeff finished assembling and installing his new basketball standard in his driveway tonight. The device has an adjustable rim that can be set between 8 feet and 10 feet, in increments of six inches. The 8-foot level is the height at which Jeff's young daughters like to practice shooting baskets.

Jeff recently bought a new basketball hoop for his driveway. He made it halfway through the assembly process a few days ago, and plans to finish the project tomorrow. The base to which the pole is attached needs to be filled with over 300 pounds of sand, so Jeff and Penny spent awhile tonight shoveling sand through a large funnel to give the base greater weight and stability.

Brooklyn and several of her fellow tennis players received their varsity letters tonight at an awards ceremony held at the local high school. The recognition is given to athletes who play at the varsity level, with the requirements varying depending on the sport. All six of the fall sports teams were honored (cross country, tennis, volleyball, football, soccer, and golf). The embroidered letter "G" (for Grand County) may be sewn on a letterman's jacket, if desired.

The local high school girls soccer team played a home playoff game this afternoon. The Lady Devils fought hard, but ultimately lost the game to Gunnison, 4-3.

Doubles partners Brooklyn and Lauren competed at the state tennis tournament in Salt Lake last weekend. Rainy weather caused the matches to be moved indoors. Although they played well, the two freshmen lost in straight sets to a pair of older girls from Manti. Three other girls from Moab also competed in singles, but none of them made it past the first round of the tournament.

After the big Utah football win last night, Jeff stayed outside the locker room so that he could visit with Utah center Zane Taylor (top photo). Zane sprained his ankle near the end of the game, and had it wrapped in ice afterward (bottom photo).

Jeff attended the University of Utah vs. Oregon State football game in Salt Lake City tonight. The Utes fell behind 28-20 with just over two minutes left in the game, but rallied to score a touchdown and ultimately defeat the Beavers on a last-second field goal, 31-28. Hundreds of fans rushed onto the field in celebration after the game (bottom photo).

This afternoon, the local high school girls tennis team left for Richfield, where they'll play in tomorrow's region tournament. The team includes both singles and doubles players. Those who qualify for the state tournament will compete the following weekend in Salt Lake City.

The Red Devil football team was also successful last week, defeating Altamont by the score of 20-13. The Red Devils have won 3 and lost 1 as they head into regular season play at next week's homecoming game vs. South Sevier.

The local high school girls soccer team won both of their games via shutout last week, defeating Gunnison 9-0 on Tuesday and Manti 1-0 two days later. Pictured here are shots of the Lady Devils in action against Manti.

The local high school girls tennis team won their matches today on the road vs. Millard. Brooklyn and Andrea (both freshman) got their first varsity victory in their doubles match. Pictured above are their teammates Tailor and Lillian at a recent practice.

Jeff's nephews Dallin and Jake play on the same little league football team. They defeated Highland last Saturday by the score of 49-0.

The local high school cross-country teams participated in a meet this past Saturday at the local golf course. Eight schools participated, and Grand County High's boys and girls teams each took second place overall. Sam and Virginia's son John, a senior this year, is seen finishing the race in the middle photo.

The local high school team, the Red Devils, won their first football game of the season last Friday, beating the Emery Spartans at Moab 27-14. Both Trevor (top photo) and Mike (bottom photo) scored touchdowns during the game.

The local high school girls volleyball team won their first game of the season last night, outlasting Monticello three games to two. After four games to 25, the fifth and final tiebreaking game was played to 15. Sophomore Shelby (top photo) had an amazing number of "kills" (unreturnable shots) made during the game.

The local high school golf team started its season last Thursday at home (the scenic 18-hole course at Moab Golf Club). The Red Devils finished third out of six teams competing. Jordan (top photo) was the top overall golfer with a score of 80.

The local high school football team, the Red Devils, started their nightly practices last week, and are now practicing twice a day. They are gearing up for their season opener at home vs. Emery High School on Friday, August 22.

The team sponsored by Darrin's construction company won the local adult co-ed softball tournament this past weekend. Playing several consecutive games in 100-degree heat, the team finally won the title with a 9-6 win over the local hardware store's team. Pictured above are Rayelyne and Darrin of the winning team.

Jeff went down to the local ball fields tonight, to take some more photos of kids playing baseball and softball. There are several city recreation leagues currently playing, and their seasons will end at the end of the month. The top teams in each league will advance to the state tournaments in early July.

While in the Salt Lake City area recently, Jeff saw that the new soccer stadium in Sandy is starting to take shape. The arena will be the future home of Utah's professional soccer team, Real Salt Lake. The $115 million publicly funded stadium is expected to be completed within the next few months. It will seat more than 22,000 people. This picture was taken from inside a moving car on the freeway while Penny was driving past the stadium.

Jeff and his teammates finished their bowling league season tonight. The team, comprised of teachers from the local high school, called themselves DGUTS, which stands for "Don't Give Up The Ship," a famous saying by Capt. James Lawrence during the War of 1812. The team (pictured in bottom photo, from left: Ron, Nick, Edward, Ed, and Jeff) finished in third-place overall out of 12 teams over the course of the season, which lasted about eight months.

The local high school boys soccer team hosted a playoff game Wednesday. Although the Red Devils led 1-0 at halftime and 2-1 late in the game, the Wasatch Academy Tigers came from behind in the final minutes to win 5-2. The top photo shows Brad scoring Grand's first goal. The bottom photo shows Colby and Leo in some of the wild action on the field.

Virginia recently went to Telluride, Colorado with her family on a late season skiing trip. Although Virginia didn’t ski, she enjoyed riding the gondola and snowshoeing. Soon the ski resorts will close for the season. Even though there is still plenty of snow on the ground, people’s thoughts are turning to spring activities.

After a shutout win and a tie last week, the local high school boys soccer team, the Red Devils, were on top of the region standings with a record of 8 wins, 1 loss, and 1 tie. These photos were taken during the team's 8-0 win over North Sevier last Tuesday.

London (bottom photo) kicked a goal in her team's 7-2 victory on Saturday. Just about every Saturday morning and on several weekday afternoons throughout the spring, the local ball fields are filled with soccer teams ranging in age from about 5 to 13 years old. Many of the leagues are co-ed, with a mixture of girls and boys.

Jeff's niece Morgan celebrated her 10th birthday in Salt Lake recently. She invited friends and family members to join her for an afternoon session of bowling. To make it easier for small children to score points, the bowling alley deployed aluminum bumpers designed to keep the ball from entering the gutter. The bumpers are visible in the top photo, which shows 8-year-old River releasing her ball. Toddlers like Indy (bottom photo) also used a metal rack to roll the ball down, giving them much-needed speed to reach the pins some 60 feet away.

The local high school boys tennis team started its season this spring. Mike (top photo) and Ravon (bottom photo) are two of the students on the team, which recently placed third in an eight-team tournament in St. George, Utah that featured several larger schools.

Brooklyn's coed soccer team is comprised of girls and boys in the 7th and 8th grades. They played their first scheduled game last night, but lost 5-1 (their top scoring player missed the game because of illness).

The local high school had their first-ever girls golf match this afternoon at Moab. Girls from three other high schools also participated. The players were nervous before teeing off on the first hole, but tried to relax for their team photo (top).

Spring sports have started at the local high school, including boys soccer. The boys won both of their first two games last week, winning 8-1 and 4-1. These photos are of Friday's 4-1 win over Carbon (the Red Devils are in white uniforms).

The University of Utah defeated Navy 35-32 last Thursday night in San Diego's Poinsettia Bowl, the first of many college football bowl games to be played over the next couple of weeks. The Utes finished their season with a 9-4 record, and extended their remarkable bowl-game winning streak to seven games. Utah's squad includes Moab native Zane Taylor, a freshman lineman, seen here in action during the game blocking a Navy opponent during a punt, and standing on the sidelines. Less than 24 hours after the big victory, Zane was back in his hometown of Moab to celebrate the holidays with family and friends. The bottom photo shows Zane and Jeff (a U. of U. alumnus) at a company party for the local weekly newspaper on Saturday night. Click on each photo to enlarge.

The local high school boys basketball team won their season opener tonight, defeating Green River 74-68. Four of the Red Devil players scored 10 or more points each, led by Shane with 15. Green River's top scorer was Brennan, who made 35 points, including seven three-pointers.

The Grand County High Red Devils lost their semifinal playoff game in Draper Saturday afternoon, falling to the North Summit Braves 24-10. The Red Devils finished their season with six wins and five losses. North Summit will play Millard for the championship next Saturday in Cedar City. Both teams in the finals are undefeated with identical 11-0 records.

The local high school football team, the Red Devils, defeated Manti this afternoon in the state playoffs at Moab. The final score was 21-7. Clay (middle photo) made two touchdown catches. The Red Devils will next play in the semifinals next weekend in the Salt Lake area.

The local high school cross-country team left this afternoon to compete in tomorrow's state meet in Salt Lake City. Seven girls and one boy qualified for the state meet, and they and their coaches were cheered on by their fellow students and teachers as the bus got ready to leave. The runners and coaches were wearing new shirts that read "Why do we run?" on the front. On the back of each shirt is the reply: "The answer is at the finish line."

The local high school in Moab hasn't beaten the San Juan Broncos on their home field in Blanding since the fall of 1986, well before any of the players on either team were born. This past Friday night, the Red Devils (in white uniforms) led 13-6 early in the game, but ended up losing the game 25-13.

The local high school football team, the Red Devils, won their home game against Monticello High on Friday night. The Red Devils scored four touchdowns in the first half and held on for a 28-7 victory.

The local high school football team, the Red Devils, lost their season opener at home Friday night. They were beaten by the Logan Grizzlies 43-14. It was the first time that the two schools had ever played each other in football. Logan, a much larger school, is in northern Utah, a six-hour drive from Moab (335 miles or 539 km). The game took over four and a half hours to play, including a two-hour delay caused by a lightning storm.

The night before Audrey and Chris's wedding, the family gathered at the newlyweds' new home north of Salt Lake and played a friendly game of driveway basketball. The four-on-four game took over an hour to complete, with Dave, Steve, Paul and Gerry finally defeating Audrey, Chris, Robert, and Jeff by the score of 66-62. The rim had been lowered so that it was 8 feet above the ground instead of the usual 10 feet, making it possible for the players to dunk the ball (bottom photo).

The local high school football team recently held a week-long football camp. The boys stayed at the school each night, and spent their days practicing football and lifting weights. The team's first game of the upcoming season will be at home on Aug. 17 vs. the Logan Grizzlies.

Both teams from Moab (the Reds, top photo, and the Cubs, bottom photos) played well at the state softball tournament for 7th-, 8th-, and 9th-grade girls, held this week in Payson, Utah. The Reds and Cubs each won their first two games before losing their next two. The Cubs ended up tied for fifth place out of 26 teams.

Nearly every night of the week from May through July, the local baseball and softball diamonds are filled with players from the city recreation leagues. The youngest league is co-ed tee ball, where the players hit the ball off a tee (top photo). After tee ball are the "coach pitch" leagues, where coaches pitch to their own players with the aid of pitching machines (middle). After that (beginning at about age 10), the kids are old enough to pitch on their own (bottom photo).

Today (the last day of regular classes at the local high school) featured the "Devils' Challenge" for two and a half hours in the afternoon. The high school students competed against their peers (and some of the teachers) in a variety of events, including (from top) pie eating contest, a water relay, and a skateboarding competition.

Bumble, a large bee, is the mascot of the Salt Lake Bees minor league baseball team. He roams the stands before and during the game, signing autographs, interacting with children, and helping to get the crowd more excited about the game.

Jeff's family attended a Salt Lake Bees professional baseball game last night. The Bees (a minor league team affiliated with the Anaheim Angels) lost the game to the Nashville Sounds, 4-3.

The local high school hosted a regional high school boys tennis tournament last week. Several members of the team (including Jordan, pictured in top photo) qualified for the state tournament, which will be held in Salt Lake City this coming weekend.

Moab United is a youth soccer club that plays weekend games with other teams from the surrounding area. The kids on the team (including Lane, at top) are age 12-13. These photos were taken at a recent team practice.

River's city rec soccer team plays a couple of games each week. Each team plays six girls at a time, and typically scores between one and five goals per game. The girls' uniforms are reversible (red on one side and yellow on the other), allowing the same jerseys to be used year after year.

Competitors at the home track meet this afternoon included (from top): Mallory in the long jump, Kemrey in the girls 100-meter dash, Gordon in the boys 100-meter dash, and Clay in the hurdles. Several Red Devils qualified for state in their respective events.

The local high school girls softball team is off to a good start, winning their first two regular season games in last Friday's doubleheader against Richfield. Brittnie pitched both games, which the Lady Devils won 6-0 and 11-0.

Saturday was the 32nd annual Canyonlands Half Marathon and Five Mile Run. Nearly 4,000 runners completed their respective races, out of nearly 5,000 who registered. Participants came from 46 U.S. states and five foreign countries, including Japan. Since it was also St. Patrick's Day, many of the runners wore green during the event.

Here are a few pictures from last Saturday's volleyball tournament in Monticello. Around two dozen teams of girls aged 12-14 from southeastern Utah and western Colorado gathered to play several games each throughout the day. A similar tournament will be held in Moab this coming weekend.

The local high school boys soccer team played their season opener against Union High School this afternoon. The Red Devils lost, 3-2.

The local high school boys baseball team began its season yesterday afternoon with a 6-5 loss to Carbon High School. The team led 2-0 after five innings but gave up five runs in the sixth.

Jeff recently came across this old photograph of his dad playing in a high school basketball game 47 years ago, in 1960. Jeff's dad, a senior, is pictured shooting the ball. "I remember that this photo was taken just a few seconds after the game started, and that the shot went in," Jeff's dad recalled, adding that the picture was published in the local newspaper the following week.

The University of Utah and Brigham Young University rugby teams played each other in Moab on Saturday afternoon. Utah's "B" squad won the first game over BYU, but the "A" team lost to the Cougars 25-15, despite being ahead 15-5 at halftime. A "try" in rugby (similar to a touchdown in American football) is worth five points. Points may also be earned by kicking the ball through the upright poles at either end of the field.

Recently, about 70 youngsters participated in the local high school's "Junior Cheer" event. The kids (from preschool to middle school age) did two dances and two cheers at the halftime of a boys basketball game, which the Red Devils ended up winning by one point in overtime. Jeff's daughters River and London both participated.

The Lady Devil girls basketball team also lost their homecoming game last week, 54-28 against undefeated Richfield in the regular season opener for both teams on Tuesday, January 2.

The local boys basketball team lost their homecoming game to Emery High School 81-61 last Thursday. The Red Devils managed to make six 3-point baskets, but were no match for the hot-shooting Spartans, who made 11 3-pointers during the game.

The local high school had a home wrestling match the other night. The Red Devils started strong but ended up losing to their archrivals, the San Juan Broncos. Each wrestler on the team earns up to six points based on how well he does against his opponent. Individual matches can go up to three rounds, plus a tiebreaking round if necessary. Wrestlers are classified according to their weight, with the heaviest class being between 215 and 285 lbs. (97-129 kg).

The local high school boys basketball team won their first home game Tuesday night, pulling away from the Monticello Buckaroos in the second half to win 62-42. Here are a few photos of the action. Check back tomorrow for pictures from Wednesday night's girls basketball game.

As part of their annual pre-Thanksgiving celebration, the 110 students in the local kindergarten classes sang and danced in a short musical program this morning, then participated in a variety of Thanksgiving activities, including cracking nuts (second photo) and roasting marshmallows. Check back tomorrow for more pictures of the kindergartners' activities!

The Red Devils lost their quarterfinal playoff football game at San Juan last Saturday night, 30-15. The Broncos were the team that the Red Devils beat 25-22 in last year's championship game. This time around, the Red Devils came up short. They still had a good season, though, finishing with eight wins and just three losses.

The local drill team, the Devilettes, performed at the halftime of each of the home football games this season. Recently, they performed two numbers together, the second of which involved the use of colorful flags as props. The girls will perform each of their dance routines several more times before competing against other drill teams at the state competition in February.

The Red Devils lost their final regular-season football game to North Summit last night, 28-16. The Red Devils led 3-0 early on, but the Braves scored twice in the second period and ran back the kickoff to start the second half 90 yards for a touchdown to take a 21-3 lead. The Red Devils will have a home playoff game next week, while North Summit (the region champion) has a bye.

The Red Devils won their homecoming football game Friday night, defeating the Gunnison Bulldogs 28-6. A torrential rainstorm hit in the middle of the third quarter, drenching the already-soaked field even more. The normally arid Moab area has had several days of rain over the past week. The Red Devils will host North Summit next Wednesday in their last regular season game. Both teams are 7-1 and will be playing for a share of the region championship. Check back tomorrow for more images from homecoming!

Wednesday night was the annual "Powder Puff" football game, an annual tradition in which the female students of each grade level face off against each other in flag football. The seniors (pictured here in red uniforms) came from behind and defeated the juniors in the championship game 28-18, while the sophomores beat the freshmen 12-0 in the consolation game.

The high school girls soccer team lost their homecoming game earlier this week, dropping their season record to 3-4-1, They had won their previous two games before the setback to rop-ranked Millard. Pictured here in action are (from top) Latoya, goalie Robyn, and Valerie.

Jeff and Brooklyn played a popular basketball game known as "lightning" or "speed" the other day. Any number of players may play, and two basketballs are used. Everyone lines up at the shooting spot and takes turns shooting from that place (usually near the free throw line). If a shot is missed, it has to be rebounded and put back in before the next person makes it. Otherwise, the first shooter is out of the game and has to wait until the game finishes. After each made shot, the ball is passed to the person at the front of the line, and the successful shooter goes to the back of the line. Play continues until only one person is left. The winner then has to shoot first next game. Bottom photo shows the participants of Sunday's family competition in Lehi after a church meeting. Most of the people in the photo won at least one or two games.

During their recent trip to Yellowstone, Sam and Virginia stayed one night in log cabin in Afton, Wyoming. Afton is located in beautiful Star Valley, Idaho, between Jackson Hole and the border of Idaho. The area is prime dairy country, so Sam wanted to try and find some fresh cheese curds but they are no longer available. The dairy farmers in the area are suffering hard times.

Afton is the home town of Rulon Gardner, winner of the gold medal in superheavyweight (130 kg) Greco-Roman wrestling at the Summer Olympics in 2000 in Sydney, Australia. He defeated the world champion from Russia. In 2004, Gardner went back to the Olympics in Greece to defend his title, but came away with a bronze medal instead. On the way out of town, Sam and Virginia drove past Gardner's family's home and dairy farm (bottom photo).

The local cross-country team had another home meet on Wednesday afternoon. Several schools participated. The Moab boys and girls teams finished in second place to the Richfield High School teams, although Moab's Dayna (middle of second photo) did win the individual girls race, with a time of 21:44. In the boys race, Charlie (far left in top photo) was the top finisher for Moab. Several minutes later, teammate John (bottom photo) managed to finish the 3-mile race, even though he was plagued by stomach cramps.

The local middle school (7th and 8th grades) now has a cross-country team for the first time in many years. The new team had their first competition last Saturday morning, when several area high schools and middle schools gathered in Moab to run. High schoolers run a 3-mile course, but the middle schoolers run 1.5 miles. The boys and girls teams each race separately. The top middle school finishers completed their run in around 10 minutes.

The Red Devil football team and many of their fans traveled an hour south to Monticello High School to face the Buckaroos on Friday night. The game was a one-sided affair as the Red Devils scored four touchdowns in the first quarter and coasted to a 53-0 shutout victory.

The Red Devils scored the first four touchdowns of the game Friday night, jumping out to a 26-0 lead and hanging on to defeat the Broncos 26-12. A large crowd completely filled Moab's high school stadium on both sides, which were "standing room only." The Red Devils, the defending state champions, are hoping to have another excellent season.

Although school doesn't start until next week, the Red Devil football team (seen here in a recent practice) plays its first game of the season at home tonight. They're playing their arch rival, the San Juan Broncos, whom they beat last November in the state 2A championship game. Both teams have changed considerably since then, losing a large share of their players to graduation this spring. The Red Devils, for instance, had 18 12th-graders on their team last year, more than half of the entire starting squad. Check back Monday for photos and a short report on tonight's game!

Several youth leaders went skeet shooting with a group of teenage boys the other evening, at a hillside about 10 miles south of town. They practiced firing shotguns at small disks made of fired clay (called clay pigeons), which were launched into the air by either a hand-held thrower or a spring-loaded ground launcher (top photo). There are two main gauges of shotgun, each of which uses a different size shell. They are 12 gauge (inside barrel diameter 18.5 mm) and 20 gauge (15.6 mm). Someone also had a .410 caliber shotgun (10.4 mm). A direct shot will completely disintegrate the target in midair (bottom photo).

At a fundraising event held at a local city park last Saturday, Jeff, Penny, and Brooklyn all tried to complete an obstacle course similar to what the high school football team practices on. Jeff managed to complete the course in 28 seconds, which was still 5 seconds slower than the fastest football player (Ricky).

River's team won their softball game last night, 20-17. River hit the ball all three times that she batted. After the game, she enjoyed a snack of French fries and made a silly face.

River's softball team (the Comets) played their first game Wednesday night, but the next night's game got rained out. Shortly after these two photos were taken, a major cloudburst hit Moab, and all of that evening's scheduled baseball and softball games were cancelled. The Comets will play again next week!

Softball season started last week in the city's recreational leagues. Brooklyn's team, the Blue Jays, is sponsored by the Jailhouse Cafe, a popular breakfast restaurant. They lost their first game 6-0.

The Grand County High School track team competed at the state track meet at Brigham Young University over the weekend. The girls team took first place in the 2A division, the school's first-ever girls track championship. The girls won two events, placed second in two others, and had five third-place finishes. Meantime, the boys team took fourth overall, winning two events (discus and shot put), along with five second places and one third place. The track team got off their bus and rode fire engines through town late Saturday night after returning home from Provo.

Field events are an essential part of every track meet. Categories include long jump, high jump, discus, javelin, and shot put. Pictured here are Zane throwing the shot put (he won that event), and Brittney and Natalie each throwing the javelin. Next weekend is the state track meet at Brigham Young University in Provo.

The regional high school track meet was held in Moab yesterday. The boys team finished in third out of eight schools, while the girls took second place (only one point behind the winner). These pictures show a few of the track events, including the 1600m run (with Paul at far left of top photo), the 300m hurdles, the 4x400m relay, and the 100m dash. Check back tomorrow for more photos!

Brooklyn's team, the Soccer Monkeys, played their ninth and final game of the city recreational league season on Saturday, winning 1-0. Brooklyn got the shutout at goalie. Afterward, the coach got doused with several bottles of water by the celebrating players (bottom photo).

The girls softball team also played San Juan yesterday afternoon. The Lady Devils lost 4-1, despite getting six hits during the game. The above photos show Brittnie pitching and Mindy hitting.

The local boys baseball team lost this afternoon to San Juan High School. The score was tied 2-2 in the first inning, but San Juan ended up winning 4-2.

Now that track season is underway, high school athletes are hitting the field to practice their skills. The discus throw is part of every track meet. Competitors must hurl a metal disc weighing 1.6 kg as far as possible, without stepping outside the painted circle that the thrower stands inside. Here, 17-year-old Tyler shows off his form by throwing the discus over 130 feet in practice.

More than 3,500 runners participated in the 31st annual Canyonlands Half Marathon and Five Mile Run races in Moab last Saturday. The runners came from all over the United States and a few other countries to run in either of the two races (the 13.1 mile half marathon or the 5-mile race). One runner (bottom photo, at right) was so happy about finishing that he did a forward flip at the finish line!

A sure sign of spring in Moab is when the various children's soccer leagues begin. Many families have more than one kid playing at the same time (there are several leagues, grouped by age, and four different fields to play on). The younger children pictured here play in co-ed leagues (boys and girls on the same team).

March is here, and the weather is already starting to feel like spring. The kids at the local high school have started playing basketball outside again during lunchtime. Today is the last day of the second school trimester -- there are 60 days of school remaining in the school year.

Today marks the beginning of the 2006 Olympic Winter Games in Torino, Italy. Four years ago, Salt Lake City was the host of the 2002 Games. Here are a few images taken four years ago at the beginning of the Salt Lake Olympics by Jeff, who worked as a volunteer reporter for the Olympic News Service.

The Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Seattle Seahawks last night, 21-10, to win Super Bowl XL. The Super Bowl, which began in 1967, is the championship game of the National Football League. The "XL" designation on this year's game is the Roman numeral for "40," indicating that this is the 40th year that the Super Bowl has been played. The headline pictured above in today's USA Today newspaper makes reference to Motown, or Detroit, which is where yesterday's game was played (unlike other sports' championships, the venue location for each Super Bowl is decided long before the playoffs are even held).

The Red Devils broke in their new scoreboard with a 58-46 victory over South Sevier Friday night (top two photos). At halftime, dozens of young girls performed a series of cheers along with the school's cheerleading squad as part of the annual "Junior Cheer" activity. London is pictured in the bottom photo chanting, "W...I...N... Go for the WIN!"

The local high school girls basketball team continues to struggle. They lost two more games last weekend, including a 42-15 defeat Saturday afternoon to put their current record at 3 wins and 12 losses. It's still fun to go watch the games, though! Meantime, the boys team is doing very well this season, winning 12 of their first 13 games.

This week is winter homecoming at the local high school. The boys basketball team won last night, 60-54, and improved their record to eight wins and no losses. Tyler (top photo) scored 20 to lead the Red Devils. The homecoming royalty were honored at halftime, including Christy's daughter Kimber, who is an attendant along with Marcus (middle photo). The homcoming king and queen are Preston and Caitlin (bottom photo). The two other attendants (not pictured) are Mindy and Andy. Tonight is the girls basketball team's homecoming game. Other teams being honored this week are the wrestlers, the drill team, and the cheerleaders. The eventful week will conclude with a dance Friday night.

Jeff's family got together in Salt Lake over Thanksgiving weekend. Jeff, his four brothers, one of his sisters, and one sister-in-law played a friendly two-hour basketball tournament late Saturday night inside a local church's gym while a couple of new inches of fresh snow fell outside. Jeff's team lost the best-of-seven series four games to two.

After winning the state 2A football championship last Saturday, the Red Devil football team and its thousand or so fans returned from Cedar City to Moab after the game, a trip of about five hours by car (Cedar City is about 300 miles from Moab). The team's charter bus arrived back in town about midnight, only to be welcomed by hundreds of townspeople who lined the streets holding signs, cheering, honking their horns, and flashing their car headlights. The football team and coaches rode down Main Street to the high school aboard fire engines with their lights and sirens flashing. It was a great celebration in honor of the town's first state championship in 85 years of playing football.

The Grand County Red Devils won the school's first-ever football state championship last Saturday afternoon in Cedar City. The Devils came from behind with less than three minutes remaining to defeat 2A arch-rival San Juan 25-22. Pictured here are a few of the game's key plays. The Red Devils, who had won just five games over the past three seasons, finished with a 9-2 overall record.

The hometown high school football team (the Red Devils) won their first playoff game in over 20 years last Saturday when they defeated North Sevier High School 42-0. The Red Devils will travel to Salt Lake to play the Juab Wasps tomorrow (Saturday, November 5) in the state semifinals.

Last Friday night, there was a pep rally at the high school to support the local high school football team, which played a home playoff game the following day. During the rally, players and fans made up cheers, sang the school song, and watched the burning of a large wooden letter "G" (which stands for Grand County High) on the school grounds. The team won its game on Saturday afternoon 42-0, and will play in the state semifinals this coming weekend in Salt Lake City.

This weekend marks the 11th Annual "24 Hours of Moab" mountain bike race, the largest such race west of the Mississippi. More than 400 teams of four or five riders (along with up to 100 solo riders) will compete for cash and prizes. The race begins at noon Saturday and ends exactly 24 hours later. The winner is the team or person who covers the most distance. The 15-mile course is a loop that covers rugged desert terrain, including sand and slickrock. Some competitors in past races have completed as many as 17 laps, covering more than 250 miles and climbing nearly 19,000 feet total. More than 5,000 people from around the country (riders, vendors, and support personnel) are expected to camp out at the race's staging area this weekend. Both of these photos are from past races.

A group of boys aged 11-18 and several adult chaperones (including Kyle, pictured here) recently traveled from Moab to Lake Powell for an all-day waterskiing trip. Lake Powell, the second-largest man-made lake in the United States, is 186 miles long with nearly 2,000 miles of shoreline. It was created when the Glen Canyon Dam was built on the Colorado River, although the reservoir took another 14 years to fill after the dam was finished in 1966. Drought-like conditions over the past five years have reduced the lake to 40 percent capacity (120 feet below its 1980 level), but this year's precipitation has brought about a slight increase in the water level. Lake Powell is a favorite recreation destination for millions of people each year.

Girls soccer is another high school sport played in the fall in Utah (boys play soccer in the spring). The local high school girls soccer team lost their first several games, but last week they won two out of three, including a 3-1 victory over Carbon High School last Tuesday (pictured here). They face Carbon again in a playoff game tomorrow to see who will advance to the state tournament next week.

Friday's homecoming football game was a big win for the home team, with the Red Devils defeating the South Summit Wildcats by the score of 43-7. A standing room only crowd filled the stands, cheering the football players as well as the homecoming queen (middle photo) and her attendants.

Last night, as part of the high school's Homecoming festivities, a "powder puff" football contest was held. Teams consisted of girls in 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th grades. Four games were played. In the first round, the sophomores beat the seniors 14-0, while the juniors defeated the freshmen 8-0. The juniors then won the championship game over the sophomores, 6-2 while the seniors beat the freshmen 10-0 in the consolation game. The rules were similar to those of regular American football, except that tackling was not allowed (colored flags were used instead). Also, the ball wasn't kicked at all (each team started at the 40-yard line on offense and tried to make it into the end zone for a touchdown).

Some 20 local residents (mostly youths aged 10-16) recently took a two-week gun safety course. After taking the final written test last Thursday, the students went to a local rifle range the following evening and shot at targets with .22 caliber rifles. Students shot 10 shots from three different positions (standing, sitting, and prone) and were scored based on how closely their shots were grouped together. All of the students passed the test. Tyson (third photo) was the top shooter with 28 out of 30. Brooklyn (second and bottom photos) scored 17, even though it was the first time she had ever fired a gun.

Another official high school sport is girls volleyball, which is typically played in the fall. A rule change that went into effect in Utah a couple of years ago made it so that every serve results in a point, either for the serving team or the opposing side. Before this "rally-scoring" rule went into effect, only the team serving could score. The first two games of a match are played to 25, and the winner must win by at least two points. Game 3, along with Game 4 and 5 (if necessary) are played to 15. The first team to win three games wins the match. Moab's local high school team is seen here playing against rival San Juan High last week.

Last weekend, the local high school's cross country team took first place in a multi-team meet held in Moab. Cross country is an official high school sport where participants run a three-mile course, trying to finish among the top 10 runners in their age and gender categories. The cross country team is seen here running for practice during a recent home football game.

Hundreds of people filled the stands of Red Devil stadium in Moab last Friday night to watch the high school football team play its first home game of the season. The Red Devils defeated Monticello High School, 35-6. Both Ricky (top photo) and Tanner (bottom) scored rushing touchdowns during the game.

Jeff's cousin Alesha, who lives in the Seattle area, recently went skydiving for the first time. The top photo shows her with her instructors, Mike and Tom. The bottom photo shows Alesha parachuting her way to the ground (it was a tandem jump, with two people using the same parachute). Daily skydiving lessons and jumps are also conducted at the Canyonlands Field Airport about 20 miles north of Moab.

Last night, the restaurant where Penny works held a company party at the local bowling alley. About 30 people attended, eating pizza and drinking soda while bowling just for fun. Jeff’s scores were 135, 111, and 93 for a total of 339 in three games, while Penny rolled 141-79-135 for a total of 355. Vince (the chef) rolled the highest single game of the group with a 189.

High temperatures in Moab have been over 100 degrees F (38 C) for the past several days. One way to cool off is to visit the city pool for a swim. Jeff's family likes to go swimming and diving there at least twice a week during the summer. The swimming pool costs $2 (children 3-18) and $3 (adult) per visit.

Moab's Old City Park is a fun place to gather to play outdoor games like frisbee, soccer, and baseball. Jeff's family went there Monday night and played for an hour after enjoying a picnic supper of fried chicken, rolls, and fresh fruit.

Other rodeo events include saddle bronc riding (top), bull riding (middle), and barrel racing (bottom), a timed event where female competitors race their horses around three barrels placed inside the arena and back to the starting point, usually in about 15 seconds.

Thursday night was the first night of a three-day professional rodeo competition at Moab's Old Spanish Trail Arena. Competitors come from all around Utah and neighboring states to try to win cash prizes. The event is part of the annual tour of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA). Rodeos typically consist of several events, including those pictured here: bareback horse riding (top), steer wrestling (middle), and team calf roping (bottom). Check back Monday for more rodeo event photos!

Just before school let out for the summer, River's kindergarten class went to the local waterslide park for a few hours. About 100 kids (aged 5 and 6) enjoyed playing in the pool, going down the slides, and eating their sack lunches.

River's soccer team recently completed their season. A few days after their final game, they gathered at a local park to play their parents in a practice game. River and her teammates won 7-4, with both River and her dad Jeff each kicking two goals for their respective sides. Afterward, everyone shared a couple of pepperoni pizzas and drank juice or soda pop.

Some 200 people from around the country gathered in Moab last weekend to participate in the sixth annual (and largest ever) Moab MUnifest. The "MU" in the event's name stands for "mountain unicycling." Unicyclists of all ages tried several popular trails in the Moab area, including the famous Slick Rock Bike Trail (above). Participants came from all over the United States, including South Dakota, Minnesota, California, and Colorado. There was even a team from Denmark!

Jeff, his daughter Brooklyn, and her Girl Scout troop went snowshoeing in Bryce Canyon National Park last weekend. The park’s elevation ranges from 6,500 to 9,000 feet above sea level (2,000 to 2,750 meters). Bryce Canyon is located about 275 miles (442 km) from Moab, or about six hours by car. The snow was about 150 centimeters deep at the top of the plateau that overlooks the canyon, a natural amphitheater filled with hundreds of orange-colored rock formations called “hoodoos.”

Three years ago today, Christy (top photo) was among those who carried the torch through the streets of Moab during the Olympic Torch Relay just prior to the 2002 Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City. Moab was the first community in Utah to see the torch pass through. Four days later, on February 8, 2002, the final torch runner lit the caldron at Olympic Stadium in Salt Lake City and the Olympic Games officially began. Jeff R. (bottom photo) took vacation time from his work at the DHC U.S. Office in Moab and stayed in Salt Lake for the duration of the Olympics, working as a volunteer reporter for the Olympic News Service. Sam also took a week's vacation and attended events in Salt Lake with his family.

The new trampoline that Jeff’s family received for Christmas was destroyed in a windstorm the evening of December 29. Fortunately, there were no injuries, as no one was nearby at the time it blew away. After being lifted up by a strong gust of wind, the heavy trampoline (12 feet in diameter and over 9 feet high with the safety enclosure) blew across the backyard, hit and broke a kitchen window, then sailed across the street, where it damaged a neighbor’s garage door. The top photo shows Jeff’s kids jumping on the trampoline the day it was assembled (December 24). The bottom photo (taken five days later, on December 29) shows the damaged trampoline in a heap on the neighbor’s driveway.

Snowboarding is a popular sport with many teenagers, who can’t wait for the first snowfall of the year. Many teenagers in Moab like to travel to ski resorts in Colorado on weekends to indulge in their love of the sport. Sam’s two teenage sons (including John, pictured here) and Christy’s daughter like to go to Powderhorn Resort (east of Grand Junction, Colorado -- about a three-hour drive from Moab) or to Telluride Ski Resort (in Telluride, Colorado -- approximately three and a half hours from Moab).

Many high schools throughout the United States have dance teams (often called drill teams or pom teams) that perform at high school basketball and football games. These teams also perform at state and national dance competitions, where they compete against dance teams from other schools. Christy’s 17-year old daughter Kimber dances on her high school’s dance team, nicknamed the Devilettes, and is the team’s choreographer. They recently competed in their first competition of the season, which was held at Jordan High School in Salt Lake City.

On Saturday afternoon, November 6, U.S. Office staff member Jeff R. attended a collegiate football game at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah (about a three-hour drive from Moab). He and about 50 others from Moab were among 53,000 people in the stadium who watched as the BYU Cougars defeated the San Diego State Aztecs 49-16. BYU scored six touchdowns, including one on the second play of the game. Although Jeff cheered for BYU during the game, his favorite college football team is actually that of his alma mater (where he graduated) – the University of Utah, which is currently ranked No. 7 in the country with an impressive record of 9 wins and 0 losses. The University of Utah will play BYU in Salt Lake City on November 20.