Kolton Brost Signs To Play Baseball for College of Southern Idaho

Pictured: (top) Kolton Brost on Monday, signing his letter of intent to play for College of Southern Idaho with parents JoAnn and Billy Brost; pictured (bottom), left to right Assistant Principal Brett White, JoAnn Brost, Kolton Brost, Billy Brost, and Principal Ben Ford

Payson High School senior pitcher Kolton Brost has signed a letter of intent to play for College of Southern Idaho, signing his papers on Monday, January 23, 2012, with Principal Ben Ford and Assistant Principal Brett White in attendance.  Head Baseball Coach Shawn Johnson was unable to attend the signing due to an illness in his family.

Kolton’s mother, JoAnn, recalls Kolton’s ever-growing enthusiasm for the sport of baseball:

Kolton Chase Brost, born on 8-9-93, son of Billy & JoAnn Brost, was full of life and ready to go right away.  He always wanted to do more than he physically could; he wanted to always be where his Dad was, and that was usually on softball fields or baseball fields.

At the age of one and a half he was already throwing balls and hitting them with his plastic bat. He loved it. He started playing T-ball when he was five, and then when he was seven, he started to play on accelerated baseball leagues. He was playing baseball four times a week, and he never grew tired of it.
He always wanted to be playing ball. When he started playing high school ball in the 9th grade, he was pitching more and more over catching. His 9th grade team took 2nd place that year. They had a great season.

Now as he is going into his senior year and his last baseball season for Payson High School, it is sad and happy. Sad because he really likes and enjoys his coach, Shawn Johnson, and his teammates he will miss too. Happy because he goes on to the next level in baseball.  He will be playing for College of Southern Idaho, on a full scholarship for baseball. Kolton has had many obstacles in his life, that may have caused some to just give up on what they wanted. All the obstacles just made Kolton work harder and he never gave up. He knows what he wants and as long as he has that drive and goal he will succeed in whatever he puts his mind to.

Congratulations, Kolton, we are so proud of you and we look forward to seeing you play ball!

Lions Now 4-0 in Region Twelve

Pictured: Bret Rowley (12), Tanner Newbold (5), Skyler Rowley (33), and Clint Bateman (14) against Delta last week in Payson

Payson’s Friday night victory at Juab gives them a 4-0 jumpstart on Region Twelve with Spanish Fork left to play Tuesday night, January 24th, here in Payson to complete the first round of action.

Salem Hills High School Girls Basketball Team Now Tied for First in Region Eight

Pictured, left to right, Springville’s Ashli Averett (11) and Hannah Packard (3), Salem Hills’ Georgia Agnew

(5), Jerika Durfey (00), and Lyssa Hanks (54), Springville’s Kate Hullinger (5) and Savannah Park (20)
Friday night’s victory over Timpview gives the Salem Hills High girls a portion of the lead in Region Eight, a three-way tie for first with Maple Mountain and Timpanogos.  The next game is with Mountain View here in Salem on Tuesday, January 24th, set for 5:15 p.m.

Lions Open Region Twelve Action Undefeated at 3-0

Pictured: junior forward Jacob Humphreys
against Delta on Tuesday, January 17th

The Payson Lions are now in first place in Region Twelve after defeating Delta here in Payson on Tuesday.  The Lions, coached by veteran Dan Lunt, include seniors Kade Jensen, Tanner Newbold, Bret Rowley, Clint Bateman, Jamon Lunt, and Skyler Rowley; juniors Kaleb Wright, Trey McCloud, Jacob Humphreys, and Lander Crook; and sophomores Brycen Wood, Daniel Reno, Dallan Neves, Brody Adams, and Mark Wolf.
Speaking of Delta, Payson and Delta have a history in basketball. In 1972, the Lions, then coached by Roger Reid, who would later coach at BYU, lost to Delta in the State Championship game. The Payson Varsity Team in 1972 included Doug Stewart, Scott Wilson, Gary Weight, Marlin Oldham, Donnie Olson, Veloy Twitchell, Brent Loveless, Ronnie Durrant, Dusty Spencer, Scott Draper, Doug Davis, Darrell Decker, Chris Weight, Dan Sudweeks, Kim Montague, Bruce Ewell, Mark Marvin, Sherl Robbins, and Chad Brown

Jed Mellen, Mitch Brown, and Cole Ford Take Championships at the Prestigious Rumble at UVU on January 13th and 14th

Cole Ford wrestling in All-Star Tournament January 9, 2012.

Jed Mellen avenged his only loss of the season, which occurred in The Reno Tournament of Champions, when he defeated Hayden Tuma of Centennial 4-2 in overtime to take the crown at 132 in The Rumble.  He and Maple Mountain’s Grant LaMont were named Outstanding Wrestlers of the Tournament.

Cole Ford also avenged an earlier loss to take the championship at 145 when he defeated South Summit’s Jeff McCormick, 2-1.

Mitch Brown won his crown with a 10-2 decision over Rama Haddadin of Brighten.

Zac Loveless took second at 138 with a loss to Grant LaMont.

Richard Behling Running for Utah's Newest State Representative Seat

PAYSON – Successful businessman and local farmer Richard Behling is pleased to announce that he is running for the Utah State House of Representatives for the newly redrawn District 67.

“While working with the Boy Scouts of America in my area, I realized that I could no longer teach young men that they needed to be involved if I was not willing to lead,” Behling said. “So I went home and asked my wife if she would support me in a run for the State Legislature. She said yes.”

Behling is a lifelong resident of Utah County, with the exception of a mission for the LDS church and attending college in Idaho. He owns and runs the Behling Insurance Agency in south Payson as well as his family’s farm in Spring Lake. Behling feels he knows and understands what the residents of District 67 need and want from their state government and he is prepared to focus on the issues nearest and dearest to them.

“I will be the voice that is needed to influence the issues that will benefit all of us,” he said.

 Behling has already been endorsed by many and has raised more than $1,000 in private donations, even before announcing his bid for the representative seat.  He is married to Christine Babcock Behling and has 5 children and 1 granddaughter..

If you would like more information about Behling or his campaign, please email Lois Heber, Behling’s campaign manager, at lheber@behing67.com.

State of Payson City Address Slated for January 24

Public discourse on the condition of Payson City will take place on January 24. The State of the City Address will be held inside the City Center Banquet Hall, which is located at 439 West Utah Avenue. The event will begin at 7 PM.

Coach Barret Peery Picks Up 100th Career Win

On Tuesday, January 3, 2012, Coach Barret Peery won his 100th game as a head coach when his nationally third-ranked Indian Hills Community College Warriors defeated ninth-ranked Vincennes University, 84-73.  The win put the Warriors at 15-0 for the season.
The fifteen wins he has recorded at Indian Hills are added to the 85 wins (against only 19 losses) Coach Peery had in three years at the College of Southern Idaho.  His 100-19 record equals a winning percentage of .840.

Kaycee Feild Wins 2011 World Championship in Bareback Riding

Pictured: Kaycee Feild at left with good friends Steve Woolsey, Traci Bailey, Jerika Silcox, Wesley Silcox, Julie Silcox, and Brad Silcox during a special awards ceremony held at the Juab County Fairgrounds on January 6, 2011, when the Ute Stampede Rodeo organizers recognized the outstanding rodeo cowboys of Utah

As Todd Phillips reported from Las Vegas this December, “Kaycee won the bareback world title, won the average in the bareback, took 1st place a record 6 nights, won the Top Gun award and set new records in the average and the most money won at the NFR for any cowboy in a single event.  Not too bad for 10 days work.”

Payson Temple Groundbreaking Is Top Story of 2011

Pictured: young priesthood holders were invited to join in the groundbreaking ceremony on Saturday, October 8th, 2011

On Saturday, October 8th, 2011, the groundbreaking for the new Payson LDS Temple to be built in southwest Payson, near the freeway, was well attended and included an opportunity for young Payson-area LDS priesthood holders to take part in the actual groundbreaking ceremony. The new temple, which will be one of the LDS Church’s largest, will provide an impressive visual effect as travelers on I-15 enter Utah Valley from the south. Elder Dallin Oaks H. Oaks presided over the groundbreaking and was joined by Elder Steven E. Snow and Elder Jay E. Jensen of the Presidency of the Seventy and Elder William R. Walker of the Seventy, who serves as the Executive Director of the LDS Church’s Temple Department.