Valley 4A teams had plenty to smile about in '08

Jared Lloyd

Yesterday was the final day in 2008 and while in many areas people are probably glad to see it go, area Class 4A high school sports teams have plenty to look back at and be proud of.

Here's a look at the top 10 Utah Valley Class 4A stories of the past 12 months:

1. Timpview football makes it three in a row

It wasn't as easy as last year, but the Thunderbirds got the job done once again in November, going undefeated on their way to their third straight 4A title and fourth in five years. Timpview had to overcome stiff tests from Mountain Crest in the 4A semifinals and from Cottonwood in the title game, but the T'Birds made a pair of defensive stops on fourth down in both contests to come away victorious.

2. Provo boys basketball on top again

The Bulldogs needed a defensive stop of their own to get their second straight 4A boys hoops crown in February. Provo faced a talented Bountiful squad in the championship and with the final seconds winding down, had just a three-point lead. The Braves had a chance to tie, but the Bulldogs stripped the ball, giving them the championship in dramatic fashion.

3. County proves cross country dominance again

Not only did the Region 7 capture three of the four boys and girls trophies available at the 4A state cross country meet, they proved how deep and dominant the league is in the sport. On the boys side, it was a clean sweep both as teams and individually as Timpview, Mountain View and Orem went 1-2-3 (with Provo and Springville coming in sixth and seventh) while Timpview's Jonathan Nelson, Orem's Benjamin Johnson and Provo's Chase Nelson took the top three individual spots. The girls didn't get a title this year, but Mountain View (second), Orem (third), Timpview (fifth) and Springville (sixth) were all very successful.

4. Springville's Jason Chamberlain ends prep career

Perhaps one of the most successful athletes in Utah high school sports history was Springville wrestler Jason Chamberlain. His accolades included four straight state titles, national titles, national rankings and the 2008 Dave Schultz High School Excellence National Award presented by the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum.

5. New coaches experience various success

Region 7 experienced a number of coaching changes during the year, some of the most notable coming in football and boys basketball. Provo stayed in-house to hire a new football coach, and longtime Bulldog Saia Pope had some ups and downs in his first season at the helm. Springville's gridiron squad had a better season under former Red Devil and NFL star Scott Mitchell, making it back to the playoffs. In boys hoops, Orem's Mike Conner stepped down and thus far new head coach Mike O'Connor has led the Tigers to a lot of success.

6. Timpview boys tennis title, Orem girls tennis title

The year for tennis teams throughout the league has to be considered one of the best possible, since both the boys and girls brought 4A state championship trophies back to Utah County. It's no surprise for observers that Timpview was the boys squad winning it all in May, since the Thunderbirds have won sixth straight 4A titles -- and eight in 10 years -- and did so in dominating fashion with a nearly perfect 25-point score. The Orem girls almost matched that total, scoring 23 points of their own on their way to the crown in October.

7. Track continues to crown champions

A number of individual titlists headlined the 2008 4A state track and field meet at BYU in May, but only one Region 7 team came out on top. The Mountain View girls again were awarded first place, the 15th time in the past 19 years for the Bruins but their first since 2004. The rest of the league did well, too, as Springville was second and Orem came in fourth. The boys were strong as well with Orem getting second place, Timpview finishing third and Mountain View placing fifth.

8. Springville boys win state swimming title

The Red Devil boys swim team entered the week knowing they had a shot at bringing home the hardware, but even they couldn't have anticipated the success they enjoyed. As the two-day event progresses, Springville pulled away from the field and easily took first place. The Timpview girls weren't quite so lucky but still had a strong third-place finish in the meet.

9. Region 7 sees strong soccer showings

It proved to be a banner year of action for the Springville soccer programs in 2008. In the spring, the boys reaching the 4A semifinals before falling to Bountiful and then the girls duplicated the feat in the fall, making it to the final two rounds before also dropping a tough game to the Braves. Mountain View's boys also had another great year, as they reached the 4A finals before losing to Bountiful.

10. Local volleyball teams improve at state

Region 7 volleyball squads all lost in the first round of the 2007 tournament, so improving on that mark was important to the entire league. The teams came through in a big way, as the Red Devils roared through the first couple of rounds before running into Snow Canyon in the semifinals. The two teams fought an epic contest, but the Warriors finally escaped in five games, going on to win the title. Springville came in third overall, and Mountain View also had a great showing and ended up sixth.

• Honorable mention: Timpview girls basketball comes up one game short of 4A title repeat ... Area teams struggle at softball tournament ... Boys and girls have tough times at state golf tournaments ... Payson comes in third in the state 4A wrestling tournament ... Springville baseball runs through elimination bracket before falling to eventual champion Cottonwood with a berth in the title game on the line.