http://www.abc4.com/content/sports/local/default.aspx Hot Ticket Sports stories en-us Copyright 2012 Newport Television LLC. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Fri, 25 May 2012 23:00:01 -0600 Sat, 26 May 2012 19:51:41 -0600 Local Sports http://www.centralmediaserver.com/ktvx/abc4logo.jpg http://www.abc4.com/content/sports/local/default.aspx 72 50 15 http://www.abc4.com:80/sports/story/Jazz-and-Warriors-working-on-trade/Whp2vUuJnUiUn9GWXASQuQ.cspx?rss=24 http://www.abc4.com/s/Whp2vUuJnUiUn9GWXASQuQ.cspx SALT LAKE CITY (ESPN) - NBA trades in May are a rarity, but the Golden State Warriors are trying to swing one with the Utah Jazz before Wednesday's draft lottery, according to sources briefed on the talks.

The Warriors, sources said, are attempting to complete a deal with the Jazz that ensures Golden State's lottery pick in June will stay in the Bay Area under any circumstances.

After an April coin flip, Golden State has a 72 percent chance of seeing its first-round pick fall within the top seven of Wednesday's lottery, which would allow the Warriors to keep the pick.

But the Warriors, sources say, are prepared to sacrifice a trade asset or two before Wednesday's lottery to make a deal with Utah that would wipe out the stipulations in place for the 28 percent possibility that the pick falls outside of the top seven.

Under the current terms, Golden State's pick must be conveyed to Utah if it's No. 8 or lower, as mandated by a previous trade with New Jersey in which the Warriors dealt a pick that the Brooklyn-bound Nets later sent to the Jazz as part of the Deron Williams blockbuster in February 2011.

One source with knowledge of the discussions described the chances of a trade by Wednesday as "likely." Yet it remains to be seen whether the teams can agree to a deal without involving current players, as Golden State apparently prefers.

Among the Warriors' options to retain their 2012 pick outright is offering Utah a combination of future draft considerations, cash and/or a relaxation of the current restrictions on Utah's rights to the pick in question in either 2013 or 2014. At present, Golden State's 2013 pick is top-seven protected and its 2014 pick is top-six protected.

Warriors owner Joe Lacob revealed on local radio station KNBR two months ago that the club had engaged Utah in discussions aimed at getting "our pick back" at the March 15 trade deadline. But that was before the random drawing at the league office in late April that went in the Warriors' favor, putting them at No. 7 entering the draft lottery after Golden State tied with the Toronto Raptors for the NBA's seventh-worst record at 23-43.

Sources say the Warriors have fresh motivation to try to strike a deal with Utah before the lottery -- even with the odds strongly in their favor to keep the pick outright -- because the price to acquire another top-10 pick in June would be too steep if Golden State's lottery luck is bad.

After the annual in-season trade deadline -- which fell in March this season as opposed to February because of the impact of last summer's lockout on the schedule -- trade season doesn't typically resume in the NBA until closer to the draft.

But the Warriors and Jazz are free to strike a deal now, according to league rules, because both are done playing until next season.

]]> _Sports Sat, 26 May 2012 17:14:57 -0600 http://www.abc4.com:80/sports/story/Skyline-wins-4A-baseball-title-in-extra-innings/zFgOOQSsiUCqObNn3iaQyQ.cspx?rss=24 http://www.abc4.com/s/zFgOOQSsiUCqObNn3iaQyQ.cspx KEARNS, Utah (ABC 4 Sports) - The Skyline High School baseball team won its first state baseball championship in a thrilling fashion, beating Timpanogos in 10 innings, 8-7.

Bryce Barr reached on a fielding error by second baseman Trent Oviatt in the bottom of the 10th inning, scoring the winning run with one out.

Skyline lost the first game between the two teams, in a mercy-rule, 5-inning contest 12-1. But the Eagles, who fell behind 4-0 in the deciding game, rallied for the victory.

Trailing 7-6 in the bottom of the 7th inning, Skyline was down to its final strike when Josh Stephens singled home the tying run and sending the game into extra innings.

"Holy smokes," said an excited Lars Lofgren, who pitched the first 7 innings for Skyline. "You can't ask for a better state championship game. It doesn't get any better than that. It's unbelievable. I can't describe the feelings that I have."

"I don't know if I ever felt like we were going to lose it," said head coach Erik Hansen. "I had my doubts, but we were so resilient tonight. I'm so proud of these guys."

Skyline, which claimed its first state title in school history, surrendered 21 hits to the Timberwolves, but got out of several jams, including a bases loaded and nobody out situation in the top of the 9th.

"It means a lot," said Barr. "It's going to go down in history. 10, 11, I don't even remember how many innings we played. But we did it."

Bridger Berrett pitched the final three innings of scoreless relief to earn the victory. The marathon game lasted 3 1/2 hours and didn't end until after 11:00 p.m. ]]> _Sports Sat, 26 May 2012 00:18:32 -0600 Skyline wins 4A baseball title in extra innings http://www.abc4.com:80/sports/story/American-Fork-wins-5A-baseball-title/4WDX078d9E2JMBc_ypeqrg.cspx?rss=24 http://www.abc4.com/s/4WDX078d9E2JMBc_ypeqrg.cspx KEARNS, Utah (ABC 4 Sports) - The American Fork Cavmen held off upset-minded Taylorsville to win the 5A state baseball championship at Kearns High School.

This is the first baseball title for American Fork in 27 years.

After losing the first game to the Warriors, 6-2, American Fork fell behind 4-0 in the championship game. But the B.J. Eldredge singled home two runs to cut the deficit to 4-2. The Cavemen then scored three times in the bottom of the 6th, capped by Riley Otteson's go-ahead RBI single to center. Ottesen went all the way on the mound for the victory, retiring the side in order in the 7th.

"I was thinking to just try and get a bat on the ball," Ottesen said about his game-winning hit. "Just do everything I could for our team to have a chance. Luckily I got the bat on the ball."

"These guys have just worked their butts off," said head coach Jarod Ingersoll. "They did a great job. They deserve it. They're the hardest workers and their the best team in the state of Utah."

]]> _Sports Fri, 25 May 2012 21:30:28 -0600 American Fork wins 5A baseball title http://www.abc4.com:80/sports/story/Is-Sloan-good-fit-for-Bobcats/z19ycqSEh0-TzRMRigqotA.cspx?rss=24 http://www.abc4.com/s/z19ycqSEh0-TzRMRigqotA.cspx SALT LAKE CITY (ABC 4 Sports) - Jerry Sloan interviewed with Michael Jordan for the Charlotte Bobcats head coaching job today in Utah. But the Bobcats are coming off the worst season in NBA history, so why does Sloan even want the job?

"It's about the challenge of improving a situation," said former Jazz assistant coach Gordon Chiesa, who coached with Sloan from 1989-2004. "Jerry Sloan is all about discipline, hard work, and getting players to become better. The NBA needs someone like Jerry Sloan, especially a team that needs a new energy level, a new knockout punch. That's Jerry Sloan."

But to work for Michael Jordan, a guy who ripped Sloan's heart out two years in a row in the 1997 and 1998 NBA Finals, that prospect doesn't sit well with Jazz fans.

"If he went with Charlotte, the biggest ego I've ever seen is Michael Jordan," said Jazz fan Patrick Porter. "Would [Jordan] take the criticism if Jerry said we need to make a change? I'm not sure."

"In a way it doesn't make sense to me," added another Jazz fan, Mike Pound. "He possibly wants to go to a team that is going to have a bunch of young players on it and not the old school players that he's used to."

But it's that desire to teach young players that Chiesa believes has driven Sloan's desire to coach again.

"In coaching, it's a great feeling to know that you can make a difference in players' careers," said Chiesa, who is currently a mentor for the NBA Development League coaches. "Through all those years with Utah Jazz basketball, he made the players better, and that's what he's going to try to attempt to do with his next coaching job."

Some may think the 70-year-old Sloan is too old to return to the game. But Chiesa says coaching will make the Hall of Famer feel younger.

"It's the most amazing thing," Chiesa said. "You're around young people every single day. Those young people, they give you a lot of energy. Likewise, people like Jerry give the team wisdom. He's a hall of fame coach, and a hall of fame person. That's a great combination for either a struggling team or a rising team."

Sloan is one of several candidates expected to interview for the Bobcats job. He has also expressed interest in the Orlando Magic coaching vacancy.  ]]> _Sports Fri, 25 May 2012 16:38:17 -0600 Is Sloan good fit for Bobcats? http://www.abc4.com:80/sports/story/Olympus-Davis-win-state-soccer-titles/z2xdlIlIaU-WfhE-RUhw2w.cspx?rss=24 http://www.abc4.com/s/z2xdlIlIaU-WfhE-RUhw2w.cspx SANDY, Utah (ABC 4 Sports) - Davis High wins again, while Olympus wins for the first time.

The Darts claimed the 5A state boys soccer championship with a 1-0 upset win over Brighton at Rio Tinto Stadium. Mitch Parkinson scored the only goal of the match in the 44th minute as the Darts won the state title for the second time in the last three years. The goal was Parkinson's third in four playoff games.

Goalkeeper Mitch Jensen notched his 12th shutout of the year for the Darts. The Bengals had lost just one match all season coming into the title game. This is the second straight year Brighton has lost in the championship game.

"We knew how good they were," said Parkinson, whose team lost to Brighton during the regular season 4-1. "We knew that we had to play our best if we wanted to come out and win, and we came out and played great defense. Our goalkeeper was amazing today. He was incredible."

"We earned it, all of us," said Jensen. "We wanted it so badly. We had all the heart in the world, and we get it everything."

In the 4A title game, Olympus beat rival Murray, 3-2. Amer Sasivarevic scored two goals, while James Webb booted in the the Titans third goal of the game, which turned out to be the game-winner. Thomas Rodriguez and Andrew Clayton scored goals for Murray, which won the Region 7 regular season title over Olympus.

This is the first boys soccer title in Olympus school history.

"I can't explain it," said Sasivarevic. "It feels so good. We played a great team, but we deserved this 100 percent. I'm so happy for my team and my coaching staff. "I'm just so happy."
]]> _Sports Thu, 24 May 2012 21:17:44 -0600 Olympus, Davis win state soccer titles http://www.abc4.com:80/sports/story/Sloan-to-interview-with-Bobcats-Friday/K8otpbI2_0q-uJUL5aVl-A.cspx?rss=24 http://www.abc4.com/s/K8otpbI2_0q-uJUL5aVl-A.cspx SALT LAKE CITY (ABC 4 Sports) - Former Jazz head coach Jerry Sloan tells Sam Amick of SI.com that he will have a formal interview with the Charlotte Bobcats in Utah on Friday.

Sloan also denied reports that he has interest in the Orlando Magic's coaching vacancy. CLICK HERE to read Sloan's entire interview with Amick.

Sloan, who resigned after 23 seasons with the Jazz in February 2011, is the NBA's 3rd all-time winningest coach with 1,221 career victories. The Bobcats are coming off the worst season in NBA history with a record of 7-59.

If Sloan takes the Charlotte job, he will work for Bobcats owner Michael Jordan, who defeated Sloan's Jazz teams in the 1997 and 1998 NBA Finals with the Chicago Bulls.
]]> _Sports Thu, 24 May 2012 19:34:11 -0600 http://www.abc4.com:80/sports/story/Sloan-to-interview-for-Charlotte-job/aSaFtsAnQUyFh4jSOLVewQ.cspx?rss=24 http://www.abc4.com/s/aSaFtsAnQUyFh4jSOLVewQ.cspx SALT LAKE CITY (ABC 4 Sports) - Former Utah Jazz coach Jerry Sloan will interview for the Charlotte Bobcats head coaching vacancy later this week, according to ESPN's Chris Broussard.

Sloan, who resigned after 23 seasons with the Jazz in February 2011, is the NBA's 3rd all-time winningest coach with 1,221 career victories. The Bobcats are coming off the worst season in NBA history with a record of 7-59.

The 70-year-old Hall of Fame coach is also reportedly interested in the Orlando Magic job which became open when Stan Van Gundy was fired on Monday.

If Sloan takes the Charlotte job, he will work for Bobcats owner Michael Jordan, who defeated Sloan's Jazz teams in the 1997 and 1998 NBA Finals with the Chicago Bulls.

Sloan told Fox Sports Florida on Tuesday that he needed a break from basketball when he left the game in 2011, resigning after a loss to the Bulls and a confrontation with point guard Deron Williams.

"I worked (26) years (as a coach)," Sloan told the regional sports network. "It was time for me to move on and see what was going in the world. That's been kind of interesting. But I still have that void of basketball." ]]> _Sports Wed, 23 May 2012 17:18:00 -0600 Sloan to interview for Charlotte job http://www.abc4.com:80/sports/story/Blaze-hire-new-defensive-coordinator/4Lu-cRbaMU6KFENbLeen8w.cspx?rss=24 http://www.abc4.com/s/4Lu-cRbaMU6KFENbLeen8w.cspx SALT LAKE CITY (ABC 4 Sports) – Six days after surrendering 86 points to the Arizona Rattlers, the Utah Blaze has decided to make a coaching change. Blaze President & Head Coach Ron James announced today that the franchise has hired former Spokane Shock head coach Rob Keefe to serve as the team’s new defensive coordinator.

Keefe replaces defensive secondary coach Mike Brown.

“Making a change on the coaching staff is difficult at any juncture of the season,” said James. We are fortunate that a coach of Rob Keefe's caliber was available and we are confident that he can help us make the necessary adjustments to enable us to play a better brand of defense for the remainder of the season.”

Keefe is the youngest head coach in AFL history to win a championship and the only player to win titles in both the AFL and af2. His coaching career began in 2009 with the Spokane Shock, where he helped the team secure an af2 Championship. After being promoted to head coach in 2010, Keefe directed Spokane to its only AFL Championship, as the franchise defeated the Tampa Bay Storm in ArenaBowl XXIII.

As a player, Keefe joined the Shock during the team’s inaugural season in 2006 and played two seasons in Spokane. He was a two-time All-af2 selection and was instrumental in guiding the franchise to an ArenaCup Championship in 2006. Keefe later signed with the Philadelphia Soul in 2008, where he helped the team earn a victory over the San Jose SaberCats in ArenaBowl XXII.

“Coach Keefe understands the arena game very well and has won championships as both a player and a head coach. He is an enthusiastic leader with a true passion for the game of arena football. We are excited to have him on our staff and eager to introduce him to the Blaze Nation this weekend as we take on the San Antonio Talons.”

The Blaze (6-4) are currently sitting in third place in the West Division of the Arena Football League’s National Conference. The team returns to Tim Dahle Field at EnergySolutions Arena on Saturday, May 26th to take on the San Antonio Talons.
]]> _Sports Wed, 23 May 2012 16:14:00 -0600 http://www.abc4.com:80/sports/story/RSL-to-host-Minnesota-in-US-Open-Cup-match/YvaovCppdUusM9DDVIcMPQ.cspx?rss=24 http://www.abc4.com/s/YvaovCppdUusM9DDVIcMPQ.cspx SANDY (ABC 4 Sports) – Real Salt Lake opens its return to Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup play next Tuesday, May 29, with the Claret-and-Cobalt hosting the NASL (Division II) Minnesota Stars FC at Rio Tinto Stadium, kickoff set for 7:00 p.m. MT.

Tickets for RSL’s debut in the 99th edition of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup will go on-sale to the public TODAY, Wednesday, May 23 at 10:00 a.m. MT, with tickets in all general seating areas at Rio Tinto Stadium costing just$10 for current Real Salt Lake Season Ticket Holders and only$15 for the general public. Real Salt Lake “PRIDE” Season Ticket Holders will have their seating locations reserved throughout Wednesday and Thursday, and can purchase an unlimited amount of tickets.U.S. Open Cup contestsare NOT already included in the 2012 ticket package and MUST be purchased separately.

For more on the RSL-Minnesota match click HERE.
]]> _Sports Wed, 23 May 2012 08:23:03 -0600 http://www.abc4.com:80/sports/story/Sloan-says-he-is-interested-in-coaching-again/hXAES48IHUud2ScxFNSicQ.cspx?rss=24 http://www.abc4.com/s/hXAES48IHUud2ScxFNSicQ.cspx SALT LAKE CITY (ABC 4 Sports) - Former Utah Jazz head coach Jerry Sloan is apparently interested in coaching in the NBA again.

Sloan told FOX Sports Florida on Tuesday he has interest in the Orlando Magic job, which became open Monday when Stan Van Gundy was fired.

“Yes, I think so,'' Sloan said from his farm in McLeansboro, Ill., about his interest. “It would be very intriguing. But they would have to be interested in me.''

Sloan, a Hall of Famer, resigned from the Jazz in February 2011 after 23 seasons. 

Sloan, who has a 1,221-803 career NBA coaching mark over 26 overall seasons, said he has not heard anything yet from the Magic. He also said he has interest in the Charlotte Bobcats job but hasn't heard from the Bobcats.

“It's not always about starting at the top,'' Sloan, 70, said when asked if he really would interested in a rebuilding situation such as the one with Bobcats, whose 7-59 record resulted in the worst winning percentage in NBA history (.106).

Sloan said he has missed coaching basketball since he resigned 15 months ago.

“I felt like I needed to get away from basketball,'' Sloan told the radio station. “I worked (26) years (as a head coach). It was time for me to move on and see what was going in the world. That's been kind of interesting. But I still have that void of basketball.' ]]> _Sports Tue, 22 May 2012 21:07:26 -0600