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Driven Vikings capture 6th state title
Davis County Clipper Feb 19, 2009
OREM — The goal was set back before Thanksgiving. Viewmont coach Brandon Ripplinger presented an idea to his team.
“We talked about going to the state tournament and having it wrapped up when we walked out there on Thursday night,” Ripplinger said. “We didn’t want to leave anything to chance.”
The state tournament is a three-day event with the semi-finals taking place on Thursday. On Friday there are two consolation rounds and the finals.
The Vikings reached their goal on Thursday night and went back to their hotel with the knowledge that the tournament was over and the sixth state 5A champion trophy would be heading home with them.
“We could have lost but only if every single person left on our team had lost and other teams had pinned every person they face,” Ripplinger said. “We knew we had it and it made for a fun, relaxing night Friday.”
Thursday night was certainly no cake walk, however. But after dropping the first three matches of the night, the Vikings went on a roll. It all began with eventual 125 pound champion and eventual 130 pound finalist Josh Smoot. Both had semi-final matches against opponents who had become thorns in their sides over the year.
First, Winger avenged his Region 1 semi-final loss to Davis High’s Todd Smoot with a 2-1 triple overtime victory. Next it was Josh Smoot who shut down Brighton’s Conner Meadows, 3-1.
“After those wins, the whole team got on a roll,” Ripplinger said. “Those were such huge matches for those two guys and the team.”
As the night progressed, Ripplinger said it became fun and exciting to watch the whole night play out.
“We had 11 guys place and so we had quite a few going into those rounds Thursday night and I could tell as our fans got louder and louder throughout the night that things were going real well. It was a great experience.”
With 11 state placers including two state champions (Winger and Danner Kjar) and three second place finishers (Josh Smoot, Mitch Rasmussen and Ikeru Abe), Ripplinger gave credit to what he calls a team full of athletes with “extraordinary personal drive.”
“When we have a dual meet and the guys find out they don’t have a match they get together on their own and go back into the room and train,” Ripplinger said. “This isn’t something I ask them to do. They just do it. And they take those times serious. They come out of those sessions exhausted.
“I’ve never seen it. Usually if guys don’t have matches it’s a night off. Not with this team. They know taking a night off will hurt them so they don’t do it.
“They are the most self-motivated group of young men I’ve ever worked with.”
Ripplinger gave credit to members of the team that didn't not place this year as a major reason for the success of the Vikings.
“We have guys like Austin Smoot and Andrew Kimber who didn’t place this year, but without them we wouldn’t be state champions,” Ripplinger said. “They come into our room and battled every day and they give the other guys everything they could ever want during practice.”
“We have been fortunate to have guys like that this year.”
Finally, Ripplinger pointed out his 215 pounder Hayden White as a young man who battled adversity to help the team.
“You know, Hayden blew out his knee during football and then about two weeks after he was able to start wrestling he came down with pneumonia and was out while he worked through that.
“A lot of guys would have just given up and Hayden didn’t. He came back and gave us everything he had.”
White made it to the semi-finals and lost by one point, but still placed 6th earning all-state honors.
“There are stories like that up and down our team,” Ripplinger said. “These guys set the goals and then just go after those goals with everything they have.”
“It really is fun to watch.”