David mania: Thousands turn out to salute Archuleta

MURRAY— That wasn't some sort of terrible accident at Murray High School Friday afternoon.No, all that screaming was just David Archuleta and 5,000 or 6,000 of

his closest friends getting together to celebrate him being only two

votes away from being this year's "American Idol.""It means the world to me that you guys came here," Archuleta told the

crowd. "I can't believe it. It's crazy. I can't thank you guys enough."

      Oh, and among Archuleta's new best friends were Murray Mayor Dan

Snarr; Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Corroon and Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman

Jr. Huntsman, by the way, required less security than Archuleta. But

then there aren't thousands of teenage girls screaming Huntsman's name,

either.

      The pep rally/celebration/carnival/concert, co-sponsored by

Murray City and Murray Schools, filled the stands on both sides of

Murray High's football stadium as well as about half the field. There

hasn't been that much orange and black since Halloween.

      Hundreds of Archuleta's friends and classmates were in

attendance. While all were excited, some said the fact Archuleta has

gone so far on "Idol" is a little bittersweet.

      "I'd rather have him here with us," said Caitlee Meyers, a

junior. "To us, the people who know him, he's just David Archuleta from

Murray."Jessica Judd, also a junior at Murray High, spent the whole day with

Archuleta Friday. She said it was a surreal experience, but she's

excited for him.

      "It's crazy that so many people are here for someone I have known for so long," she said.

      The audience cheering Archuleta was packed with young girls and