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High school football: Grantsville Cowboys 2009 preview

cowboy | 7:27 a.m. Aug. 10, 2009

Do you still even have a team after losing 40?

Broken Stallion | 11:19 a.m. Aug. 10, 2009

Cowboy - Grantsville has 80 kids out for football. Trust me, losing most of the Stansbury kids and those Grantsville kids and their parents that went to "The Program" was the best thing that ever happened to GHS and the entire Grantsville community. There is a lot to be said about loyalty and pride. Both are back in full swing at GHS Football!

Anonymous | 12:04 p.m. Aug. 10, 2009

Thank you! Your spot on!

Comments continue below

Get a life | 12:41 p.m. Aug. 10, 2009

The people of Grantsville need to get a life and take a look in the mirror, and ask the question WHY ARE KIDS LEAVING Grantsville football???? the article is about your football program for the up coming year and all i read is bitter remarks about some new school who took our kids. BOO WHOO!! i don't hear Springville or Spainsh Fork crying about the Maple Mountain school coming on line..that's because those schools have built good programs and the players believe in the coaches and the program.. if all of your players left to go to the new school don't blame the new school take a look in your own back yard!!! But then again it's the easy way out to blame someone or something else...

re: get a life | 1:14 p.m. Aug. 10, 2009

Us get a life? The reporter asks questions you answer them pal. The Grantsville players didnt write this. Dont Bother showing up every friday night please.

Get a life | 2:14 p.m. Aug. 10, 2009

I'm sorry!!! I thought that the person who wrote broken stallion was from Grantsville??? My Bad!!! Thank you for setting me straight and letting me know that it was the Deseret News reporter who is bitter and wrote that.. Kind of fits right in with what I said in my first comment, easy way out is to blame someone or something else... pal!!!

Coach is a Class-Act | 2:28 p.m. Aug. 10, 2009

I think it was a class act of Coach Cloward to mention the kids who moved on to Stansbury High School. Those kids have been part of GHS for many years. They made an impact here and I think it's great he let them know he still cares and wishes them well. Tony Cloward is a great man in every sense of the word. We in Grantsville are PROUD to call him "Coach".

Broken Stallion | 2:48 p.m. Aug. 10, 2009

get a clue ! Do you really know what your talking about??? I think not. Do you really think a few kids from Cowboy country playing at Stansbury really make the difference why Grantsville may have it's worse season ever? I think not.

Find YOUR Hometown Pride | 2:50 p.m. Aug. 10, 2009

Unless you've been in the thick of it, you may never understand what a rough transition it has been as Stansbury High School has looked to open this fall. It has taken a tough toll on friendships and families. But the reality is, it wouldn't have hurt so bad if we'd not cared for one another.

Students from Grantsville and Stansbury have stood side by side all their high school days. They have cheered, celebrated and cried with each other. They have been teammates. They have been friends.

I think it's time to stop the bashing one another and find pride in our OWN hometowns. Both communities need to put the past behind them and cheer one another on. For heaven's sake, we're not even in the same state classification.

Every PLAYER deserved to win and every COACH deserves respect. Be proud to be a Cowboy. Be proud to be a Stallion. And be proud of the teammates you USED to stand beside, no matter where they go to school now.

Best of luck to Grantsville, Stansbury and Tooele! May we all knock off this nonsense!

Grantsville Alum | 3:25 p.m. Aug. 10, 2009

Good Luck this year Cowboys! I hear there's alot of enthusiam out there. Keep it up, it will take you a long way. Enjoy being a "Small Town School" again. That's how is was when I was there and I wouldn't have wished it to be any other way. There's nothing better than a Friday night in a small town. Make us proud!!!

Keep your heads up, don't give in to critism. COWBOY PRIDE ALL THE WAY!!

Amen... | 3:34 p.m. Aug. 10, 2009

... there is nothing more useless than neighbors bickering with one another when they should be supportive. Well said "Find YOUR Hometown Pride"!

Hometown Pride | 3:50 p.m. Aug. 10, 2009

I want to thank you for this comment. The impact on friends and families in all three communities has been felt.

We do need to look to the future. Best of luck to Stansbury, Tooele, and Grantsville. May the wins be plentiful and the bitterness end.

Another Alum | 4:06 p.m. Aug. 10, 2009

There is something wonderful about small schools and actually knowing all of your classmates. Grantsville will be fine regardless of their win/loss record. Let's rally around our teams and show our support for them.

Anonymous | 4:08 p.m. Aug. 10, 2009

ALL THOSE STANSBURY KIDS WERE JUST TROUBLE

Support Your Community | 4:14 p.m. Aug. 10, 2009

It doesn't really matter where these kids play, does it? I agree with "Find YOUR Hometown Pride" - every kid deserves to play, and every coach deserves respect. All the name calling, and bitter feelings are wasted. It's a sport people, let the kids play- and let the adults "play nice" - at least, if for nothing else, do it to show the kids how an adult is really supposed to act.
Let's support these teams...because regardless of whether your kids play for Grantsville, Tooele, Stansbury, or where-ever, we are still Tooele County...and we should support each other!

Cowboy Pride | 4:27 p.m. Aug. 10, 2009

There are 75 kids who are playing football from Freshman to Seniors! How in the world has the split hurt this team?? It hasn't... The last couple of years our team has not played as a team, there were several individuals that played just as that, an individual.
This group of kids are the best kids this school has seen for a while now. If they play as a team, they are going to be fine!
GO COWBOY FOOTBALL!!

Krista Hutchins | 4:53 p.m. Aug. 10, 2009

I'm signing my name because I'm proud to be a GRANTSVILLE COWBOY and I'm proud of the young men who will represent all of us on Friday nights. They're excitment for the upcoming season has rubbed off on me...

I can't wait to put on my red jacket, I can't wait to pull out my red blanket, I can't wait to cheer on THE COWBOYS! I hope we'll all come out and show our Hometown Pride! And once again, make COWBOY FOOTBALL the place to be on Friday nights!

Best of luck to The Stansbury Stallions... especially the one I love! I'll be cheering you on too!

Tooele Girl | 6:48 p.m. Aug. 10, 2009

Good Luck Cowboys & Buffaloes it will be fun to see what happens this season. Sense most people think how the season ends already.

Contagious Unity | 11:59 p.m. Aug. 10, 2009

Good Luck, Cowboy football players! I've seen some wonderful cowboy teams play throughout the years. I hope that you really do become unified this year by realizing that TEAM means everyone, not just the ones you can stand or like personally. It's more fun to watch the game when I know that your star players are being great leaders and not excluding others and that all players take care of each other. You will do great as a team! Cowboy spirit really starts with YOUR attitude and spreads to the rest of the town as we see how you act ON AND OFF the field. Your unity is contagious! We believe in you. As a small town, we need you to be unified as a TEAM — that means all 80 young men that came out to play. You are so lucky to be COWBOYS!

cowboy | 10:39 a.m. Aug. 12, 2009

work hard your first game is coming up and you'll have your hands full with wasatch you will need to bring your game

Jon - GHS '90 #20 SB/DE | 5:00 p.m. Aug. 13, 2009

When I was in 9th grade GHS varsity lost 1 game. When I was in 12th we won 3 games. Three years later WE took State.

My class bridges a gap between two of GHS's best teams. I practiced against Curtis, Jared, Chad, Russ, the Craigs, etc. I practiced against Cody, Deik, Cam, Josh, Sam, Paul, etc. I also played with Clint & Tony. We all share something special, we are Cowboys.

Football creates a bond between men. When you couple that with small town enthusiasm you can create something special. It's truly not about winning and losing, it's about effort and friendship. It's about Grantsville, it's about memories.

One of my most memorable games I didn't even play in. Remember GHS at Morgan fall of 92? I traveled from Dixie for that game. Seemed like all of Grantsville was there, we lost that game yet it was special. We need more of that, we need the community to rally around Coach Cloward, we need the players to play for their "brothers" and we need the BS to stop.

Team captains be leaders, the rest of y'all follow.

"Hard Work Pays Off"

Well said, Hometown Pride | 5:09 p.m. Aug. 13, 2009

A rising tide floats all boats. The best thing that could happen for the county, well, other than someone figuring out how to juggle boundaries somehow so we could all be in the same classification, is for all three schools to have good teams.

About the boundaries thing, it's actually not possible apparently without bussing students who live near either THS or SHS right past the school and on out to Grantsville. Other than that it is just wishful thinking unless Grantsville sees more growth than what Stansbury and Tooele do or a fourth high school opens sometime in the next decade. Maybe then they'll be able to balance it out.

believer | 1:25 a.m. Aug. 14, 2009

the cowboys are not going to be fine, they are going to be great!

Grantsville Dichotomy | 8:01 a.m. Sept. 11, 2009

The dichotomy that exists in our GHS football system is that we want to win so badly, but we are not changing the system to afford us the chance to win. How many more seasons do we keep with the existing system of coaches (or the continual changing of assisant coaches [quality questionble; being buddies of Coach "C" should not be the qualifier!]) and expect a different result? I know we are a small town, but we should be able to attract a decent coach with an new winning perspective and method. We cannot be sold the same story each year about how small we are and what we have to look forward to as a hedge by the coach to keep his job. Other programs face the same challenges as we do, and they make the needed adjustments. We lost half of our talent and skill players to Stansbury, including some of our own neighbors which is sad. It is time for an overhaul of our system and thought process. It comes down to the wins and the losses. For this Grantsville resident, I'm tired of the losses. Stop slinging mud and face the facts. We need change.

MHS | 10:11 p.m. Sept. 17, 2009

Honestly stansbury held gville back

Re: MHS | 3:01 p.m. Sept. 18, 2009

hahahahahaha...yeah right!

Re re re MHS | 6:09 p.m. Sept. 20, 2009

How didn't they? Tell me that

Re: MHS | 9:11 a.m. Sept. 21, 2009

Let's take a look at where Grantsville is right now(I am not making comparisons between Grantsville and Stansbury - their records are the same). Grantsville is 1-3. Since you said that Stansbury held Grantsville back, are you saying that if Stansbury hadn't opened its doors this fall the Cowboys would be 0-4? That makes no sense. The team isn't much different is it? A few players is all. Don't the excuses get old? For how many years have we been hearing "we are just young"? Grantsville is desperately trying to hold onto what they once had, but it is long gone. The future of football in the county is in Stansbury. Bottom line. Yes, there will be growing pains, and that is fine. It seems like the kids at Stansbury are having a blast, and their biggest problem is breaking bad habits previously acquired at Grantsville and Tooele. Stansbury opening up is old news. I don't know why Cloward mentions Grantsville losing kids to Stansbury in nearly every newspaper interview. It obviously bothers him. He surely doesn't think that his team is better without the Stansbury kids does he? Move on!

Anonymous | 2:33 p.m. Sept. 21, 2009

The stansbury kids were never part of teh school they never cared about grantsville.. thats why they don't belong and we are better without them.

Anonymous | 11:01 a.m. Sept. 23, 2009

I hate when people think they can single out players. Like Ben Tripp. What happened to him on the last game how about all those misses. Lets pull him out for a game see how good we do.

This is a team and should be treated as one. One makes a mistake the whole team should pay.

Hey coach I dont see you making the running backs pay for all drop balls or fumbles. You should make them run hard and catch at least 20 balls in a row before they move on. Bet they cant.

Whatever | 10:15 a.m. Sept. 24, 2009

My comment to these lame comments is this:

Dont say the kids LOVE it at Stansbury. On average MOST kids DONT love it and many have expressed their feelings of wanting to go back to where they came from.

As far as Tony commenting on losing kids to Stansbury... ATLEAST he comments in the paper! How many times has Jake TRIED to get a hold of Coach Christiansen and Coach just wont return a call. Ya coaches are busy but part of your job is to talk to the paper...INCLUDING your own County paper... But ya know after commenting: "If we lose it wont be the coaches fault" I probably wouldnt want to talk to the papers either. haha.

Regardless, Im not saying one coach is better than the other or one team has all the players or is lacking some of our own players. ALL our sports in the county were torn apart. We went from Ave 3A and 4A schools to 2 4A and a 3A... We barely were competing before you think it was going to get so much better? Maybe the change lies within the players. Work Harder, Lift Harder, DEDICATE, PLAY 4 PRIDE.

Anonymous | 6:57 p.m. Nov. 4, 2009

end of story we made the playoffs no one else in the county did

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