$1.50 May 17, 2024 | Vol. 3 Iss. 17
See Inside...
‘Coats for Kids’ rides into town June 14-15
Bountiful Rotary event provides warm clothes to kids in need Page 5
Also...
Davis and the dinosaurs Rising food costs
page 6
page 10
SPORTS
EVERYONE SHOUTS ‘A CAR FOR YOU’ on stage during a surprise school assembly where coach and teacher Andru Jones received the use of a new Kia from Young Kia.
Viewmont football coach and teacher named Davis School District Teacher of the Year By Becky Ginos becky.g@davisjournal.com BOUNTIFUL—Viewmont High School head football coach and teacher Andru Jones is always looking to help others succeed – now he is the one in the spotlight. Jones was named Davis School District Teacher of the Year and was honored at a surprise assembly on Wednesday. He was also presented with the keys to a new car from Young Kia that he can drive for a year. “This is our most prestigious award in the district,” said Davis School District Assistant Superintendent Dr. Logan Toone. “Mr. Jones is a rock star among teachers. Thank you for all that you do for students.” “I spent 17 years of my life in this space (Viewmont),” said Davis School District Superintendent Dr. Dan Linford. “It doesn’t surprise me that two years in a row they would choose a teacher at Viewmont. Give another round of applause for your teacher because he cares about you and loves you.” Mr. Jones is a special man, Linford said. “I’ve worked with head coaches that have a conversation with you while holding your mask. He’s not like that. He’s got a great mind for strategy but he’s a humble, sweet life long learner.” “I first met Andru when I was coaching at Northridge High,” said Viewmont Principal Travis Lund. “He was an athlete there. The kid had some health issues but
Photo by Roger V. Tuttle
Woods Cross beats Viewmont, fall to Box Elder in boys soccer playoffs; Bountiful advances By Josh McFadden joshm@mycityjournals.com
W
IT’S A TIGHT SQUEEZE but Viewmont football players manage to stuff themselves into the new 2024 Kia Seltos that head football coach Andru Jones (at the wheel) gets to use for a year as part of being named Davis School District Teacher of the Year.
Photos by Roger V. Tuttle
he worked hard on the field to overcome his health problems.” When Viewmont had an opening in special ed and for a head football coach he applied, Lund said. “He was the best for the job. The school he was coming from said he was the best person in the building
and it would kill them to lose him.” Unified Sports was just going to start, he said. “He headed that up and taught in the classroom and pulled in peer tutors. It Please see JONES: pg. 9
TikTok star uses his platform to raise heart health awareness By Becky Ginos becky.g@davisjournal.com FARMINGTON—TikTok star JT Laybourne was born in 1988 with a heart defect called subaortic stenosis and had open heart surgery when he was 3 years old. Against the odds, Laybourne went more than 30 years without a problem until 2020 when he was told he would need surgery again. The Farmington native’s social media platform focused on uplifting, positive content and after his experience, he added heart health awareness in the hope of saving lives. Last week, Laybourne traveled to Irvine, California for the “Patient Experience” where he got to meet the team at Edwards Lifesciences who made his aortic heart valve. “They made me feel so loved,” said Laybourne. “I got to see behind the scenes who was making these devices. It’s something I’ll never forget – the chance to meet everybody who touched the valve that’s in my heart.” Part of the valve was made in Singapore, he said. “It’s cool to say thank you to the people who held it, sewed it. It’s
THOMAS THORNE, BOUNTIFUL (30) mixes it up with Stockton Moynier (6) and Holt Mitchell (3). The May 7 game saw a drop in temperature turning the rain into snow as the Redhawks dropped in a single goal over the Lakers winning 1 - 0.
JT LAYBOURNE AT EDWARDS Lifesciences in Irvine, California. The “Patient Experience” allowed him to meet the team who made his aortic heart valve.
Photo credit Edward Lifesciences
a humbling experience. It’s a meaningful job, I’ll always be connected to them. Because they did their job right – I'm alive.” After the first open heart surgery when he was a child, Laybourne said his
parents were told that he’d have the next one before he was 18. “That just kept getting pushed back. In 2003 I got married Please see LAYBOURNE: pg. 9
hile high school students can taste the end of the school year and the arrival of summer, spring sports athletes are taking part in the most important part of the season: the playoffs. The Bountiful boys soccer team has reached the quarterfinals, thanks to a pair of close 3-2 wins in the Class 5A tournament. The Redhawks, 9-5 in the regular season and third-place finishers in Region 5, earned the No. 9 seed. In its first-round game on May 10, the Redhawks had a tougher-than-expected challenge from No. 24 Cyprus. Playing at home, Bountiful outlasted the Region 4 Pirates in overtime. Incidentally, it took a trio of successful penalty kicks for Bountiful to prevail. Thomas Thorne, Elias Pacheco and Cody Forbes converted their kicks in the win. That victory sent the Redhawks to the second round on the road on May 14 to face Region 6’s third-place team, Brighton. Bountiful was tied with the eighth-seeded Bengals at halftime but outscored them 2-1 in the second half. Forbes had two of Bountiful’s three goals, while Thorne scored the other one. Trent Millard had two assists in the big victory. Now one of eight teams in the playoffs remaining, the Redhawks have a tough task on Friday at No. 1 seed Wasatch. Meanwhile, Woods Cross and Viewmont clashed in the first round on May 10. After splitting the two regular-season games, the third matchup went the Wildcats’ way in a mild upset. The Wildcats were seeded 22nd facing the 11th-seed Vikings on Viewmont’s home field. Like the other two meetings, this one was a close 1-0 decision. Zach Despain scored off an Adrien Jenet assist in the second half to break a scoreless halftime tie. Brayden Lloyd got the shutout in the goal, his second of the season. For Viewmont, the defeat ended its season with a 7-7 record. The Wildcats moved on – once again against a familiar foe. On May 14, Woods Cross took on sixth-seeded Box Elder, a Region 5 opponent it lost to twice during the season, including once just a week earlier, 3-2. In another upset, the Wildcats prevailed, this time in a shootout after regulation Please see SOCCER: pg. 8