Sometimes in order to truly appreciate the good times, we have to remember the bad times.

As a lifelong BYU fan who began as a student in Provo in 1996, I’ve lived through the best of times and the worst of times with my beloved Cougars. My first year as a student in 1996-97 was among the worst of times as BYU basketball went 1-25, a season full of a shocking amount of losses that most of us have erased from our memories.

But I still remember the gloom of the 1-25 season back in 1996-97, and those scars are making my enjoyment of the current iteration of the Top 10-ranked, AJ Dybantsa-led BYU hoops team that much sweeter.

The gathering storm of 1996

I am a lifelong, loyal, strong, and true BYU fan.

I was born in the mid-1970s in Salt Lake City. While my father graduated from the University of Utah, we were a BYU household. As a competitive youth basketball player I grew up idolizing Jeff Chatman, Andy Toolson, Michael Smith, and Marty Haws. I would pretend to be those guys when shooting hoops in the front yard.

After serving a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1994-1996, I enrolled at BYU prior to the 1996-97 basketball season. We knew it would be a rebuilding year for Roger Reid’s program that was coming off a middling 15-13 season and 9-9 WAC conference record. The Cougs were losing their top three scorers in Kenneth Roberts (19.3 PPG), Bryon Ruffner (18.8 PPG), and Randy Reid (11.2 PPG).

Ruffner’s departure was especially difficult on both the team and BYU as an institution after he pleaded guilty to felony theft for his part in a fraudulent check and credit card scheme. Ruffner had averaged 18.8 points per game for the Cougars as a junior in 1995-96, had NBA potential, and was expected to score 20-plus points per game for the 1996-97 squad. His potential was so high that even after resolving his legal issues he was invited by the Utah Jazz in 1997 to play in the Rocky Mountain Revue, though he was eventually cut by the Jazz and didn’t latch on elsewhere in the NBA.

But Ruffner’s issues weren’t the only ones hanging over the program back in 1996. BYU had also lost out on prized LDS recruit Chris Burgess who chose Duke over BYU and other suitors. Coach Roger Reid had to apologize after Burgess claimed that Reid told the young recruit that he was “letting nine million people down” across the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by choosing Duke over BYU.

Between Ruffner’s shocking departure, Chris Burgess’s deflating decision, and Roger Reid’s regretful comments, there was already a gathering storm on the horizon in Provo before the season even began.

But even with these dark clouds on the horizon, none of us were prepared for the storm of losing that was about to rain down on the Cougars.

A deluge of losing

I came to Provo on the heels of Ruffner’s withdrawal and Burgess’s decision, but I was still ready to cheer on what I thought could be a somewhat competitive team.

While there were no realistic expectations for the 1996-97 team to win the WAC or make the NCAA Tournament, none of us expected Roger Reid’s squad would go on to have the worst seasons in program history.

After all, Roger Reid was a very good coach. Coach Reid had piloted the Cougars to the NCAA Tournament five times in seven years at the helm of the program. BYU had won at least 21 games in each of Reid’s fist six seasons before a disappointing 15-13 season in 1995-96. Under his leadership BYU finished first in the WAC regular season three times and won the conference tournament three times. Roger Reid was a two-time WAC Coach of the Year, and deservedly so.

All of that previous success aside, which is the nature of big-time college sports, the program was already trending in the wrong direction going into the 1996-97 season, but there was hope the Cougars could at least take a few steps in turning the program around.

That didn’t happen.

The Cougars lost their first game of the season to Cal State Fullerton. They then suffered a humiliating 51-point loss to Washington followed by a 22-point blowout to Pacific. BYU, now 0-3, had a chance to right the ship against in-state rival Weber State, but instead suffered a gut-punch 17-point drubbing on the road.

After this discouraging 0-4 start, I knew my first basketball season as a BYU student was going to be a long one. I had no idea just how long and painful it would be.

The only highlight of the season came the following game when BYU narrowly beat Utah State at home by three points to get to 1-4.

The Cougars would go on to lose their next 21 games in a row, finishing the season 1-25.

Roger Reid steps down

After the Utah State victory, the Cougars lost their next two games to fall to 1-6 then announced Roger Reid would “step down” as coach. Tony Ingle was tapped to lead the program and he would go on to lose every one of the 19 games he coached, and some of those games were cover-your-eyes bad. Nine of those 19 losses were by 20 points or more. BYU lost by 40 at TCU, 42 at New Mexico (scoring just 32 points), 36 at Utah, and 42 in their second showdown against New Mexico.

I remember attending a home game that year with my then girlfriend (now wife) and essentially sitting wherever we wanted at the mostly vacant Marriott Center. The arena was so quiet you could hear players, coaches, and referees talking. While the players on the 1996-97 team gave their best effort that season, I could see in their eyes just how defeated they looked as the season slowly, then mercifully, came to an end.

In 1996-97, BYU went 1-25.

As a lifelong BYU fan and first-year BYU student back then, it was the lowest period in my BYU fandom.

Enduring that season of prolonged losing has made the last two seasons of BYU winning in the Big 12 all the sweeter.

These are the best of times for BYU basketball

When it comes to BYU basketball, these are definitely the best of times! Over the last two seasons coach Kevin Young has elevated BYU hoops to a level not even the most optimistic among us could have dreamed of.

Last year the Cougs went 26-10, including 14-6 in a loaded Big 12 conference, and advanced to the Sweet 16. Richie Sanders blossomed into an All-Big 12 First Team selection. Freshman sensation Egor Demin was selected No. 8 overall in the 2026 NBA Draft and is off to a promising start with the Brooklyn Nets.

BYU’s 2025 recruiting class ranked No. 4 nationally and included AJ Dybantsa, who could win the NCAA Player of the Year this season and be the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s NBA Draft.

As BYU kicks off the Big 12 season this year, let’s remember that these are the best of times for BYU fans!

As the 1996-97 season proved for those of us who lived it, every win should be celebrated.

NEW YORK — Two rookies made their first career starts for the Nets and Cam Thomas provided a scoring lift off the bench with an efficient 21 points, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the absence of key starters in a 120-96 loss to the Houston Rockets on Thursday night at Barclays Center.

Brooklyn opened 2026 with a second straight loss and fell to 10-21, undone by a sluggish start, uneven offense and a Rockets team that continued to pour it on as the night wore on.

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That tone was set early.

With three starters out, the Nets leaned further into their youth experiment, starting rookies Drake Powell and Danny Wolf and asking Wolf to set the table. Brooklyn’s start was anything but steady with Kevin Durant back in the building. The Rockets raced out to a 12-2 lead by the 9:14 mark as the Nets’ offense stalled and defensive breakdowns piled up, prompting an early timeout from head coach Jordi Fernández after Houston opened 6-for-6 from the field on a parade of layups.

Brooklyn steadied itself for a bit, ripping off a 16-8 run and flipping the momentum when Alperen Sengun went to the bench. But the response didn’t last long. Rockets head coach Ime Udoka quickly put Sengun back in, and he continued to be a problem. By the end of the first quarter, the Nets trailed 26-20, with Ziaire Williams scoring six points and grabbing two steals and Sengun leading all scorers with 10.

The second quarter is where it started to slip. Brooklyn hung around early, with Day’Ron Sharpe’s interior work briefly cutting the deficit to four, but the Rockets answered every push. Durant settled the game with shot-making, Reed Sheppard buried back-to-back 3s and the Nets’ offense stalled into turnovers and empty trips. Houston closed the half in control, taking a 53-42 lead into the break.

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The third quarter is where Houston turned control into separation. It got ugly quickly. While Brooklyn committed just two turnovers in the period, the lack of offensive firepower showed as the Rockets shot 63.6% and saw Jabari Smith Jr., Tari Eason and Amen Thompson all reach double figures in the quarter. Thomas and Nic Claxton tried to keep the Nets within reach, but it wasn’t enough, as Brooklyn fell behind by as many as 26 and went into the fourth trailing 90-67.

It was never closer than 16 points down the stretch.

Rookies Powell, Wolf and Nolan Traore played 25, 29 and 26 minutes, respectively, shooting a combined 8-for-27 from the field. Thompson led six Rockets in double figures with 23 points, four rebounds, three assists, two steals and a block.

Sharpe finished with a career-high seven assists with eight points, eight rebounds and two steals.

The Nets return to action Friday night on the second night of a back-to-back against the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena.

We asked you to vote for your favorite places and people of Peachtree Corners, and once again, you answered the call.

You can find the full Best of Peachtree Corners 2025 list in our November/December issue. But for online, we’re breaking it up into a series of smaller lists that will run weekly through the beginning of January, showcasing the top vote-getters.

This week, we’re sharing the results for the top-voted sports and fitness options in Peachtree Corners.

Editor’s note: In order to ensure fairness and accuracy for our Best Of 2025 survey, we made every effort to weed out bots and any other activity that would falsely skew the results. Ties for 2nd and 3rd place winners were arrived at when vote totals were within 1–1.5% of each other.

Best Fitness Place

1. Burn Boot Camp is a fitness center offering 45-minute workouts using active warm-up, exercise demos and rotation through strength and conditioning stations, led by friendly, expert trainers.
5450 Peachtree Pkwy.
Peachtree Corners, 30092
470-403-2876; burnbootcamp.com

2. Robert D. Fowler Family YMCA
5600 W. Jones Bridge Road
Peachtree Corners, 30092
770-246-9622; ymcaatlanta.org

3. Life Time Peachtree Corners
6350 Courtside Drive NW
Peachtree Corners, 30092
770-449-6060; lifetime.life

Best CrossFit

1. CrossFit Peachtree Corners is a local gym offering workouts and varied, functional movement training for people of all ages and fitness levels. Sound nutrition guidance and community accountability are also part of the CrossFit formula.
6760 Jimmy Carter Blvd., Unit 125
Norcross, 30071
404-854-1816; crossfit.com

2. (tied) CrossFit PPG
4505 Peachtree Industrial Blvd.
Norcross, 30092
470-808-4938; crossfitppg.com

2. (tied) Zanshin Fitness
4015 Holcomb Bridge Road
Peachtree Corners, 30092
770-992-9200; zanshin.fit

Best Gym/Health Club

1. Robert D. Fowler Family YMCA serves the community with programs focused on healthy living, youth development and social responsibility. They offer swimming, group exercise classes, workout rooms and more.
5600 W. Jones Bridge Road
Peachtree Corners, 30092
770-246-9622; ymcaatlanta.org

2. Life Time Peachtree Corners
6350 Courtside Drive NW
Peachtree Corners, 30092
770-449-6060; lifetime.life

3. Planet Fitness
7050 Jimmy Carter Blvd.
Peachtree Corners, 30092
770-696-1605; planetfitness.com

Best Martial Arts

1. Taido Karate offers traditional, family-friendly instruction in the modern Taido style of karate, utilizing dynamic techniques and footwork for the purpose of self-defense.
6470 Spalding Drive
Peachtree Corners, 30092
770-242-6406; taidokarate.com

2. Lozo Karate
5450 Peachtree Pkwy., Suite 8A
Peachtree Corners, 30092
404-333-8808; lozokarate.com

Best Sports Program

1. Peachtree Corners Football Club has been a part of the PTC community for 50 years, offering youth soccer coaching and team play for kids in U6 through U14 age groups.
4901 E. Jones Bridge Road
Peachtree Corners, 30092
pcfcsoccer.com

2. Norcross Youth Athletic Association
P.O. Box 2484
Norcross, 30091
norcrossathletics.com

3. D1 Training
5250 Triangle Parkway NW
Peachtree Corners, 30092
855-783-7650; d1training.com

Best Yoga/Pilates

1. Club Pilates offers low-impact, Reformer-based, full-body Pilates workouts for all ages and fitness levels, designed to increase mobility, balance and strength.
4880 Peachtree Parkway, Suite 1130
Peachtree Corners, 30092
404-902-2583; clubpilates.com

2. Sunny Street Yoga
6375 Spalding Drive, Suite E
Peachtree Corners, 30092
470-641-3021; sunnystreetyoga.com

3. Sun Dragon Yoga
5600 Spalding Drive Norcross, 30092
313-303-0096; sundragonyoga.com

Best Pickleball Courts (within 15 minutes of PTC)

1. Life Time Peachtree Corners is a world-class racquet and athletic country club offering leagues, programming and instruction. They have 30 indoor and outdoor pickleball courts and 18 indoor and outdoor tennis courts, as well as fitness studios and other amenities.
6350 Courtside Drive NW
Peachtree Corners, 30092
770-449-6060; lifetime.life

2. Ace Pickleball Club
1425 Market Blvd., Suite 200
Roswell, 30076
678-6752; acepickleballclub.com

3. Cauley Creek Park PickleBall Courts
7255 Bell Road
Johns Creek, 30097
678-512-3200; johnscreekga.gov

Next up in the series: Hotels and Event Spaces

Photo: Adobe Stock

Flag football, an old sport, is now seeing rapid growth across the country. This Sunday, Aptos High hosts a showcase, featuring 34 top high school senior girls competing: the best of Monterey County traveling here to compete against the best in Santa Cruz County. 

Aptos High senior Ella Porter, playing on the Santa Cruz County or north team, told Lookout this week she’s been hooked on flag football since she started playing last year. The 18-year-old said the sport provides another opportunity for girls to develop their athletic ability and be part of a team. 

“You need one another to either win or lose, and that’s what’s really special about it,” said Porter. “We have the same wins, but we also have these hard losses, and we get to go through it together.”

It’s football, but without the tackling, and the players have four downs to get to the end zone. To stop the offense, players pull a flag from an opponent’s belt.  It’s a seven-on-seven game, rather than the 11 per team in regular football. Young people have played flag football for decades, in physical education classes or recreationally, but in recent years, it’s taken on a more competitive form. 

About 2.4 million kids under 17 play in organized flag football leagues in the United States, and the number is rapidly growing across the globe, according to the International Federation of American Football. In response to its growing popularity, the sport will be featured in the Olympic Games for the first time in 2028. 

Event organizers Reggie Stephens and Joel Domhoff took notice of local girls’ interest in the sport and put together the event to raise awareness of flag football and celebrate the athletes’ skills. Stephens is a youth sports advocate and former NFL player, and Domhoff is a longtime media arts teacher currently at Renaissance High School in La Selva Beach. They both run nonprofit organizations which help fundraise to run the event: the Reggie Stephens Foundation and the Gino Panelli Foundation – which gives the event its longish name, RSF/GPF Central Coast Flag Football All-Star Game. Domhoff directs the all-star game. 

Domhoff began noticing girls showing up to football practices to train with high school boys several years ago. One year it was one girl, he said, and the next year two girls: “Then suddenly we had middle school girls. That’s when we realized, okay, this is bigger than we thought.”

He said he thinks the sport has become more appealing because there’s no tackling but the sport still emphasizes athletic ability. 

“It doesn’t have the violent aspect that turns a lot of people off to tackle football. It has all the beauty, the athleticism and the grace,” he said. “These girls are competitive, they’re highly skilled, and they absolutely love it.”

Four years ago, he said, there was no such thing as girls’ high school flag football. Now more than 200 California high schools support teams and some colleges are developing women’s flag football programs. Domhoff said the all-star game is part of a growing effort to give girls the same opportunities that boys have had. 

“There are only four women coaching flag football in the area — and all four of them will be coaching in this all-star game,” he said. “That’s symbolic, and it’s important for these girls to see women as role models and think, ‘That’s something I could become.’”

Carmel High School senior Ava Staehle, who is playing on the Monterey County or south team, said she started playing at around age 8 because she was inspired by her older brothers who played football. 

“Now I get to play competitively too,” she said. “It’s just such a perfect sport, especially for young girls, to start playing.” 

Staehle, who plays linebacker and receiver, said the sport has taught her “to keep pushing myself and to always try my best.” She hopes to keep playing, either through a club or recreationally, when she goes to college next year. 

Aptos High’s Porter, who plays quarterback and running back, said she also hopes to play when she goes to college. She appreciates that the sport has given girls another opportunity to challenge themselves. 

“Football has always been tackle football for men,” she said. “To have something added for women as fast as this was — I’m very thankful and very excited about that.”

The all-star game day starts at noon with skills competitions, including a 40-yard dash and a contest for the longest throw. The game will start at 1 p.m., featuring four 15-minute quarters. The festivities will also feature a live DJ, a raffle and tacos. For those who can’t attend in person, the game will be broadcast live on the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) website, air on tape delay on Community Television of Santa Cruz and also be posted on social media. 

All-star game details: 
When: Sunday, Jan. 4, at noon
Where: Aptos High School, 100 Mariner Way, Aptos, 95003
Cost: $5 general admission; free admission for middle school and high school students with student ID

South Roster 
Coaches: Alyssa Dixon, Marina; Kalah Ishimaru, Salinas; Marisol Rasul, Alisal
#22 Bailey Casarez, Rancho San Juan, C 
#26 Jaslyne Coronado, Salinas, WR/S
#23 Melony Erazo-Chavez, Rancho San Juan, QB
#5  Alissa Escutia, Salinas, WR
#21 Josie Hanson, Carmel, S/WR/QB
#88 Maya Ibarra, North County, QB/RB/WR/S
#10 Calleigh Panziera, Salinas, WR/LB/S
#11 Mia Rivera, Alisal, WR/S 
#13 Dania Rodriguez, King City, WR/S
#33 Gracy Ruiz-Gamino, Marina, RB/DB/P
#9  Jimena Salazar-Camacho, Salinas, LB/DB/RB 
#6  Elsie Sargenti, Palma, WR/DB
#3  Ava Staehle, Carmel, S/LB/WR
#0  Esmeralda Torres, Marina, WR/RB/LB
#2  Eva Vicencio, King City, RB/DE 
#4  Irie Williams, North Salinas, RB/QB

North Roster
Coaches:  Frank Galvan, St. Francis; Denise Russo, Aptos; Andy Morris, Santa Cruz 
#24 Haily Bettermann, Soquel, DB/WR
#11 Shelby Chase, Scotts Valley, C
#53 Elenah Esquivel, Aptos, LB
#33 Yareli Garcia, Renaissance, DB
#6   Natalia Lapioli, Scotts Valley, CB
#2  Citlali Lopez, Santa Cruz, DB/WR/P (injured, will not play)
#2  Amaya Moore, SLV, QB/RB/WR/S
#8  Lila Mosley, Scotts Valley, LB/RB
#5  Presley Pastrell, Scotts Valley, LB/WR 
#4  Ella Porter, Aptos, RB/WR/S/QB 
#10 Sammy Rebert, Scotts Valley, WR/DB
#13 Daisy Rincon, PVHS, DB/RB/WR
#14 Leah Serna, Santa Cruz, WR/LB/P
#17 Ben Sommerville, Santa Cruz, WR/S 
#18 Eliza Stevens, Soquel, QB
#0  Marina Tucker, Harbor, WR/DB 
#42 Brooklyn Williams, Scotts Valley, WR/DB
#3  Ivory Woodson, Soquel, DE/C 

If money is what it will take to resolve the damage done by the substance abuse epidemic in the Mountain State, we are sitting on an enormous opportunity through funds distributed by the West Virginia First Foundation. Just this month nearly $18 million in Momentum Initiative Grants was awarded to tackle the problem.

In this round, there are 76 projects — some statewide, some regional — that will focus on foster care and non-parental caregiver initiatives, youth prevention, recovery housing, behavioral health and workforce development, and reentry and diversion programs.

The statewide projects, totaling more than $3.85 million, all target foster care and non-parental caregivers through Foster RISE (Recruitment, Intervention, Support and Expansion); Pressley Ridge Treatment Kinship Care statewide services; West Virginia CASA Association’s Continuum of Care for children and families impacted by the opioid crisis; and West Virginia Wesleyan College’s capacity-building initiative with CASA.

Hancock and Brooke counties are part of Region 1, although, once again, most of the funds awarded locally appear to be focused for services in the Wheeling area.

The Greater Wheeling Coalition for the Homeless, for example, received $250,000 for day report centers and re-entry programs, while HoH Share Inc. received $125,000 for youth prevention programs. Northwood Health Systems, which has some operations in Weirton, will receive $216,065 for its behavioral health and workforce development programs, and Youth Services System, which also offers some of its programs in our two counties, will receive $125,000 for youth prevention services.

West Liberty University is getting $249,397 for its own day report centers and re-entry programs through the Hilltopper Pathways services.

YWCA Wheeling, meanwhile, is set to receive three grants: $124,744 for youth prevention; $380,000 for recovery housing; and $186,450 for day report centers and re-entry programs.

This is wonderful news for hardworking people in need of support to fulfill a critical mission.

“The Momentum Initiative Grant reflects a new way of responding to the substance use crisis; one grounded in evidence, shaped by local expertise and guided by accountability,” said Jonathan Board, the foundation’s executive director. “We traveled the state, listened to those holding the line in their communities, and answered the call to honor the lives lost by putting these resources into the hands of those ready to create real, lasting impact for West Virginia.”

While we wait, the organizations that have received this round of money are no doubt ready to hold up their end of the bargain.

As that work gets underway, lawmakers and economic development officials must remember it is their job to also be expanding and diversifying our state’s economy and working to improve quality of life for everyone.

Hope is as necessary in this process as is money.