Prep sports: Ben Lomond going through the lowest of lows – Salt Lake Tribune

The inferior results aren’t an indictment on Kilts, who enjoyed success elsewhere, including as the head football coach at Snow College. Ben Lomond has struggled to generate competitive relevance for many years.

“I certainly heard things about Ben Lomond,” said football coach Eric Alder. “People saying, ‘You shouldn’t go there.’ “

Since Kilts assumed his role in 2008, the major team sports — football (11-64), boys’ basketball (83-104), boys’ soccer (70-64-2), baseball (21-116), volleyball (28-137), girls’ basketball (39-126), girls’ soccer (49-75-1) and softball (11-122) — have won 27 percent of their games, with a collective record of 312-808-3 (not including 2016 spring activities).

“I don’t know what the answer is, but I do know what we’re doing is not [working],” Kilts said.

Solutions aren’t easily concocted with the daily socioeconomic hardships Ben Lomond faces, but the freshly implemented UHSAA bylaw granting freedom to schools with at least 55-percent free and reduced lunch to appeal to drop down one classification under its projected enrollment number is the new symbol of hope.

“I think that definitely helps to put them into fair competition and a better situation,” Alder said.

Below the curve

Kilts circles the hallway of the athletic building. The structure is unattached from the main school, which was remodeled several years back. The gymnasium floor received a “facelift,” but the rest of the building remains antiquated and dilapidated.

The appearance is in stark contrast to what’s found at opposing schools. Region foe Bear River advertises a multi-million-dollar indoor practice facility. Juan Diego speaks for itself. The Scots, compared to the majority of the state, are below the curve.

Ben Lomond’s football stadium features wooden bleachers, with the press box resembling a makeshift treehouse. The wrestling room is constrained and limits participation. Outdated machinery peppers the weight room, with “out of order” signs attached to five of the 10 fitness bikes. Ancient window coverings are marred with large craters, leaving an impression of impoverishment.

Fifty-five percent of Ben Lomond’s 1,253 students, as reported by Oct. 1, 2015 enrollment numbers, are Hispanic. Minorities make up 61 percent of the school’s population, while 73.82 percent of the students are raised in low-income families — the highest percentage for a metro-based school and the fourth-most in Utah — and qualify for free and reduced lunches. Ben Lomond is nearly 40 percent above the state average.

“They’re good people. They work hard,” Kilts said. “They’re trying to do the best for their family, but I think the biggest thing is the opportunities the kids have or don’t have because of their income level.”

Ogden School District provides $12,000 for the athletic budget, according to Kilts, who noted his budget at Bear River 20 years ago for football alone was $10,000. The financial strain is exacerbated by a lack of participation profits, as Kilts estimates 85 percent of football players receive fee waivers, which correlates with decreased involvement in little league, as families increasingly make the sad-but-practical decision to opt out of paying for kids to play.

“Do you pay to play a little league sport, or is that going to buy two weeks’ worth of food for your family?” Kilts said.


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