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Ogden • Ben Lomond High School athletic director Jeff Kilts leans snugly into his chair, and, peering at an enormous calendar plastered with upcoming events, he reaches for the telephone.
"It was like this all last week," he says. Utah weather is fickle, especially in the springtime. As rain pummels from the sky, Kilts begins calling for cancellation confirmations.
However, rescheduling is part of the gig, and certainly the least of Kilts' concerns. Recent athletic success is nonexistent here. During Kilts' tenure, the Scots' 20 UHSAA-sanctioned athletic programs have combined to capture a single region championship, in boys' track in 2010.
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.
Instead of implementing strategy, coaches teach basic fundamentals, positioning Ben Lomond further behind.
Athletics and education
Kilts turns the corner as he continues to scope the building, witnessing two separate couples behaving inappropriately in the hall. Kilts promptly directs them to class. He, along with his colleagues, work to eradicate such behavior at Ben Lomond.
Dropouts were an epidemic when he started as the football coach before accepting his current position. Less than 60 percent of students were graduating, he said, but more than 80 percent of the population now receive high school diplomas.
"We've done a really good job of retention of students," Kilts said. "That's a two-edged sword because we're keeping kids here, [but] we're not doing ourselves any favors because our numbers would put us at a 5A school."
The school's performance in athletics and academics are intertwined and mutually impactful. On the one hand, educational improvement better enables students participating in sports to maintain the grades required for eligibility, but on the other, embarrassment from habitual defeat can often cast a pall on the school and threaten whatever progress has been made.
Kilts reaches the final turn of the building and emphasizes the trophy case. Ben Lomond has been deprived of a state championship since boys' soccer won in 1999. In total, the Scots have won 15 titles in seven different sports.
Establishing a new winning tradition is an obtainable goal at Ben Lomond. They believe it. They preach it. The Scots recently finished second in region in various sports. It can be done.
Positive energy remains at Ben Lomond. It's not all "doom and gloom." The football stadium is scheduled for renovation, including installation of artificial turf.
"I've got a group of kids right now that the standard they set for themselves is a lot higher than what's been there in the past," Alder said. "They expect to compete. That's the expectation. There's a good vibe going on."
It's impossible to know if athletic success is on the horizon, but there is a true feeling of optimism, because although the community has fallen onto hard times, hopes and dreams are always free.
Twitter: @trevorphibbs —
Ben Lomond by the numbers
27 • Combined winning percentage (since 2008) for the Scots' football, boys' basketball, boys' soccer, baseball, volleyball, girls' basketball, girls' soccer and softball teams (not including 2016 spring activities).
73.82 • Percentage of the school's students who are raised in low-income families and qualify for free and reduced lunches, according to October 2015 enrollment numbers. That figure is nearly 40 percent above the state average.
85 • Percentage of the Scots' football players that athletic director Jeff Kilts estimates receive waivers for participation fees.
1999 • The last year Ben Lomond won a state title in any sport, when the boys' soccer team was crowned.
2010 • The last year Ben Lomond won a region title in any sport, in boys' track and field.
12,000 • Dollars provided by Ogden School District for the athletic budget. By comparison, Kilts said his budget at Bear River 20 years ago was $10,000 for football alone.