Manny Kepas

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FIRST, Thank YOU for viewing my page!

I left Timp in Jan 1979 to participate in Spring Football at Ricks College, where I played in the Fall of 1979. It was a blast! In between that time I was in a severe Motorcycle accident that almost took my life and was quite painful.

I served a mission to Melbourne Australia Greek Speaking. I earned my BS from BYU in Business, then a MBA from Indiana Bloomington in Finance.

While at BYU I met Ellen at a Danny Angie Fireside held at the Edgemont 7th Ward Chapel. He had been bit on the finger by Tree Rollins in the playoffs and was taking some time off. Although I had a girl friend at the time, Ben Heaton suggested that we not take dates stating to me, "that the Lord would provide." When I met Ellen in a pew before the meeting she was looking at the back of my head, as I turned around. It was Love at First sight. We started talking, sat by each other and talked in the parking lot after the meeting. Ellen had come to the "Fireside" meeting with her cousin Allison. Ben and Allison were in the same "Family Home Evening" group and were talking when Ellen first saw me. Ellen asked if my scripture covers were Kanagroo, and I said yes they were. Then she mentiond her brother Brent serving in Melbourne. Of all the good luck, I knew her brother Brent! After the Fireside, Ben wanted to leave, but Ellen and I stayed in the parking lot and talked for awhile longer and I asked her out on a date. Ellen's older brother Brent and I both served 2 year LDS missions to Melbourne Australia. Brent and I were in the same district when I first arrived in Melbourne.

Ellen and I started dating that week and never stopped. I told her I'd pick her up in a MB. So, I picked her up for our first date in my Dad's trashed & rusted 66 MB and went to Trafalga, a few blocks from her home. I told her that I had a TA (that I had been installing a new stereo so it was in the garage) she thought it had to be pretty bad given my father's car.

While dating, Ellen stated that she wanted 6 children, first 3 girls followed by 3 boys. I said that be great. So that is exactly what happened.

I have had the opportunity to work for 3M in St.Paul, Chamberlain in MX, AMEX, Morgan Stanley and eBay in UT. I have enjoyed the friendly people when I have traveled to Melbourne, Berlin, London & All of Canada.

I greatly enjoy Little League Baseball with my sons and watch the Bees in SLC regularly. Two of my daughters were Cheer Leaders for the MV Bruins and they have all participated in Drill teams. I am very proud that my daughters are attending college and will soon complete their degrees.

In 2006 I took FMLA due to injuries that I received while working at eBay. Please see my link to my site.

While working in MX I taught for PIMA Community College for two years and earned a Teaching License. I have since returned to education and work for Salem Hills H.S. and am the Defensive Line Football Coach.

With respect to my family, my SECOND love is Football!! (Suprised?) I enjoy the phyiscal competion, strength, speed and skill of the game, especially for the Down Lineman. I run seperator drills (just like Coach Joe Martinez!) and sometimes race the linemen during windsprints when they are tired. I coach the Varsity, JV and Soph teams. I have had the opportunity to act on occasion as the Defensive Coordinator for many JV & Soph games.

The thing I love most about Football is the team spirit. Each game is a series of stories within stories and battles within battles. And I enjoy winning, especially on the road and the bus rides home, always have!

I would like to Thank EACH of my Team Mates that played with me in the Fall of 1978. It was one of the best times in my life. Sure we competed hard within our team, but we were all the better for it. We were competitive in every game and beat almost everyone we played.

In the Fall of 1978 after Timp played Football on Thursday Night before the Deer Hunt weekend, Ben Heaton came over to my home on Friday Morning and said, "Let's Climb Timp." I said, "No." He called me "Chicken." So Chicken it was, we grabbed a bucket of KFC and climbed Timp. I was wearing a hooded sweat shirt. We were at the Emerald Lake when a storm rolled in. The fog was pretty thick. We heard an airplane, then heard it again like it was right over our heads. The plane sounded like it was pulling up, then crashed into the side of Timp. Ben & I climbed up the face of the mountain on the boulders, finding pieces of the single engine plane (a Cessna 172,) but not the pilot.

We decided to get off Timp due to the storm. While going down the Sundance cliff side the storm hit. We were very cold and we slept on the trail for awhile to get as warm as we possilbly could. We could hear our Fathers calling us from the base. Later a funny thing happened, the fog and wind blown light rain or snow let up just enough for me to see a few feet in front of us. Ben & I made it down the mountain. The next day we were on the news at 6 & 10 on 2, 4 & 5 being interviewed on Ben's Front Porch and in the newspaper (Daily Herald Oct 22, 1978.) The pilot, Kurt Anderson, was the Head Football Coach of Snake River H.S. in Blackfoot Idaho. He was flying home from a trip to play a game the next night. While attending Ricks I met his widow and children. They thanked me for being there for their Dad that afternoon that he died on the mountain. The Anderson family had just been sealed in the Temple as an eternal family a short time before the crash.