CONSOLED AFTER LOSSES — It’s been a tough weekend for sports fans in the Salt Lake Valley.

Utah Royals FC held its inaugural home match Saturday, but the Real Salt Lake-backed women’s pro soccer franchise was defeated, 1-0, by visiting Chicago.

A day later, the Utah Jazz lost their NBA playoff opener, 116-108 at Oklahoma City despite 27 points from sensational rookie Donovan Mitchell.

Instead of focusing on losses, here are three stories that will make you smile.

Here are this week’s Great Clips. As always, click the video above for the complete roundup.

Kickball like Klay Thompson

Rylee Clark is a middle schooler at Mapleton Junior High, and she found a new approach to kickball during one of her physical education classes this week.

Watch her step up, unload a shot — and boot the ball right into the basket. Her foot wasn't even on the 3-point line.

Look at that smile.

Splash Sister’s got game.

The Cuse cancer fighter

Rex Culpepper is battling cancer. He’s also a redshirt freshman quarterback at Syracuse.

The 6-foot-3, 221-pound signal caller didn’t let his diagnosis deter him from playing in the Orange’s annual spring preview in the Carrier Dome, either.

A native of Tampa, Florida, Culpepper was the primary backup to Syracuse starter Eric Dungey in 2017. He played in 12 games, including one start, and threw for 518 yards and two touchdowns. By the spring showcase, he was between rounds of chemotherapy as he fought testicular cancer.

On the final drive of the scrimmage, Culpepper completed 4-of-4 passes for 55 yards and a touchdown that put a smile on every one of his teammate’s faces.

What a moment.

Historic TD run

What do college football teams get out of spring football?

Workouts, scheme, and offensive installation, for one.

But most important, spring football gives teams a chance to connect with the community.

Take Rutgers. The Big Ten bottom-dweller partnered with a local hospital to make 5-year-old Mordecai Carthy the holder of the longest rushing touchdown in Scarlet Knights football history.

Mordecai has autism, but that didn’t matter as he followed his new teammates on the offensive — and defensive — line in rushing for a sensational 93-yard touchdown in Piscataway, New Jersey.

Hockey players are people, too

Have you ever wanted something so bad, it hurts?

One young Washington Capitals fan just wanted a souvenir puck from her favorite player, Brett Connolly.

And he was happy to oblige ... even if it took him three times.

Cuteness overload. Have a good week.

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