The aphorism, “The road to hell is paved with good intentions,” has an interesting pedigree, variously credited to St. Bernard of Clairvaux, a 12th century cleric, and to Virgil’s Aeneid written shortly before the time of Christ, and whose translation reads, “It’s easy to go to hell.”

Those notions certainly apply to the three men who are likely to be facing felony charges for toppling over a huge rock in Goblin Valley State Park in Utah. The unusual formations date back to the Jurassic era.Ã¥

The three are David Hall, Glenn Taylor and his son, all Boy Scout leaders, who used a twisted bit of logic and rationalization in modifying the position of a 200-million-year-old rock at that park.

It’s inconceivable that the three would struggle so tenaciously to tip over a massive rock. The park contains many unusually shaped mounds that officials say look like goblins. Remember, now, the ostensible reason for the Scout leaders’ vandalism was to protect others who, after all, could be crushed should the rock tumble. So exhilarated were the three that they videotaped their efforts and spend lots of time high-fiving one another over their accomplishment.

To which we ask, “What were they thinking?”

After what they might have considered a humanitarian deed, the three broke into raucous laughter and rationalized their act, claiming, “We have modified Goblin Valley.” They spoke of meritorious service, as they asserted they saved the lives of a family that had passed through there earlier, and whose lives might have been in danger.

Sorry, gentlemen, but Mother Nature ought not be toyed with. If park officials were to sense imminent danger — for example, someone’s being crushed by a loose formation — it would be theirjob to restrict access to that section of the park by possibly cordoning off the area close to the formation and by posting warning signs.

But the Scout leaders, perhaps believing they were performing a magnanimous act, went ahead, leveling the stone on their own. Assuredly, the three must have thought they’d be greeted as heroes. So exuberant were their feelings that they put the video online.

It went viral and in no time was seen by park authorities. David Hall’s voice on the You Tube video can be heard singing “Wiggle It Just a Little Bit,” a 1990 hit by the group, 2 In A Room.

Ironically, Glenn Taylor claims to have been injured in a car accident in 2009, and only this year filed a personal injury lawsuit. He says he’s still taking medication for his condition, an injury that nevertheless allows him to topple rocks.

One writer, incensed by the bout of bragging by the three, posited that maybe Taylor will “go to Redwood National Park and cut down all the giant redwoods to make sure they don’t suddenly fall and crush some family of picnickers.”

Let’s hope they’re banned from the park, lest they try to perform further surgery in the guise of enhancing public safety. If the three scout leaders are convicted of a felony, that ends their relationship with the Boy Scouts.

And that kind of expulsion would be well-deserved, given the foolish act committed by these grown-up men.

• • •

In the olden days, the ‘50s, there were many more schools, most of which no longer exist. There was a team from Cerrillos, one from Montezuma, and a host of parochial schools from virtually every sizeable town.

The late Eddie Groth, who wrote sports for decades, was instrumental in archiving prep school records. New Mexico journalist Ben Moffett, who’s now producing a quite comprehensive work, “New Mexico Basketball, 1898-2012,” also has reams of information on the sport.

A while back, Groth wrote:

“I have a copy of the 1949 District 2 basketball program played in Santa Fe Feb. 23-26. There were 21 teams in the tourney, both large and small. The smaller schools (Madrid, Mora, Penasco, Stanley, ICHS etc.) played in the Elimination Round. The losers went home and the winners moved into the regular bracket.

“What happened was the smaller schools would get defeated and then go into the consolation bracket. The larger schools were St. Michaels, Santa Fe High, El Rito, Española, Las Vegas High and Taos.

“In 1949, St. Mike’s defeated Las Vegas High 38-36 in the championship game and El Rito defeated Española 39-34 for 3rd. The consolation was won by McCurdy Mission 41-27 over Costilla. Sorry to report but I.C. beat Chama 44-27 but lost to Tierra Amarilla 39-26.”

Eddie provided the rosters for Las Vegas High School, West Las Vegas High School and Immaculate Conception High School.

• Las Vegas High — Donald Duran, Gene Fulgenzi, Arthur Monroe, Ben Roybal, Arthur Aragon, Loyd Anderson, Bill Rapp, Jakes Rains, Bill Mangum and Glenn Wicks. Coach Verlon Davis.
• West Las Vegas — Manuel Baca, Joe Duran, Leo Segura, Frank Herrera, Frank Montoya, Ernest Abreu, Gene McElroy, Lee Marquez, Paul Herrera and Lorenzo Roybal. Coach Gillie Lopez.
• Immaculate Conception — Charlie Aranda, John Silva, Junior Baca, Eddie Groth, Louis Gonzales, Gene Purcell, Henry Aranda. Lorenzo Tapia, John Maloof and Trinny Sandoval. Coach Father Leo Fay.