Nothing out of the ordinary was indicated by the surroundings or atmosphere. This could have been any football game in the state of Utah. There were sparse crowds on both sides. The Tooele band was loud but off-beat and the cheerleaders struggled to stay with the tempo. There was a home-team cheering section, but a small one.

Timpview dominating Tooele in a 40-7 win was nothing out of the ordinary, either. But, it wasn't so much the actual game but what it meant that was so extraordinary. The win gave the Thunderbirds their 29th consecutive victory, breaking the state record for the longest consecutive win streak.

As usual, Timpview coach Louis Wong stayed focused on the task at hand and didn't look at the significance of the win right away.

"I'm glad it's behind us. It's one less distraction and it can be a distraction if you let it," Wong said. "Honestly, I haven't thought about it, but when you set records, 10, 15, 20 years down the road, you say, 'Wow, that was amazing.' "

For current players like quarterback Casey Rumsey, there is a good grasp of what the victory meant.

"I haven't heard much about it from coaches, but the past players. It feels good to win it for them," said Rumsey, who completed 13 of 22 passes for 228 yards and four touchdowns. "At the end of the game, I thought, 'We're going to be remembered for a long time.' Maybe the record will be broken, but this season and the players before us will be remembered."

The Thunderbirds' dominance was never in question and their lead was never threatened. Timpview built a 26-0 lead at halftime and held the Buffaloes scoreless until there was 1:37 remaining in the third quarter. Travis Vanleeuwen led Timpview with three touchdowns.

Tooele got on the board when Jordan Clemente exploded up the right side, virtually untouched, for a 68-yard touchdown run. The Buffaloes also recovered two Timpview fumbles in the second half.

"I couldn't be happier. They did what we asked and that's play hard and never give up," Tooele coach Ray Groth said. "We played hard within our scheme [but], regardless of classification, that's the best team in the state."

mthach@sltrib.com

Previous best win streaks

1. Rich 28 1994-1997

2t. East 24 1955-1957

2t. Millard 24 1978-1979

2t. Pleasant Grove 24 1954-1957

5. Five teams tied at 23

Longest unbeaten streak

31: East, 1954-1957

Pleasant Grove, 1954-1957

Most consecuive state championships

8: West, 1898-1905

Timpview 40, Tooele 7

* Timpview breaks the state record of 28 consecutive wins by beating Tooele 40-7 in Region 7 action on Friday.

* Travis Vanleeuwen scores three touchdowns in the Thunderbirds' dominant performance.

* Jordan Clemente's 68-yard touchdown run is Tooele's lone score.