This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

The first week of high school football is done and gone, and as always it provided more accurate perspectives of each program. While some teams lived up to preseason expectations, others were surprisingly disappointing in their season openers. Luckily for those categorized in the later statement — there are nine more weeks left in the regular season.

"DON'T BE MESSIN' WITH THE CHAMP"

During one of the scenes in the movie "The Waterboy," the character coach Red Beaulieu twirls his finger, weighed down by a giant title ring, and taunts the fans of an opposing team. He proclaims: "Ever see a championship ring? Don't be messin' with the champ."

Bingham and Timpview essentially made the same statement Friday night. Utah's perennial powerhouse programs, which have collectively won five consecutive state championships, defeated Westlake and West by a combined score of 73-0. Come at the king, you best not miss.

FORTE BREAKS FEMUR

Corner Canyon running back Cameron Forte suffered a broken femur in the Chargers' loss against Pleasant Grove. He is scheduled to undergo surgery on Saturday afternoon, and is expected to miss a minimum of eight weeks. He is a two-way starter, playing linebacker on defense, but has started to receive collegiate attention for his punting abilities.

WE SEE YOU

Entering the first week, naturally questions hovered above the majority of the state. With the attrition from graduation, it's extremely difficult to gauge where each team truly stands. Friday night helped paint the picture for several of programs. Kearns, expected to challenge in Region 6, dropped 62 points on Timpanogos. Jordan routed Class 3AA's top-ranked Desert Hills, 54-34, confirming quarterback Drew Lisk won't let production drop in his first year behind center. Maple Mountain topped Woods Cross, while Morgan, Alta, Pine View, Olympus, Taylorsville and Tooele announced their presence in big ways.

NOTABLE PERFORMANCES

— Kearns Sione Finau rumbled for more than 200 yards and four touchdowns in the win against Timpanogos.

— Alta's Braxton Kerr completed 11 of 14 passes for 259 yards and four scores, connecting with six different receivers in the Hawks' win against Syracuse.

— East's Jaylen Warren rushed for 187 yards and two touchdowns to help the Leopards beat Syracuse.

— Orem's Chase Herrmann hauled in 130 yards and two touchdowns in the Tigers' victory against Uintah.

— Logan's Spencer Corbett corralled three receiving touchdowns in an overtime win against Box Elder.

— Northridge's Jrue Perkins totaled 275 yards and five touchdowns in the Knights' win against Viewmont.

— Herriman's Noah Vaea forced and recovered a fumbled and picked off two passes, including snagging an interception on his stomach after slipping on the field, in a loss against Brighton.

— Juan Diego's Kaden Hayward rushed for 126 yards and three touchdowns in the Eagle's win against West Jordan.

COACHING DEBUTS

Eighteen coaches made their debut Friday night, but only six prevailed victorious: Alta's Alema Te'o (beat Cyprus 55-17), Bingham's John Lambourne (beat Westlake, 38-0), Spanish Fork's Jordan Smith (beat Mountain View, 27-9), Gunnison's Jack Pay (beat Wayne, 43-8), Orem's Bob Steele (beat Uintah, 52-16) and South Summit's Aaron Tillett (beat San Juan, 26-7).

SOCIALIZE WITH US

Who doesn't like having more friends? The TribPreps team seeks to deliver the best coverage of high school sports anywhere in the nation, so we're beefing up our presence by posting regularly on our new Instagram account. Search: tribpreps and follow along with the programs you love. Find us on Facebook under the same name, and keep an eye out for our new digital show "Campus Takeover," where we visit the campus of the Game of the Week.

Show off your knowledge with our "Jackpot: 7-7-7" series published every Friday morning at 7 a.m., analyzing the best seven games kicking off at 7 p.m. later that evening. We predict the winner of each game, and we want to know your thoughts, too.

PROVING US WRONG

Speaking of prognostication. In our first week, I finished 5-2, while Tom Wharton and Brennan Smith both checked in at 4-3.

Juan Diego and Mountain Crest — you proved me wrong. Earlier in the week I said West Jordan wasn't about to lose to a Class 3A school anytime soon, well, the Soaring Eagle dropped 43 points on the Jags. But, hey, I did say JD is the runaway favorite to win the championship this season. Mountain Crest reaffirmed how much its improved with an impressive 35-28 victory at Highland. Region 1 went 4-2 on Friday, with Sky View, Fremont and Northridge joining the Mustangs in the win column, while Roy had the week off.

— Trevor Phibbs

Twitter: @trevorphibbs