(Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune) East's Sione Molisi (2) runs past Timpview's Tevita Foketi (8) Timpview's Payton Madsen (10) and Timpview's Braxton Whitney (7) during the game at Timpview High School Thursday, August 17, 2017.
(Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune) East's Jaylon Vickers (24) scores a touchdown past Timpview's Tevita Foketi (8) during the game at Timpview High School Thursday, August 17, 2017.
(Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune) Members of the Timpview football team run onto the field before the game at Timpview High School Thursday, August 17, 2017.
(Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune) East's Jaylon Vickers (24) makes a touchdown catch past Timpview's Tevita Foketi (8) during the game at Timpview High School Thursday, August 17, 2017.
(Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune) East's Jaylon Vickers (24) celebrates his end zone interception with East's Viliami Tausinga (7) and East's Jadin Afuvai (11) during the game at Timpview High School Thursday, August 17, 2017.
(Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune) East's Jaylon Vickers (24) celebrates after scoring a touchdown during the game at Timpview High School Thursday, August 17, 2017. Timpview's Payton Madsen (10) is at left.
(Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune) East's Saia Hamilton (1) tackles Timpview's Brian Stone (23) during the game at Timpview High School Thursday, August 17, 2017.
(Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune) East's Andre Toilolo (32) East's Jadin Afuvai (11) and East's Apu Ika (62) celebrate after Toilolo sacked Timpview's Jake Biggs (1) during the game at Timpview High School Thursday, August 17, 2017.
(Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune) Timpview's Raider Damuni (84) can't make a catch while being covered by East's Mekelee Gautavai (3) during the game at Timpview High School Thursday, August 17, 2017.
(Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune) East's Ben Ford (8) runs the ball during the game at Timpview High School Thursday, August 17, 2017.
(Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune) East's Sione Molisi (2) runs past Timpview's Payton Madsen (10) during the game at Timpview High School Thursday, August 17, 2017.
(Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune) Timpview's Jake Biggs (1) runs the ball during the game at Timpview High School Thursday, August 17, 2017.
(Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune) Timpview's Isiah Ramos (12) passes the ball during the game at Timpview High School Thursday, August 17, 2017.
(Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune) Timpview's Isiah Ramos (12) passes the ball during the game at Timpview High School Thursday, August 17, 2017.
(Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune) East's Ben Ford (8) is tackled by Timpview's Jacob Bosco (15) during the game at Timpview High School Thursday, August 17, 2017.
Provo • East High senior Jaylon Vickers pulled in Ben Ford’s pass and took off. As he strode into the end zone, someone yelled from East’s sideline: “We throw it, too!”
Vickers scored two of East’s six touchdowns in his Leopards debut to lead East to a 42-10 victory at Timpview to open the season.
Vickers, who transferred from Bingham for his senior year, also grabbed two interceptions.
“He had a heck of a game,” East coach Brandon Matich said. “He’s a great player and we’re blessed to have that young man.”
The first of Vickers’ two picks broke open the game for the Leopards.
He cut off Timpview quarterback Blake Newell’s pass and returned it 73 yards for a touchdown. That put the Leopard on the board in the last minute of the first quarter.
“I just read what the receiver was doing and I just jumped the route,” Vickers said.
His 50-yard touchdown reception came during the second quarter, and East ran away with the game in the third quarter by scoring three more touchdowns.
East is not known for its passing game, but Ford aired out a few, including a 41-yard touchdown pass.
“Ben threw the ball really well, didn’t he?” Matich said. “He can throw the ball, and we’ve got some guys that can catch it. We saw some things they were doing defensively that we knew some of those vertical routes were going to be open, so we took a shot, and it worked out for us.”
East’s defense limited a Timpview team that is adjusting to losing last year’s large graduating class to just a field goal and a touchdown.
“Timpview gives us a lot of stress,” Matich said. “It gives us a lot of heartache. We didn’t know exactly what we were going to get coming into this week, having a new [offensive coordinator], they had a new guy running the plays and a new quarterback, and we didn’t know if it was going to be a new system or an old system, so what they did out here defensively was a phenomenal job, a phenomenal team effort.”
It was a much less competitive game than East and Timpview’s last matchup. The Leopards won 47-34 in the Class 4A state quarterfinals last season.
That’s when they both were in 4A. East moved up to 6A, while Timpview is in 5A, so they will not get a chance at a postseason rematch this year.