The business of winning a vast majority of the games still is on the agenda for Timpview, even if the Thunderbirds’ biggest recent rival — East — is no longer in the classification and the Provo school has been placed in a Salt Lake County-based region.
“It’s kind of odd. I don’t know the politics of it, but politics were involved,” Timpview coach Cary Whittingham said. “It is what it is. We’ll play football. Difficulty comes with travel for some of the other sports.”
The new region for the Thunderbirds includes Alta, Brighton, Corner Canyon, Cottonwood and Jordan.
“In my mind, it’s a solid region and you’ve got to play those teams at some point,” Whittingham said. “We’ve got a good group of kids. I like our talent level, speed and athleticism. The kids are excited, and it’s a group that’s known each other for a while. The key is going to be the health of the team.”
Timpview suffered a couple of key injuries late in the year that particularly hurt the offensive lineup last season. But the Thunderbirds nevertheless were the only team in the Class 4A playoffs to give champion East a real test in a 47-34 state quarterfinal game.
East has moved to the largest classification, the new Class 6A, so gone are the annual postseason meetings between the two teams – a tradition since 2011. But East still is on the regular-season schedule when many teams are increasingly avoiding the powerful Leopards in non-league play.
“We’re playing them to get a shot at them,” Whittingham said. “They got us two years in a row, and that doesn’t sit well with our kids.”
TIMPVIEW THUNDERBIRDS <br>Coach • Cary Whittingham, sixth year <br>Last season • 9-3, 5-2 in Region 7; Advanced to Class 4A quarterfinals <br>State championships • 1991, 1997, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2013, 2014 <br>Other state title game appearances • 1986, 1996, 2015 <br>2017 SCHEDULE <br>Aug. 17 (Thur.) • East, 7 p.m. <br>Aug. 25 • at American Fork, 7 p.m. <br>Sept. 1 • at Del Oro (Ca.), 7 p.m. <br>Sept. 8 • Provo, 7 p.m. <br>Sept. 21 (Thur.) • at Corner Canyon, 7 p.m. <br>Sept. 29 • Alta, 7 p.m. <br>Oct. 6 • Brighton, 7 p.m. <br>Oct. 12 • at Jordan, 7 p.m. <br>Oct. 18 • Cottonwood, 7 p.m.
Behind center • With the graduation of Jordan Mariteragi, Timpview will go with a more-than-capable replacement in senior Jake Biggs (6 foot 1, 205 pounds), who had 91 attempts last year. But Whittingham would like to move him to wideout, which may be a possibility if another signal-caller emerges. “You hope to have two quarterbacks because you always want a good backup,” Whittingham said. Senior Amoni Tuha (5-11, 220) will be a primary figure at running back after a junior season that included some injuries. He’ll get help from junior Brian Stone (5-10, 200) in carrying the rushing load.
Ball hawks • Biggs and his speed would be a welcomed addition to the wide receiving corps, but Timpview also has an interesting newcomer in Hunter Ericson (6-2, 170). The senior has been concentrating on basketball the past two years, but he’ll bring his exceptional jumping ability to the gridiron for 2017. “That’s not a bad option to throw to in the end zone,” Whittingham said. The defensive backfield, new for the most part, should be adept at seeking out opposing passes. The group is led by senior Beau Tu’ua (6-2, 210), who snared a couple of interceptions last year.
In the trenches • Confidence on the defensive side is largely a result of the returning strength on the line, where Timpview has three returning starters. Highly recruited senior Jackson Cravens (6-3, 300) in an anchor at defensive tackle, while senior Kolby Enosa (6-2, 275) also is back at tackle. Senior Jacob Bosco (6-2, 240) is also a returning starter at an end. The last slot won’t be manned by a returning starter — not from Timpview anyway — but senior Vou Fitisimanu (5-11, 245) transferred from Lone Peak, where he was a standout linebacker. On the offensive line, look for two talented returners at tackle in junior center Canaan Yarro (6-1, 275), who started as a sophomore, and senior Jacob Jefferies (6-1, 240).
Hit men • The amount of standouts on the D-Line have allowed the Thunderbirds to move their leading tackler to outside linebacker. Terrence Faumui (6-2, 215) had a staggering amount of tackles as a sophomore — 62 solo stops and 91 assists — and he’ll be joined by senior Karene Reid (6-1, 225), whose tackle total was 79, on the outside. Senior Braxton Whitney (6-1, 230) will patrol the middle after accumulating 82 tackles in 2016. Tu’ua, with 55 total stops, can be counted on to venture from the secondary for his share of hits. “Defensively, this is as talented a group I’ve ever had in my 10 years,” Whittingham said.
Key returners • Terrence Famui, Jr. (OLB); Jake Biggs, Sr. (QB/WR); Jackson Cravens, Sr. (DT); Beau Tu’ua, Sr. 6-2, 210
Key losses • Jordan Mariteragi, QB; Alema Te’o, RB; Kyle Van Leeuwen, WR; Donovan Faumui, LB
The next wave • Brian Stone, Jr (RB); Hunter Ericson, Sr. (WR); Vou Fitisimanu, Sr. (DL)