High school football: Timpview rolls past another foe

PROVO — It's really starting to look like the top-ranked Timpview Thunderbirds are going to have little resistance with their opponents in Region 7 football.

Many felt that if any league foe was going to give the T-Birds a battle it would be the Mountain View Bruins, especially after the way Mountain View thumped Tooele last week. However, the Bruins even proved to be no match as Timpview rolled over them with ease 42-14 on Friday in a game that, even though it's hard to imagine, was even more lopsided than the score.

The victory was Timpview's 28th straight, which ties Rich for the state's longest streak ever. The T-Birds will likely set a new mark next Friday at Tooele and probably won't face another legitimate challenge until the playoffs — if then.

"Normally I'm pretty quiet, but today I wasn't quiet," Timpview coach Louis Wong said. "I challenged the kids and they responded. They came out ready to roll."

Wong worked extra hard to get his players up for Mountain View because they didn't play very well in a win last week at Payson. Also, he saw what can happen to a powerful team that takes its opponent lightly when Oregon State knocked off USC on Thursday night. He used that college game as an example to his players, reminding them that their advantage in size, depth and power can be meaningless if they don't play hard or take Mountain View serious.

"A good team cannot take teams lightly. You have to come out and go to work. I told them we were going to establish Timpview football right now," Wong said.

And when Wong said "now" his players listened.. Before the Bruins knew what hit them the T-Birds were up 27-0 in the opening quarter. Midway through the second Timpview led 42-0 and coasted home from there. In this game the Mountain View Bruins look a lot like the UCLA Bruins when they came to town — adding mistakes onto mistakes.

"We did some things to hurt ourselves, but even if we play well I just don't know if we could match up with them," Mountain View coach Teko Johnson said.

On Timpview's first possession quarterback Casey Rumsey weaved his way 27 yards for the first score. Then, after Mountain View fumbled the ensuing kickoff, Bryson McKenzie carried it in from five yards out. Minutes later Ofa Latu blocked a punt, which Jason Whittingham picked up near the 10-yard line and carried in — putting Timpview ahead 21-0. Only a few plays later, Whittingham poured a little salt in the wound by pulling the ball loose from a Bruins' runner and racing 73 yards for another score.