Until someone knocks it off, there is only one team at the top of the mountain for 4A football and that is Timpview.

"They have looked pretty darn good," said Springville coach Scott Mitchell of the Thunderbirds. "I don't know how good they were at the beginning of the year because I didn't see them, but I saw them last week and they were impressive. They have some good athletes and they looked pretty fast."

Timpview's state record winning streak of 36 games may have come to an end in the first game this season, but the fact remains it still hasn't lost a game to a 4A team since the state title game against East in 2005. Timpview coach Louis Wong said it was about that time he mixed up some of the practice schedules for his team, and three consecutive titles later, the T-birds are definitely the team to beat.

"We mixed it up about four years ago where during practice we really are looking to maintain our timing and get used to what our opponent will be doing," said Wong. "We are through conditioning by the playoffs. If the guys aren't in shape by then, it's too late. We really want to just get our guys prepared for what they are going to see and then try to stay sharp."

The defending champions have been on a roll as of late. They went undefeated in Region 7, and didn't score fewer than 40 points in any of those six games. Quarterback Trevor Brown has been leading the attack with receivers Jacob Hatch and Zack Van Leeuwen doing most of the damage catching the ball. Six different players had at least 20 carries due mostly to injuries, but everybody is back and ready to contribute for the T-birds.

If the T-birds are the favorites, the other team coaches and fans are touting it could be its year is Mountain Crest.

"They are ranked No. 1 in the state for a reason," said coach Monte Morgan, the Salem Hills coach and the Mustangs' first-round opponent. "They have a very good looking group of players, and their quarterback is as good as anyone we have ever faced."

Alex Kuresa has thrown for 27 touchdowns this season, including a whopping 18 in the last four games. He leads a potent attack for the Mustangs that includes running back Alex Knowles, who has 12 rushing scores to his credit.

"You hate to say it, but you kind of want to make them one dimensional and only have them passing," added Morgan. "If you let them, they will run it down your throat all day long."

Bountiful lost one game by two points all season, but that loss sent the Braves to the playoffs as a No. 2 seed as Highland won the region. Even though the Braves are playing on the road in the opening round, they are still one of the hand-full of teams looking for a title.

"We have some guys that after they lost last year in the playoffs didn't feel like they lived up to their potential," said coach Larry Wall. "They are back this season to finish the job."

Springville has had a tremendous resurgence. Following a 6-5 season, the Red Devils are 8-1 and the Region 8 champions.

"We feel like we have a team that can compete," said Mitchell. "If our guys live up to their potential and play their game, we can be right there."

Other teams that could make some noise in the next couple of weeks include the late-surging Flyers from Dixie, Highland, Bonneville and Spanish Fork.

e-mail: mblack@desnews.com