PROVO — It would be easy to understand why some might think both the Lone Peak Knights and Timpview Thunderbirds have been a little disappointing this season.
Despite being 2-0, the T-Birds haven't dominated like most expected. The Knights, on the other hand, have struggled with an 0-2 mark and are sputtering with their new offense.
Even considering all those factors, the two coaches are feeling pretty optimistic about the season ahead because both understand that the purpose of preseason football is to iron out some kinks and experiment with lineups in hopes of finding the right chemistry. Lone Peak and Timpview have done plenty of that over the past two weeks, and they'll probably do a little more when they meet Friday night on Timpview's artificial turf.
The biggest job of the coaches right now is keeping the players focused, patient and not letting them get frustrated by early struggles. As long as there is weekly improvement, there is no need to panic.
"We feel like we have a pretty good perspective of what's going on," Lone Peak coach Monte Morgan said.
Timpview coach Louis Wong says other than penalties and turnovers, the T-Birds have been playing good football on both sides of the line.
"A lot of the things we're doing, I like," Wong said. "We just need to remember it's a slow progression."
Last year, when Lone Peak shutout the T-Birds, the Knights were the experienced team. This year, Lone Peak is the team trying to get the inexperienced players confident in varsity competition. Morgan has a philosophy of how best to do that.
"Our game plan will be much more simple so we can work on execution," he said.
The T-Birds learned last week, thanks to Spanish Fork's fourth-quarter rally that cut a 30-point deficit to two in a hurry, that they can't take any opponent lightly and can't let their guard down even for a few minutes. Even though the Knights have yet to win this season, Timpview knows Lone Peak has good athletes and good football players. The T-Birds also remember how the Knights totally shut them down last season.
"We remember how they beat us," Wong said. "But it's not an issue of revenge. It's an issue of execution. The team that executes the best is the team that's probably going to win."
Rayburn's pick: Timpview
EAST AT AMERICAN FORK: The Cavemen are facing their biggest test so far. The powerful Leopards handled Skyline. However, American Fork will come up big in its first home game of the year. Rayburn's pick: American Fork
SPANISH FORK AT PAYSON: The Dons didn't appreciate the whipping the Lions gave them last season. Payson, on the other hand, wants to prove it was no fluke. Still, the Dons are confident from scaring Timpview last week. Rayburn's pick: Spanish Fork
PROVO AT COTTONWOOD: The Bulldogs still have one problem against the bigger teams. They're just not big enough to stop them up front. This is not a good matchup for Provo. Rayburn's pick: Cottonwood
TIMPANOGOS AT LAYTON: This will be a battle between two teams that are growing with confidence. Games like this usually go to the ones playing in front of the home folks. Rayburn's pick: Layton
PLEASANT GROVE AT RIVERTON: The Vikings rolled over Springville, but the Silverwolves are far superior to the Red Devils. The Vikings' defense will shine, but the offense won't be quite as stellar. Rayburn's pick: Riverton
SPRINGVILLE AT WASATCH: This is a homecoming of sorts for new Springville coach Dan Hansen. The Red Devils are struggling to get their offense in gear, and they'll likely sputter a bit more in this one. Rayburn's pick: Wasatch
LEHI AT TOOELE: The Pioneers are playing much better football, but they really miss the threat of having Travis Smith. The Buffaloes will be inspired in their home opener. Rayburn's pick: Tooele
UINTAH AT OREM: When a 4A team desperately needs a win, it's nice to have a 3A team coming to town. The Tigers will finally notch a victory, but it won't come as easy as some might expect. Rayburn's pick: Orem
SYRACUSE AT MOUNTAIN VIEW: One win can do a lot to boost a team's confidence. The Bruins will be more excited to play this game than they have been in at least a year. That's not good news for a new team. Rayburn's pick: Mountain View
AMERICAN LEADERSHIP AT CEDAR: The Eagles played Carbon close in their opener, but this 3A team is much stronger than the Dinos. Rayburn's pick: Cedar
Rayburn's record: Last week, 8-1; For the season, 15-5
E-mail: jimr@desnews.com