This is the sweetest one. This was a battle. They had to come out in that second half, the first half didn’t go our way. They came out in the second half and hung together. – Timpview coach Cary Whittingham
SALT LAKE CITY — As Timpview’s players trotted into the locker room at halftime of Friday’s 4A championship, the zero next to "T-Birds" on the Rice-Eccles Stadium scoreboard served as a huge wake-up call.
It had been 103 straight games dating back to 2007 since Timpview was last shut out in the first half, and the players knew beating undefeated Roy for a third-straight state championship would be their toughest test of the season.
Despite getting skunked in the first half, fortunately for the T-Birds they only trailed by seven thanks to a few Roy miscues that could’ve padded the Royals' lead.
Invigorated in the second half after a few offensive and defensive adjustments, Timpview quickly found its groove and Roy was helpless to stop the momentum as Timpview rolled to the 28-7 victory to capture its 11th state championship in school history.
“This is the sweetest one. This was a battle. They had to come out in that second half, the first half didn’t go our way. They came out in the second half and hung together,” said Timpview coach Cary Whittingham, who’s now a perfect 3 for 3 in championship games.
Timpview was rarely challenged this season, and it seemed to show in the first half.
“At halftime we said, ‘We’re the best team in the state when we work together.’ Our motto at Timpview is trust yourself, trust your team and trust your coaches, and I think that’s what changed in the second half; we started trusting each other and we realized when we work together we’re unbeatable,” said Timpview quarterback Britain Covey.
Limited to just 14 rushing yards in the first half as Roy’s defense dared him to throw the ball, Covey wasted no time asserting himself after halftime.
On Timpview’s first drive of the second half, he completed 4 of 4 passes, including a 12-yard strike to Jordan Espinoza that tied the game at 7-7 with 8:15 remaining in the third.
Covey couldn’t help but think Roy’s defense was human after the drive. Covey praised Roy’s defensive discipline, saying, “They wouldn’t fall for head fakes, double moves.”
Timpview’s defense responded by forcing a quick Roy punt, which set the stage for the unlikeliest of heroes.
Backpedaling to his own 30-yard line, Timpview’s Will Watanabe fielded a punt and then zig-zagged his way 70 yards into the end zone, putting his team ahead 14-7.
“I just caught the ball off-balance and just started running, and it was all perfect blocks coming back,” said Watanabe, who returned a punt for a TD against Spanish Fork earlier this year too.
“Football is a game of momentum, just like basketball, but it shows how one person’s impact can change the mindset and drive of every other person on the team,” said Covey.
Roy had two possessions to respond, but Timpview’s swarming defense made that impossible with neither possession crossing midfield.
Covey finally applied the dagger with 8:15 left in the game, connecting with Samson Nacua on a 9-yard TD pass for the 21-7 lead. Covey had runs of 19 and 28 yards on the three-play drive. He added another big run late in the game, setting Tristan Bradley up for a 2-yard run to cap the scoring with 6:08 remaining.
Covey finished the game with 141 rushing yards after only 14 in the first half.
“Some people only get to play in one and I’ve gotten to play in three,” said Covey.
Roy was seeking its first championship since 1981, and early on it certainly was setting the tone both offensively and defensively. It scored on its second possession of the game to take a 7-0 lead as Baby Tee Etuati hauled in a 14-yard pass from Tyler Skidmore.
The Royals had a chance to pad the lead on their next drive, but missed a field goal. Shortly before halftime, another drive ended with an interception near the end zone. Missed opportunities like that are tough to overcome against mighty Timpview.
“I thought we had the momentum the whole first half," said Roy coach Fred Fernandes. "But I thought we got outplayed pretty bad the second half. They're a pretty good team, and I thought we were, too, and I still think we are. But a couple of bad breaks in the second half were just too much to overcome.”
Deseret News prep editor and Real Salt Lake beat writer.