PROVO — Timpview will play in its first championship game since 2015 this Friday. Head coach Andy Stokes will be roaming the sideline — a big reason why the Thunderbirds are playing to win their first state championship since 2014.
Stokes, in his second year at the helm of Timpview, coached at Dixie for nine seasons — including three as the head coach.
“I started there under (Blaine) Monkres. Having him tutor me and help me learn how to coach was probably the best thing that could have happened for me,” Stokes said.
When the Timpview job opened up after Cary Whittingham — who had coached from 2012-2017 — resigned, Stokes knew he had to apply.
“It’s probably one of the top jobs in the state,” Stokes said.
Stokes got the job by being himself in the interview. Two years later, Timpview is getting the same person that walked into that room as a head coaching candidate.
“When they hired me, they hired who I am. I was real in my interview and they knew who they were getting when they got me. I think when you portray who you really are, you don’t have to feel pressure,” Stokes said.
Following a 7-4 season and a quarterfinal exit in Stokes’ first season, the Thunderbirds are rolling this season. Stokes said it takes time — three or four years — to establish a culture after arriving at a new school, but Timpview has taken to Stokes’ culture fast.
Fueled by a twin rushing attack in Targhee Lambson and Sione Moa, Stokes has flipped the script on the traditional Timpview passing attack. Quarterback Elijah Allen has been good this year, throwing for 1,722 and 15 touchdowns, but Lambson and Moe are the focal point of the offense — combining to rush for 2,358 yards and 23 touchdowns.
Stokes says the offensive philosophy is all about playing to the strengths of his players.
“Five-eighths of the way through the year, we switched into this downhill running style. That’s just what we have. We have these kind of athletes, big guys up front, a phenomenal bunch of backs and a really good tight end and it’s hard matchups for teams,” Stokes said.
As he has evolved as a coach, Stokes has gotten better at being a teacher.
“Getting better at teaching kids their jobs rather than focusing on throw this schematic out there and it should work. I think I’ve become better at ‘This is how you should do your job,’ rather than trying to make something fit,” Stokes said.
Timpview’s players can attest to the effect that Stokes has had on their development.
“He’s helped a lot. When I first got here to Timpview, I had never really lifted. I was never in the weight room and then I came here and Stokes was on top of weight lifting,” Moa said. “He pushed me to do that.”
Moa’s partner in the backfield agrees.
“I didn’t know a lot about football when I came here. I started in seventh grade and coach developed me as a running back a lot,” Lambson said.
Stokes says the best part of the job is the ability to change lives.
“You may not change all 120 kids’ lives, but every year there are lives that get changed through the game, through football — long-term changes that you see in kids,” Stokes said.
The group of players at Timpview make his job easier.
“These group of kids, they’re good kids. They do a lot of service, they eat lunch with the special ed. department twice a week and they just do a lot of good things for other people. They’re very teachable, very coachable and easy to be around,” Stokes said.
Stokes and Timpview now stand one game away from accomplishing the goal they set out to achieve back in November of 2018.
“Every week this year, we’ve progressively gotten better. I think we’re in a good place right now. We’ve got five more days to get better but I think we’re going to be as good as we’ve been by Friday,” Stokes said.