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ROY — Calling the series between Fremont and Roy a rivalry is a bit of an understatement.
Even as Roy has rattled off a 4-0 win streak since 2012, three of the past four contests have been decided by seven points or less — including a 13-12 victory against a Silver Wolves squad that won just one game in 2013.
The latest rendition of the rivalry series will take place Friday at 7 p.m. on the KSL Game Night Live game of the week. The contest, which will feature a 30-minute pregame show at 6:30 p.m., will be streamed live on ksl.com.
“They are close. It’s always been a big rival since Fremont was built,” Fremont receiver Haze Hadley said. “They’ve got a great staff, good players, and it should be fun.”
For a pair of communities that study, work and live near each other, the players are surprisingly close.
“It’s a big-time rivalry,” said Fremont quarterback Saxton Morby, who has 12 touchdowns with no interceptions on the year. “They are just over there, and we’ve known each other most of our lives. We know each other so well.”
Friday’s game will go a long way toward deciding the Region 1 title, as well. Fremont (4-0) and Roy (3-1) both won their region openers last week.
“I think we’re up against the toughest situation we’ve been in all year,” Roy coach Fred Fernandes said. “I think they may have three of the top 10 guys in the state. Morby is probably the most underrated quarterback; he’s just dang good. Freeman is as good as there is at running back. He’s got speed and he’s got size.”
The Silver Wolves have ridden a high-octane offense led by Morby and Hadley, who has 438 yards and 10 touchdowns on the season. The duo, combined with running back Austin Freman, has Fremont looking for its first 5-0 start since 2004.
“He’s just a special football player,” Fremont coach Kory Boxgeiter said of Hadley. “He’s been a four-year starter for us, and you should watch him practice. He practices like a college guy. Last week, he had a touchdown in all three phases of the game, and I don’t know if I’ve ever seen that.”
Fremont has won each of its first four games by an average margin of 28.3 points. The high-octane Wolves’ offense is averaging 43.5 points per game, the fifth-most in the state.
“We’ve had great game plans,” Hadley said. “The coaches work so hard on our game plans, and we’ve stuck with that. Then we just fight hard.”
If the promise of a shootout isn’t enough, Boxgeiter is searching for his 100th career victory Friday night. He picked up his 50th win with the Silver Wolves last week, and had 49 from a previous stop at Weber.
“It’s a great rivalry,” Boxgeiter said. “Our kids live close, and our schools are close. It’s going to be a good football game.”
