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PROVO — It's beginning to get repetitive in Class 4A each season.
Timpview High football is once again the team to beat.
But for this year's Thunderbirds, coming off back-to-back-to-back state championships and seven of the last nine state 4A titles, the target on their backs is a mantle of honor.
"We definitely thrive off that," wide receiver Samson Nacua said. "Everyone's looking to take down the three-peat state champs. It's fun to see which teams can compete with us."
Lone Peak (1-0) will be the next team to try to knock off the Thunderbirds (1-0) on Friday at 7 p.m. in Game Night Live's game of the week. The game will be streamed live on KSL.com, with a 30-minute pregame show on KSL TV.
The pressure to perform keeps Timpview coming back for another title each year.
"I think we all like having that target on our backs," said Thunderbird safety Keenan Pili, who recently committed to BYU to play alongside older brother Trajan. "It makes us push ourselves even harder, to play with the best and work as hard as we can.
"We have a lot on our shoulders, but I like the extra pressure."
The Thunderbirds are once again among the favorites to win Class 4A. But in a newly realigned region that includes former 5A power Alta and Corner Canyon alongside familiar foes like Utah County rivals Provo and Orem, Timpview knows it will have to prepare for every team's best shot.
Enter the Knights, fresh off their 31-0 shutout of Bountiful, where Lone Peak scored a touchdown in all four quarters.
"Knowing that a team is after us fuels our fire. I think it makes us more ready than ever before," said Timpview quarterback Kahi Neves, who threw for 213 yards and ran for 32 more in a 35-0 win over West a week ago. "We definitely know that, and that's why Timpview is a great program. We never let up, and we work hard at everything we do."
Contributing: Dave Noriega, Jeremiah Jensen
