Timpview outlasts Skyridge 33-29 in football opening night thriller

PROVO — Timpview quarterback Carson Rasmussen knew how it felt to beat Skyridge once, but he also knew the feeling of letting it slip away last year in the playoffs.

Down by 15 points at halftime, he wasn't about to let it slip away again.

Jaron Pula caught Rasmussen's final pass of the night for a 2-yard touchdown with 6 seconds left in the game, and the defending 5A champion Thunderbirds (1-0) rallied from a 29-14 deficit to take down the Falcons 33-29 Thursday night at Timpview's newly-renovated Thunderbird Stadium in the first game of the 2024 Utah high school football season.

It also marked Timpview's return to their home field for the first time since 2021 after construction forced the team to play at different sites off-campus around Utah County.

The Pleasant Grove transfer — who led the Vikings to a road upset over the Falcons last year on a sprained ankle — patiently waited out the stingy Skyridge defense, which got three second-half sacks from defensive end DeShawn Toilolo, and helped make the most of Timpview's opportunities when it mattered.

"He's had some great games against them (Skyridge) in the past," Timpview head coach Donny Atuai said. "For him to be like this in this setting, it was nice to see everyone else buy into what he was doing."

What Rasmussen did, however, may not have happened without the Thunderbirds' defense pitching a second-half shutout Thursday night. Of the Falcons' second-half possessions, three ended in interceptions, including one by Pula, and another in a fumble recovery in the end zone off a bad snap on a punt to make it 29-21.

"They really got the momentum changed," Rasmussen said. "They gave us great field position on both of our scores."

It was an unexpected momentum change, especially after a first half where Skyridge (0-1) dominated possession with a chew-the-clock ground game behind Kaneal Sweetwyne, who had two rushing touchdowns, and a one-two back punch of Jared Iakopo and Zaeden Selu.

The half was capped off with a 100-yard kickoff return touchdown by Tavian Edwards.

But Timpview kept coming back, remaining within striking distance until Pula's interception led to an Aisa Galeai's rushing touchdown to make it a 29-27 game after a failed 2-point conversion.

The Thunderbirds then took the ball off a 53-yard Falcons punt with a little over four minutes left in regulation. Aided by a third-down defensive pass interference, Timpview marched down to the Falcons' 2-yard line with 10 seconds left in the game, where Atuai decided to go all-in for the win.

Rasmussen took the snap and quickly looked for Pula near the back pylon on a fade route. Pula, blanketed on the play by Skyridge cornerback Darian Diarte, made the catch over Diarte's right shoulder and landed with a foot in bounds as Thunderbird Stadium exploded.

It was Timpview's first lead of the game, but it was the only lead change that mattered, especially after the Thunderbirds' explosive offense was bottled up all night long. Timpview only had two plays of over 20-plus yards, and they came on back-to-back plays in the second quarter.

"Sometimes I get antsy wanting to throw it downfield," Rasmussen said. "I just trust my guys to go make plays; that's why I believe we have the best wide receiver corps in the nation."

That's something Rasmussen said he wants to work on before Lone Peak marches into Provo next week for what's sure to be another marquee battle.

"The biggest thing is communication between the coaches and the players; that's the most fun part of the game," Atuai said. "We know we have talent, but this is what we love to do (as coaches). If you come to the sideline, we're going to coach you up."

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