Jason Franchuk - Daily HeraldDaily Herald | Posted: Saturday, August 20, 2011 1:03 am
SANDY - Louis Wong went for the long, motivating speech Friday. Not something Timpview's football coach has been required to pull out too often this early in the season, under these circumstances.
He spoke calmly but effectively to his players, then chatted easily and graciously about the 35-14 loss at Alta with a couple of reporters.
It wasn't until a couple of younger Thunderbird players asked the coach if they could go home with parents that Wong seemed even the slightest riled up.
"Get on the bus," Wong made it clear, he wanted those guys with their team.
This isn't the Timpview teams of past, sure, but by golly they're not going to get divided this early.
"I told them they played one good quarter," Wong said without the least bit of mockery.
The visitors led 14-0 after one quarter.
Wong's known to talk about the value of adversity - rising to life's challenges. And, frankly, he'll be the first to say that it could have been a much more significant lead after 12 minutes. Alta committed three early turnovers.
Unfortunately for Wong, his team did too good of a job catching up on the error scoreboard.
Alta scored the final five touchdowns, securing first-year head coach Bob Stephens his first win since replacing the highly successful Les Hamilton. Alta was down big-time last year, but appears to have made strides in depth, endurance and especially play-making speed.
"We were really able to run the ball well tonight," Stephens said, which isn't something that's uttered often against Wong's teams.
Though Wong knew there were going to be some predicaments this year, especially in the trenches. And Timpview was without one offensive lineman, who had an out-of-state wedding he had to attend. Another was suspended for the first half for being late for a practice.
The biggest stats: Alta's quarterback, Tyson Blackner, completed 20-of-36 passes for 262 yards and three touchdowns. Fleet running back Bryan Engstrom added 129 yards, while Timpview didn't even achieve positive rushing yardage. It was at minus-11.
Wong said he's "very energized" by this project, and speaking to his team afterward he hopes the players feel the same way. He wants the squad to be at least two-quarters good next Friday, three the one after that and a full game's worth heading into week 4.
Wong said he spent more time than he usually does monitoring emotions last night. Would heads hang? Who would relish the idea of having to rally? He felt like he kept having to provide the energy, and he hopes players will do that soon.
It was still just a two-touchdown deficit heading into the fourth quarter. Wong pointed out that his team scored 14 points and gave up none in the first quarter. It needed to complete those bookends. Timpview's done it before, right?
"You bring that challenge and try to motivate them," Wong said. "But we're not there yet."
Alta started the fourth quarter with the ball, after a punt, and benefitted from a roughing-the-passer call.
A deep pass that should have been a touchdown was dropped. But Alta, rallying from a 4-6 campaign last year in 5A, went after the 4A juggernaut with a 54-yard touchdown run on the next play.
"I asked them to give a really strong practice (Saturday)," Wong said. "Then we need to do it again Monday and go from there."
http://www.heraldextra.com/sports/high-school/football/article_fe2e896e-cafb-11e0-b500-001cc4c002e0.html?mode=story
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