In between all types of stuffing -- turkey, cornbread, ourselves -- let's salute all sorts of Utah Valley reasons to be thankful today:

• Lee Cummard and Max Hall: Both from Arizona, they are the most high-profile athletes at BYU. Funny that at one time they competed in high school basketball against each other. Both perhaps a bit undersized in their positions, they are undisputed leaders and not bothered by assuming that role in the locker room, or in public.

• Timpview football: Another state title, yes. But what had to feel just as good was working the last two weeks for it. Opponents put up a fight, and that makes the expected success all the sweeter.

• Jonathan Tavernari: The junior just had a streak end after making a 3-pointer in 20 consecutive games. He missed all seven attempts last Saturday against Cal-Poly. While his streaky shooting might give a coach some ulcers, his aim sure does make it entertaining for everyone else.

• David Oswald, Matt Bauman and Kellen Fowler: Three football players who make us not snicker at the term "student-athlete." BYU tends to be above the board on grades, but this year's football team took it to an extra level. This group was named to the Academic All-America first team. Only Penn State had more nominees with four. And that's just because the quartet was all history majors, and football coach Joe Paterno could counsel them on real-life experience since the Revolutionary War.

• Dick Hunsaker: Utah Valley's basketball coach always puts together a team that will get better just about every day, from the season's first practice to the last game.

• The Wolverines' top player, Ryan Toolson: The second coming, apparently, of Ronnie Price. Through four games, he's averaging 29 points in 37 minutes. He's shooting a crazy-good 57.6 percent from the field, and he's an example that a good free throw shooter does exist. He's making 92.5 percent. Kids, go watch his form.

• Price himself: Went to the Jazz game Monday and it's still wild to see a local guy making an NBA impact. He's making NBA fans, even those from Utah, forget about the experiment of Shawn Bradley.

• Utah Flash: A good product the first season, it could be even better this year with the additions of former New Mexico standout J.R. Giddens and ex-Kansas State sidekick to Michael Beasley, Bill Walker. Coming from the college environments they did, they shouldn't have any beef with the sleepy Orem nightlife.

• BYU's sports marketing dept.: The only gripe is that people haven't taken enough advantage of them. There were only about 3,000 fans at Tuesday's women's basketball game that had No. 1-ranked UConn in town. The crowd should have easily been twice that. A transcendent opponent with instant name recognition, plus ticket prices that even a sportswriter could absorb ($1 for adults, everyone else free) -- BYU fans need to keep in mind those opportunities come around only so often. And they won't keep coming if fans don't take advantage and go see it.

It's not like the rocky mountain region is a hotbed for recruiting or competition, in which every East Coast power is clamoring to play.

• Positive people like Haley Hall: She just likely had her basketball career ended -- before it ever really started -- when she tore an ACL for the third consecutive year in college. But there she is around BYU, offering encouragement and not letting her faulty knees ruin her love of the game, or her teammates.

That's strength we should all be blessed with.

Happy Thanksgiving.

• Jason Franchuk can be reached at jfranchuk@heraldextra.com