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Timpview's Pokai Haunga (17) and Mote Mounga (20) lead their team onto the field amid blue smoke before the T-Birds game against Lone Peak on Friday, August 12, 2022. The first game of the season for both teams was played at Provo High School because of current construction at Timpview. The T-Birds dominated in a 31-10 victory.

Darnell Dickson/Daily Herald

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Timpview's Micah Beckstead (14) breaks loose against the Lone Peak defense for a 31-yard touchdown run in the second quarter on Friday, Aug. 12, 2022. Beckstead scored two touchdowns in the first half and rushed for 223 yards as the T-Birds went on to earn a 31-10 victory.

Darnell Dickson/Daily Herald

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Lone Peak head coach Bart Brockbank (far left) waits for the coin toss with team captains Spencer Bradshaw (73), Cole Christensen (1), Kade Hodson (11), Nathan Darrington (35), Cooper Mumford (60) and Tyler Denney (9) before the start of a game against Timpview on Friday, August 12, 2022.

Darnell Dickson/Daily Herald

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Timpview's Jaxon Allred (right) celebrates after teammate Micah Beckstead (left) scored a touchdown against Lone Peak on Friday, August 12, 2022.

Darnell Dickson/Daily Herald

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Lone Peak quarterback Kade Hodson (11) escapes a tackle against Timpview on Friday August 12, 2022.

Darnell Dickson/Daily Herald

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Timpview's Spencer Fano (55) blocks Lone Peak's Luke Smith as quarterback Quezon Villa looks for a receiver on Friday, August 12, 2022.

Darnell Dickson/Daily Herald

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Timpview fans react to a play on the field during a game against Lone Peak on Friday, August 12, 2022.

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Timpview running back Micah Beckstead (14) carries the ball against Lone Peak on Friday, August 12, 2022.

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Timpview's Pokai Haunga (17) celebrates with teammates after scoring the first touchdown of the year against Lone Peak on Friday, August 12, 2022.

Darnell Dickson/Daily Herald

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Timpview’s power running game and physical defense turned out to be more than enough on the first Friday night of high school football.

Micah Beckstead ran for 223 yards and two touchdowns and the T-Birds defense recorded five sacks, plowing past defending 6A state champion Lone Peak 31-10 in a game played at Provo High School.

It was the first Timpview win against Lone Peak since 2014.

As expected, Beckstead lauded his massive offensive line, led by one of the state’s top recruits in tackle Spencer Fano.

“I just kind of run behind them, so I was going to give them all the credit,” Beckstead said. “They get a lot of vertical push, so that really helps a lot. And that just makes me run those extra yards that we needed.”

Beckstead and Kerven Tua’one did their part as well, ripping through tacklers and requiring multiple Lone Peak defenders to bring them down in a big first half.

“Our run game is what we rely on,” new Timpview coach Donny Atuaia said after recording his first victory. “I am so grateful for Coach Stokes (former head coach Andy Stokes, now the offensive coordinator). That’s his group. It’s his linemen. Micah is going to do his thing but if we can get our front guys working together, they’re going to do some damage this year.”

The T-Birds scored first on a 37-yard pass from Quezon Villa to Pokai Haunga, who outjumped a pair of Lone Peak defenders in the end zone for the touchdown. Timpview’s offensive line took charge and started opening up huge holes for Beckstead, who scored on runs of 32 and 31 yards to give the T-Birds a 21-0 halftime lead.

Lone Peak got on the board in the third quarter with a 52-yard field goal by Ian Sanches but was frustrated offensively most of the night by Timpview’s defense. Four of the Knights drives reached inside the T-Birds 25-yard line but yielded no points. Twice in the third quarter, Timpview turned away Lone Peak after long drives.

Early in the fourth quarter, Beckstead shook off three tacklers and sped 85 yards to the Lone Peak 7-yard line. That set up a 28-yard Jacob Larsen field goal for a 24-3 T-Birds lead. Later, Tua’one rumbled in from eight yards out, carrying three Knight defenders into the end zone to make the score 31-3.

Backup quarterback Rome Engemann led Lone Peak on a touchdown drive in the game’s closing moments, Mahkyi Smith getting into the end zone on a 1-yard run to close out the scoring.

Besides catching a touchdown pass, Haunga also logged an interception and a sack on defense.

“We list Pokai as an athlete because we know he’s going to be all over the field,” Atuaia said. “We’re going to have to figure out how to manage him better because he’s such a lethal weapon for us.

“I was really proud of our team because of their resiliency. We’ve got good leadership. We are senior heavy and those seniors are really stepping up. Hopefully we’ll learn and improve from tonight.”

Timpview (1-0) will play at Herriman next week. Lone Peak (0-1) travels to Mission Hills, Calif., next Friday to take on California powerhouse Alemany.

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