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Timpanogos receiver Luke Livingston, right, warms up before the start of a high school football game against Uintah in Orem on Friday, September 8, 2023.

Darnell Dickson, Daily Herald

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Timpanogos quarterback Chase Riggs throws a pass during a high school football game against Uintah in Orem on Friday, September 8, 2023.

Darnell Dickson, Daily Herald

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Cache McCann of Timpanogos, right, reaches for a pass in the end zone against Uintah's Colby Sharp during a high school football game in Orem on Friday, September 8, 2023.

Darnell Dickson, Daily Herald

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Dash McCann of Timpanogos, right, races down the sideline on an 85-yard run during a high school football game against Uintah in Orem on Friday, September 8, 2023.

Darnell Dickson, Daily Herald

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Tyson Miller of Timpanogos, 21, and his teammates drag down Uintah's Jedidiah Vandewark during a high school football game in Orem on Friday, September 8, 2023.

Darnell Dickson, Daily Herald

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Timpanogos quarterback Chase Riggs, 7, listens to head coach Austin Heaps after a 45-0 victory against Uintah in a high school football game in Orem on Friday, September 8, 2023.

Darnell Dickson, Daily Herald

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A Timpanogos defender puts pressure on Uintah quarterback JD Pickup, right during a high school football game in Orem on Friday, September 8, 2023.

Darnell Dickson, Daily Herald

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The Timpanogos football team places their helmets near the sideline during the national anthem before a game against Uintah in Orem on Saturday, September 8, 2023.

Darnell Dickson, Daily Herald

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Timpanogos head coach Austin Heaps, center, has a laugh with his team during a high school game against Uintah in Orem on Friday, September 8, 2023.

Darnell Dickson, Daily Herald

❮ ❯

Luke Livingston is back at receiver, Chase Riggs has returned at quarterback and all is right in the Timpanogos football world.

The Timberwolves improved to 4-1 this season with a 45-0 rout of Uintah to open Region 8 play on Friday, Riggs and Livingston connecting for a pair of second-quarter touchdowns.

Riggs, a pitcher who clinched Game 3 of the 5A state championship baseball game last spring, missed the first three games of the football season due to injury but has been on target since returning. Last week he threw five touchdown passes against Tooele in his season debut and added four more — all in the first half — against Uintah.

While Riggs recuperated, Livingston handled quarterback duties, completing 55 of 98 throws for 686 yards and five touchdowns in a 2-1 start. Livingston burst onto the scene as a sophomore, among the leading receivers in the country with 82 catches, 1,589 yards and 23 touchdowns. Injuries forced Livingston to split time between receiver, running back and quarterback last season but he still accounted for 2,260 all-purpose yards and 29 touchdowns.

When called upon to fill in at quarterback this fall, Livingston answered the call.

“Luke is such a great kid,” Timpanogos coach Austin Heaps said. “Stats are secondary to him. He’s just concerned about the win. He’s always been that type. It’s just, ‘What can I do to help the team right now?’ He’s a selfless kid.”

Riggs and Livingston have been best friends since they were 12 years old. They still hang out together and have created a strong chemistry on the football field and the baseball diamond, where Livingston plays center field for the T-Wolves.

“Luke did great at quarterback,” Riggs said. “He’s a receiver playing quarterback but he’s Johnny Football out there. He did a great job running our stuff out there. It really kills defenses having him at receiver.”

On Friday, Riggs got the T-Wolves out to a 14-0 first quarter lead with a 15-yard touchdown pass to Josh Graf and a 10-yard scoring throw to Gabe Graf. Dash McCann took a counter 85 yards to the house in the second quarter for a 21-0 lead, then Riggs and Livingston went to work.

The pair connected on touchdown passes of 40 yards and 25 yards, Livingston easily beating the coverage and using his body to shield away defenders in the end zone.

“I just knew Luke could beat his guy,” Riggs said. “I just saw him and we ran a fade. I just put it out there for him to make a play and he made the plays happen.”

Brighton Tate added a late pick-six and Timpanogos took a 45-0 lead at halftime. The second half was mercifully played under a running clock.

Heaps said the T-Wolves struggled a bit in the red zone earlier this season but noted, “Luke didn’t have Luke to throw to.”

“Now that we’ve got this kid back at receiver, it just opens up everything,” he said.

There are plenty of dangerous pass catchers on the team, from the Grafs to the McCanns (Dash and Cache) as well as bruising running back Easton Bretzing.

“We have a lot of depth this year with probably seven receivers I know I can throw to,” Riggs said. “It’s not just Luke anymore. We’ve got weapons.”

With offensive coordinator Tyler Anderson moving on to Timpview, former Orem quarterback Devin McCann has taken over play calling and Heaps said the offense hasn’t missed a beat.

At 5-foot-11 and 180 pounds, Livingston’s future at the next level is at receiver. He said he has one offer but hasn’t made any decisions yet.

“I just hope colleges look at me and know I can play whatever position they want me to play,” he said. “I just want them to see me as an athlete, a football player that can play anywhere.”

He’s glad to be back at receiver but said he received an education playing quarterback.

“I learned what everybody’s jobs are and what they’re supposed to do,” Livingston said. “Knowing what my teammates are supposed to do helps me do my job better.”

Timpanogos has a big Region 8 game looming next week at Provo.

“Our main goal as a staff is to keep focused,” Heaps said. “We didn’t want to overlook Uintah but we’ve had Provo circled on our calendar since the region schedule came out back in the spring.”