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Lehi senior Kaleb Moore (11) celebrates after scoring a touchdown during the non-region game against Maple Mountain in Lehi on Friday, Sept. 1, 2023.

Jared Lloyd, Daily Herald

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American Fork's Jacob Eardley carries the ball against Lehi in a high school football game on Friday, September 15, 2023.

Darnell Dickson, Daily Herald

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Timpview players break through the homecoming sign before the Region 7 game against Orem at Provo High on Thursday, Sept. 14, 2023.

Jared Lloyd, Daily Herald

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The Skyridge football team takes the field for a 6A state football quarterfinal game against Pleasant Grove on Friday, Nov. 3, 2023.

Darnell Dickson, Daily Herald

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Getting a chance to play in the Utah state high school football semifinals is an opportunity every team dreams of for two very good reasons.

First, it means an opportunity to compete on a bigger stage. For Class 4A, 5A and 6A teams, that means being at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City.

Second, reaching the semifinals is the only way to achieve the goal of winning a state title.

“My favorite part is seeing the excitement the kids have when they know they are getting closer to reaching their goals,” Timpview head coach Donny Atuaia said in a phone interview on Wednesday. “For me, that’s the best part, seeing the kids accomplish a goal and move on to the next.”

Lehi head coach Ed Larson said he loves how the entire school seems to enjoy it when the football team reaches that milestone.

“I didn’t realize how much getting to this point helps the school,” Larson said. “I hear kids in the halls who I have no idea if they come to games or not but everyone loves it. There is pride in the kids walking around, talking about how neat it is that the football team is in the semifinals again. I think that pride in the school throughout the week is pretty special to see.”

The Thunderbirds and Pioneers are two of the four Utah Valley teams who made it to the final four in their respective classifications, joining American Fork and Skyridge in that accomplishment.

Now, however, they face some tough tests.

Timpview, the top seed in Class 5A, is getting ready to take on No. 5-seeded Olympus on Thursday at 11 a.m. and Atuaia said the Thunderbirds know it is going to be a challenge.

“They are a good squad,” Atuaia said. “The key for us is going to be composure. It’s a high-profile game and everyone will be watching because there are only four teams left. We need to do our job and think about what is in front of us instead of what is going on around us.”

There is also the challenge of the new environment and being prepared for the big stage.

“The keys are work and focus,” Atuaia said. “We have some new players but whenever you get nervous about a big event, the best thing to do is go to work and focus on us and what we need to do.”

The 6A semifinals will take place at Rice-Eccles Stadium Friday with No. 1-seed American Fork taking on No. 4-seed Skyridge at 11 a.m. and No. 3-seed Lehi facing No. 2-seed Corner Canyon at 2:30 p.m.

Larson said the fact that the Pioneers have had so much success recently has made a big difference, despite the fact that Lehi moved up from Class 5A to Class 6A.

“There is an inertia and energy that comes from previous teams,” Larson said. “It’s real. I think that has helped us. It’s been a process where we struggled on certain weeks as we’ve grown. We have ended up starting a lot of seniors who had very little experience because of the team that was on the field last year. It was hard to overcome and there was a learning curve that was more than I realized.”

But now the Pioneers have marched into a showdown with a Charger squad that is undefeated against Utah competition, losing only to national powerhouse Bishop Gorman from Las Vegas.

“They are sound in everything they do,” Larson said. “Their offense is explosive all the time. I’d love to see us have long drives to keep their offense off the field. We will see what we are made of. I think our kids are excited for the opportunity to play these guys in a game that matters.”

Larson said he feels the Pioneers need to run the ball and win the turnover battle to have a shot.

“Those could really tip the game in one direction or the other,” Larson said. “We have to control our offense by running the ball. I think the run game on either side will determine how well this goes although we paint ourselves as two passing teams. We also have to hold on to the football and sustain drives. Those are the two keys in my opinion.”

Skyridge head coach suspended for playing ineligible player

Jeff Cluff, assistant director at the Utah High School Activities Association, released a statement Wednesday night regarding the status of Skyridge head coach Justin Hemm:

“This week, Skyridge High School self-reported (as is required of all schools under the Bylaws and rules of the Utah High School Activities Association) that an ineligible player had participated in the two most recent games of the football season.

“That report was submitted to the Board of Managers of Region3, which recommended that the head coach of the Skyridge football program be suspended from all activities for a period of two weeks which would include two games.

“Pleasant Grove High School, which had lost to Skyridge in the November 3, 2023 quarterfinal contest, objected to the Region 3 recommendation and asked the Association to declare a forfeit because of the ineligible player, and require Skyridge to vacate that win.

“Today, November 8, 2023, the Association asked both Skyridge and Pleasant Grove to appear before the Association’s Executive Committee for a hearing on the recommendation and the request to vacate. The Executive Committee took testimony from both schools and took the matter under advisement while it considered the evidence and the possible penalties.

“After consideration, the Executive Committee unanimously ruled accordingly:

“1. The Recommendation of the Region 3 Board of Managers is accepted as to the suspension of the head coach for two weeks and two games;

“2. Skyridge High School is fined $3,000 for lack of institutional control in the two incidences of playing an ineligible player;

“3. Skyridge High School will be on probation for one year, during which time it will take whatever steps are necessary to prevent a recurrence of these infractions. During that time, Skyridge will report to the Association the actions it has taken and the results.

“The UHSAA will make no further comments on this situation.”