High School Football: T-Wolves take their own path to success
Darnell Dickson, Daily Herald
The Timpanogos football team takes the field before the start of a game against Salem Hills on Friday, Oct. 6, 2023.TIMPANOGOS TIMBERWOLVES
Head Coach: Austin Heaps (5th season)
2023 record: 9-3 overall, 5-1 4A Region 8 (2nd)
Playoffs: No. 5 seed, lost to No. 4 Park City 28-24 4A quarterfinals
Players to Watch: Sr. WR Gabe Graff, Sr. WR/RB Dash McCann, Jr. DE Jessie King, Jr. LB Marlee Iosefo.
Outlook: A strong senior class that led the T-Wolves to 26 wins the past three seasons and into 4A contention has graduated, including the school’s all-time leading receiver Luke Livingston (155 career receptions, 59 total TDs) and quarterback Chase Riggs, who threw 60 touchdown passes in his career.
Former BYU wide receiver Tyler Anderson and Devin McCann have a proven offensive system and a talented group to work with in 2024. Receivers Gabe Graff (50 catches, 670 yards, 7 TDs) and Dash McCann (35 catches, 407 yards, 4 TDs) both return and will make fine targets for Skyride transfer Andrew Hillstead, who is taking over at quarterback. The offensive line brings back four of its five starters and will be anchored by three Afu brothers (Filimone, Simote and Kavini). End Jessie King and linebacker Marlee Iosefo will lead an improving defense.
“We graduated about 90 percent of our offensive production,” head coach Austin Heaps said, “We’re excited to see what players step up to fill the roles left by one of the most successful classes in school history. We have some unproven kids but I think they’ll pick things up quickly.”
Building Culture: “Last year we had the most starters that came from different schools in Utah County,” Heaps said. “We don’t actively go out and recruit but we’ve built a culture that people want to be a part of. It really starts with our coaching staff. The kids are spending 25-30 hours a week with them and the coaches are very selfless guys. Our staff refuses to leave or go anywhere else. We also have really dialed into condensed practices, which is different than most programs. We don’t do anything on Saturdays. We say ‘Be where your feet are’ and the weekend is time for family and friends. Our culture works. My first year we had just 38 kids in our whole program, and the past two seasons with had triple digits.”
