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Timpview and Provo players battle for the ball during the non-region game at Timpview on Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024.

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Timpview fans wear the special "5 for the Fight" t-shirts during the non-region game against Provo at Timpview on Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024.

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Timpview junior Mason Ford goes up for a layup during the non-region game against Provo at Timpview on Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024.

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Timpview and Provo bands play as a group during the non-region game at Timpview on Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024.

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A Timpview cheerleader holds a "5 for the Fight" sign during the non-region game against Provo at Timpview on Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024.

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Timpview and Provo dance groups perform together during the non-region game at Timpview on Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024.

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Timpview and Provo players battle for the ball during the non-region game at Timpview on Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024.

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Timpview junior Will Openshaw dunks the ball during the non-region game against Provo at Timpview on Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024.

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Timpview junior Aisa Galeai shoots a shot during the non-region game against Provo at Timpview on Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024.

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Provo fans wear the special "5 for the Fight" t-shirts during the non-region game at Timpview on Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024.

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Timpview junior Lincoln Holcombe dribbles the ball up the court during the non-region game against Provo at Timpview on Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024.

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Timpview junior Dean Rueckert shoots a shot during the non-region game against Provo at Timpview on Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024.

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Timpview head coach Izzy Ingle directs his team during the non-region game against Provo at Timpview on Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024.

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Provo junior Gehrig Orchard watches his shot during the non-region game at Timpview on Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024.

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Provo junior Makai Allen shoots a shot during the non-region game at Timpview on Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024.

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Provo senior Jameson Lohner goes up for a shot during the non-region game at Timpview on Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024.

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Provo junior Makai Allen drives into the lane during the non-region game at Timpview on Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024.

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Provo head coach Chris Collinsworth disagrees with a call during the non-region game at Timpview on Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024.

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Timpview junior Braxton Wilkerson dives for a loose ball during the non-region game against Provo at Timpview on Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024.

❮ ❯

The Timpview-Provo rivalry has resulted in a lot of thrilling games over the years — but it has also brought out the worst in individuals and communities.

This year was no exception as the scheduled football game earlier this year ended up being canceled because of social media threats.

There were questions about whether the boys basketball game scheduled for Tuesday night would end up being played, but representatives from both schools came together to try to work together.

“After the football thing happened, it created a little bit of a divide in the community,” Thunderbird head coach Izzy Ingle said. “Rivalries are great, but they are great because of the respect you have for each other. That kind of gets lost in the shuffle sometimes. We ended up deciding to play for something bigger than basketball.”

Timpview has done a game each season in support of the “5 for the Fight” campaign to raise money for cancer research and awareness. This year, however, they got both schools involved and had special shirts made representing both Provo and Timpview.

“I think both sides were really happy with what we came up with,” Ingle said. “We played their fight song and our fight song before the game. We had the bands working together and the dance teams working together. I think it was just a good way to kind of bring the communities together and show that we’re gonna compete, but doesn’t mean we hate each other.”

The reality is that Ingle and Provo head coach Chris Collinsworth have tremendous respect for each other, and Thunderbird junior Dean Rueckert said the players on each team feel the same way.

“Those are our buddies, those guys,” Rueckert said. “I grew up with them, playing with them. We’re not best friends on the court, but we’re good friends off court. We’re all going to bring it, all going to play it hard.”

When it came to the game itself, Timpview had the clear edge in this matchup of the long-standing competition, rolling to the 66-29 win.

“I feel like we did well,” Rueckert said. “We came out strong. We came out with good energy. I think that’s the biggest thing for us, just having good energy right at the beginning.”

On the other side of the ball, Provo had a tough time getting anything going, struggling with foul trouble and turnovers for much of the first half.

“Timpview is a really good team,” Collinsworth said. “We had a bad first half and couldn’t get ourselves out of the hole. You can tell Timpview knows who it is. In the first half today, we did not look like we knew who we were at all.”

A big part of that was the Thunderbird defense, which used its size and athleticism to keep the Bulldogs from getting in rhythm.

“Our guys just played tough,” Ingle said. “Our first game of the season was really a good wake up call for us. We played a really good team and so this last week and a half, we’ve been really trying to work on our toughness and the little things like rebounding and diving on the floor. They were doing it tonight, doing all the little things. The guys got back to the basics and they were trying to do them well.”

A game like the one that took place on Tuesday won’t solve all of the issues and there are still plenty of things that need to be resolved, but it was a step in the right direction.

One of the things Ingle was most proud of was the chance for both schools to show that they respect each other.

“We’re always going to compete,” Ingle said. “We know their players and they know our players, and sometimes games get out of hand. But tonight never got to that point. The game had a different feel and it’s about that respect.”

Timpview (2-1) welcomes Kahuku, Hawai’i, to the Thunderdome on Friday while Provo (2-2) next hosts Cottonwood on Thursday.

Both games are scheduled to begin at 7 p.m.