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Timpview defenders make a tackle during the 5A quarterfinal game against Orem in Provo on Friday, Nov. 8, 2024.

Harold Mitchell, Special to the Herald

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A Provo ball carrier gets driven out of bounds during the 4A quarterfinal game against Sky View in Provo on Friday, Nov. 8, 2024.

Jared Lloyd, Daily Herald

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Timpview quarterback Soakai Aston runs the ball up the field during the 5A quarterfinal game against Orem in Provo on Friday, Nov. 8, 2024.

Harold Mitchell, Special to the Herald

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A Provo ball carrier breaks a tackle during the 4A quarterfinal game against Sky View in Provo on Friday, Nov. 8, 2024.

Jared Lloyd, Daily Herald

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Both Provo high schools took the field on Friday afternoon hoping to win a spot in their respective quarterfinals.

Timpview succeeded … but Provo came up just short.

The No. 4-seed Thunderbirds hosted long-time rival Orem, the No. 5-seed in the 5A state playoffs.

Orem came out aggressively after giving up an early touchdown and scored on an 80-yard bomb, then successfully went for the two-point conversion to take the lead.

Timpview dampened the Tiger momentum late in the first quarter, moving in front on a 42-yard touchdown pass from T’Bird quarterback Soakai Aston to junior Aisa Galea’i.

Orem rallied nicely and moved the ball into Timpview territory early in the second quarter. The visitors had a chance to answer and go back in front, but were forced into a long field goal attempt that went wide.

The Thunderbirds never let the Tigers get that close again.

Timpview closed out the half with a pair of TDs on a 10-yard pass from Aston to senior Zedekiah Anahu-Ambrosio and a 1-yard plunge by Aston to take a commanding 28-8 lead into the break.

The Thunderbirds then added two more rushing scores after halftime while the Timpview defense shut down Orem completely, allowing the home team to cruise to the 42-8 win.

Across town, the No. 2-seed Bulldogs were trying to get their first semifinals in decades but found themselves in a dogfight with No. 7-seed Sky View.

Each team scored on its first possession and it looked like the game was going to be a shootout. The defenses, however, rose to the occasion and started making plays.

Both Provo and the Bobcats had opportunities but in the end it was the visitors from Sky View that made the key plays, then held on for the 26-20 win.

“I feel like we left some things on the field,” Bulldog head coach Kirk Chambers said. “We could have done a little bit better. Credit to Sky View for defensively giving us a lot of fits. We couldn’t get into a run game rhythm and couldn’t protect our quarterback as well as we usually like to. That was the difference in the game right there.”

After Provo scored first on a 19-yard run by senior Oliver Mackay, the Bobcats scored 20 unanswered points to go up 20-7 late in the first half.

But the Bulldogs appeared to get a huge shot of momentum right before halftime when junior quarterback Gehrig Orchard hit senior Bryant Larsen for a 61-yard touchdown pass to make it a six-point game at the break.

The Provo defense then started the third quarter fired up and got a three-and-out, giving the Bulldogs a chance to go back in front.

Three more times the home team stopped the Sky View offense and got the ball back in a one-score game and three more times Provo couldn’t capitalize.

The final time was the back-breaker when Orchard got hit from behind as he started to throw a pass. The ball popped out and the officials ruled it to be a fumble, with the Bobcats recovering at the Provo 3-yard line.

One play later, Sky View pushed it to a two-score game and put the pressure on the Bulldogs to answer.

Provo gave it everything it had and scored a late TD, but the onside kick failed and Sky View was virtually able to run out the clock.

“I felt like we put our defense in a lot of tough positions, but they battled,” Chambers said. “We had a chance towards the end of this game to maybe have a shot, but we just came up short. I feel like if we have three more minutes, I think we’re advancing but we ended up short. A lot of good seasons come to an end that way and unfortunately that’s what happened to us this year.”

He said he was extremely proud of the season his Bulldogs had, despite the disappointment of how it ended.

“We won eight in a row and had some big wins,” Chambers said. “We had great senior leadership that will definitely be missed. After the two tough first games, the team really rallied. What a ride it was. It was a great season.”

Timpview will play in the 5A semifinals, which will take place at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City on Nov. 15 at 11 a.m.