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Provo players pose for a photo after the Region 8 game against Orem in Provo on Friday, April 25, 2025.

Juan Diego Camarena, Provo High

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Provo's Fred Mendez Ortega (10) stands for the introductions prior to the Region 8 game against Orem in Provo on Friday, April 25, 2025.

Juan Diego Camarena, Provo High

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Provo players celebrate after scoring a goal during the Region 8 game against Orem in Provo on Friday, April 25, 2025.

Juan Diego Camarena, Provo High

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Provo's Diego Reyes celebrates by pointing toward the crowd during the Region 8 game against Orem in Provo on Friday, April 25, 2025.

Juan Diego Camarena, Provo High

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Fred Mendez Ortega was physically and probably even emotionally spent, and who could blame him?

The Provo High forward had just completed a full-out sprint spanning more than half of the entire field during the Bulldog’s inspiring 5-1 win over Orem on Friday. He managed to find himself just ahead of the nearest defender with an open shot looming ahead. The senior pulled the trigger, but unfortunately just missed outside of the near post.

Ortega found himself lying face first on the ground for several minutes before rising to finish off the final minute of the game, as a result.

“Trying to score at full speed isn’t that easy, that’s for sure,” Ortega said with a chuckle. “I had an amazing run, but it just killed me. I was totally drained.”

Drained for all the right reasons.

Ortega, as he has all season long, was involved with just about everything that went right for Provo in its big win. Whether it be forcing action on the offensive end, disrupting a midfield charge or putting the ball on goal on more than several occasions, Ortega did it all.

“Fred is such a dynamic player that he demands the attention of the entire defense,” Provo head coach Jayson Mansanarez said. “So a lot of the times we go the way Fred goes and tonight he was big. But the great thing was that it wasn’t just him.”

No, it wasn’t just Ortega for Provo on Friday.

Goals were added by Dieter Lang in the game’s third minute and followed up with scores from Diego Reyes, Tony Haro and Saxon Gutzman to give Provo a resounding 5-1 win.

But in the middle of almost all of it was Ortega, lending more than just his typical dominant play.

“Fred adds an energy that only some players can do. Not everyone has that ability,” Mansanarez explained. “He’s the one. He’s got it. He’s the heart and soul of the team, brings the energy and everyone follows him. It’s inspiring. It’s fun to watch.”

Mansanarez reserved praise for everyone who took the pitch for Provo, along with Ortega, but made certain to point out the play of Matt Hodges.

“Matt Hodges is an example of guys that really helped us tonight,” Mansanarez said. “It was the best game of his career. He was outstanding holding the center mid position. It all starts right there.”

“This group of boys are all brothers. This isn’t a team. It’s a family,” added Ortega. “We’re so united and so together and I embrace being an emotional leader. I’ll do anything for my boys.”

Although Provo started things out as well as could be imagined, leading 2-0 at the half, Orem came back strong in the second, with Weston Warnick scoring a goal with just over 30 minutes remaining to cut the lead to 2-1.

But Provo regrouped and answered right back with Reyes’ aforementioned goal, which came off a great free kick from midfield off of the leg of goalie Spencer Shuman just five minutes later.

Again it was Ortega forcing the action in the game’s 65th minute which ended up with Haro finding the back of the net before Gutzman topped the scoring off, heading the ball in off of a corner kick.

As for Ortega, the senior striker probably should have had at least a couple of more goals on the night, as several of his attempts just missed the target or encountered brilliant saves.

“It honestly felt like he should have had ten goals to be honest,” Mansanarez said. “He was just everywhere tonight, and when he’s like that we’re extremely tough to beat.”

For Provo, Friday’s win snapped a tough stretch where it lost three of four matches and offered some revenge after taking a 3-0 defeat to Orem exactly two weeks prior.

“That Orem team is incredible,” said Mansanarez. “We knew we’d have to be at our best today and our guys brought it. We did a good job and we were highly motivated. We knew that we had something that we needed to prove.”

And the proof was there throughout the entire 80 minutes, leaving Mansanarez grinning widely after.

“Actually this is who I thought we would be this season,” Mansanarez said of his team’s complete game performance on Friday. “It’s just taken a while to get there. We’ve had a few injuries and other things that have hindered us.”

With the win Provo improves to 7-6 on the season and has three matches remaining before the state playoffs. It’s a playoff Manasanarez and his team seem primed for, after playing in a very tough Region 7 and then apparently peaking at the right time.

“Orem is the best team in the state. That’s an incredible team right there,” Mansanarez said. “But we proved tonight that we can compete with the best. So yeah, we’re confident. I’m just so proud of the boys and how they got it done tonight. This was big for us.”