By a couple of chain links: Springville holds on for 21-14 win at Provo
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- Provo’s Chase Pahl (18) is upended by Springville’s Lisiate Valeti as Treyton Harris (28) closes in during a high school football game on Friday, Aug. 29, 2025.
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- Springville’s Zach Henderson holds the ball up after an interception in the end zone during a high school football game against Provo on Friday, Aug. 29, 2025.
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- Springville’s Treyton Harris (28) brings down Provo’s Ronnie Wright during a high school football game on Friday, Aug. 29, 2025.
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- Springville’s Tuiono Valeti (34) lead blocks for teammate Lisiate Valeti as Provo’s Teave Brown gives chase during a high school football game on Friday, Aug. 29, 2025.
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- Provo’s Gehrig Orchard prepares to throw a pass during a high school football game against Springville on Friday, Aug. 29, 2025.
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- Provo’s Malik Filimoeatu carries the ball against Springville in a high school football game on Friday, Aug. 29, 2025.
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- Provo’s Malik Filimoeatu runs with the ball during a high school football game against Springville on Friday, Aug. 29, 2025.
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- Provo captains (from left) Malik Filimoeatu, Ronnie Wright, Crew DeMartini and Gehrig Orchard walk onto the field for the coin flip before the start of a high school football game against Springville on Friday, Aug. 29, 2025.
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- Springville’s Lisiate Valeti carries the ball during a high school football game against Provo on Friday, Aug. 29, 2025.
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- Springville captains (from left), Lisiate Valeti, Tua Naufahu, Tuiono Valeti and Max Harris walk onto the field for the coin flip before a high school football game against Provo on Friday, Aug. 29, 2025.
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- Springville players during the national anthem before the start of a high school football game at Provo on Friday, Aug. 29, 2025.
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- The Provo football team runs onto the field before a game against Springville on Friday, Aug. 29, 2025.
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- Provo High School students react during a football game against Springville on Friday, Aug. 29, 2025.
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- Springville students react during a high school football game against Provo on Friday, Aug. 29, 2025.
Trailing Springville 21-14 with 3:39 to play on Friday, Provo decided to go for it on fourth-and-1 from its own 32-yard line. Bulldogs quarterback Gehrig Orchard fumbled the snap but picked up the ball and lunged forward before getting shoved back by the Red Devils defense.
The officials placed the ball and signaled a Provo first down, but like most head coaches, Springville’s Dave Valeti is an observant fellow.
“I saw a little lag in the chain,” said Valeti, who was standing near the chain gang on the sideline. “I knew it was going to be close.”
Valeti called for a measurement and the chains were brought out. Once the marker was placed, both teams leaned in to see the result. The lead official squatted down to get a better look.
He stood and signaled a first down the other way, giving the Red Devils the ball. Springville reeled off two first downs to burn the clock and preserve a 21-14 victory to move to 3-0.
“I’m glad it went our way,” Valeti said. “It was close. A couple of links. In the huddle, I said to our guys, ‘No matter the outcome (of the measurement), whether we were playing offense or defense, the mindset has got to be the same,’ because you know that emotional swing off the fourth down can be big. I’m just proud of them.”
Springville rode its defense, a strong running attack and a really big pass play to earn that late seven-point lead. Provo tied the game at 14 with 5:08 to play, getting a 37-yard Gehrig pass to Ronnie Wright to set up a 3-yard Malik Filemoeatu touchdown run. The Red Devils, who rotated Beau Halvorsen, Tua Naufahu and Lisate Valeti at quarterback, set up shop at their own 20-yard line.
That’s when wily old offensive coordinator Doug Bills reached deep into his bag to strike. Valeti, a bruising runner not known for his passing, faked a handoff and launched a deep pass toward speedy Zach Henderson, who had single coverage.
“He (the Provo defensive back) was playing inside coverage,” Henderson explained. “We worked on it all week. I tried to get outside stack back on top and I’ll beat him every time. It’s hard to be patient but when the time is right, I’ll get my play.”
Henderson gathered in the ball and raced into the end zone to complete an 80-yard touchdown for a 21-14 Springville lead with 4:57 remaining.
“The call even caught me off a guard a little bit,” Coach Valeti said. “I was still looking at our running back thinking he had the ball. He (Bills) has been doing this a long time, and I think it shows he has confidence in our guys to call it right there at that point.”
Provo spent almost the entire first quarter with the ball but came up empty. Stafford Small picked off a Gehrig pass on the Bulldogs first drive and sprinted 88 yards for score and a 7-0 Springville lead.
On Provo’s next possession, the home team drove deep into Red Devil territory again but Henderson made a leaping interception in the end zone to thwart that drive.
The Bulldogs managed to tie the game at 7-all when Wright made a spectacular one-handed catch in the end zone and kept his foot in bounds, forging a tie with 2:22 to play in the first half.
Springville took the second half kickoff and marched down the field, getting a key fourth-and-1 conversion from Lisiate Valeti. The senior took the snap, spun out of a tackle and rumbled 33 yards to set up Naufahu’s 3-yard touchdown run.
That 14-7 lead held up until the final stretch run in the fourth quarter, where the Springville defense rose up on the key fourth-down play.
“I think we played great defensively,” Henderson said. “We just need one stop. We knew it was on the line. We had to go all out and push him back. And we got it.”
The Red Devils have followed a bit of an unconventional path to their 3-0 start.
“Whatever it takes,” Coach Valeti said. “That’s our motto. It was pretty in many of our games but the kids are bought into doing whatever it takes. Nobody has an ego. That’s the biggest thing. I have some quarterbacks that are not throwing the ball great but they are the first ones there at practice trying to improve. We’re trying to be a little bit more dynamic and we’re just going to keep working on it.
“The fun thing is, we can be better. We like to run the ball at Springville and we like to play good defense. It’s hard in this day and age for kids to buy into that, but we do whatever works.”
Springville (3-0) gets a big test to open Region 7 play next Friday with a game at league favorite Orem. The Tigers are 1-2 but have played a very difficult schedule.
Provo (1-2) is probably cursing the names of all officials after being on the wrong end of a late call in a second straight close loss. The Bulldogs will step out of state next Friday to play at Rocky Mountain (Idaho).
SPRINGVILLE 21, PROVO 14
Springville 7 0 7 7 — 21
Provo 0 7 0 7 — 14
SP-Small 88 interception return (Smith kick)
P-Wright 11 pass from Orchard (Shuman kick)
SP-Naufahu 3 run (Smith kick)
P-Filimoeatu 3 run (Shuman kick)
SP-Henderson 80 pass from L. Valeti (Smith kick)
