1 / 3

Provo wide receiver Ronnie Wright (right) poses for a photo with his father Greg Wright. who was a high school teammate of Bulldogs coach Kirk Chambers. Ronnie Wright had seven catches for 148 yards and two touchdowns against Salem Hills on Friday, Sept. 19, 2025.

Brian E. Preece, Special to the Herald

2 / 3

The Provo High defense (in green) lines up against Salem Hills in a high school football game on Friday, Sept. 19, 2025.

Brian E. Preece, Special to the Herald

3 / 3

Provo football coach Kirk Chambers (standing) addresses his team after a 49-25 victory against Salem Hills on Friday, Sept. 19, 2025.

Brian E. Preece, Special to the Herald

❮ ❯

In the world of sports, schedule does matter. And though Provo came into Friday’s Region 8 game with a 1-4 record while Salem Hills was 3-1 and actually 1-0 in league play, Provo was much more battle tested.

Two of Provo’s losses were to the returning 3A champ (Morgan) in overtime and the returning 4A state champion (Crimson Cliffs) on the last play of the game. Provo also played Rocky Mountain High School out of Meridian, Idaho, perhaps the best overall team in the Gem State, while also losing to 5A Springville, which boasts a 5-1 record, 21-14.

The Bulldogs established with their 49-25 win over Salem Hills at home that the road to winning the league title still goes through Provo. For Bulldog head coach Kirk Chambers, he felt that his team was ready for the Region 8 season.

“We had some very close losses to good teams. It’s nice to put a whole game together, offensively, defensive and special teams that came up with that big block (of a punt),” Chambers said. “It’s nice to know, which we knew, but it’s nice to know who we are and that’s been proven which is great.”

Speaking of that blocked punt, Tonu Lesa blocked it and his teammate Isaac Moeai pounced on it on the Skyhawk 10-yard line. Then Teave Brown scored on a 10-yard run on the next play to give Provo a 14-0 lead. This came after his teammate Malik Filimoeatu opened the scoring with a 1-yard run set up by Liam Schoenrock’s interception and return of 20 yards.

Salem Hills looked like it might make a game of it when Ammon Butler nailed a 43-yard field goal. This came after Peyton Higginson made a spectacular catch in the end zone, but after a brief pause, the officials ruled he stepped out-of-bounds so the Skyhawks had to settle for a field goal.

Salem Hills cut into the lead a bit more when Ryder Hales connected with Joe Hughes on a 9-yard touchdown pass.

But Provo reestablished control as its senior signal caller found Ronnie Wright behind the Skyhawk defenders on a 28-yard scoring connection. After Spencer Shuman connected on his third extra point, the Bulldogs took a 21-10 lead into the locker room at halftime. But it was the third quarter that completely undid Salem Hills.

Things looked promising for the Skyhawks when Gordon Wilson secured an interception. But Provo responded with one of their own when Brexton Hunter picked off Hales and then brought the ball back 35 yards into Skyhawk territory.

This set up a touchdown pass from Orchard to Griffin DeMartini which put the Bulldogs out in front 28-10.

On Salem Hills’ next possession, Provo’s Justice Tela secured an interception and returned it 23 yards which then set up Orchard’s 28-yard scamper to paydirt on a read option play that faked out both the Skyhawk defense and even the Bulldog head coach.

“I got faked out myself,” Chambers said. “That’s what we teach him to do but he hasn’t got a feel for that until tonight and that was huge.”

Provo kept pouring it on, scoring two more times as Orchard found Wright again on a 46-yard score while Brown scored on another 1-yard plunge. Leading 49-10 at this point the running clock went into effect.

Salem Hills, to their credit, kept battling and scored two times in the final stanza as Treygan Fusselman scored on a 30-yard scamper and Higginson hauled in a14-yarder from Hales. The Skyhawks were successful on a two-point conversion which capped the scoring with a Provo victory at 49-25.

Provo (2-4, 1-0) will host Timpanogos (3-3, 1-1) for Homecoming next week while Salem Hills (3-2, 0-1) will entertain Park City (3-3, 1-0). Both games are Friday night at 7 p.m.

The Wright Stuff: Emerging as one of the top stars for Provo High is Ronnie Wright. Wright was a slot possession receiver last year but he has shown off his speed, along with his good hands and the ability to get YAC, or yards after catch.

“When he (Wright) is running across the middle late, no one’s going to get him,” said Chambers. “He’s fast, he’s shifty.”

Wright, who had seven catches for 148 yards with two touchdowns, nearly had another but he was ruled down at the 1-yard line. Though Wright is just 5-foot-10 and 145 pounds, he also showed good strength and balance taking a hit on his second touchdown catch but keeping his feet and then turning up field for the score.

“I’ve been in the weight room working hard with the strength and conditioning coach,” said Wright, who also enjoys being the punt returner and had a nice return of 10 yards during the game. Wright feels that the Bulldogs have turned the corner.

“We’ve had our ups and downs this season, but in the next few weeks, expect us to keep putting up the numbers and our defense to keep making stops.”

Incidentally, Wright’s father Greg was a teammate of Chambers, both graduating from Provo in 1997. Where the current Bulldog head coach starred on the offensive and defensive lines, Greg Wright, like his son, was a receiver.

“We both have great hands, but he is a lot faster,” said the older Wright of his son. “I’m definitely proud of him.”