This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
As Roy coach Fred Fernandes tried to process his program's most important victory in 33 years, he picked up on a growing chant behind the east sideline at Rice-Eccles Stadium on Friday afternoon.
The Royals fans, decked in their signature black, screamed, "We want Timpview!"
"I never thought I'd ever hear that chant," said Fernandes, a Roy High alumnus.
It doesn't matter who the Royals draw. All that matters now, after Roy's 39-0 steamroll over Corner Canyon, is that the Royals are playing for their first state title since 1981. The stellar Royals defense held a high-octane Charger offense to zero points and 137 yards of total offense.
Quarterback Tyler Skidmore threw for 308 yards on 12 of 20 passing attempts, tailbacks Baby Tee Eteuati and Matthew Matautia each had a pair of touchdowns runs and Cody Hobbs showcased his all-around abilities in Roy's rout.
Roy's offense took advantage of prime field position throughout the semifinal as the Royal defense forced 10 Corner Canyon punts. Eteuati capped off Roy's first scoring drive with a 4-yard touchdown run. Four minutes later, Matautia rumbled in from 10 yards out to give the Royals a 14-0 cushion.
Eteuati had another four-yard touchdown run midway through the second quarter to pad the lead 20-0.
Skidmore found Hobbs for a 72-yard touchdown less than two minutes into the third quarter, allowing Roy's defense to unleash a "feeding frenzy" of blitz schemes in the second half — the way Fernandes expected it to.
Defensive lineman James Martinez forced a fumble as Hobbs, who had a game-high 181 yards receiving on five receptions on offense, fell on top of the loose ball. Skidmore eventually punched it in from a yard out.
"I've said this almost every game we've played — doesn't matter if we're on offense or defense — [Hobbs is] the best player on the football field," Fernandes said. "He's not getting a whole lot of attention, but the kid can flat play football."
Matautia scored Roy's sixth touchdown early in the fourth quarter when he broke through the middle of the offensive line and stiff-armed two Charger defenders on his way to a 42-yard touchdown run. Afterward, Matautia credited the Royals defense, saying the key to the game plan was shutting down Corner Canyon star Riley Ogden.
Roy held Ogden, who rushed for nearly 1,600 yards and 13 touchdowns before Friday's semifinal, to 78 yards on 23 carries.
"Shut down the running game, and then we'll win the game," Matautia said. "That's what we did."
Skidmore's dad was a sophomore at Roy the last time the Royals were state champs in 1981. So who would the senior quarterback like to see standing in the way next week?
"Timpview would be fun, Woods Cross would be fun," he said. "It doesn't matter."
Twitter: @CKTribune —
Roy 39, Corner Canyon 0
O Roy advances to its first state title game since 1981.
• Cody Hobbs has 181 receiving yards on five receptions and had six tackles, two tackles for loss and a fumble recovery.
• Tailbacks Baby Tee Eteuati and Matthew Matautia each have a pair of touchdown runs in the rout.