‘Kick it’: Long Frokjer field goals guide Roy past Timpview, into 5A title game
Royals headed to first championshp game since 2014
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- Roy kicker Colby Frokjer (1) boots a 53-yard, fourth-quarter field goal against Timpview in a 5A semifinal Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City.
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- Roy receiver Zay Morris (2) hauls in a 57-yard, go-ahead touchdown pass past Timpview’s Kolomona Kahanu (24) in a 5A semifinal Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City.
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- Roy’s Kili Eleneke (21) defends a pass to Timpview’s Zed Anahu-Ambrosio (7) in a 5A semifinal Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City.
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- Roy running back Logan Cella (0) picks up yards against Timpview in a 5A semifinal Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City.
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- Roy defensive back Rhett Slater (11) celebrates his interception against Timpview with teammate Kili Eleneke (21) in a 5A semifinal Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City.
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- Timpview’s Dennis Tua’one (12) catches a pass against the defense of Roy’s Rhett Slater (11) in a 5A semifinal Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City.
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- Roy receiver Zay Morris (2) runs for a gain against Timpview’s Matthias Lesa in a 5A semifinal Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City.
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- Roy head football coach Chris Solomona looks to the field during a 5A semifinal against Timpview on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City.
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- Roy’s Zay Morris (2) and Timpview’s Dennis Tua’one (12) battle for a pass in a 5A semifinal Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City.
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- Roy’s Robert Young runs the football against Timpview in a 5A semifinal Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City.
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- Roy quarterback Dru Gardner rears back to throw against Timpview in a 5A semifinal Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City.
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- Timpview running back Aisa Galea’i, center, rushes against Roy’s Logan Cella (0) and Carsten Engberg (22) in a 5A semifinal Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City.
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- Roy’s Robert Young (5) celebrates a touchdown against Timpview with teammate Hunter Webb (8) in a 5A semifinal Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City.
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- Roy’s Moni Keiaho (26) leads the Royals onto the field ahead of a 5A state semifinal against Timpview on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City.
SALT LAKE CITY — With nine minutes left, the Roy sideline was in a heated debate.
The No. 1 Royals, trailing No. 4 Timpview 19-16, needed an answer on fourth down following a would-be touchdown catch by senior Kahekili Eleneke made moot by a holding penalty that backed Roy up near midfield. It was decision time, and punting the ball away was a realistic move with Friday’s semifinal round at Rice-Eccles Stadium coming down to a handful of decisions.
Senior Colby Frokjer’s leg could easily be the most trusted in the state, but a late-season shoulder-blade injury hindered the chances of what would be a 58-yard attempt after a delay of game penalty.
The senior nailed a field goal from 38 yards during the first half. He was feeling it.
“I kind of spoke it into the air,” Frokjer said. “They came out, we got backed up and they wanted to punt it. I was like, ‘No, no, no. Kick it, I promise.'”
The huddle looked toward Frokjer, turning back toward Roy coach Chris Solmona.
“Alright, we’re kicking it,” Solomona said.
Frokjer drilled it, tying the record for the 11th longest all-time field goal in Utah with Michael Smith (Lone Peak, 2012) and Kelly Terrill (Judge, 1985), and registering the longest made field goal in a state semifinal.
The 58-yarder paved the way for a 29-19 victory, punching Roy’s ticket to its first state championship game since 2014 when Timpview defeated the Royals 28-7 in the same venue.
Roy (12-1) draws a rematch with No. 2 Bountiful (12-1) at 11 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 21. The Redhawks topped Roy 42-35 in what amounted to a Region 5 title bout five weeks ago, and beat No. 3 Brighton 24-8 later Friday.
Roy’s only state championship came in 1981 under head coach Ernie Jacklin; Solomona is seeking his first in next week’s title game.
Roy put the game away later in the fourth quarter when senior Dru Gardner (135 yards, two TDs) found a 57-yard touchdown connection with junior Zay Morris (four receptions, 76 yards, TD) and Frokjer showed off his leg again with a 53-yarder in the final minute.
Solomona’s group finished the fourth quarter as the first: Roy was the more confident team. The third-year Roy skipper reinforced that messaging leading up to Friday.
“We were telling our guys all week, ‘You take that T off their helmet and let’s play them like another team,'” Solomona said. “They truly believed. We kept telling them our confidence has to be at an all-time high — no doubt, no fear, just come out here and play football.”
Electing to receive the opening kickoff, Roy launched a 13-play, 77-yard scoring drive sustained with a fourth-down conversion run by senior Logan Cella (108 yards) into Timpview territory. Cella’s run set up a 7-yard touchdown catch by senior Robert Young (134 all-purpose yards) to cap the Royals’ six-minute opening drive.
Timpview ate the remaining 5:37 of first-quarter clock, resulting in Roy’s first defensive stand of the game by senior Jaxton Scoffield and junior Carsten Engberg, stalling Abraham Ogata on third-and-goal to force a 20-yard field goal by Luke Thornock.
Roy emulated the Thunderbirds’ conservative choice to kick on its next drive. The Royals settled for a 38-yarder from Frokjer with Timpview’s defense denying Gardner’s pass game in the red zone and after a holding penalty forced a fourth-and-long scenario with 6:15 to go in the second quarter.
Timpview needed just three plays to answer, the key being a 52-yard catch-and-run by Jaron Pula (159 yards, TD) down the right sideline and setting the Thunderbirds up at the Roy 25-yard after an unsportsmanlike penalty. Pula hauled in a 22-yard touchdown catch moments later.
Roy special teams disrupted Thornock’s PAT and the Royals led 10-9 with 4:33 left in the half.
Timpview found multiple lanes to Gardner on the following drive, flushing out the Roy senior on third-and-long for the game’s first punt.
Morris got tagged for pass interference going up against Dennis Tua’one on the first play of Timpview’s drive, moving the sticks across midfield with just under three minutes left in the half.
With the Thunderbirds knocking on third-and-goal, senior Hunter Webb got his hand in front of quarterback Soakai Aston (259 yards, TD) and batted down the senior’s throw for the stop. With a Thornock 22-yarder, Timpview grabbed a 12-10 lead at halftime with another possession waiting for them to begin the second half.
Even with the late stop before halftime, Morris said the 15-minute break included a sense of now or never.
“There were so many highs and lows,” Morris said. “We knew coming in at the half, we’ve got this game. … I knew coming back this season, it was going to be a big one.”
Roy returned to the field ready for the Thunderbirds, stalling Aston and company in three plays to force Timpview’s first punt.
A thrilling Young touchdown run out of a direct-snap formation, slicing and bouncing his way around 26 yards of green, returned the lead to the Royals 16-12 with 8:42 to play in the third quarter.
A few plays later, Aston fired a pass shy of his target and into the hands of Roy senior Rhett Slater near midfield. But the takeaway yielded nothing for the Royals, with Daniel Beckstead leading a goalline resistance that stopped Young short of paydirt on fourth-and-2 from the Timpview 3.
Restarting deep in their grass, Timpview managed an eight-play scoring drive beginning at its 2-yard line. Aisa Galea’i punched in a 6-yard touchdown run to hand the lead back to the Thunderbirds 19-16 with the third-quarter clock dwindling.
After Eleneke’s reversed touchdown catch to begin the fourth quarter, Solomona called on Frokjer for the pivotal 58-yarder. The Roy coach said it’s a moment the senior leg’s been bred for.
“He can make those,” Solomona said. “He’s been doing it the last three years. He just went out and displayed in front of the entire state.”
A couple of plays into Timpview’s response, Eleneke forced the ball out of Aston’s hands near the Roy 39 and Tua’one recovered the ball for the Thunderbirds at the 38. Aston later aired it out to Pula on fourth-and-10, and Pula nearly pulled down the pass near the Roy 10 but lost control on his way out of bounds.
Gardner wasted little time following the turnover, spotting a wide-open Morris for a 57-yard touchdown reception. Roy regained possession before the two-minute warming, sealing things up on Frokjer’s 53-yarder with just 35 seconds left
Young picked off Aston on Timpview’s final drive beginning at the 25, closing the book.
BOX SCORE
Roy High 7 3 6 13 – 29
Timpview 3 9 7 0 – 19
FIRST QUARTER
5:45 – Roy touchdown: Young 7-yard pass from Gardner. PAT good (ROY 7, TIMP 0)
0:00 – Timpview field goal: Thornock 20 yards (ROY 7, TIMP 3)
SECOND QUARTER
6:15 – Roy field goal: Frojker 38 -yards (ROY 10, TIMP 3)
4:33 – Timpview touchdown: J. Pula 22-yard pass from Aston. PAT no good. (ROY 10, TIMP 9)
0:22 – Timpview field goal: Thornock 22 yards (TIMP 12, ROY 10)
THIRD QUARTER
8:42 – Roy touchdown: Young 26-yard run. Two-point pass failed (ROY 16, TIMP 12)
0:39 – Timpview touchdown: Galea’i 6-yard run. PAT good (TIMP 19, ROY 16)
Fourth quarter
9:35 – Roy field goal: Frokjer 58 yards (ROY 19, TIMP 19)
3:51 – Roy touchdown: Morris 57-yard pass from Gardner. PAT good (ROY 26, TIMP 19)
0:35 – Roy field goal: Frokjer 53 yards (ROY 29, TIMP 19)
Connect with prep sports reporter Conner Becker via email at cbecker@standard.net and X @ctbecker.
